Old “Bus 197” directions at Schiphol now point to 397
If a guidebook tells you to take bus 197 Airport Express from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport into town, update that in your head to bus 397. Connexxion quietly renumbered 197 to 397 under the red R-net / Schiphol Airport Express branding, so the route to Leidseplein and Museumplein still exists, just under a different number.
Several /r/Amsterdam posts from 2018–2023 have visitors asking “Where is bus 197 at Schiphol?”, only to be told that “that line doesn’t exist like that anymore, it’s 397 now.” The physical stops outside Schiphol Plaza are signed for 397 and other city/regional lines, but you will not see any bay labeled 197 anywhere in the bus station.
Transit nerds point out that Connexxion shifted the line into the R-net network and changed the signage from 197 → 397; same basic Schiphol–city route, different number and paint job. That means old hotel websites, PDFs, and blog posts from the early 2010s that say “take bus 197” are functionally describing today’s 397 service.
Complaints on Reddit describe tourists wandering the Schiphol bus deck for 10–15 minutes on a “treasure hunt” for a non-existent 197 stop, sometimes with luggage in tow. One traveler even said their small hotel still told them “take the 197 from the airport,” which sent them to staff at Schiphol information desks to ask why the bus had “vanished.”
Regulars short-circuit this by ignoring any mention of 197 and heading straight to the red 397 Schiphol Airport Express bays for trips toward Leidseplein, Museumplein, and Elandsgracht. Some locals admit they’ll tap confused travelers on the shoulder at the bus station and say, “You’re looking for 397, not 197,” then point them to the correct stand.
Practical tip: if your hotel confirmation, guidebook, or blog says “Bus 197 Airport Express,” cross it out, write “397 Schiphol Airport Express”, and follow 397 signs at the Schiphol Plaza bus station so you don’t waste time hunting for a number that no longer runs.