A cheap flight to Amsterdam is sought by nearly everyone visiting this fine European city. Depending on where you are coming from and how long you are staying, it can form up a third of your entire holiday budget or more. And recall that flying there is a necessary evil from which there is derived no real benefit or enjoyment! No wonder that everyone is looking for a cheap flight to Amsterdam.

Who you fly with and how you get there largely depend on where you live - here I've split this between USA and Europe.

Cheap flight to Amsterdam from the USA

If you live in the USA you have a choice from more carriers than anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, this also adds a great deal of complexity to finding the best fare. Some carriers only fly from specific cities and you may even have to change airline at a regional hub.

KLM, the Dutch national carrier operate many direct flights from the USA, as do many domestic carriers such as Northwest Airlines and US Airways. Then there are a myriad of smaller airlines that can offer great value for money such as Air India and Icelandair.

Luckily, the best way to find a cheap flight to Amsterdam from the USA is to use a price comparison engine, the best ones are:

• Kayak
• Orbitz
• LowesTravel.com
• Travelzoo

Also, check at various times beforehand. When booking from the USA, it is not always advisable to book as long in advance as possible - sometimes bargains can be had around six weeks before flying.

Cheap flight to Amsterdam from the UK and Europe

The short haul market within Europe is well established and there have long been many a cheap flight to Amsterdam - Schipol, Amsterdam's main airport, boasting six busy runways.

Flight booking engines are worth a quick look just to see if there are any special deals offered but this is rarely the case.

It is better to check with airlines' own websites instead as they usually offer their best prices direct to the public. In most European cities, it is wise to check the website of your national carrier(s). See also if KLM fly direct to your country.

Usually the best deal on a cheap flight to Amsterdam comes from carriers who specialise in European short haul travel with mid-size aeroplanes - they may or may not fly from a location near you but you should check:

• Easyjet
• Ryanair
• VLM
• Jet2
• Thomsonfly
• Flybe

Note that some of these airlines may not fly to Amsterdam but to other Dutch cities such as Rotterdam or Eindhoven. The Dutch national train service is excellent and you could get a train to Amsterdam in less than an hour.

When flying from the UK or Europe, it is best to book as early as possible.

Also, wherever in the world you are flying from, a very good source of airlines that fly to Schipol can be found at Wikipedia's Schipol page.