Transportation in Amsterdam: How to get around in Amsterdam?

Are you going to visit Amsterdam? Between bike and public transport, discover how to get around in Amsterdam during your stay.

Amsterdam was initially a small fishing village, which developed to know its golden age in the 17th century. Today, the capital of the Netherlands welcomes many tourists. Its cultural and artistic dynamism makes it the second most touristic city in Europe, in front of London and Venice, just behind Paris . Being a large city, it is wise to know how to move to Amsterdam.

If you have decided to go, among others, admire the Van Gogh Museum , to visit the Rijksmuseum and to make a cruise on the canal , you probably wonder how to move between each discovery. Here are the best transport modes in Amsterdam.

The essential: the pass transport

GVB Dagkaartest

The transport pass is the easiest and most cost-effective solution to move to Amsterdam. He gives access to all public transport in the city (metro, tram, bus, ferry) of the GVB network. However, it does not include the train to the airport. It is valid for day and night , during the time chosen from the first use.

I am City Card

This card allows you to combine unlimited access to public transport (tram, bus, subway) and one free entry in one of the city’s museums. You can also benefit from reductions for other museums, but also in the restaurant. A ride on the Amsterdam canals is included. This pass is ideal for traveling to Amsterdam and enjoying preferential rates for your visits. However, this card does not include the transfer from or to the airport.

Amsterdam Travel Ticket

This pass stands out from others, because it includes, in addition to unlimited public transport on Amsterdam, unlimited access to the train and the bus that transfer from Schiphol Airport. Here are the lines you can use:

• NS Railway
• Bus lines Connexion 397 and N97 only
• Public transport of the GVB network

If you plan to stay only two or three days and your trips are by plane, it will be the most suitable. In case you stay longer, you can buy two 24-hour passes for your arrival and departure. You will only have to complete with a GVB pass or I Amsterdam City Card for the duration of your trip.

The fastest: the bike

The bike is undoubtedly ♪ medium of unmissable locomotion to travel to Amsterdam. It is also the best way to get closer, as much as possible, to the daily life of its inhabitants. Everything is planned to give priority to cyclists:

• Amsterdam is covered by more than 400 kilometers of cycle routes.
• The lights are adjusted so as to favour cyclists.
• By bike, cross Amsterdam requires a small quarter of an hour.

However, in order for your bike rides to take place at best, you must respect certain rules.

• This is, for the premises, a way of locomotion and not a pleasure. So you need to adapt your speed.
• Stay on the bike paths: the sidewalks are reserved for pedestrians and the road to cars.
• Be alert to other cyclists.
• If you need to stop, put yourself on the right side (not in the middle of the runway).
• Priority to bakfiets, cargo bikes with a tray at the front in which they transport children, races, etc. They are much more complicated to drive and move forward. It is customary to let them pass.

The most comfortable: the taxi

The taxi remains, as for most destinations, the most comfortable mode of transportation to Amsterdam. However, it is also the most expensive. If you need to take one, know that taxis identify with their blue registration plate. You do not have to take the first taxi from the line. You can compare different rates and choose the one that suits you best. If you don’t have time, you can take a taxi from the company TCA (Taxi Centrale Amsterdam). These are usually the Cheap .

The most available: the bus

To travel to Amsterdam, the bus is the most available mode of transport. In addition to open lines on the day, some others allow to circulate from 0.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. . You can enjoy the city at any time.

See the map of the bus

From Amsterdam Airport

To arrive in Amsterdam after landing at Schiphol Airport, you have four possibilities to reach the city:

• Train: this is the most economical solution. Count 5€ per person for a journey of about 15 minutes. You will then arrive at the central station, where it will be easy to take the tram, metro or bus to your hotel. Departures occur every 20 minutes between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. (once per hour, between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.).
• Bus: The bus service allows you to connect the city centre within half an hour, thanks to Amsterdam Airport Express Line 397. This is the ideal if you want to visit Amsterdam directly.
• Taxi or private driver: the most comfortable way to get to your hotel — but also the most expensive. Count 45€ For a simple way. You can also book your taxi online with TaxiTender. It is an online booking platform for reliable and affordable airport transfer. Your driver will wait for you in the arrival area, with a sign to your name. It will then take you to the exact place where you want to go. Cancellation is free.
• Navette: more than a hundred hotels are served by the shuttle. So you arrive directly to your room.

Map of transport in Amsterdam

To find you in Amsterdam, you can download the following applications:

• Amsterdam Tourist Guide which allows you to have the offline maps and rather complete explanations about the city in French.
• The GVB application you will be indispensable if you have to travel by public transport (plans and timetables of the lines) and that of the Schiphol airport will help you find it.
• If you have an iPhone, the Rijksmuseum has developed an application to visit him in a playful way.