Amsterdam Transport

Amsterdam is a city made for walking, with most major sites located in or near the city centre. There is an excellent public transport system including metro, tram, bus and boat services. Driving a car is strongly discouraged within the canal ring. Of course, biking is the preferred Dutch way to travel and some would say the only way to truly experience the city.

By Metro

The Metro is fast but only useful if you need to travel outside the city centre or to the Amsterdam Arena.

By train

The train station in Amsterdam is not designed to provide cross-city connections and visitors will only find services to destinations beyond Amsterdam. The exception is the very useful service going directly to Schiphol Airport.

By tram

Trams are ideal for getting around the inner city and run frequently every 5 to 10 minutes. The number 20 tram from outside the Centraal Station does a circular tour past most of the museums and sights.

By bus

Buses are mainly used to reach the outlying areas of the city (mostly the suburbs that the trams do not reach). There are more than 30 bus lines, which run until midnight. Night buses run nightly from 00:30 to 07:30, after the other services have stopped.

By bicycle

Bicycles are by far the most effective way of getting around the city. There are dedicated bicycle lanes and traffic lights, and cyclists will often not stop for either cars or pedestrians. Take care until you have become used to the style of riding in Amsterdam.

Be aware that bicycle theft is rampant and make sure you lock your bike properly at all times. Even so, many bikes for some reason, end up in one of the canals.

Taxis

Taxis are rather expensive in Amsterdam and passengers are not supposed to hail them, but instead should find a taxi stand and call from there. They are not very cheap and sometimes they take you the long way to a destination, so that it will cost you even more money.

Tourist services

The Canal Bus departs from the jetty opposite Centraal Station, the three routes take in most of the main city sights. Visitors can hop on and off at various places around the city and the fare (valid until 12:00 the following day) will also entitle you to various discounts at some of the city’s sights.

From the airport

Schiphol Airport is on the main A4 (E10) highway from Rotterdam and The Hague to Amsterdam. Directions to the A4 and major destinations are signposted as you leave the airport. Journey time to central Amsterdam is around 25 to 30 minutes.
Taxis are available at the rank outside the Arrivals Hall and they accept credit cards.

There is a direct train service from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal Station. Trains run every 10 to 15 minutes, with a journey time of between 15 and 20 minutes, depending on the service. There is a regular bus service from Schiphol to Amsterdam city. Buses pick up passengers from the stop in front of Schiphol Plaza. KLM operates a half hourly service from the airport to a number of Amsterdam hotels.