By train and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Centraal Station (CS) lies in the heart of Amsterdam, only a few minutes walk from the Dam. Four times a day the high-speed train "Thalys" arrives here, coming from Paris and Brussels/Antwerp.

The train station is a beautiful and big building. In front of the building is a big square where you will find the tourist office, tram terminal and boat rentals.

Luggage lockers can be found at the left side of the train station. For 3.5 EUR you can put your luggage away for 24 hours. The luggage room, however, is closed from 11 pm to 7 am.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: You can buy daycards (1, 2 or 3 days), that can be used on the bus, tramway and subway. But I suggest you to buy a '15-strippenkaart' (strip ticket) for 6.40 EUR. That's even cheaper than daycards if you don't intend to travel a lot by public transportation.

We only used the tramway 3 times during our 3-days stay, going from the train station to the hotel and back, and one more trip, and we only used 12 zones out of the 15 for the two of us.

You can buy your ticket at a ticket machine in the train station.

Your strip ticket must be validated at the beginning of your journey. You can do this yourself, in one of the yellow machines on trams and at metro stations, or ask the driver to do it (your best option). How many strips you need to stamp depends upon the number of zones you will be travelling through. You must, however, always stamp one strip more than the number of zones you are travelling. When you are staying in the centre stamp 2 zones.

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Website: www.gvb.nl

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: A visit to Amsterdam is unthinkable without a visit on the canals.

There are different boats to choose from for your trip on the canals.

The tour boat can be found in front of Central Station, at the Damrak, Rokin or close to the Rijksmuseum. The non-stop ride will take about 1 to 1.5 hours. Make sure you get a boat with a real guide and an open roof during summertime. The best time is during late afternoon when it isn't too crowded. Price: 8 EUR.
Canal bus is a boat where you can hop on and off at several points of interest (musea, shopping centres and attractions). They sell day passes for 16 EUR, that are valid until 12 am the next day. There is no guide on board, the boat operates like a bus service.
Museum boat is a good way to combine a boat trip with musea visits. A day pass gives you discount in several musea. The boat leaves from Central Station.

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Website: www.canal.nl

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bicycle
Getting TO/AROUND: An unique way of exploring the canals is by canal bike. It seats max. four people and you can rent it for an hour. The company "Canal Bikes" can be found at the Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein, Anne Frank Museum and Keizergracht (Leidsestraat).

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: I was surprised how small Amsterdam is. You can easily get around on foot.

For the longer stretches, the tramway is a comfortable, frequent and quick means of transportation. There is a good netwerk of tramways.

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