Air Transportation to/from Amsterdam. and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Most tourists from outside Europe arrive in Amsterdam by way of Schiphol International Airport. This very modern and functional facility is well organized and convenient for any tourist entering Europe. The train station is located at the arrival terminal along with a large underground shopping mall. There are numerous departures for destinations all over Europe hourly. One never needs to leave the terminal. There are no problems getting help as almost everyone in the Netherlands is fluent in English. Although there is a lot of walking required, Schiphol is the easiest air terminal to navigate that I have been to. All in all, it is a perfect gateway to Europe.

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Website: http://www.schiphol.nl

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bicycle
Getting TO/AROUND: The major mode of travel in and around Amsterdam is the bicycle. To those who have not been in cities heavily populated with bicycles it can be somewhat challenging. Most people are tuned to look both ways for automobiles, but not behind them on the right and left for bicycles. For tourists in Amsterdam this can be a real problem. People who are not accustomed to pedestrian AND bicycle lanes don't think about which lane they are in. That can lead to an emergency room visit for the unsuspecting. The bicycle rider has a warning bell on his handle bars, but when he rings the bell, he has no idea ow which way the pedestrian will jump. It's called, "Take your best guess and pray." "Oops." It can take a long time to learn about bicycles or a short time. The harder the pedestrian is hit, the faster the learning process. One also has the rider to worry about because they can get hurt too, and guess who has the right-of-way? Right! The pedestrian doesn't if he is in the bike lane. If that is you, it will be a "bought" lesson. There are 5 rules:
1. Look left, right, and behind you, especially on your right side.
2. Bicycles traveling at at 15mph exert more force (and damage, of course) than you do at walking speed.
3. Bicycles have right of way, period.
4. It is always good to check your map or guidebook well away from ANY kind of traffic.
Since you are still reading, I may as well recommend seeing Amsterdam by bike. It is character-building but fun. In fact, take a bike tour with Mike's Bikes. The tours are easy, and the most fun, I have found. They will also teach you the "rules of the road" in Amsterdam. Have a ball!

Note: After looking at the pictures of the parked bikes, remember that there are another 100,000 or so being pedaled too.

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Other Contact: probably police headquarters

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bicycle
Getting TO/AROUND: Personal experience of mine. If you are riding your bicycle in the middle of a small group of about 30 riders and you want to turn left or right - good luck. There are ways of doing it; I have personally seen it done with no injuries, but when I tried it... And guess who the other fallen riders get mad at? And they can swear in English, Dutch, German, French, and probably a couple of other languages. I didn't understand all of it, but it was obvious that I was the object of the well-deserved abuse. If you don't know how to negotiate turns, the safest transportation is walking. I don't think that Amsterdam is the safest place to relearn the art survival on two wheels. (I would have included a picture of the mess, but I was the one at the bottom of the pile.)

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: As you might have guessed, there are other method of travel on the canals. These methods usually come in the form of floating type things that range in size from little, to really big. First, of course, are the tour boats. There are a number of different tour boat companies. They all provide the same basic service of a guided tour of Amsterdam via canal. In some of the tours the driver presses a button and a prerecorded tour begins in three or four languages. In others the driver gives the tour and drives the boat. These tours are also in three or four languages. Many Dutch people are multi-lingual. Many speak Dutch. English, German, and French. This is out of necessity, not only for tourists, but the more important reason is the multinational corporations headquartered in the Netherlands and surrounding countries.

The next type of tour is the dinner, brunch, or night cocktail tours. These are available from most of the canal boat operators. Finally, is the hop on-hop off tour which give you 24 hours to just travel the canals getting on and off at all of the major stops.

There are also private tours offered by multiple organizations. Their literature is everywhere.

The best tour of all is a friend that really knows the city and owns a boat.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: No Mildred, all cars don't look alike. Some are big, some are small, some are boxy, some are stylistic. In Europe gasoline is between two and three times as much as we pay here. In most places now it costs about $6.00 per gallon. Most of the European community is interested in fuel economy. In the Netherlands the taxes on their automobiles are based on weight, horsepower, and the type of fuel used. The taxes are very high. Anyway, in order to have really good fuel economy the manufacturers have developed more efficient engines, lighter cars by the use of different materials, and smaller cars. True, there are still the big Jaguars, Mercedes, BMWs, and many others. There is even a small market for some of our gas guzzlers. But most of the Dutch people drive small cars and also use their bikes for local travel. There is a lesson there someplace.

These are photos of some of the cars you will see around Amsterdam.

Note: Please notice the railing behind the small truck. That is what usually keeps cars out of the canals. Sometimes it doesn't, and the fire brigade comes and fishes the drowned car out of the canal for about 1500 Euros. Apparently, if the driver remains with the vehicle, there is no charge.

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Other Contact: everywhere