Public
Transport in Amsterdam:
There
is no better way to get around Amsterdam's city centre than through the public
transport system. A tram, buses, a canal bus and the Circle tram line, as well
as the metro, make up a complete network that enables you to reach almost any
point without the need of a car. The parking facilities in the city are scarce,
and access on personal vehicles is quite difficult: that is why the public transport
is highly recommended, unless you are in a good shape to tour the city by bike,
another famous mean in Netherlands capital.
Tram
The leading transport in Amsterdam is
without any doubt the tram: made up of 17 lines, this system goes from the Central
Station, just in front of the local harbor, to the neighborhoods located in the
south, east and west, which are at the same time connected in between.
Bus
The
bus system consists of 30 lines, reaching farther neighborhoods and the north
of Amsterdam city. During the night, the buses lines operate on a particular schedule.
Along nine different routes, that always run from or via the Central Station,
the service is offered avery hour during the week, and every hour and a half on
weekends. These lines also connect with other services provided by the GVB (Amsterdam
Public Transportation) at night, as well as NS trains and regional transport.
Canal
Bus
Amsterdam many waterways are
another useful path for public transport, especially for tourists' benefit, and
that is when the Canal Bus comes into view. The boats go along 3 different routes
(the Blue, Green, and Red Line), and stop near the cities' main attractions. The
11 stops are Rijkmuseum, Leidseplein, Westerkerk, Anne Frank House, Central Station,
City hall, Rembrandthouse, NEMO, Maritime museum, Artis Zoo and Tropenmuseum.
The Canal Bus ticket is valid for a whole day (from 9 to 19), therefore the visitor
can hop on and off wherever he wishes, and try the shopping areas or museums at
each stop. Usually this ticket guarantees some kind of discount at some of the
sightseeing musts nearby.
Metro
Four metro lines, a fast tram line and
a ring line complete the varied transport network system in Amsterdam. From the
Central Station, the metro gets to Zuidoost neighbourhood, while the fast tram
reaches Amstelveen, passing Buitenveldert. Finally, the ring line parts from the
Amsterdam Sloterdijk station and ends its journey at Gein.
Tickets
All
of these means of transport can become one thanks to the "All Amsterdam Transport
Pass", a ticket offering unlimited travel for a day either by tram, bus,
metro or the Canal Bus.
"Strippenkaart"
is the name given to transport tickets, sold at various locations in Amsterdam,
apart from the GVB sales points. Strip tickets, valid for 2, 3 or 8 zones on a
bus for example, cost less than an amount of single purchases: they are available
at supermarkets, tabacco shops or post offices, and of course, at GVB offices.
The strips represent the zones you can reach with your ticket, which is also useful
in the metro or fast tram. Moreover, there are tickets lasting several days, up
to a maximum of nine.
At metro stations,
ticket machines sell strip tickets, passes that last 24, 48 or 72 hours, and even
single journey tickets up to 2 zones. At the trams, you can buy tickets on route
5, while light-rail trains have selling machines.
Zones
Before
having your ticket stamped, you should bear something in mind: the number of strips
you need is always one more than the number of zones you will travel around. According
to the one tariff system that coordinates bus, tram and metro in the Netherlands
since October 1980, the transport network operates by zones. Each of these is
an area usually of 4 to 4.5 kilometres in diameter with its zone-name and zone-number.
In order to know the fare for your trip, you should add a strip to the number
of zones you will cross towards your final destiny.
Useful
information
As regards children,
they travel for free if they are under 4 years old. From this age to 11, their
ticket, identified by the red color, is sold at a reduced rate.
Tickets
are stamped in three possible ways: either by the driver of a bus, at a stamping
machine on trams, or, in metro stations, by the machine set before the entrance
to the platform.
The same ticket can
be used by different passengers, as long as each of them has stamped the required
number of zones. And they are all valid too for journeys by train in the Amsterdam
area.
If you are planning a long stay
in Amsterdam, the "sterabonnement" is the right choice for the use of
public transport. This pass is valid for a week, a month or even a year, and requires
a photograph and id of the passenger. These tickets as well as day ones are available
at GVB offices.
For further information
you can contact the Customer Service Department:
GVB
(Amsterdam Public Transportation)
E-mail: klantenservice@gvb.nl
