World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
Amsterdam’s integrated public transport system is run by the municipal transport company, GVB (tel: (020) 460 6060; website: www.gvb.nl), which has an information office at Centraal Station. The best way for one to get around the city is either on foot or by using the extensive tram, metro, bus and ferry networks. A map of all tram and bus routes in Amsterdam is available from tourist offices or the GVB office by Centraal Station, costing ¬1.

The Circle Tram 20 that used to ferry tourists around a city loop is no more, but trams are still a great way of getting around. Trams operate Monday to Friday 0600-2400 (Saturday from 0630 and Sunday from 0730). All trams leave from Centraal Station – trams 1 and 2 traverse the main canals, tram 17 provides a frequent, fast and dependable service, tram 16 takes a route to Museumplein and Concertgebouw, while trams 9 and 14 go to the Muziektheater and Waterlooplein market.

Amsterdam’s four metro lines all start at Centraal Station and serve the southeastern business district and the suburbs. The trains run Monday to Friday 0600-2415 (Saturday from 0630 and Sunday from 0730). An extension south to the RAI is planned for completion in 2011.

The outlying areas of the city (mostly the suburbs that the trams do not reach) are served by more than 30 bus lines, which run until midnight. Night buses run nightly from 0030-0730, after the other services have stopped (numbered from 71 to 79).

A free ferry service provides cyclists and pedestrians with connections to Amsterdam Noord, the area across the IJ. The main ferry landing is on De Ruijterkade (behind the Centraal Station). Ferries are frequent and operate between 0615-2057, with a limited service at the weekend (most ferries do not operate on Sunday). When taking a bicycle aboard, passengers should make sure to not break local etiquette and always go through the cyclist channel rather the pedestrian one. The Noord Canal across the IJ is a quiet and less taxing cycle route for visitors who find navigating the busy city too traumatic.

For single rides, a strippenkaart can be used. This needs to be stamped every time a tram, bus or metro is boarded – each journey uses one strip, plus a strip for every zone travelled. Once stamped, a ticket is valid for an hour, regardless of how often a change of tram or bus is made. It is cheaper for one to buy a strippenkaart before boarding the public transport system than it is to pay a cash fare. Strippenkaarten are available from tourist offices, tobacconists and large hotels for ¬1.60 for two units (the minimum required for travel in one zone), ¬6.20 for 15 units or ¬18.30 for 45 units. Not having a valid ticket incurs a spot fine of ¬37.40, plus the cost of the ticket; ticket inspections are common.

Visitors spending plenty of time travelling around the city are advised to buy a dagkaarten day pass, for ¬6.30, two-day pass for ¬10 and three-day pass for ¬13.

Water Travel
Not surprisingly, there are several modes of water travel in Amsterdam. In addition to public ferries, canal buses (tel: (020) 626 5574; website: www.canal.nl) travel between Centraal Station and the Rijksmuseum, every 25-45 minutes – fares vary between the different service providers, but expect to pay around ¬16 for a day pass or ¬1.50 for a single ticket. The special Museum Boat departs from Prins Hendrikkade, every 30 minutes in summer and every 45 minutes in winter, stopping off at the city’s main museums. Call (020) 622 2181 for more information.

Canal taxis, which can carry up to 40 passengers, are also available. They can either be hailed from the canal-side or ordered in advance daily 0800-0100, from Water Taxis (tel: (020) 535 6363; website: www.water-taxi.nl). The smallest taxi costs ¬85 for the first 30 minutes and ¬70 for each subsequent 30 minutes within the city limits.

Alternatively, visitors can hire pedalos (also known as canal bikes) and boats to explore the canals. These are available from Canal Bike, Weteringschans 24 (tel: (020) 626 5574; fax: (020) 624 1033; website: www.canal.nl), who have 100 canal bikes and are open daily 0900-1800. A four-person canal bike costs ¬8 per person per hour, if there is only one or two passengers, and ¬7 per person per hour, if there are three or four passengers. A deposit of ¬50 per canal bike is required. Canal Bike also organises group tours of Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Taxis
Rather than hailing a taxi in the street, it is more usual in Amsterdam for one to either order a taxi by phoning the Central Taxi Office (tel: (020) 677 7777) or pick one up at a taxi rank, which are located at Centraal Station, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. Taxis, which have an illuminated ‘taxi’ sign on the roof, usually come quickly – unless it is raining or a Friday or Saturday night. Although they provide a good service, taxis are relatively expensive. A new system allows taxi drivers to set meters at different rates, so keep a keen eye on the rate in play.

Limousines
There are a number of limousine companies in Amsterdam, offering airport transfers and hourly or daily hire. Two possibilities are CS Limousine Service (tel: (020) 673 7888; fax: (020) 673 9045; website: www.limousineamsterdam.com) and Delden Limousine Service (tel: (020) 684 8408; fax: (020) 686 3638). Prices start at ¬145 for an airport transfer or ¬85 per hour, plus an extra ¬1.60 per kilometre travelled over 15 kilometres. Many of the drivers provide an informal guide service.

Driving in the City
Driving in Amsterdam is not recommended. Even for excursions outside the city, it is preferable to take the train. The city’s streets are not big enough to accommodate the tens of thousands of cars owned by the city’s residents, let alone the 500,000 tourists who annually arrive in their cars. As a result, parking spots are limited and expensive. Visitors are advised to park their car at a P+R (park and ride) lot, from where there are bus, tram and subway lines into the city centre. Motorists also need to watch out for cyclists and the special cycle lanes. Rush hours (0700-0900 and 1700-1900) are best avoided. Car headlights should be dimmed in built-up areas and it is illegal to use sidelights only.

Parking at the massive ArenA P+R, reached by the A1, A2 and A9 into the city, or the Stadionplein P+R, situated next to the Olympisch Stadion, costs ¬5.70 a day, which includes two free public transport tickets. In the city centre, cars must be parked in a designated parking space or in a car park. Parking meters can be recognised by a yellow sign with the letter ‘P’ and charges are split into three zones. Parking tickets for the most central zone A and zone B cost ¬2.80 per hour, while parking in zone C costs ¬1.70 per hour. City centre parking spaces can be reserved in advance, by going online (website: www.parkeerlijn.nl). Parking regulations are quite strict and there are tough measures for violating the city’s car parking laws, with wheel clamping common. The car pound (tel: (020) 555 9833) is located at Cruquiuskade 25 in Havens Oost, the Eastern Harbour district.

Car Hire
Conditions of hire vary, although, in most cases, the driver will have to be 25 years old and have held a valid national licence for one year. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not needed, as long as a valid national licence is produced. Payment is usually made with a credit card bearing the name of the driver.

The major European firms are represented in Amsterdam. Cars are also available for hire through the airport and most hotels. The companies that have branches in the city centre include Avis, Nassaukade 380 (tel: (020) 683 6061; website: www.avis.com), Budget Car, Overtoom 121 (tel: (020) 612 6066; website: www.budget.com) and Hertz, Overtoom 333 (tel: (020) 612 2441; website: www.hertz.com).

Rates start at approximately ¬50 per day and ¬220 a week. Fare conditions vary and some companies have an additional mileage charge. Those hiring a car should always check that the rates include the minimum insurance cover required in Amsterdam.

Bicycle Hire
There are bicycle lanes that are marked out by white lines but cyclists will still need to watch out for cars, trams and pedestrians. Bicycles can be hired from Bike City, Bloemgracht 68-70 in Westerkerk (tel: (020) 626 3721; website: www.bikecity.nl), Damstraat Rent-A-Bike, Damstraat 20-22 (tel: (020) 625 5029; website: www.bikes.nl) and Macbike Too, Marnixstraat 220 (tel: (020) 626 6964; website: www.macbike.nl).

Bike hire (for a one-speed bicycle) costs approximately ¬7 for the first day and ¬5 for subsequent days. A deposit from ¬30 to ¬100 or a credit card imprint is usually required, along with an additional form of identification. Optional insurance, at around 50% of the hire charge, can also be taken.

When cycling around Amsterdam, cycling two abreast is illegal, as is a bicycle without reflector bands on both front and back wheels. Bikes should always be securely locked with two locks (one connecting the front wheel to a lamppost or railing and one securing the frame to something similarly as solid) as there is a thriving stolen bike market in the city.