Getting there

Amsterdam is well connected to the rest of Europe with its large fleet of transport networks; be it airlines, railways, cruise lines or road systems, making it very easy to get to Amsterdam from any part of Europe and the world.

-By air

Schiphol International Airport is located 15 kilometers southwest of Amsterdam, considered as the fourth largest airport in Europe. The airport is served by over 90 airlines flying to more than 220 destinations. The national airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flies direct to all major cities in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific while the domestic flights are operated by KLM Cityhopper which connects Amsterdam to Eindhoven. Facilities are all available at the airport, including currency exchange, restaurants, duty-shops, left-luggage, tour operators, a hotel reservation service, prayer rooms, and car rental companies. The airport also has the Schiphol Business Center offering facilities for business purpose, including fax, personal computer, telephone and secretarial services. A conference room in the terminal can receive a group of up to 55 delegates and must be booked in advance.

To get to the city center from the airport, Connexxtions runs a bus shuttle service every 20 minutes from06.00-21.00, taking about 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, NS trains run between the airport and Amsterdam’s Centraal Station, daily every 15 minutes from 06.00-24.00. There are also direct links from Schiphol to The Hague, Rotterdam and Vlissingen. Official airport taxis are available as well.
-By water

Amsterdam is an active port city and one of the top ten most important cruise ship harbors in Europe. Business ports of Amsterdam are managed by Ports of Amsterdam. The main cruise hub is at Oostelijke Handelskade, located on the edge of the city center. The main ferry terminal for services from around Europe is situated south of the city center at Hook of Holland. StenaLine offers cross-channel ferries plying between London (Liverpool Street) and Amsterdam (Centraal Station) via Harwich and the Hook of Holland. Service runs twice daily; one in the morning and one in the evening. The journey takes about 8 hours and 40 minutes.

The cruise terminal is within a walking distance from Amsterdam city center. However, connections of trains and bus are available. The Hook of Holland is linked to the Centraal Station by an express rail.

-By road

The Netherlands is connected to the rest of Europe by an excellent network of motorways. The green letter “E” is used to indicate international highways, red “A” is for national highways and yellow “N” indicates smaller route. Traffic is on the right. Speed limits are 120 kilometers per hour on motorways, 80 kilometers per hour on major roads, and 50 kilometers per hour in towns. The minimum driving age is 18 years. A national driving license from the country of origin is recognized in the Netherlands if visitors do not obtain an International Driving Permit.

Eurolines offer the coach services connecting to major cities throughout Europe, including London, Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt. The coach station Amstelstation is located at Juliansplein 5.

-By rail

Centraal Station is one of the largest railway terminals in Europe and a hub of transportation system in Amsterdam. Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the national rail provider operates rail network covering destinations all over the country and some others in the rest of Europe. There are Eurostar trains from London to Brussels where a direct connection to Amsterdam can be taken. In addition, THALYS runs high-speed services which connect Amsterdam with Brussels. Frequent daytime services from most of large Western European cities and night services from all over the continent are all available.

Over the last few years, Holland’s railway system has lost its reputation due to its maintenance problems of trains and networks. However, the sign of improvement is overseen as a new project of high-speed connections to France and German is under talk.

Centraal Station is located in the city center which is linked by the networks of public transports including trams and buses, Taxis are readily available in the area.

Getting around

Owning a car seems not necessary to the Amsterdamers for the city’s public transportation is fast and efficient together with the city’s compact size, what is really necessary to the Amsterdamers is a bike or just their feet!

GVB is the authority of public transportation in Amsterdam of which the office is based at the Centraal Station. An extensive network of trams and buses covers all major destinations of the city.

Tram is a great way to get around Amsterdam, operating Monday to Friday from 06.00-24.00 (Saturday from 06.30 and Sunday from 07.30). All trams leave from the Centraal Station.

Amsterdam has four lines of metro which start from the Centraal Station and serve the southeastern business district and the suburbs. The services run Monday to Friday (Saturday from 6.30 and Sunday from 7.30)

Buses in Amsterdam are convenient and punctual. Thirty bus lines cover the area that trams do no reach and run until midnight. There are night buses running 00.30-07.30 after the other services have stopped.

Amsterdam’s trams, buses, and metro adopt the same fare system based on a zone system. Visitors can purchase single tickets from drivers and conductors. A strip ticket (strippenkaart) or a day ticket can be used in all public transportation, available at railway stations, post offices, GVB offices and many tobacconists.

A free ferry service offers cyclists and pedestrians with connections to the northern part of the city. Ferries depart regularly from behind the Centraal Station. There are the separate channels for cyclists and pedestrians, in order not to break the local etiquette; visitors with their bicycles should not cross to the pedestrian channel.

Canal buses and canal taxis serve the water travel in Amsterdam Canal buses run between Centraal Station and Rijksmuseum. (Fares vary between different providers). Canal taxis which can carry up to 40 passengers can either be hailed from the canal-side or ordered in advance at Water Taxis.

To get a taxi in Amsterdam, it is more common to either call the Central Taxi Office or get on at a taxi rank located at Centraal Station, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. All taxis have meter to indicate the fare and a small tip will be appreciated.

Car rentals are available in Amsterdam. The driver has to be 25 years old and hold a valid national license for one year. An International Driving Permit is not required, as long as a valid national license is obtained. Payment is usually made with a credit card bearing the name of the driver.