Public transport in Amsterdam: Your guide to easy travel

Learn how to navigate Amsterdam’s public transport, from the costs to the best ways to get around Amsterdam.

Ivandzhelin

5 minute read

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6 Sep 2024

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Living

While you’re looking for homes for rent in Amsterdam, you need to make sure that your new place has good public transport connections. Luckily, the Dutch capital has excellent and reliable public transport that can take you to any part of the city. To help you better navigate public transport in Amsterdam, we’ll tell you everything about the best and cheapest ways to travel around Amsterdam.

There are plenty of ways to pay for public transport tickets in Amsterdam. The most popular ways are:

• OV chipcard
• Bank card or contactless (OV pay)
• E-ticket

You can either buy an E-ticket from the public transport operator’s (GVB) website or pay with your bank card for a single trip using Amsterdam’s public transport. A single trip with an E-ticket costs €3.40, and the ticket is valid for 1 hour.

Public transport in Amsterdam is cashless, so you can only pay with a public transport card or a bank card/contactless.

Meanwhile, with OVpay, paying with your bank card or contactless, the rate varies as you pay per go. You start with a flat rate of €1.08 and then pay per kilometer. OVpay also allows you to choose from 3 types of discounts and save between 10% and 40% on travel. This is the better option if you’re moving to Amsterdam for a short period of time.

Amsterdam transport card

If you’re moving to Amsterdam for a longer period of time, it’s better to get an OV-chipcard. This is a public transport card that allows you to load discounts and save on public transport in Amsterdam and the Netherlands. You can choose between anonymous and personalized cards, with the personalized being the better option, as you can add subscriptions on it.

There are several subscriptions for public transport in Amsterdam, but the best for people living in the Amsterdam area are:

• Extra Flex: monthly subscription, costs €15, gives you a 40% ticket discount, valid for all metros, trams, and buses part of the GVB network
• Always discount: monthly subscription, costs €21.55, gives you a 20% ticket discount, valid for all metros, trams, and buses in the Netherlands

If you’re studying in Amsterdam, you can get free public transport through DUO. You’ll need to apply for the Student travel product as part of student financing.

What is the cheapest way to get around Amsterdam?

The cheapest way to get around Amsterdam is by getting a public transport subscription. The best one to get is Extra Flex if you’re living in Amsterdam as it gives you 40% off from travel in the GVB network. If you’re living outside the city and need to commutel it’s better to get the Always discount as you get 20% off from public transport in the Netherlands, excluding trains.

Biking and walking are also good alternatives to save on living expenses in Amsterdam. You won’t have trouble with either as Amsterdam is very bike- and walking-friendly. Yet, the city is quite big, so sometimes you’ll need to rely on public transport in Amsterdam, especially when the weather is bad.

Amsterdam’s metro is the fastest way to get around the city. The metro has five lines: 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 39 stations throughout the city. Except for line 50, each line goes through Amsterdam Central. To use the metro, you need to scan your ticket using the card reader at the entrance/exit of the metro station.

• During the week, the metro works between 6 AM and 1 AM
• On Saturday, the metro runs from 6:30 AM and on Sunday from 7:30 AM until 1 AM
• Runs every 5 to 7 minutes during the day and 10 to 12 minutes at night

How to buy metro tickets in Amsterdam

You can buy metro tickets in Amsterdam either online on the GVB website or from the ticket machines at the stations. You can also pay with a bank card/contactless or your OV-chipcard.

The cost of the Amsterdam metro varies depending on your payment method and any discounts you may have. An e-ticket costs €3.40, whereas contactless and OV-chipcards have a starting fee of €1.08, and then you are charged for the amount you’ve traveled.

For example, you need to get to Dam Square. You get on metro line 52, which runs between Amsterdam Noord and Amsterdam Zuid. If you travel with an E-ticket, you pay €3.40 regardless of whether you don’t travel the whole line. But with OVpay or your OV-chipcard, you only pay the costs between Amsterdam Noord and Dam Square (metro stop Rokin), which is €1.97.

While the metro can get you anywhere quickly, the tram in Amsterdam has a much denser network. There are 15 tram lines throughout Amsterdam, with the exception of Amsterdam Noord. Using the tram in Amsterdam is also a great way to do sightseeing since it passes by big attractions like the Royal Palace.

To get on and off the tram, you need to use either the front door next to the driver or the door next to the ticket-selling booth. Trams in Amsterdam stop only if you press the stop button next to your seat. Once the tram has stopped, you need to press the green button at the exit doors to open the doors.

• Works between 6 AM and 12:30 AM
• Runs every 5 to 10 minutes

How to buy tram tickets in Amsterdam

You can buy tickets online, from the ticket machines, or on board of the tram from the ticket-selling booth in the back. You can also pay contactless or with an OV-chipcard. To do so, you’ll need to tap your ticket or card on the ticket-checking device next to the doors. Don’t forget to check out when you’re leaving. Otherwise, you’ll pay the price of the full journey.

The bus network in Amsterdam is the most extensive, as it can take you anywhere in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. There are 44 bus lines in Amsterdam, 33 of which run during the day and 11 at night. Most buses leave from Amsterdam Central, and their stop is on the last floor of the station.

• Day buses work between 6 AM and 12:30 AM
• Night buses run between 12:30 AM and 7:30 AM and come every hour
• Runs every 10 minutes

How to buy bus tickets in Amsterdam

You pay for the buses in Amsterdam by either buying a ticket online or with OVpay or your OV-chipcard. You can purchase tickets from the ticket machines or the bus driver. Keep in mind that you can’t pay with cash, only card/contactless.

To get to the airport, you’ll need to use the trains or buses, as Amsterdam’s metro runs only in the city.

Amsterdam is a big city, so you can use the trains from the NS network to reach certain parts. There are 9 train stations in Amsterdam: Central, Amstel, Sloterdijk, RAI, Zuid, Bijlmer, Muiderpoort, Lelylaan, and Duivendrecht. Depending on which neighborhood in Amsterdam you live in, it might be faster for you to reach your destinations with the train. You can catch domestic and international trains from them too.

• Works 24/7 with a lower frequency between 12 AM and 6 AM

How to buy train tickets in Amsterdam

You can buy train tickets in Amsterdam from the NS website or app. You can also pay with your debit card/contactless or your OV-chipcard. If you have an anonymous OV-chipcard, you need to have at least €20 on your card to be able to pay for it. For personalized cards, you don’t need to top up, as the cost will be charged at the end of the month.

If you want an additional discount on public transport in the Netherlands, you can purchase a monthly subscription with NS. This gives you a discount on travel with the NS trains throughout the Netherlands. You can choose between several, with the best ones for people living in the Netherlands:

• Dal Voordeel: monthly subscription, costs €5.60, and gives you a 40% ticket discount off-peak hours and weekends
• Altijd Voordeel: monthly suscription, costs €26.70, and gives you a 20% ticket discount during peak hours, and 40% off during off-peak hours and weekends

The best way to get around Amsterdam is by metro. While it doesn't have the densest network, it reaches all parts of the city and is the fastest way to travel. If you’re living in a more central area, the tram would be the best option for you as its network is particularly well-developed in the central areas of Amsterdam. If you’re living outside of the city, the best way to get around Amsterdam is by bus or train as they have a more vast network.