|
|
| Home > City Guide - Amsterdam - Getting Around | ||
|
||
|
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 to get around the city is on foot or by using the extensive tram, metro, bus and ferry networks. There is a free map of all tram and bus routes in Amsterdam available from tourist offices or the GVB office by Centraal Station. The dedicated circle tram ferries tourists around a city loop, taking in many of the main tourist attractions, with day tickets priced at €10. 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. Circle tram 20, has been designed with visitors in mind – it runs past almost all the main tourist attractions and many of the major hotels. It runs roughly every ten minutes from 0900-1900. Amsterdam’s three 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). The outlying areas of the city – mostly the suburbs that the trams do not reach – are served by 37 bus lines, which run until midnight. Night buses run long 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 Central Station). Ferries are frequent and operate between 0615-2057, with a limited at the weekend (most services do not operate on Sunday). Visitors spending plenty of time travelling around the city are advised to buy a dagkaarten day pass, for €5.60. 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 to buy a strippenkaart before boarding the public transport system than to pay a cash fare. Strippenkaarten are available from tourist office, tobacconists and large hotels for EU5.90 for 15 units or €17.40 for 45 units. Water Travel Not surprisingly, there are several modes of water travel in Amsterdam. In addition to public ferries, canal buses travel between Centraal Station and the Rijksmuseum, every 25-45 minutes – fares vary between companies. The special Museum Boat leaves from Prins Hendrikkade, every 30 minutes in summer and every 45 minutes in winter, stopping off at the city’s main museums. This costs €14.50. Canal taxis, which can carry up to 25 passengers, are also available. They can either be hailed from the canal-side or ordered in advance (tel: (020) 622 2181). The smallest canal taxi costs €60 for the first 30 minutes and €45 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. Pedalos are available from Canal Bike, Weteringschans 24 (tel: (020) 626 5574; fax: (020) 624 1033; website: www.canal.nl), open daily 0900-1800. A four-person pedalo costs €7 per person per hour, if there are only one or two in the pedalo, and €6 per person per hour, if there are three or four in the pedalo. A deposit of €50 per pedalo is required. Canal Bike also organises group tours. Taxis Rather than hailing a taxi in the street, it is more usual in Amsterdam for one to order a taxi by phoning the Central Taxi Office (tel: (020) 677 7777) or pick one up at a taxi rank (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. The starting fare is €2.20, with every kilometre costing €1.80 – regardless of the time of day or night – for the first 25 kilometres and then €1.30 thereafter. A meter indicates the fare, on top of which a small tip will be appreciated. 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) and Delden Limousine Service (tel: (020) 684 8408; fax: (020) 686 3638). Prices start at €100 for an airport transfer and €137 per hour, plus €2.30 per kilometre travelled. 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 to 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 park and ride costs €5.70 a day. 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 cost €2.60 per hour, during weekdays and Saturdays (0900-1900), and €1.60 at night (1900-2300), while the charge on Sundays is €1.30 per hour. Zone B charges are a flat €1.60 per hour and for Zone C €0.80 per hour. Special tourist parking tickets are priced at €19.50 for the entire day in any zone or €13.25 for zones B and C. A three day tourist parking pass for the entire city is €58.50 or €40.15 for zones B and C. 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 license for one year. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not needed, as long as a valid national license is produced. Payment should usually be made with a credit card bearing the name of the driver. The major European firms are represented in Amsterdam. Cars can also be hired through the airport and most hotels. The companies that have branches in the city centre include Avis International Car Rental, Polderweg 98-100 (tel: (020) 465 1115; fax: (020) 665 9038; website: www.avis.com), Budget Car, Overtoom 121 (tel: (020) 612 6066; fax: (020) 689 0694; website: www.budget.com), Hertz, Engelsesgade 4 (tel: (020) 612 2441; fax: (020) 626 2395; website: www.hertz.com). Rates start at around €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 bike lanes that are marked out by white lines but cyclists will still need to watch out for cars, trams and pedestrians. Bikes can be hired from Bike City, Bloemgracht 68-70 in Westerkerk (tel: (020) 626 3721), Damstraat Rent-A-Bike, Damstraat 20-22 (tel: (020) 625 5029), Macbike Too, Marnixstraat 220 (tel: (020) 626 6964), and Koenders Take-A-Bike, Centraal Station, Stationsplein 12 (tel: (020) 624 8391). Bike hire costs approximately €7 for the first day and €5 for subsequent days – Koenders Take-A-Bike’s daily rates are slightly lower. 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 bike without reflector bands on both front and back wheels. Bikes should always be securely locked, as there is a thriving stolen bike market. |
||
