Public Transportation/Tram Tickets in Amsterdam

[patcacmt]

Hi:  I see you can purchase multi-day tram tickets online ahead of time and then pick up your card once you arrive.  Is there an advantage to doing this vs just purchasing them once you’re there?  Is it easy enough to just get them at the tram station?  I’m thinking maybe 2 to 3 day tickets. 

[markeb]

Honestly, I can't think of a good reason to buy it ahead of time. Are you planning on taking the train from Schiphol to Centraal? You can actually get a chip card at Schiphol. If not (I see you're staying at the Movenpick), you can walk to Centraal, or go to the iAmsterdam store at Centraal. Depending on what you're planning on doing, it may (or may not) make sense to just get a multi-day Amsterdam City Card that includes admissions and transit (2-3 days is probably tight to break even on museum admissions). 

[Dutch_Travelgirl]

Since earlier this year, you can use your debit or credit card to pay for public transport in Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands. If you take the tram or bus, you tap your credit card at the reader and you do this again when you arrive at your destination and leave the tram/bus. The system will then know the distance you traveled and will charge the correct fare to your card. The same thing when you use trains and subway/metro, but then the card readers are at the entrance and exits of the train and metro stations. 
if you don’t plan to take a lot of tram trips, tapping in and out with your credit card will be cheaper than a day pass. 

[victory2020]

13 hours ago, Dutch_Travelgirl said:

Since earlier this year, you can use your debit or credit card to pay for public transport in Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands. If you take the tram or bus, you tap your credit card at the reader and you do this again when you arrive at your destination and leave the tram/bus. The system will then know the distance you traveled and will charge the correct fare to your card. The same thing when you use trains and subway/metro, but then the card readers are at the entrance and exits of the train and metro stations. 
if you don’t plan to take a lot of tram trips, tapping in and out with your credit card will be cheaper than a day pass. 

I have a 10:50 flight back to US. I'm staying at Hotel Nadia (near Anne Frank house). I'm thinking taxi is fastest or would walking to train station & taking train? I'm not an early morning person, haha

[gumshoe958]

13 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

I have a 10:50 flight back to US. I'm staying at Hotel Nadia (near Anne Frank house). I'm thinking taxi is fastest or would walking to train station & taking train? I'm not an early morning person, haha

A taxi would probably be quicker but journey time is less predictable if it’s a weekday as it’ll be the start of rush hour. It’s a 15 minute walk to Centraal station, then a 20 minute train ride. 

[victory2020]

3 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

A taxi would probably be quicker but journey time is less predictable if it’s a weekday as it’ll be the start of rush hour. It’s a 15 minute walk to Centraal station, then a 20 minute train ride. 

Thanks, this is what I'm gathering from my research. About how long of a drive would it be on a Wed morning, leaving hotel around 7:30 (I probably will not have checked bag)?

[gumshoe958]

2 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

Thanks, this is what I'm gathering from my research. About how long of a drive would it be on a Wed morning, leaving hotel around 7:30 (I probably will not have checked bag)?

I’ve never driven it, sorry. But I do know the A10 Ringweg (ring road) and A4 out to the airport are notorious for delays. In clear traffic it’s about a 20 minute journey but at that time in the morning it may well take longer.

[patcacmt]

23 hours ago, markeb said:

Honestly, I can't think of a good reason to buy it ahead of time. Are you planning on taking the train from Schiphol to Centraal? You can actually get a chip card at Schiphol. If not (I see you're staying at the Movenpick), you can walk to Centraal, or go to the iAmsterdam store at Centraal. Depending on what you're planning on doing, it may (or may not) make sense to just get a multi-day Amsterdam City Card that includes admissions and transit (2-3 days is probably tight to break even on museum admissions). 

Thank you.  With all the luggage, I was thinking we’d probably get a taxi to the hotel from the airport. We won’t be in any hurry as I doubt we could check in right away since we’re landing mid-morning. I’ll look into the City Card. Thanks again!  

[patcacmt]

17 hours ago, Dutch_Travelgirl said:

Since earlier this year, you can use your debit or credit card to pay for public transport in Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands. If you take the tram or bus, you tap your credit card at the reader and you do this again when you arrive at your destination and leave the tram/bus. The system will then know the distance you traveled and will charge the correct fare to your card. The same thing when you use trains and subway/metro, but then the card readers are at the entrance and exits of the train and metro stations. 
if you don’t plan to take a lot of tram trips, tapping in and out with your credit card will be cheaper than a day pass. 

Thanks for this info.  If we don’t get the City Card, this will be a great alternative. 

[CruiserBruce]

11 hours ago, patcacmt said:

Thank you.  With all the luggage, I was thinking we’d probably get a taxi to the hotel from the airport. We won’t be in any hurry as I doubt we could check in right away since we’re landing mid-morning. I’ll look into the City Card. Thanks again!  

Hotels will hold your luggage if you can't check in.

[patcacmt]

7 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Hotels will hold your luggage if you can't check in.

Thank you. On arriving at the airport during that time (10:30-ish) on a Fri morning, how long does it take to go thru Immigration before retrieving your bags?  Or, can you even guesstimate? I’ve heard it can be a bit chaotic at Schiphol, just wasn’t sure if time of day was a factor. 

[CruiserBruce]

Ask me 3 weeks from tomorrow, when we arrive there.

 

B-i-L and S-i-L connected SFO-AMS- Prague yesterday. Said the Immigration lines were long...over 30 minutes. They landed about 10:30.

[Cotswold Eagle]

10 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Immigration lines were long...over 30 minutes.

A good lesson in subjective language - I wouldn’t regard 30 minutes as particularly long (and it would be well within service standard target in the U.K.) - so thank you for quantifying!  

[Globaliser]

30 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

A good lesson in subjective language - I wouldn’t regard 30 minutes as particularly long (and it would be well within service standard target in the U.K.) - so thank you for quantifying!  

 

If it was for US immigration, that would be a fast clearance day! 🙂

[Zach1213]

On 5/22/2023 at 3:06 PM, victory2020 said:

Thanks, this is what I'm gathering from my research. About how long of a drive would it be on a Wed morning, leaving hotel around 7:30 (I probably will not have checked bag)?

 

I have only taken a car once because my client insisted on it, on a weekday morning. It was probably about that time, and I don't remember exactly how many minutes it took, but I left remembering I would just prefer to take the train on future trips (especially if paying out of pocket)...and have. Rail transit in Netherlands is just so darn easy. 

 

One option is to look at Google Maps around 7:30am Amsterdam time on a Wednesday and get an idea of travel time between your origin and destination. You can also click on the transit option too and compare right then and there. 

[victory2020]

2 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

I have only taken a car once because my client insisted on it, on a weekday morning. It was probably about that time, and I don't remember exactly how many minutes it took, but I left remembering I would just prefer to take the train on future trips (especially if paying out of pocket)...and have. Rail transit in Netherlands is just so darn easy. 

 

One option is to look at Google Maps around 7:30am Amsterdam time on a Wednesday and get an idea of travel time between your origin and destination. You can also click on the transit option too and compare right then and there. 

I would rather do train but I'm thinking of the walk with luggage to station, waiting for train then walking from station to check in would be more time consuming

[Dutch_Travelgirl]

It’s a bit confusing and not very good forum etiquette that this thread about public transport tickets in Amsterdam now contains a totally unrelated question from another poster about a taxi ride from hotel Nadia to the airport. 

@victory2020 It’s best that you start your own thread, as your question has nothing to do with the original post. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Dutch_Travelgirl

[Dutch_Travelgirl]

On 5/23/2023 at 9:04 PM, patcacmt said:

Thank you. On arriving at the airport during that time (10:30-ish) on a Fri morning, how long does it take to go thru Immigration before retrieving your bags?  Or, can you even guesstimate? I’ve heard it can be a bit chaotic at Schiphol, just wasn’t sure if time of day was a factor. 

The time of day definitely is a factor. Long haul flights tend to arrive at the airport in the morning and this impacts the lines at immigration. If several other planes landed just in front of yours, it can be a long wait of up to 60 minutes. There are lots of restrooms at Schiphol Airport, but not in the immediate area of passport control. So you might consider using the restrooms first before joining the line. If you’re lucky there are no lines and you breeze thru, but you better be prepared if you’re not so lucky. 

[victory2020]

4 hours ago, Dutch_Travelgirl said:

It’s a bit confusing and not very good forum etiquette that this thread about public transport tickets in Amsterdam now contains a totally unrelated question from another poster about a taxi ride from hotel Nadia to the airport. 

@victory2020 It’s best that you start your own thread, as your question has nothing to do with the original post. 

So sorry, I apologize 

[patcacmt]

7 hours ago, Dutch_Travelgirl said:

So you might consider using the restrooms first before joining the line. If you’re lucky there are no lines and you breeze thru, but you better be prepared if you’re not so lucky. 

Excellent advice. Thank you so much!

[Beachlover1989]

On 5/22/2023 at 12:49 AM, Dutch_Travelgirl said:

Since earlier this year, you can use your debit or credit card to pay for public transport in Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands. If you take the tram or bus, you tap your credit card at the reader and you do this again when you arrive at your destination and leave the tram/bus. The system will then know the distance you traveled and will charge the correct fare to your card. The same thing when you use trains and subway/metro, but then the card readers are at the entrance and exits of the train and metro stations. 
if you don’t plan to take a lot of tram trips, tapping in and out with your credit card will be cheaper than a day pass. 

This sounds like a perfect alternative.  I tried researching it online, but don't see it mentioned anywhere.  Can you use your credit card to tap for the train from Schiphol to Centraal Station?

[gumshoe958]

26 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

This sounds like a perfect alternative.  I tried researching it online, but don't see it mentioned anywhere.  Can you use your credit card to tap for the train from Schiphol to Centraal Station?

Yes you can if it’s a Visa or Mastercard.
 

Details here: https://www.ns.nl/en/customer-service/payment/ovpay.html

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by gumshoe958

[Beachlover1989]

2 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Yes you can if it’s a Visa or Mastercard.
 

Details here: https://www.ns.nl/en/customer-service/payment/ovpay.html

 

 

 

This seems to only mention a debit card.  Can I also use a credit card?

[gumshoe958]

8 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

This seems to only mention a debit card.  Can I also use a credit card?

Yes. Click on the “Which debit card can I use?” FAQ.

[0106]

3 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Yes you can if it’s a Visa or Mastercard.

Does a PIN need to be entered?