Wanna Roam Around Amsterdam for Cheap? Cost Friendly Public Transport Is All Your Way….

Explore Amsterdam, one of the Europe's top destinations. Travelling to Amsterdam is easy and simple as you can go by air, land and even sea. Cheap flights are available within Europe and direct flights from outside Europe are always available, landing you to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol—Europe's fourth largest airport, which is only few kilometres away from the city centre. Let's check out the effective ways of travelling around Amsterdam

1. Trams

Travelling by tram in Amsterdam is a convenient way to explore throughout Amsterdam. Central Amsterdam is easy to get around on-foot while the trams give you a relaxation and will get you to the outer areas of the city.

Trams are regulated by GVB (Gemeente Vervoer Bedrijf), the municipal public transport company of Amsterdam. GVB runs 213 trams on 15 tram lines with 500 stops over a total track length of 80km.

Trams become operational daily from around  6am (weekdays) and 7am (weekends) to just after midnight. You can easily discover tram line maps and timetables at any tram stop, with major stops having electronic boards informing you about the next departing services.

You need to have the OV-chip card(public transport smart card) while you travel using all Amsterdam public transport including the trams. All passengers in the age group of 4 years or over must have a ticket. The entry to tram is made through the front door near the driver or through the double doors second from back.

You can buy disposable-type tickets on board either from the driver or the conductor booth. The cost for GVB 1 hour ticket is priced at 2.90( i.e. Rs. 216.53); a 24 hour GVB ticket costs €7.50( i.e. Rs. 559.99); a day ticket for children 4-11 is €2.50 i.e. Rs. 186.66 (2016 prices). You should note that the €2.90 i.e. Rs. 216.53 ticket does not give you a great value if you are just moving 1 or 2 stops(eg- central station to Dam Square—it's possibly better to walk).

You have an option for using e-purse or personal OV-chip card which is based on distance travelled. The fixed price applicable on using e-purse fares in Amsterdam stands at €0.89 i.e. Rs. 66.45 boarding fee plus a variable distance fee of €0.154  i.e. Rs. 11.5 per km – calculated every 50 metres on the tram. This implies a 3km trip will cost you approximately €1.35 i.e. Rs. 100.8.

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You can check-in and check-out from your tram journey by using any type of OV-chip card which uses the special on-board card readers situated near the doors.

2. GVB Buses

Amsterdam city council transport company GVB makes 45 bus lines operational in Amsterdam – primarily covering the city and outer suburbs region, especially Amsterdam North which has no rail, tram or metro connections. Disposable OV-chip card tickets can be purchased from the driver on board – 1 hour tickets which will cost you €2.90 i.e. Rs. 216.53 and a 24 hour ticket which costs you €7.50 i.e. Rs. 559.99.

If you are using a personal or anonymous OV-chip card, you can prefer credit on your e-purse that calculates the fare based on distance travelled. You need to check-in and check-out of your journey while travelling using the installed card readers on the doors. 

There are 11 GVB night bus lines which is functional through the night from 0030 when the metros and trams cease operation. Night buses from Central station consists of the 748 (to Sloterdijk station), 753 (Osdorp), 754 (Amstelveen), 755 (Gein via Amstel and Bijlmer-ArenA), 757 (Bijlmermeer via Diemen) and 759 (Ijburg).

You have to bear the single cost €4.50 i.e. Rs. 335.99 (or buy 12 trips on an OV-chip card for €34 i.e. Rs. 2538.6, use within a year) – tickets are valid for 90 minutes including transfers. You need to keep in notice that a standard GVB 1 hour ticket and OV-chip card e-purse are not valid for travel on night buses.

3. Waterland Buses

Waterland buses are operational by EBS using either EBS branded buses (yellow) and R-Net branded buses (red and grey). These run from the upper bus terminal behind central station on the IJ waterside (IJzijde) beyond the train platforms 14 and 15. The buses have free WiFi.

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You can explore Amsterdam beautiful views, near the area of water by using Waterland region buses that costs you €10 i.e. Rs. 746.65 for unlimited travel. You can purchase Waterland day tickets onboard from the driver, from the  EBS booth or at the VVV tourist office. Alternatively, you can avail 24 hour unlimited travel services on all GVB transport in Amsterdam plus any regional bus by using Amsterdam & Region Day Card that will cost you €13.50 i.e. Rs. 1007.97.

Access to the Waterland bus route numbers which includes roek in Waterland (312/314/315/316), Edam (110/312/314/316), Marken and Monnickendam (315) and Volendam (316). Going further afield you can also reach Graft-De Rijp (301), Hoorn (314), Middenbeemster (306) and Purmereend (110/301/306).

4. Railways

Dutch trains are primarily functional by the national rail company NS(Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and the network covers the country extensively. Travelling by train is reliable, convenient and that gives a justified value for your money.

Domestic rail fares in Netherlands are fixed and based on distance travelled. There are no cheap advance. You cannot have access to cheap advance purchase rail fares but you need to bear the costs  of standard prices covering 2nd class carriages.  1st class ticket will cost about 70% in excess of your 2nd class fare. Dutch domestic fares see a subsequent rise in their fares at the beginning of each calendar year.

Buy a valid train ticket that makes you jump onboard and offers you a standard service to your destination, making you to occupy a vacant seat in your class. There are no reservations on these standard trains.

The following fares are available for train travel in Netherlands:

Single (Enkele reis) – the standard single covers travel from A to B (eg – Schiphol to Amsterdam Central, €4.20 i.e. Rs. 313.59). The single fare will be subtracted from a personal or anonymous OV-chip card after check-in and check-out. E-ticket singles can be bought at the standard fare. There is a €1 i.e. Rs. 74.66 surcharge applicable for purchasing a disposable (one time-use) single fare ticket. You should note that the  the maximum possible single fare in 2nd class on the Dutch rail network is capped at €26.40 i.e. Rs. 1971.15 (2016).

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Day Return (Dagretour) – if you are planning to go back on the same day to your starting station then you should buy a day return ticket. The fare is a calculation of sum of 2 singles. Note, the €1 i.e. Rs. 74.66  surcharge is applicable on the disposable day return ticket – although if you buy 2 separate singles you would pay €1×2 = €2 i.e. Rs. 149.33 surcharge. The day return can also be purchased as an e-ticket.

Children's Ticket (Railrunner) – Children in the age group of 4 to 11 years can travel unaccompanied in 2nd class using a Railrunner ticket costing you only €2.50 i.e. Rs. 186.66.These are valid for the entire day and can be purchased as disposable  OV-chip cards without surcharge. In each journey, a child must check-in and check-out. Railrunner tickets can also be purchased as an e-ticket or added as a product onto an anonymous or personal OV-chip card. Kids in the age-group of 3 years and under can travel for free.

5. Cycling

Cycling in Amsterdam is the most eco-friendly way for any visitor to explore the city.

Amsterdam is perfectly tuned for getting on your bike – there are 400km (250 miles) of dedicated cycle lanes. For expats the bicycle is a low-cost affair and an authentic way of getting around town… and it will keep you fit!

A good second-hand bike can easily cost you ranging from €100 to €250 ( From Rs. 7466.48 to   Rs. 18666.2)  -for cheaper bikes. Try ecycled Bicycles (Spuistraat 84a) or go to the market at Waterlooplein. Strong locks can be purchased at Waterlooplein or Albert Cuyp markets. Dutch department store HEMA also sells a number of basic cycling accessories. Other shops selling new bikes consist of Halfords, Decathlon and V&D.

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