Getting around
Trains, trams, buses, bikes and ferries, and travelling with kids.
Checked on 14 Nov 2026
Trams, metros, free ferries, fast trains and the best cycling country in the world. Here's how to tap in and go.
Start here
Fares and timetables change. Plan each trip with 9292 or the NS app, and check the operator's site for current prices.
- 1. Tap in with your bank card (OVpay)
No ticket needed: check in and out with your contactless bank card, credit card or phone on GVB trams, buses and metros and on NS trains (2nd class).
GVB · Travel rules ↗ · NS · How to travel by train ↗ · OVpay ↗ - 2. Always check in and out
Check in when you board and out when you leave. On the metro, only one person goes through the gate per check-in.
GVB · Travel rules ↗ · NS · How to travel by train ↗ - 3. Plan with 9292 or the NS app
9292 covers every operator door to door; the NS app is best for trains, disruptions and buying tickets.
9292 journey planner ↗ · NS ↗ - 4. Get a bike, and learn the rules
Front light white or yellow, rear light red, no flashing, in the dark and in poor visibility. Holding your phone while cycling is not allowed.
Rijksoverheid · Regels voor fietsverlichting en reflectie ↗ · Rijksoverheid · Mag ik appen, bellen en muziek luisteren als ik op de weg rijd? ↗
Key facts
- Schiphol ↔ Amsterdam Centraal
- About 17 minutes; 8 Sprinters an hour via Sloterdijk and Lelylaan, plus Intercitys NS · Train to Schiphol ↗
- Free IJ ferries
- GVB ferries F1–F7 across the IJ are free for pedestrians and cyclists; F3 Centraal–Buiksloterweg runs day and night GVB · Ferries (free IJ ferries F1–F7) ↗
- Noord/Zuidlijn
- Metro M52 runs from Noord via Centraal Station to Zuid; from the 2028 timetable it becomes M1 Vervoerregio Amsterdam · New metro line numbers and colours (21 Sep 2026) ↗ · GVB · Amsterdam railnetwerk (map, 24 Apr 2026) ↗
- Kids on NS trains
- Up to 3: always free. 4–11: free with an adult on Kids Vrij, also at peak times, or a Railrunner day ticket from €2.50 NS · Children by train ↗ · NS · Railrunner ↗
- Kids on GVB (Amsterdam)
- Amsterdam children aged 4–11 travel free 07:00–21:00 with GVB Kids Vrij until 3 Jan 2027; a national scheme is planned from 1 Jan 2027 Gemeente Amsterdam · Kinderen gratis met het openbaar vervoer (GVB Kids Vrij) ↗
- NS off-peak hours
- Weekdays 09:00–16:00 and 18:30–06:30; weekends and public holidays all day NS · Off-peak hours ↗
- GVB age discount
- Children 4–11 and over-65s pay a lower per-km fare GVB · Tarieven 2026 ↗
Bookmark these
- 9292 journey planner ↗
Door-to-door journey planner for every bus, tram, metro, ferry and train.
- NS ↗
NS: train times, tickets, disruptions and the NS app.
- GVB · Amsterdam public transport ↗
GVB: Amsterdam's trams, buses, metro and ferries.
- OVpay ↗
OVpay: travelling with your bank card, and age discounts.
- OV-chipkaart ↗
OV-chipkaart: personal cards, season tickets and discounts.
- NS · Children by train ↗
NS: children by train and Kids Vrij.
- GVB · Ferries (free IJ ferries F1–F7) ↗
GVB ferries: the free IJ crossings and the North Sea Canal ferries.
- RDW · Exchanging a foreign driving licence ↗
RDW: exchanging a foreign driving licence.
- NS · Bikes on the train ↗
NS: taking your bike on the train.
- I amsterdam · Getting around ↗
I amsterdam's guide to getting around the city.
- I amsterdam · Cars and driving licences ↗
Driving licences and cars: exchanging a licence and the rules.
Common questions
- Can I just use my bank card?
- Yes. Check in and out with a contactless bank card, credit card or phone on GVB and on NS trains in 2nd class without a season ticket. For discounts or season tickets you'll want a personal OV-chipkaart or a season ticket linked to your card. NS · How to travel by train ↗ · GVB · Travel rules ↗ · OVpay ↗
- Is the ferry to Amsterdam Noord really free?
- Yes. The GVB ferries F1–F7 across the IJ are free for pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders. The F3 from behind Centraal Station to Buiksloterweg runs day and night. GVB · Ferries (free IJ ferries F1–F7) ↗
- Do children travel free?
- On NS trains, under-4s are always free and 4–11-year-olds travel free with an adult on Kids Vrij. In Amsterdam, local children aged 4–11 travel free on GVB from 07:00 to 21:00 with GVB Kids Vrij until 3 January 2027. NS · Children by train ↗ · Gemeente Amsterdam · Kinderen gratis met het openbaar vervoer (GVB Kids Vrij) ↗
- How do I get from Schiphol to the city?
- Take the train from the station under the airport: around 17 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal, with Sprinters via Sloterdijk and Lelylaan. For Rotterdam there's also the Intercity direct (with a supplement). NS · Train to Schiphol ↗
- Can I take my bike on the train?
- Usually in off-peak hours with a Fietskaart Dal; space is limited and not all bikes are allowed. On the GVB metro, a regular bike is allowed off-peak if you pay. NS · Bikes on the train ↗ · GVB · Travel rules ↗
- Can I drive with my foreign licence?
- Temporarily, yes; after that you exchange it via your gemeente if your country qualifies. Non-EU licence holders with a 30% ruling bring the Belastingdienst decision and a CBR health declaration. Otherwise you take the CBR exams. RDW · Exchanging a foreign driving licence ↗ · CBR (driving tests & health declarations) ↗
- When is it cheaper to travel?
- Many NS discounts apply in off-peak hours: weekdays 09:00–16:00 and 18:30–06:30, plus weekends and public holidays all day. NS · Off-peak hours ↗
Insider tips
- Metro line numbers are changing: from the 2028 timetable the Noord/Zuidlijn M52 becomes M1, M51 becomes M2, M50+M53 become M3, and M54 becomes M4. Vervoerregio Amsterdam · New metro line numbers and colours (21 Sep 2026) ↗
- Under-4s can walk through the metro gate with you. GVB · Travel rules ↗
- Start exchanging a non-EU licence before it expires: RDW can't exchange an expired one. RDW · Exchanging a foreign driving licence ↗
- The OV-chipkaart is being replaced by the new OV-pas by 2028; some products, like GVB Kids Vrij, don't work on the OV-pas yet. Gemeente Amsterdam · Kinderen gratis met het openbaar vervoer (GVB Kids Vrij) ↗