Getting Around

Amsterdam's Centrum (Center) district is small enough for its residents to think of it as a village, but it can be one confusing village until you get the hang of it. It's easy to think you're headed in one direction along the canal belt, only to discover that you're going completely the other way. Those concentric rings of canals, along with several important squares, are the city's defining focal points. This section explains the city's layout, introduces its neighborhoods, tells you how to get around, and squeezes in other useful knowledge.

Finding an Address -- Wherever possible in this guide, addresses include the name of a nearby square, major thoroughfare, adjacent canal, or well-known sight. Street numbers along the canals ascend from west to east (left to right as you look at the map); on streets leading away from Centraal Station and out from the Center, they ascend from north to south (top to bottom). Now, all you need to know is that, in Dutch, -straat means "street," -gracht means "canal," -plein means "square," -markt means "market," -dijk means "dike," and -laan means "avenue." These suffixes are attached directly to a place name: For example, Princes' Canal becomes Prinsengracht.

Your Passport to Amsterdam -- To get the most out of your trip, avail yourself of the I amsterdam Card. The card, valid for 1 day for 33€ ($53), 2 days for 43€ ($69), and 3 days for 53€ ($85), affords free travel on public transportation, free admission to more than 20 museums and attractions, including the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum (but not both). The card also provides for discounted admission to additional museums and attractions, a free canal-boat cruise, discounted excursions, including reduced rates on the Museum Quarter Line boat and the Canal Bus, and discounts in certain restaurants and stores. The card comes with a public transportation ticket and a color information booklet. Total possible savings: around 150€ ($240).

Before purchasing, though, consider carefully whether you'll get your money's worth out of this card. Remember, this is Holland, where local fondness for the coin of the realm is proverbial, and bargains are thin on the ground. You'll have to work pretty hard to come out ahead on the cost of the card, jumping on and off trams, buses, and canal boats, and running in and out of museums that fall mostly into the culture class.

Some of Amsterdam's most memorable experiences come from idle strolling, hanging out on cafe terraces, and visiting offbeat stores and attractions. But if a cram course of solid culture is what you're here for, and you're ready to work to achieve it, the card could be a sound investment.

The I amsterdam Card is available from Holland Tourist Information at Schiphol Airport and from VVV tourist information offices in the city. Note that only the person who signs the card can use it. Further details are available from www.iamsterdamcard.com.

On Foot

Walking is the best way to appreciate the city's relaxed rhythm. When you look at an Amsterdam map, you may think the city's too large to explore on foot. Not true: It's possible to see almost every important sight on a 4-hour walk. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, as those charming cobbles get under your soles and on your nerves after a time; leave thin-soled shoes and boots at home.

When walking, remember that cars have the right of way when turning. Don't step in front of one thinking it's going to stop for you. And be aware that many drivers consider road signs and red stoplights to be not much more than occasionally useful suggestions. When crossing a street, watch out for trams, buses, even bikes. Look both ways before crossing a dedicated bike lane -- some pedalers get unreasonably irritated if you force them to crash into you.

Kids are irresistibly attracted to water, so watch out for them near any of Amsterdam's 160 canals. Protective fencing rarely exists and the low metal railings meant to keep cars from rolling into the water are ideally positioned for small feet to stumble over.

Urban Minefield -- In a city with so many high and varied gables, there's a temptation to walk along gazing upward. Be careful: There's the possibility you'll walk straight into a canal, but that's a minor danger compared to the one underfoot. Many Amsterdammers have dogs, some of them the size of Shetland ponies. Signs on the sidewalk saying HOND IN DE GOOT (DOG IN THE GUTTER) are mostly ignored. Take your eye off the ground for so much as an instant and you might regret it.

By Public Transportation

The central information and ticket sales point for GVB Amsterdam, the city's public transportation company, is GVB Tickets & Info, Stationsplein (tel. 0900/9292; www.gvb.nl), in front of Centraal Station, open Monday to Friday from 7am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 9pm. You can buy certain tickets here for less than from tram drivers, conductors, and bus drivers.

Most tram and bus shelters and all Metro stations display maps showing the entire urban transit network. All stops have signs listing the main stops yet to be made by trams or buses at that location. Detailed maps of the network are available free from the GVB Tickets & Info office. Daytime hours of operation for public transportation are from 6am (trams start at 7:30am on Sun) to around 12:30am. Night buses operate a limited service thereafter, with buses usually on an hourly schedule.

Note: For many of the locations featured in this guide, information about the nearest public transportation stop or station is provided, with preference given to the nearest tram (streetcar) stop. The nearest Metro station or bus stop is listed in the few instances that it would be a better option.

Cards & Fares -- From 2009, all public transportation in the Netherlands should be using an electronic stored-value card called the OV-chipkaart. This replaces the old system of tickets, "strip cards," and fare zones. "OV" is the initials for openbaar vervoer, which is Dutch for public transportation. Three main types of OV-chipkaart are available: re-loadable "personal" cards that can be used only by their pictured owner; reloadable "anonymous" cards that can be used by anyone; and non-reloadable "throwaway" cards. The personal and anonymous cards, both valid for 5 years, cost 7.50€ ($12) and can be loaded and re-loaded with up to 30€ ($48). Throwaway cards, which are likely to be the card of choice for short-term visitors, cost 2.50€ ($4) for one ride and 4.80€ ($7.70) for two rides. Electronic readers on Metro and train station platforms and on board trams and buses deduct the correct fare; just hold your card up against the reader at both the start and the end of the ride. Reduced-rate cards are available for seniors and children ages 4 to 11; children 3 and under ride free.

Purchase cards from the GVB Tickets & Info office , GVB and Netherlands Railways ticket booths in Metro and train stations, automats at Metro and train stations, and automats on board some trams. Not every kind of card is available from each of these sources. Note that the cards are valid throughout the Netherlands, no matter where you purchase them.

Should you plan to splash out on a 1-, 2-, or 3-day I amsterdam Card, remember that this affords "free" use of public transportation, so you don't need to purchase additional cards. The same applies if you purchase the All Amsterdam Transport Pass associated with travel on the Canal Bus.

Teams of roving inspectors do their best to keep everyone honest. The fine for riding without a valid card is 37.40€ ($60), plus the fare for the ride, payable on the spot.

By Tram -- Half the fun of Amsterdam is walking along the canals. The other half is riding the smooth blue-and-gray trams that roll through most major streets. There are 16 tram routes in the city. Ten of these (lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 24, and 26) begin and end at Centraal Station, and one (line 25) passes through, so you know you can always get back to that central point if you get lost and have to start over. The other tram routes are 3, 7, 10, 12, and 14.

Most trams have an access door that opens automatically. Board toward the rear following arrowed indicators outside the tram that point the way to the door. To board a tram that has no such arrowed indicators, push the button on the outside of the car beside any door. Getting off, you may need to push a button with an open-door graphic or the words DEUR OPEN. Tram doors close automatically and they do so quite quickly, so don't dawdle.

By Bus -- An extensive bus network operated by GVB complements the trams. Many bus routes begin and end at Centraal Station. It's generally faster to go by tram, but some points in the city are served only by bus. Regional and intercity bus service from Amsterdam is operated by Connexxion (tel. 0900/266-6399; www.connexxion.nl), and Arriva (tel. 0900/202-2022; www.arriva.nl). Information about national public transportation is available by calling tel. 0900/9292 or visiting www.9292ov.nl.

Stop and Go -- A grand little bus service, the Stop/Go, is helping to solve one of Amsterdam's knottiest transit problems: accessing the long, narrow canalsides of the Grachtengordel (Canal Belt). Colorful Stop/Go minibuses go in both directions between the Oosterdok, via Centraal Station and Brouwersgracht, all the way along Prinsengracht, to the Amstel River and Waterlooplein. A bus departs every 12 minutes from each terminus, daily from 9am to 5:30pm -- it makes a great mini-sightseeing tour. There are no regular stops; just hold out your hand and the bus stops for you to get on. When you want to get out, just tell the driver. A ticket valid for 1 hour, only on the Stop/Go bus, costs 1€ ($1.60).

By Metro -- It can't compare to the labyrinthine subway systems of Paris, London, and New York, but Amsterdam does have its own Metro. Four lines -- 50, 51, 53, and 54 -- run partly overground and bring people in from the suburbs, but from Centraal Station you can use Metro trains to reach both Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein in the central zone. You may want to take them simply as a sightseeing excursion, though to be frank, few of the sights on the lines are worth going out of your way for. If you do take these lines, be sure to validate your strip card on the platform before boarding.

A new Metro line, the Metro Noord-Zuidlijn (North-South Line), is currently under construction to link Amsterdam-Noord, through the Center, to Station Zuid/WTC (World Trade Center). It's slated for completion in 2015.

By Train -- The rail network is not as useful within Amsterdam as are the tram, bus, and Metro -- but sensitive souls might like that they get to ride in a first-class car or compartment. In addition to the Centraal Station hub, there are seven train stations in the city: Zuid/WTC, RAI (the city's main convention center), Amstel in the south, Muiderpoort in the east, and Lelylaan, De Vlugtlaan, and Sloterdijk in the west. Because the transportation network is tightly integrated, all rail stations are also served by two or more other modes of public transportation.

The excellent Dutch rail network comes into its own for longer distances. It's by far the quickest and best way to get to Schiphol Airport, Haarlem, Zandvoort, Hoorn, and most other points in Holland. Purchase international tickets from an office on platform 2 of Centraal Station, or domestic tickets from an office in the main hall (note that you save .50€/80¢ per ticket if you get domestic tickets from the station automats).

By Taxi

It used to be that you couldn't simply hail a taxi in Amsterdam, but nowadays cabbies stop for most attempts. Alternatively, find one of the taxi stands sprinkled around the city, generally near luxury hotels or at major squares such as the Dam, Stationsplein, Spui, Rembrandtplein, Westermarkt, and Leidseplein. Taxis have rooftop signs and blue license tags, and are metered.

Liberalization of the city's taxis in recent years seems to have all but eliminated those once-typical drivers: professional machines functioning as smoothly as the Mercedes they drove, who all seemed to have been spat out of the same soulless mold. To a budget traveler, their fares were little short of a mugging. And then they expected a tip. On the plus side, they spoke English and generally didn't exaggerate the price (they didn't need to). The new breed of drivers might drive something less desirable and have varying ideas about fair fares, for better or worse. Some have poor situational awareness, so bring a map or feed directions to the driver -- if they understand English.

For generally reliable service, call Taxi Centrale Amsterdam (tel. 020/777-7777; www.tca-amsterdam.nl). TCA's base fare begins at 3.10€ ($4.95) and runs up at 1.90€ ($3.05) a kilometer, or 3.05€ ($4.90) a mile; after 25km (16 miles), the rate changes to 1.40€ ($2.25) a kilometer, or 2.25€ ($3.60) a mile. The fare includes service; you can round it up if you like, or tip for a good service, like help with your luggage, or for a helpful discourse.

On the Water

With all Amsterdam's water, it makes sense to use it for transportation. Though options for canal-based transit are limited (with the exception of cruises and excursions), they do exist, and provide unique and attractive views of the city. Given the ongoing redevelopment in the old harbor areas, where new residential projects sprout like tulips in springtime, it seems likely that water transportation will become increasingly important.

By Water Bus -- Two separate companies operate water buses (rarely, if ever, used by locals) that bring you to, or close to, many of the city's top museums, attractions, sights, and shopping and entertainment districts. Canal Bus (tel. 020/623-9886; www.canal.nl) has three routes -- Green Line, Red Line, and Blue Line -- with stops that include Centraal Station, Westermarkt, Leidseplein, Rijksmuseum (with an extension to the RAI Convention Center when big events are on there), Waterlooplein, and East Amsterdam. Hours of operation are daily from 10am to 6:30pm, with two buses an hour at peak times. A day pass is valid until noon the next day and includes a discount on some museums and attractions. It's 18€ ($29) for adults, 12€ ($19) for children ages 4 to 12, and free for children 3 and under.

An All Amsterdam Transport Pass, valid on the Canal Bus, trams, buses, and the Metro, costs 24€ ($38) a day, and is available from GVB Tickets & Info, VVV tourist information offices, and the Canal Bus company. It's a good value if you make extensive use of the Canal Bus and GVB public transportation.

The Museum Quarter Line (tel. 020/530-1090; www.lovers.nl) transports weary tourists on their pilgrimages from museum to museum. And for those with limited time, it provides some of the features of a canal-boat cruise. Boats depart from the Rederij Lovers dock in front of Centraal Station daily from 10am to 5pm, every 30 to 45 minutes. They stop at seven key spots that provide access to museums and other sights, including the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frankhuis, Leidseplein, Vondelpark, Amsterdams Historisch Museum, the Flower Market, Museum Het Rembrandthuis, the Jewish Historical Museum, Artis Zoo, Muziektheater, and Tropenmuseum. Tickets, available from the Lovers Canal Cruises counter near the dock, are 17€ ($27) for adults, 13€ ($21) for children ages 4 to 12, and free for children 3 and under. Tickets include discounted admission to some museums and attractions along the route.

By Ferry -- Free ferries for passengers and two-wheeled vehicles connect the Center with Amsterdam-Noord (North), across the IJ channel. The short crossings are free, and they afford fine views of the harbor, which make them ideal micro-cruises for the cash-strapped. Sadly, there's little of interest in Noord, so the free trip may have to be its own attraction. Ferries depart from the Waterplein West dock on De Ruijterkade behind Centraal Station. One route goes to Buiksloterweg on the north shore, with ferries every 6 to 12 minutes round-the-clock. A second route goes to IJplein, a more easterly point on the north shore, with ferries every 8 to 15 minutes from 6:30pm to around midnight. Another ferry goes west to NDSM Island, a 20-minute trip that doesn't pass any points of particular interest but still affords a decent view of the harbor.

By Water Taxi -- Since you're in the city of canals, consider splurging on a water taxi. These do more or less the same thing as landlubber taxis, except they do it on the canals, in the harbor, and on the Amstel River. You move faster than on land and you get your very own boat tour. To order one, call VIP Watertaxi Amsterdam (tel. 020/535-6363; www.water-taxi.nl), or hail one from the dock outside Centraal Station, close to the VVV office. A water taxi for between one and eight passengers, from a dock outside Centraal Station, costs 60€ ($96) per boat per for the first half-hour, and 40€ ($64) for each subsequent half-hour.

By Swimming -- Believe it or not, some folks (perhaps influenced by too many trips to the "coffeeshop") think this is a good way to get around. It isn't. True, the canals have been cleaned up quite a bit in recent years, and the water quality is probably the best it's ever been. Even so, the liquid filling the canals is still something of a witch's brew; swallow some, and a close encounter with a hospital stomach pump may lie in your immediate future.

Bicycles, Mopeds & More

By Bike -- Instead of renting a car, follow the Dutch example and ride a bike (fiets). Sunday, when the city is quiet, is a particularly good day to pedal along sleepy, off-the-beaten-path canals or through Vondelpark, and to practice riding on cobblestones and over bridges before venturing into the fray of an Amsterdam rush hour. There are more than 600,000 bikes in the city, so you'll have plenty of company.

Navigating the city on two wheels is mostly safe -- or at any rate, not as suicidal as it looks -- thanks to a vast network of dedicated bike lanes. Bikes even have their own traffic lights. Amsterdam's battle-scarred bike-borne veterans make it almost a point of principle to ignore every written safety rule. Though most live to tell the tale, don't think the same necessarily applies to you.

A Vicious (Bi)Cycle -- One endearing aspect of Amsterdam life is that, instead of whacking innocent passersby, junkies here steal battered old bicycles to fund their next fix. They sell the bikes for around 20€ ($32), and plenty of young Amsterdammers -- who themselves have had a series of store-bought bikes stolen by junkies -- end up sighing and stepping aboard this treadmill, knowing they're only encouraging the crooks. Make this destructive transaction at your own risk; renting will endow you with better karma.

Bike-rental rates are around 9€ ($14) per day or 30€ ($48) per week; a deposit of around 50€ ($80) is required. MacBike (tel. 020/620-0985; www.macbike.nl) rents a range of bikes, including tandems and six-speeds. The company has rental outlets at Stationsplein 12 (tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25, or 26), Centraal Station; Mr. Visserplein 2 (tram: 9 or 14), Waterlooplein; and Weteringschans 2 (tram: 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10), at Leidseplein. Bike City, Bloemgracht 68-70 (tel. 020/626-3721; www.bikecity.nl; tram: 13, 14, or 17), near the Anne Frankhuis, is another good choice. Damstraat Rent-a-Bike, Damstraat 20-22 (tel. 020/625-5029; www.bikes.nl; tram: 4, 9, 14, 16, 24, or 25), is centrally located near the Dam. Feminists both male and female might want to give their business to Zijwind Fietsen, a women's cooperative, at Ferdinand Bolstraat 168 (tel. 020/673-7026; www.zijwind.com; tram: 25), though it's a bit out from the Center.

Mike's Bike Tours, Kerkstraat 134 (tel. 020/622-7970; www.mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com; tram: 1, 2, or 5), is a good bet, and in addition to renting, they run great 4-hour riding tours, for 22€ ($35) for adults, 19€ ($30) for students, and 15€ ($24) for children 11 and under; there's a discount of 5€ ($8) if you bring your own bike. Tours depart from outside the Rijksmuseum, March to mid-May, daily 12:30pm; mid-May to the end of August, daily 11am and 4pm; September to November, daily 12:30pm; December to February, Friday to Sunday noon.

Warning: Because bicycle theft is common, always lock both your bike frame and one of the wheels to something fixed and solid.

By Taxi-Bike -- You can get driven around town on a kind of sophisticated rickshaw, courtesy of Wielertaxi (tel. 06/2824-7550), which operates two-seater units from the Dam. They go in the bike lanes and, like regular taxis, can get you where public transportation doesn't reach. And they make for a pretty good touring option. The fare is 1€ ($1.60) per person for every 3 minutes, or 20€ ($32) for two for 30 minutes; children ages 2 to 12 ride for half price, and children 1 and under sitting on an adult's lap ride free.

By Other Means -- If you own a pair of rollerblades or even one of those dinky self-propelled scooter things, bring them along. You can go around in the bicycle lanes while saving money and staying fit.

Bicycling in Amsterdam -- What are the rules of the road for going by bicycle in Amsterdam? Apparently, there are none. Bicycle riders can go anywhere they want, whenever they want, however they want. Or so you'd think from the antics of Amsterdam's massed legions of pedal-bikers. They're enough to scare a Hells Angel. Particularly terrifying is your standard young mother with two children (one on the steering bars and the other in a kid's seat), chatting on her phone while dicing with the Leidseplein trams. Biking is one activity during which you should disregard the maxim, "When in Amsterdam, do as the Amsterdammers do" -- you might easily end up dead, which could ruin your entire vacation.

It takes a while to get used to moving smoothly and safely through the whirl of trams, cars, buses, fellow bikers, and pedestrians, particularly if you're on an ancient and much-battered stadfiets (city bike), also known as an omafiets (grandmother bike) -- the only kind that makes economic sense here, since anything fancier will attract a crowd wanting to steal it.

It's better to develop street smarts slowly. The first rule: Don't argue with trams -- they bite back hard. The second rule: Cross tram tracks perpendicularly so that your wheels don't get caught in the grooves, which could pitch you out of the saddle. And the third rule: Don't crash into pedestrians -- the subsequent punch on the chin could be painful. That's about it. Like everyone else, you'll make up the rest of the rules as you go.

By Car

Don't go by car around Amsterdam. You'll likely regret the expense and the hassle. The city is a maze of one-way streets, narrow bridges, and no-parking zones. It's not unheard of for an automobile, left parked with the hand brake carelessly disengaged, to roll through a flimsy foot-high railing into a canal. To park, you need either to feed the parking automat, or have a parking permit prominently displayed in your car.

Parking -- Street parking in the center city costs 1.30€ to 4.80€ ($2.10-$7.70) an hour, depending on time and location, payable at nearby automats; if you're staying longer than 6 hours, it's more economical to buy a day ticket (also available from automats). Reduced-rate permits are available from many hotels. Permits valid for a day, a week, or a month are available from the Dienst Stadstoezicht offices.

Amsterdam has become a free-fire zone for marauding parking-enforcement units. Locals have learned to keep their heads down and their automat tickets clearly displayed. If you overstay your time limit or if you park illegally, you're almost sure to fall victim to the swift and merciless patrols. The cost of transgression is high: 47€ ($75) plus an hour's parking charge, payable within 48 hours.

If the car remains illegally parked, the ticket is reinforced with a wheel-clamp, which costs at least 106€ ($170) to have removed. If the wheel-clamp fine isn't paid within 24 hours, or if the parking operatives think your car constitutes enough of an obstacle, they'll tow your car to the Dienst Stadstoezicht car-pound at Daniël Goedkoopstraat 7-9 (tel. 020/251-2121; Metro: Spaklerweg), open 24 hours a day, way out in the boonies of the southeastern Over-Amstel district, and they'll charge you a whopping 150€ ($240) for every 24-hour period (or portion thereof) that it's out there, plus the towing cost. You can pay parking, clamp, and towing fines at the car-pound office and at a second office, De Clercqstraat 42-44 (tel. 020/553-0333; tram: 3, 13, or 14). To get a wheel clamp removed fast, call the Pay & Go service (tel. 020/251-2222), and pay the fine by credit card. The Dienst Stadstoezicht Web address is www.stadstoezicht.amsterdam.nl.

Additional obstacles to parking on the fly are Amsterdammertjes (Little Amsterdammers), those zillions of ubiquitous anti-parking posts that have lined streets and canals across the city probably since Rembrandt was a kid.

To avoid charges, or parking-garage rates, stash your car for 6€ ($9.60) a day on the edge of town at Park+Ride lots at some of the outer Metro and rail stations (directions are indicated by blue-and-white P+R signs along the way), and come in by Metro, train, or tram. There are parking garages throughout town; most cost 3€ to 5€ ($4.80-$8) an hour and 20€ to 40€ ($32-$64) a day, depending on the location. The largest lots are at Centraal Station, Damrak, Marnixstraat, under Waterlooplein, and adjacent to Leidseplein.

As if all the parking hassle isn't bad enough, anything left in your car is cash on wheels for every junkie and ne'er-do-well in town. They can withdraw your MP3 player, cellphone, and camera faster than you can get cash from an ATM. Cars with foreign tags are most tempting, since they're likeliest to have valuables in the trunk.

Getting out of Town by Car -- Outside the city, driving is a different story -- you'll want to rent a car for most excursions outside Amsterdam. Each of the major agencies has a rental desk at the airport and offices downtown: Avis (tel. 0900/235-2847; www.avis.nl); Budget (tel. 0900/1576; www.budget.nl); Europcar (tel. 0900/0540; www.europcar.nl); and Hertz (tel. 020/201-3512; www.hertz.nl). Rates vary among companies, as do types of cars, rental plans, and extras (some companies, for example, have free car delivery to your hotel). Rates begin around 50€ ($80) a day for a no-frills, subcompact auto with stick shift and unlimited mileage. A fully equipped luxury car like a BMW can cost as much as 200€ ($320) per day. If your car breaks down, call the national auto club, ANWB Wegenwacht (tel. 0800/000-888).