Public Transit in Amsterdam

[GabbiRose]

This will be our first time ever in Europe – 14 days Baltic Cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. My DH and I will be arriving 4 days before the cruise, staying at the Element Amsterdam, and using public transit. We are a couple of old fogies who are still mobile and travel light with a couple of carry-on. Our plan is to get the 3-day (€28) unlimited transit pass for getting us to the hotel and touring around Amsterdam. We plan to take the NS Intercity train and transfer to Bus 62 to get to the hotel. For the 4^th day, we plan to get the 1-hour pass (€3.20) to get to the cruise terminal. Does anyone see any problems with our transit plan or have better ideas?

If I posted this in the wrong forum please accept my apologies. All this planning and researching is making my head spin!

 

[CruiserBruce]

The better place for your research would be the Western Europe board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/

 

where Amsterdam is covered. There are some very experienced European travelers on that board.

[MAVIP]

Compliments for your research. You must have found out too that you can buy the 3-day pass at Schiphol Plaza before taking the NS Intercity train and bus 62 to Hotel the Element?

It takes about 20 minutes in total from the railway station at Schiphol to the Hotel. Without any doubt you already found www.9292.nl/en to check all connections and times?  However, the 2 day pass costs € 28 and the 3-day pass € 36,50 and can be used in the region of Amsterdam in all kinds of public transportation. 

Your trip from the hotel to the terminal by public transport is a tiny bit more complicated (changing means of transportation). It takes about 35 minutes, so you can perfectly use the 1-hour card with a cost of € 3,20. I wish you a happy cruise and stay in Amsterdam.

[TiogaCruiser]

Hopefully Ine will see this.

[emp]

Just double check when you get your boarding pass that you are leaving from the cruise terminal next to the Movenpick Hotel (Passenger Terminal Amsterdam). We were on the NS last August for a Baltic cruise and she left from the VCK Waterland terminal, Elbaweg 10, 1044 AD Amsterdam. I found this out from our roll call. The terminal is in an industrial area that is not serviced by public transportation. We ended up taking a cab from our hotel. We disembarked at the PTA terminal, which is very close to the Central Station and accessible by public transportation. 

[KirkNC]

The tram system in Amsterdam is excellent!

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

The tram system in Amsterdam is excellent!

 

It sure is, and if you are not exactly sure where/what stop to get out, the driver will usually assist you with an added P/A announcement

Edited January 2, 2020 by Copper10-8

[GabbiRose]

I want to say a big THANK YOU to all who responded! Thank you for all the useful info. This helps a lot!

[BarbinMich]

We've been in Amsterdam multiple times and while it may be more expensive, I prefer using the hop-on/hop-off canal boats <g>.  Much less traffic to worry about and, to me, Amsterdam is all about the canals and the beautiful buildings along them.

[kazu]

We literally walked everywhere but we did do a canal boat ride. If I didn’t want to walk,  I would be very tempted to use the hop on/hop off canal boats as BarbinMich suggested.  The views are fantastic and you see a lot 🙂 

[MAVIP]

On 1/2/2020 at 9:35 PM, MAVIP said:

 However, the 2 day pass costs € 28 and the 3-day pass € 36,50 and can be used in the region of Amsterdam in all kinds of public transportation. 

 

The 3-day pass of € 28,= is for public transport in the town/city of Amsterdam (including Schiphol). The 3-day pass with a price of € 36,50 of IAmsterdam.com is for  Amsterdam and the whole  region (map included). Can be bought at Schiphol Plaza at "Connexxion". 

ARTT Map 2018 kaartzijde voor stickers.pdf

[GabbiRose]

@MAVIP -- Thank you for the transit map!

@BarbinMich and @Kazu -- The canals are so picturesque! I'm definitely going to take one of the canal cruises. Thank you for the info!

 

Aw too bad I'll have only 2 full days in Amsterdam for sightseeing. There's just too much too see in only 2 days.

[MAVIP]

15 hours ago, GabbiRose said:

Aw too bad I'll have only 2 full days in Amsterdam for sightseeing. There's just too much too see in only 2 days.

That reminds me of a cruise ending in Yokohama and we had only 2 nights afterwards in Tokyo...what a pity for a trip we thought to be "once in a lifetime". Lesson learned. Luckily we booked a Japan cruise for next year and I plan a few nights more in Tokyo region before embarkation.  

 

About the canal tour: I always planned one at the end of a day shopping (walking....) in our capital. Maybe a good idea for your planning.