An Amsterdam question

[kguth125]

We will be docking in Rotterdam for one day on our Golden Princess cruise this summer. Our plans are to take the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, our must do's are the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. Thru use of this board, I have figured out how to get to Amsterdam and the tram's to take to get to and from our must do's.

My question is what is the best way to get between the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum? We are opening to whatever the quickest mode of travel may be (including walking). Thanks in advance.

 

 

KG in Tennessee

[Ine]

Last year Princess offered bustransportation between Rotterdam and Amsterdam (Museumplein), which I think is the best way to make this trip. If there is any delay on the return to the ship, they will wait for you.

 

However if you decide to do this on your own, in Rotterdam you need to go to Central Station by either tram, metro or cab. Train to Amsterdam will take about 1 hr. From there to Ann Frank take a tram to Westerkerk, walk a few minutes. (Or cab) Be prepared for waitinglines.

From Ann Frank you need again a tram (with possible 1 transferchange) or cab.

Cabs in Amsterdam are more expensive then in the USA.

Also check this link for more info:

http://www.vvvamsterdam.nl/

[ezel]

My wife and I are also on the Golden Princess and are planning on taking train into Amsterdam. I have learned there are 2 trains per hour, trip lasts 40 minutes and the cost is $24. per person. Would love to get your info on trams in Amsterdam (the ticket costs on them are a mess) and how you are planning to go from ship to train station in Rotterdam. We are basically trying to do the same itinerary as you. Please e-mail at ezel@cox.net. Thanks. ed.

[Ine]

My wife and I are also on the Golden Princess and are planning on taking train into Amsterdam. I have learned there are 2 trains per hour, trip lasts 40 minutes and the cost is $24. per person. Would love to get your info on trams in Amsterdam (the ticket costs on them are a mess) and how you are planning to go from ship to train station in Rotterdam. We are basically trying to do the same itinerary as you. Please e-mail at ezel@cox.net. Thanks. ed.

 

From ship to Rotterdam Central Station you can take the tram or metro. Both leave near Erasmusbrug (the white bridge you will see from the ship). Tickets are for sale with the driverof the tram (sometimes with the conducteur inside the tram) or machines in the metro station.Cabs are also available.

In Amsterdam the easiest way is to buy a 1 day travelpass at ao the tourist office in the white wooden building in front of the station. That way you can travel on all buses, trams, metro etc. through the city. Or buy a "strippenkaart", which you use in portions depending the itinary.

[Artemis]

Even though it will cost more than a tram or shared taxi, I think the "Hop On, Hop Off" canal boat would be the most productive & fun way to make the city links during your day--you'd see a lot more of Amsterdam and from the perspective of the water, which is what that city's all about!

 

Here's the canal boat route map: http://www.canal.nl/uk/images/kaartjeu.jpg You can back out the stuff after the primary url to get to the main page & work through the informational menus. There is a timetable so you can be assured of the frequency.

 

The way I see it, when you arrive at the Central Train Station from Rotterdam, you could get on the Green Line which leaves from the West Central Station dock. The first stop is the Anne Frank Huis. When you are done, you can get back on the boat and go to the next stop on the green line, marked A, which is the Rijksmuseum. Get out--the Van Gogh Museum is next door to the Rijks. (In fact, you should check the websites for both the Van Gogh & the Rijks. They probably have some combination ticket offers. Note, also, this is the Rembrandt 400th birthday celebration year, so there will be a special Rembrandt exhibition at the Rijks. You may not want to miss out!) Anyway, when you finish your visit to the Van Gogh, you can then get back on the boat and finish the trip (or hop on, hop off at other stops, time permitting). You will note the Green Line actually backtracks from the Rijks to the Leidesplein before it cuts across town to end up at the East Central Station dock. You can simply go inside and hop the train back to Rotterdam.

 

The HoHo canal boat costs 16 Euros per person, so it is definitely the most expensive alternative. However, I have always had fun on the canal boats. There is narration, so you learn a bit as you go.

 

I definitely agree with your order of things--the lines build and build at Anne Frank's, so the earlier you can get there, the better.

 

Whatever you do, have a great day in Amsterdam!

[Globaliser]

Train to Amsterdam will take about 1 hr. From there to Ann Frank take a tram to Westerkerk, walk a few minutes.

Ine, a quick non-cruise related question for you. How long do you think it would take for me to walk from Amsterdam CS to Spui? It's to go to a wedding, and I'm going straight from the airport with no luggage (have to come back to London the same day). It looks to me like it's about 20 minutes or so down Damrak and Rokin - does that sound about right?

[Ine]

That sounds o.k. with me. Depends where on Spui you have to be, but it can be done in about 15 minutes, even less if you walk fast.

Or take one of the many trams going there.

[Globaliser]

Thanks, Ine. I'm actually going to the Begijnhof, so it sounds like I've got the right ballpark figure for walking time. Assuming that we don't land on the Polderbaan (:)) and it's not raining, I could really do with the exercise!

[Ine]

Polderbaan to terminal will take longer then the walk CS to Begijnhof....

[Globaliser]

Fortunately, we didn't get treated to the Polderbaan, and everything else went like clockwork. We arrived at the gate at 1300, exactly on time. Despite the irritations of the automatic train ticket machines refusing to recognise all my plastic cards, and then having to pay a €0.50 transaction fee just for the luxury of having a real human selling me a train ticket, I got onto a train that left at 1320 and was at CS before 1340. And 15 minutes walk was about right - even enough time to get a beer before the wedding started!

 

And the best thing was that the torrential rain yesterday morning (as other people described it) had stopped by the time I arrived, and by the time of the wedding the sun was out and the sky was beautifully blue. Magic!

 

Thanks again for your help!

[Ine]

Glad to help you. You see..it doesnot only rain in GB...!

 

(as we also saw recently in Kauai.)

[Globaliser]

You win some, you lose some:-

 

I drew the Polderbaan for our landing runway today - my first time on it. But despite the alarming distance to the terminal building (the control tower looked like it was half below the horizon when we landed), it was only 10 minutes taxiing.

 

The good news was that I also drew a train ticket machine that would take one of my credit cards, including reading the PIN correctly. Hopefully that's a permanent change.

 

And the other good news was that we did not have to go back to the Polderbaan for the return flight!

[Ine]

You win some, you lose some:-

 

I drew the Polderbaan for our landing runway today - my first time on it. But despite the alarming distance to the terminal building (the control tower looked like it was half below the horizon when we landed), it was only 10 minutes taxiing.

The good news was that I also drew a train ticket machine that would take one of my credit cards, including reading the PIN correctly. Hopefully that's a permanent change.

And the other good news was that we did not have to go back to the Polderbaan for the return flight!

 

Those new trainticketmachines are much better then the old ones. You see like in GB we progress...(referring to the ATM question and your answer!!)

Tuesday Polderbaan was closed due to a big fire onboard a vessel in the port of Beverwijk. Too much smoke, hazardous gasses etc. Traffic was a complete mess since also one of the tunnels under Northsecanal had to close because of this.

[24butterfly]

Ine-- thru the boards and searching, I decided to stat at the Hotel Jan Luyken in the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum area. Please comment?? Thanks!

[Ine]

We will be docking in Rotterdam for one day on our Golden Princess cruise this summer. Our plans are to take the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, our must do's are the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. Thru use of this board, I have figured out how to get to Amsterdam and the tram's to take to get to and from our must do's.

My question is what is the best way to get between the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum? We are opening to whatever the quickest mode of travel may be (including walking). Thanks in advance.

KG in Tennessee

 

Either take a cab (expensive) or take a tram nr. 14 (or walk to Nieuwe zijds) and continue on tramnr. 16 to Museumplein.

Check this map of public transport in Amsterdam.

http://www.gvb.nl/english/travellers/maps/lijnenkaart.html

 

Any info about trams/buses etc. in Amsterdam:http://www.gvb.nl/english/default.asp