Nancygoes

We will be in Amsterdam four days in late April. Will have two days in the city for touring. (Plus one day at Keukenhof Gardens and another day out of the city with family.) Not sure if the two city touring days will be consecutive or not so I would like some help deciding whether or not to purchase the City Card museum / transit pass, or just get the transit pass and pay for museum admissions.

Does the iAmsterdam museum pass which gives free entry also give you FAST TRACK entry to the museums, or do you still need to wait in line?

Any suggestions for efficient touring will be appreciated.

Nancygoes

Part 2: I also see now a Holland Pass. The main things we want to cover are the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Keukenhoff, maybe a canal cruise, maybe Jewish Museum.

So... please help us sort out the iAmsterdam City Card, the Holland Pass and just the transit card options.

PalenQ

http://www.amsterdamtourist.info/tip...s/museumkaart/

Another option that covers the 4 Amsterdam places you want to go but not a canal cruise - in 2 days you may just find regular entries are best but compare prices - this card does let you skip ticket lines at many museums IME - good at Anne Frank House, for which you can book a spot way ahead of your visit and are suggested to do so.

Transit Pass - Amsterdam is very walkable - very compact in its city centre - I rarely take trams- the three main museums you mention are a short walk from each other or an easy walk I should say and to me walking in Amsterdam is a joy - what you see in between the destinations may be as interesting as the museums themselves!

I think the Transit Pass could cost more than you may spend on trams - nothing probably!

spaarne

<i> Amsterdam - City Card Museum Pass?
Posted by: Nancygoes on Feb 22, 16 at 5:54pm</i>

I stayed in Haarlem for 5 weeks last summer. I used the OV-Chipcard for trains, trams, and buses in Haarlem and Amsterdam. With some years experience living and traveling in Holland, my conclusion is that the OV-Chipcard is a masterwork of confusion even for the Dutch. Every Dutch person I talked with had complaints, especially when used for the trains. It is handy for buses and trams, but buy single tickets when you take a train.

I agree with PalenQ. Amsterdam is a very walkable city. But you must make a choice in hotel location for optimal use of your extremely limited time. The museums are quite a distance from the Ann Frank exhibit. The Museum Pass included the AH exhibit for a year or two but no longer. If you are interested in the German occupation of Holland during WW 2 you might visit the Corrie ten Boom home in Haarlem. It is free and I never saw a line. Most people have never heard of this place. It is the side door of the clock shop in the center of Haarlem.

In early August I had no wait at the Rijksmuseum. The van Gogh museum had a short line. And there was the always long line wrapped around the AH exhibit.

maxima

this is from the tourist info site:

Amsterdam Holland Pass, iAmsterdam Card and Museumkaart

As admissions to museums and public transport tickets might represent an important cost during your visit to Amsterdam, three different discount cards aim at lowering these expenses. Amsterdam Holland Pass offers free transfer from and to the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, free tickets to most important museums (including Rijksmuseum), discounts on many attractions and 24-hours public transport ticket. iAmsterdam card offers free entrance to several museums (but not Rijksmuseum) and city attractions, 25% discount on selected restaurants and a free public transport ticket in Amsterdam (but not transportation from and to the airport) for a limited period of 1 to 3 days. Museumkaart opens the doors to 34 museums in Amsterdam (including Rijksmuseum) and 400 museums in the Netherlands for a period of one year.

Since you are only spending a few days in Amsterdam, you can figure out whether a pass pays for itself or you will purchase individual tickets.

Very close to the Jewish Museum is the Portuguese Synagogue, a really lovely historic building, within a complex including a winter synagogue and a library. There is a Jewish Quarter Cultural Pass , though the synagogue and museum are also included on the above mentioned passes

Amsterdam Holland Pass and iAmsterdam City Card are not valid at the Anne Frank House, but you can buy tickets online for a timed entry, also the Anne Frank House will be open from 9am to 9 pm when you are there, so you could go in the evening.