hpeabody

I will arrive in Amsterdam at Centraal Station from Schiphol Airport. Can someone tell me if the GVB multi day pass can be paid for by US credit card if purchased at the GVB office across from Centraal Station. Also heard that ticket machines take coins only and NO credit cards, Is that true?

And for purchasing tickets for the train from Schiphol to Centraal Station, Do they accept US credit cards? Can you use US credit cards In the machines? or do you have to go to the ticket counter? Or do they only accept European credit cards with chip/pin. I do understand there is slight charge to go to a live person.

greg

I can answer about the NS (railroad) ticket situation at Schiphol. Magnetic strip only cards are usable neither at ticket machines nor at ticket counters. The ticket counter has a big sign telling people you need chip and pin if you want to use a CC at ticket counter.
The only way I have been able to buy tickets is CASH at the TICKET WINDOW. Machines don't take cash.
If you have time, I recommend try to get GVB pass at Schiphol. The GVB office in front of the Amsterdam Centaal can have an enormous queue. I usually use VVV office at Schiphol which is somewhat away from the hustle and bustle at Schiphol. You can also buy Schiphol to Amsterdam Centaal NS train ticket there. The NS ticket window usually have a long queue to deal with people like you without chip and pin credit cards.
If you are heading to the Leidseplein/Museum area, Connexxion bus #197 to Leidesplein is more convenient if you don't have to stop by the GVB at Amsterdam Centraal. You don't need to buy ticket beforehand, just hop onto the #197 bus and pay the driver in cash.

Bedar

What is a GVB pass ? and for what period of time is it issued ? Thanks.

PatrickLondon

GVB is the Amsterdam public transport authority; you can get passes up to three or four days quite easily, but for a 7-day pass you have to go to the main office at Central Station (or Amstel Station). At the Central Station office they have a peculiar "take a number" machine which looks as though they want you to commit to saying what you want at that point but doesn't offer all the options. As far as I could tell, in practice most people just took their turn anyway, and the clerks weren't interested in the number anyway (but that was in January when there wasn't much pressure of numbers).

http://en.gvb.nl/pages/home.aspx

hpeabody

Greg, where is the GVB office in Schiphol. It was not clear to me that there is one, just the NS train I thought. And, Is it a location that sells the multi day pass? I understand they are not available just everywhere, but certain locations. You reminded me about the lines (Ugh!) at the Centraal Station location.

PatrickLondon

I would guess the VVV at Schiphol will try to sell the iAmsterdam card or something similar, rather than the same ordinary passes that residents would normally use;
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en-GB/expe...rdam-city-card

PalenQ

My info says that the NS Railway automatic ticket machines at Schiphol do accept American credit cards and is about the only one in Holland train stations doing so - for the convenience of foreign trvelers and you save I think one euro by using the machine - you can always go to the ticket windows and buy a ticket as well.

menachem

Buying a ticket at the ticket window has a surcharge of 2.50. You can buy a chipcard and use it on trains too, but it needs to be loaded with 20 euros minimum, and it needs to be activated for train travel at a ticket machine.

PalenQ

meanchem - for my info can you refund left over euros on a Chip Card when leaving the country - I presume you can leave them on forever if going back or give it to someone else who is going?

Dank u (very) wel!

hetismij2

PalenQ, you can get a refund on an anonymous card. You need to go to the GVB or NS and ask for a form for the refund. You then have to fill in the form, show your passport and get a refund. Up to €30 will be paid in cash (minus an admin fee), above that they need a bank account number, but won't accept a foreign account.

You can keep the card and re-use it next visit, if it is still valid, or give it to someone else to use.

https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/klantens...ldorestitutie/

On the trains you have to have at least €20 on the card for every journey, as that is the amount they take as a deposit. When you check out at the end of your trip the deposit, minus the fare is returned to the card.
For tourists it is generally easier to just buy paper tickets.

PalenQ

hetismij - dank u )very very) wel for that detailed response - tells me all I need to know, not having been to Amsterdam now in a few years!

Tot Ziens!

Michael

<i>above that they need a bank account number, but won't accept a foreign account.</i>

That is not clear. I've made inquiries withe the appropriate Dutch authorities, and I can get a transit card if have a Dutch or <b>German</b> account. If that is the case, shouldn't a refund be applicable to the German account? I will full details once I actually apply for a transit pass through my Berlin cousin.

hpeabody

Do any of you know about acceptance of American credit cards for NS & GVB? That is my basic question.

I do not think I will be able to get enough use from a chip card. It seems quite similar to London's Oyster card which I have used.

hetismij2

Michael - if you read the link I posted it says at the end : Credit refunds can only take place using a Dutch bank account number.

Maybe they will credit another euro account, since there are no fees involved in doing so, but they won't credit a British, US or Canadian account, due to the fees involved.

hpeabody as far as I know the ticket machines at Schiphol accept a US card. That is the only place which is likely to accept them. The machines at Amsterdam CS do not accept them, they only accept Chip and PIN cards or a Maestro debit card. Not sure if they will accept a foreign debit(ATM) card, but it could be worth a try I guess.

It costs €0.50 to buy a ticket at the window, and they do accept credit cards, but I suspect only Chip and PIN again, since that is the norm here now. Many places don't have the ability to swipe cards any more. You could get cash from an ATM before buying your tickets. If you want to use the machines then you could even get cash from an ATM, make a small purchase at a shop and ask for coins as change.

I don't know at the GVB, but I would think they do still accept swiped cards, but I haven't any recent experience of them.

You could always get the bus into Amsterdam, and just buy a ticket (with cash) from the driver. That may be more convenient anyway, depending on where you are staying.

lateinlifetraveler

When we used the ticket machine in Schiphol, it would only take a chip and pin American CC for us. We tried one without the chip and pin first and it would not take it. This was in September 2013.

greg

Same failed attempt with magnetic strip only U.S. credit card trying to buy NS tickets at a ticket machine at the luggage carousel area Schiphol, October 2013.

PalenQ

Greg - thanks for the update - I had read in a reliable source sometime - maybe someone on Fodor's that Schiphol train station auto ticket machines did take American cards but obviously that is not or no longer true. But folks going to Europe I heard on NPR Business show can now request from their card companies new cards that do have the requisite magnetic strip to use them in Europe. So try calling your card company - maybe not all do it - and see about that to make things easier all over.