texasbookworm

We’d like advice on the best transportation ticket to buy for our week in Amsterdam in mid-April. We are in our late 60’s; we are in ok shape but both have some health issues that mean we will get tired walking faster than on our previous European trips, so we’ll be taking things much slower with a less packed schedule than ever before.

We arrive very early on a Wednesday and will probably get a taxi rather than try to do public transport in a jet-lagged state.

But after that, we will use tram/bus some to get around.

The rest of Wednesday and Thursday we will be in the city, no exact plans, but doing as much walking/shopping/orienting as we feel like. (Nervousness about late arrivals, missed/cancelled flights, other hitches make us reluctant to plan anything “important” either of these days.)

Friday probably going to Kuekenhof, transport to be figured out later (or included in some ticket?) This could be Saturday or Tuesday if weather dictates.

Saturday is probably a break/rest day; no plans; definitely shopping and seeing sights we’ve put off like parks or small museums.

Sunday and Monday we’ll be in the city, with tickets already bought to the Van Gogh Museum on Saturday (and hopefully Anne Frank late in the afternoon) and the Rijksmuseum on Sunday.

Tuesday probably go to Haarlam.

Wednesday leave on a 10 am flight so early arrival at Schipol required; probably take a taxi.

So we need tickets to cover transport from sometime Wednesday through Tuesday evening at least, maybe including train to Haarlem and bus to Kuekenhof.

What say you experts?--Thanks

menachem

For the trip to Haarlem you can buy point to point ticket from the NS ticket machines at central station at the start of travel
Bus to Keukenhof: same. You can now pay with credit card on any connexxion bus.

As to public transport inside of Amsterdam: where are you located? Going by your itinerary, you would perhaps be best served by 2x 2day Amsterdam Travel Card. If you want to go that route, you might want to think about switching Amsterdam and outside of Amsterdam travel days, so you can get a consecutive 3 day period, to max out the 3 day option, and then cover your remaining Amsterdam day with a one day ticket.
https://www.public-transport-holland...am-travel-card

texasbookworm

We are staying at the Renaissance on Kattengat. Neither of us want to plan much on the first 2 days, my hubby didn't want to go to Keukenhof on the weekend, and we want to go to the Ten Boom House in Haarlam which isn't open on Sundays or Mondays. We'd still need public transport on Keukenhof day, so we do have Wed/Thur/Fri and then Sat/Sun/Mon that we'd need Amsterdam transport. So 2 3-day tickets each, for 60 Euros (can't find insert symbol)

Is the GVB 7-day ticket an option? At 41 euros per person, it costs less, but the website seems a bit flighty and I'm not positive about where/how to purchase.

Where's my Amsterdam Oyster card!? Ha. It's been about 5 years since in London (sad face) so that's probably not even as convenient for foreign visitor as it was.

Thanks, menachem--what's your 7 day GVB opinion?

menachem

If you're on Kattegat, you're ultra central. Apart from a tram ride to Rijksmuseum or some such, a lot of what makes the centre of Amsterdam such a good residential area is on your doorstep. I'd suggest concentrating on your neighbourhood (aka "pottering around) for your first 2 days. The area you want to research is the band that cuts across all canals south of Haarlemmerstraat, stretching along Brouwersgracht.

Pay attention to the alleys you can use to cut through from one canal to the other.

Your occasional tram rides (easy for you, because you have the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal/De Kolk near you) can now be paid with contactless credit card or google/apple pay
https://www.gvb.nl/klantenservice/ov...t-je-betaalpas (google translate to read)

I've looked at the travel card options GVB itself is offering: i see 4 days max, a little cheaper than the tourist travel card, bc transport to Schiphol isn't included.

texasbookworm

Not to belabor, but...so our USBank Visa with contact-less capabilities can be used to swipe upon entering and upon exiting a tram/bus? for 3.40 each time (as don't think we'd ever be finished in an hour and hopping back on before ticket expired.)

So as long as we take no more than 2 tram/bus rides per day, with on a couple days there being zero rides, it looks like any sort of card won't save any money.

https://www.amsterdamtips.com/transport-tickets has the 6 and 7 day GVB offers. But as you point out, we will do well pottering around the neighborhood, which is why we chose this hotel, except for the 2 major art museums and the trips to Harlaam and to Keukenhof.

So for now, I'll just plan on not purchasing any transport tickets except perhaps for Keukenhof later.

Thanks! Any other advice, suggestions, expert tips appreciated! Our trips in the past have been pretty packed with plans; this one is the most relaxed we've ever done, on paper at least, and I'm not quite used to this!

menachem

They're contactless payments: tap in and tap out on the ticket validation machine at the front of the bus. There's also a terminal for cc payments there. You'll need chip/pin options for that.

It's a lovely neighbourhood, immediately when you cross Singel to reach Brouwersgracht.

texasbookworm

Thanks! Starting to think this time we might actually travel (cancelled trips in 2020 and 2021 and afraid to even plan international 2022)!

I have a list of restaurants and cafes in the Jordaan neighborhood but would love to hear personal recommendations--like, where's fairly quick and not too heavy breakfast before 8 am (tea/coffee and yogurt or egg and toast)?

jan47ete

check out the site for the Luekenhof tulips as they offer transport from Amsterdam, so you might not need transportation that day. I believe certain pkgs include tranport to Haarlam as well.

menachem

There's a direct bus from Schiphol, and buses from Haarlem and Leiden train stations. The options you are describing are package tours by companies like Lindbergh. Those are very regimented.

Also a slight correction to make googling easier: the name of the place is Keukenhof.

here are all the bus options
https://tulipfestivalamsterdam.com/k...em-and-leiden/