Few queries about Amsterdam
 

We family of 4 travelling to Amsterdam for 4 nights ( accomidation is 15min walk from central station).
In order to get to Madurodam should we book train ticket online or we just buy from ticket office located at Central station? There is no direct train so we stop at Den Hague and will get tram from there. I noticed train tickets for this journey are v expensive around 100 euro ( return) for all 4 of us as per 9292.nl website. Is it the site to buy ticket online?

We'll also visit upside down museum as well. The museum is 10 min tram from central station and station is 16 min from accomodation. Would uber or bolt be cheaper to go directly to museum from accomodation as we are 4 adults and even tram tickets are around euro 2.50 per person?

We'll also board on lover's canal cruise in the evening which is 4 min walk from central station. Do we need to pre book the cruise?

Is buying an amsterdam travel card will be of any use as we have booked excursions which are departing from station except this madurodam and upside down museum? In order to get to station from accomodation there is a 10min tram journey whereas by foot it is 16min.

I know there are too many questions in one post!

My experience of taxis in Amsterdam is that their movement is heavily controlled by some pretty tight car controls and so what should be a short journey on bicycle becomes a very long journey by car. I very much doubt a taxi would be cheaper than a tram.

Thanks. Is tram ticket ( local travel) cheaper online or we buy at station? Similarly if we get train for Madurodam should we buy online ? If buy at station is paperless cheaper ( by using apple pay etc) as in London?

You need to remove trip report icon.

Per the Dutch national RR website ns.nl, trains from Amsterdam to Den Haag are €13.60 full price one way, or as low as €8.16 with a discount called "Flex Dal Voordeel". The prices are the same for today as for a month from now, so it seems no advance purchase discount. You can get a ticket from a machine in the station for €1 more, so it seems there is not really any advantage or need to buy ahead.

I have no personal experience with that discount. I also don't know diddly about the 9292 app. Generally I steer away from 3rd party apps and buy tickets from the source. Maybe one of our Netherlands residents here on fodors (there are several) will chime in.

NS has an app for iphone or android. https://www.ns.nl/en/travel-information/ns-app

Welcome to Fodors. We removed the Trip Report flag, added a Netherlands tag and modified the thread's title to better represent your topic.

How old are your younger members? Kids up to 11 travel on a Railrunner ticket for €2.50 if accompanied by a full fare paying adult. Up to three kids per adult.
You can use OVPay to pay for the adult tickets, but the kids would need either a paper one or an e-ticket.
https://ovpay.nl/en Explains it all and has FAQs.
The Flex discounts are only available with a subscription.
There is no advantage to buying tickets ahead of time pricewise, though they are €1 cheaper with an e-ticket or OVPay rather that from the machine.

OVPay can also be used on trams and buses or you could buy a tourist ticket for Amsterdam - https://reisproducten.gvb.nl/en/toer...l/en/toeristen

Amsterdam is very walkable btw so you may not need the tram or bus.

When in Den Haag you could also visit the Escher Museum, or Panorama Mesdag or the Mauritshuis, see the Peace Palace, the King's Palace, not sure if the Binnenhof and Ridderzaal are still open but if they are they are worth a visit.
In Scheveningen you have the beach and Sea Life, and of course the pier.

Please please please take your kids to Panorama Mesdag. Not going to spoil it, but it's worth it for the look on their faces alone as they come up the stairs to the viewing platform

Binnenhof is closed for renovation, Escher is fun. For dinner there's a row of patio restaurants around Plein, not too far from Den Haag CS

For the railways the group tickets are the way to go https://www.ns.nl/producten/en/meest...ticket-daluren. With a group of 4 you're almost at the subscription discount price for a single journey

Madurodam and den hague from amsterdam
 

If I book train ticket from amsterdam CS to madurodam can I just hop off at den Hague to see the town and then get back to amsterdam by night? The ns.nl website is bookable but not sure if we can disembark n is it valid all day?

Madurodam is on a tram line not an NS railway line, and you need a separate ticket for the tram, so yes you can explore Den Haag while you are there. We have already made suggestions in your other post about Amsterdam.
Also this isn't a trip report so shouldn't be marked as one.

I can't create new post ( it goes automatically to trip report) or can reply to previous one.

We removed the Trip Report flag and merged your two threads.

FYI, when starting a new thread it will not display the TR flag unless one clicks that option.

Tips and time/money calculation from Amsterdam to Madurodam!!
 

Well I would say Madurodam is one of the most promising places to see. Famous for Dutch landmarks, landscapes and for historical cities. You can go there by train, which is a really joyful way to go or you can go through a bus. If you are willing to go by train from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Den Haag HS Station you need to take a train and afterwards go to tram line # 9 to Madurodam. It will take approximately one hour and fifteen minutes at a cost of 12 to 29 euros per person. You can choose to buy online tickets from their official website of Dutch Railways. If you are willing to go there through local ways i mean through bus then you need to catch a bus at line # 22. First you will travel from Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station to Hague Central Station and then change buses from line 22 to the Madurodam. Total time two hours and fifteen minutes and 14 to 20 euros per person for one way.

your ticket will be valid all day.

tram #9 direction Scheveningen, get off at the Madurodam stop, they announce it.

I would never take the bus to Madurodam tbh. Tram is quicker and less of a hassle (for buses you need to go up the bus platforms, tram #9 stops at the station exit.)

Yeah I totally agree with @menachem!! As compared to buses, the tram is much faster and convenient. Another advantage is you can enjoy sightseeing in the city on the way. Also for visiting museums you can think of Uber or Bolt that would be much cheaper for the upside down museum, not only cheaper but also easy to go with. Museums are really fun for family trips as you guys are four. I am sure you will enjoy it. And for canal cruises I would recommend you to book your ticket in advance to avoid any kind of inconvenience. You can easily walk to the station from your accommodation or can use an Amsterdam travel card to go through public transportation or can take a tram. All of your excursions are near the station, If I am at your place I would love to walk.