DeborahAnn

I would appreciate someone explaining how the strippenkaart works. I've read about them but I'm still confused.

If my husband and I are traveling on the tram together, we can use the same strip but stamped in different places. I've read about counting and folding over the strips but not really sure what I'm counting. Is it travel zones?? If it's good for an hour of travel can you hop on and hop off any tram within that hour??

Thanks for your help. Deborah

hetismij

You can share the strippenkaart. For each person it will be stamped for the number of zones you will be travelling plus one extra srip. The easiest thing to do is to ask the driver to stamp it for you. If you don't have enough strips left on one card then you can continue on a second card. try to buy them in a shop or at the GVB office rather than in the bus or tram as they will be cheaper that way.
There is also a time limit for travel on a strippenkaart depending on the number of strips stamped, but f you are staying in or near the centre that won't affect you, unless you are changing bus/tram within the time allowed for the number of zones in which case you don't need to restamp them provided you are leaving the bus before the time is up.

You will not be able to use strippenkaarten on the metro as they are introducing the OV chipkaart as the exclusive ticket there shortly. At the end of this year you will need an OV chipcard for all public transport in Amsterdam.
See: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...etherlands.cfm for more details

hetismij

http://www.amsterdam.info/transport/strippenkaart/ explains it better than I just did .

november_moon

At this time is the OV chipkaart accepted on trams? Or just the metro?

hetismij

Yes it is accepted on trams and buses. You scan it as you enter and remember to scan it again as you leave - or things can get very expensive .

DeborahAnn

Thanks hetismij, I'll check out the link you provided, hopefully it will help me to understand. I have visions of being tossed off the bus/tram because I just couldn't fold and stamp my ticket correctly Deborah

DeborahAnn

hetismij, why do you have to stamp the ticket but leave one blank?? In my mind this seems like it's very complicated, I hope it's just my active imagination and once we get to Amsterdam it will all seem very logical Deborah

november_moon

Deborah - I'd skip the whole strip ticket thing and just get the chipkaart. They have a similar system in Singapore and we found it really really easy to use. You have a card with money on it, and each time you board, you swipe the card. When you get off, you swipe the card again. Fares are dedicted automatically so no need to figure out how many strips to stamp.

hetismij

DeborahAnn the fare is always the number of zones plus one strip. No idea why - it has always been that way.
I think the strippenkaart is still the way to go this summer - it is cheaper than the OV chipkaart, both to buy and per journey. Plus you need one chipkaart per person whereas you can share the strippenkaart.

DeborahAnn

thank you for the comments. I'm not sure how much we will use mass transit within Amsterdam. Ron and I love to walk so whether we use the strippenkaart or the chipkaart we'll probably use our legs most often!!! thanks again, Deborah

hetismij

Luckily Amsterdam is very walkable. Buy a 15 strippenkaart for if you get weary.

DeborahAnn

hetismij, thanks for the advice. I'll be doing a search for your posts because just as Maribel is such a help for traveling throughout Spain, you provide such good advice for the Netherlands. The Hermitage Amsterdam is on my must see list after you posted about it in June!! thanks for your help, Deborah

Judyrem

I am bookmarking for Sept in Amsterdam....I am still a bit unsure about it....even after reading the site, heitsmj...help! We will be staying at the Movenpick,,what zones would be involved for the Anne Frank house? I probably need a weeks pass.

hetismij

From the Movenpick you need to walk towards the station where you can pick up the stop and go bus at the Stedelijk museum, that will stop outside the Anne Frankhuis. The stop and go costs just €1 if you buy the ticket from the driver, or two strips (one zone), and that is valid for an hour. The stop and go stops where you want it to stop along it's fixed route from the Oosterdok to the Waterlooplein.
For most other trips you will stay within the central zone which is two strips, but if you tell the driver where you are going he will stamp the right number of strips for you - and tell you when you are approaching your stop.
The official site for public transport in Amsterdam is http://www.gvb.nl/english/Pages/default.aspx. Click on the for travellers tag. You can see the routes that the stop and go and other buses and trams take, ans there is an explanation of the tickets available. Strippnkaarten are still the cheapest method - the OV chipkaart costs more.

Adrianaf

hello hetismij,

I'll be in amsterdam for one year, taking a master course and i received accommodation in Stavangerweg. I google map-ed it and the easiest way to get to the university is by taking bus 22.

i was thinking of getting a season monthly ticket (when it will be to cold to bike), but I don't know how many zones are from Stavangerweg to Kadijksplein (Roetersstraat-final destination). Could you please tell me, so that I can make some kind of "how much will the transport cost" plan?

or if you have any other suggestions, feel free to tell me...the journey planner 9292ov.nl suggested that I could take bus 48 to central station and then metro 54, but I find it more time consuming.

Adrianaf

Waiting for your reply. Thanks!

hetismij

Sorry, I just saw your post now? Which University?
Have a look at the GVB site for more info on zones and season tickets.
It's late here now, so if you need more help I'll do my best in the morning if you let me know.

spaarne

Adrianaf,
It's very unlikely that it will get too cold to bike. It rarely snows in Amsterdam. More likely it will be drizzling most of the year so you get dressed for that and become an <i>echte Amsterdammer</i> on your <i>fiets</i>. Do you speak Dutch? If not I recommend you try it. Have fun in Holland. Make a visit to Haarlem, my home town over there.

My advice for using the Strippenkaart is first get a transit map at the office outside Centraal Station. It is free. Buy the kaart. Do everything as hetismij says. If you are unsure of what you are doing ask the driver or the ticket person sitting in a cubicle in the back of the tram.

jetsetj

what happens if you forget to stamp as you leave?

hetismij

jetsetj, if you are using a strippenkaart you only stamp it when you get in. If you are using an OV chipkaart then failing to check out means the clock keeps ticking and you pay more than you needed to, up to a maximum amount.