Transportation in Amsterdam / Netherlands
 

I'll be based with my wife in Amsterdam for 5-6 days.
We'll get around on foot and/or local transportation.

In addition we expect to go on day trips for two of the days.

How should we handle the transportation?

Thanks.

Where are you going?
If you are going to a place with a rail station, take a train.
If you are going to a place connected by bus only, take a bus.
If you are going to a place without public transportation, rent a car.
If you are going to an island, take a boat.

Take trams, trains etc. What is the information you are after?

Sorry I wasn't clear.

Are the same chip cards usable for both local Amsterdam transportation as well as for train service within the Netherlands?

If so, which type of card should I be using; Anonymous or disposable.

Can I share the same card with my wife as I don't see us both taking different forms of transportation at the same time.

Is the card used to buy trolley, bus, train tickets or do you just get on and swipe the card?

Any other question that would tell me things I should know?

If you read the link above it explains things to you. If you are using a lot of public transport, or think you will return to the Netherlands get the anonymous cards - you can always give them to someone else if you aren't returning. Day cards and disposables are generally more expensive.
You hold them against a scanner and it bleeps to register you, then you do the same when you leave. Generally you board at the front, scan and leave at the middle/rear after scanning. Don't forget to scan when you leave or it will get expensive fast. At stations you have to scan the card to get the gate to open. It is important to make sure the gate you are using is for the train company you will be using. You then scna agan on arrival to open the gate and leave, again checking the train company.

For lots on trains check www.ns.nm; www/seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

So the same card is used for local Amsterdam trolleys and inter city trains?

How is the card loaded with cash?

What happens to cash left over on a disposable card?

I'm less concerned with spending a little more on a whole trip than doing it correctly.

Are disposable cards available at many local stores and supermarkets, etc

Did you read the link?
You can out money on at machines at station and in some supermarkets and anywhere which displays the sign.
The anonymous card is valid for all public trnsport in all of the Netherlands. Disposable cards are for a specific journey and can be bought at stations on buses with a debit card and PIN or at the GVB or similar.
There are special tickets which cover teh NS train to and from Schiphol and all GVB buses trams and metros in Amsterdam but not outside or on Connexxion buses.

Read this and work through the site. https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/ov-chip-and-use.htm

Saving for future reference!

You might well want to buy a multi day travel card for travel inside Amsterdam if you want to use tram and metro a lot to get around.
For train travel, I'd buy disposable tickets from the yellow machines at the station.

(In addition to paying money to buy the card, you'll need a minimum of €20 on your anonymous chip card. If luck is against you, you might have quite some credit left over, so you'll invest substantially)

We are planning to arrive in Amsterdam next month.
Arriving at Schiphol @ 8:00 PM. Staying near Centraal station for 4 nights.
Plan is to take one day trip to Haarlem & spend the rest of the time in Amsterdam & use the tram frequently.
Return to the airport on the last morning.

What type of card is suggested we purchase?

Menachem,
That's a great idea.

Train Tickets
This question has at least several possible answers.
a) Are the train tickets good for a specific time on a specific date
b) Are the train tickets good for any time on a specific date
c) Are the train tickets good for any time for a range of dates

Can the disposable train tickets be purchased anywhere other than at the train station?
Can the disposable train tickets be purchased a day or so prior to the day trip?
= = = = = = = = = =
Transportation within Amsterdam.
Our use of local transportation within Amsterdam may be rather erratic.
Can I buy Amsterdam tickets in a batch of 10 and use them as needed. I've done something similar to that in Paris.

And then there are the train tickets that have a supplement. Oh oh!!

I just read that the train supplement can be purchased as a separate disposable ticket.

Does that mean I can purchase one of those and only use it if/when I end up using a purchased ticket for a train that requires a supplement?

You are overthinking this; if you want to take a train outside Amsterdam, just go to the dutch rail site www.ns.nl. Put in your departing station and where you are going, and click on 'ticket' to buy one online. That ticket is valid for any train that day. It;s cheaper to buy online than at the machine. And much easier.

There may be an option to take a Thalys or other high-speed train; the site will tell you that there is a supplement for that. No need to take these trains within the Netherlands. Just take a regular train without supplement.

For travel in Amsterdam; just get a card from a machine and put some money on. You can see the balance when you get on/off the tram and can then decide to add more money to it if needed. You will not need much public transport in Amsterdam, it's very walkable.

Tulips,
Thank you. You answered part of my question.

Are the train ticket only valid for a specific date or can they be used on any day within some range?

I agree with you that we probably won't use the public transportation system that much. Probably mostly to quickly get from the hotel area to the train station and back.

So why not just but some single use tickets?

You buy a train ticket for a specific day; it is only valid on that day.

Don't know if you can buy single use tickets, we don't use them.

No

Only on ICD and you can specify "via ICD" when you buy at the machine.

Yes, but make sure to buy it non-dated.

Again, this only applies to Intercity Direct between Schiphol and Rotterdam

The "get a card from the machine" will cost €7.50.

Because there aren't any in the Dutch public transport system. You can buy a disposable chipcard that has 1 hour or 2 hours of travel on it.

For tourist, occasional use the 1 hour, disposable OV-chipkaart seems to make sense.

Where can they be purchased? On trolley, In certain stores, etc?

Also at train stations or GVB office opposite Centraal Station.

Public transport does not accept cash payments - so if you buy on the tram/bus you need to have a debit card with a PIN. The Tranzer app may be off use to you, though I have no personal experience of it. Or go to one of the GVB offices, or one of the shops shown in the second link below.
https://en.gvb.nl/ontdek-amsterdam

https://reisinfo.gvb.nl/en/lagen/det...ieren-dagkaart

Like PalenQ said: the big GVB opposite central station (there's also one at the back entrance, often far less busy), the machines inside the metro station and increasingly there are machines at "important" stops. Only card

But not on the tram or bus or are there machines on trams and buses?

No machines on trams and buses, and no cash payments. Not sure if GVB allows you to buy from the driver with a card or not, some bus companes do others don't because it delays the schedule.

Yes you can. They only take cards (chip+pin)

I have a Chip & PIN card.

The problem now is to try and remember what we can and cannot do.