Amsterdam _ My great experience with Amsterdam Region Travel Ticket

Amsterdam - My must visit city in Europe

Amsterdam is no strange to those who have been to Europe for a long time, and obviously to an erasmus student who has visited 15 European countries like me, obviously Amsterdam is a must-visit.

• Amsterdam Region Travel Card

After experiencing the amsterdam region travel card, I had an excellent opportunity to experience the whole of the public transport system in the Netherlands, saying that the public transport here is very modern.

Because there are many canals, the Amsterdam system is simple, not as complicated as in Paris or some other major European city.

Today in this article, I will give you an introduction to the experience of the public transport system in the Netherlands, giving students specific directions to visit the Netherlands especially the capital city of Amsterdam.

• How to Go to Amsterdam

Fly to Amsterdam via Schiphol Airport

If you fly to Amsterdam from other European cities, you can find cheap tickets from Transavia or EasyJet, both of which have many routes through Ams and to Schiphol Airport. Transavia seems to be less popular than EasyJet, but once I found the company to be quite casual, the hostess was all male, special listening! Schiphol Airport is 15km from the city and the nearest and greatest airport in Amsterdam. Here, KLM is the largest airline and it has flights and networks around the world. There are also many other cheap airlines flying to Schiphol such as Transavia, Tuifly or Easyjet.

From Barcelona Airport,

I have a lot of options to fly to visit the land of tulips, there are many cheap airline operators operating flights here: Transavia, Vueling or Ryanair. Also frequent cheap tickets from Barcelona fly to Brussles in Belgium,

I was thinking of a possible way to save money to fly to Amsterdam through Brussels, here I mean to fly to Brussels in a few days and then take Flixbus to the Netherlands, the cheapest tickets very much when there are 10 12 euros.

From Vietnam,

I give some information to Vietnamese students always, because a lot of my friends want to visit the Netherlands.

There are many airlines operating flights from Vietnam - Netherlands, you will have more choices in choosing your favorite airline.

In Vietnam there are two international airport ports serving Noi Bai - Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat Airport - Ho Chi Minh City Including a number of airlines operating as frequented as Vietnam Airlines, Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, Silkair, Malaysia Airlines...

• - Airlines from Ha Noi City – Amsterdam. There are many airlines operating this route, including Vietnam Airlines, Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, Silkair... Fares range from 592 to 3305. USD / trip. The flight from Hanoi to Amsterdam will take about 17 hours and transit at some places such as Hong Kong, London, Singapore...
• - Airlines from Ho Chi Minh City - Amsterdam: Vietnam Airlines, China Airlines, Etihad Airways, Jat Airways, Emirates.. . are airlines serving this route. Fares range from $ 537 - $ 4550 per trip.

Small note for Vietnamese friends:

The above ticket price that I just listed is a one way fare and can vary depending on the time you book your ticket, flight, airline... For more detailed information visitors should visit website of the airline of your choice.

No airline currently operates direct flights from Vietnam to Amsterdam, Netherlands. So you will transit in 3rd city such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia or Frankfurt - and then go by car, train, domestic plane... to Holland

♦ Take the train to the city: From Schiphol International Airport into the city the fastest and most convenient way is to take the Direct link train,

Run 10 '/ platform 1. 2 from central station, fare is € 5 / trip.

You buy tickets at the yellow ticket machines at the airport, looks like the machine still only receive coins, remember to validate tickets if not will be fined € 35. When we arrived at the Dutch bar, a friend forgot to buy tickets and was fined.

You look at the map to go right to Central Station. In addition, in my opinion, the bus is also a convenient means of transportation.

♦ Bus: Take the 197th bus of Connexxion (also known as Amsterdam Airport Express) to the Amsterdam Museumpleple / Leidseplein area. This bus does not run through the central station but will be convenient for anyone near Museum Quater or Leidseplein. Ticket price € 5 / way, catch the car right at Schiphol Plaza near the lobby outside the airport. However, Bus 197 does not have a lot of options if you have too many luggage, the alternative is to take the shuttle bus at the airport but the price is quite cheap, € 17 / trip and € 27 return. Take a taxi for around € 40-50.

Please note that the Schiphol Airport also has a drop-off service, for those who want to go to Amsterdam during the day without the need to carry more luggage. Prices range from 6-11. 5 Euros per day and allow for a maximum of 7 days, details you see here: Schiphol Luggage Locker.

Schiphol Airport is the largest, but may be limited in terms of finding cheap tickets for travelers, in some cases I recommend you should have other options for your own airports in Amsterdam:

Rotterdam The Hague Airport: Take the RET "airport shuttle" bus 33 to the Rotterdam Centraal train station for 25-30 minutes, run 10-20 minutes, for € 2. 50 or if available. OV-chipkaart is € 1. 39. From Rotterdam station you take the train to Ams takes about 1 hour running 10-20 consecutive runs / fare, € 13. 40 fare.

Eindhoven Airport: Amsterdam is 107 km away and you can take the Hermes bus 401 to the train station (25 minutes and 4 stops per hour), € 3. 20 if purchased in the car or € 1. 71 if OV-chipkaart is available. below). From here you take the train to Amsterdam, the train runs 1h20 'with the frequency of 4 / hour, the fare is € 17. 20. Or you can catch the Express bus directly from Rotterdam Airport to Amsterdam Central Station at 2. 15pm, but this car only runs 3. 4 flights a day, € 25. 50 / € and € 42. 50 round trip. Remember to check their web-based run time: airexpressbus. .

Arrive Amsterdam by train

Usually, if you take a train to Ams, the last stop is the central station of Amsterdam Centraal Station. From here you can easily catch Metro on the hotel. If you want to go from Amsterdam to other cities by boat you go to the Dutch ship web site to book tickets.

Arrive Amsterdam by bus

If you arrive in Amsterdam by Eurolines, the last stop is not at the central station but at Amstel Station, you can take the train to the city center because the train station is right next to the Eurolines stop.

I once went to Amsterdam by going flixbus from Berlin. If you book early you can get as many cheap fare as 25 euros.

Traveling in Amsterdam Public transport

At first, I would to say that I have experienced a very good transportation in Amsterdam,

Like many other European cities, I see three types of public transport in Amsterdam: metro (subway), tram (city tram) and bus are owned by the GVB transport company.

There are two smaller ones, ESB and Connexxion. Tram has 16 lines running around the main points in the city center, while Metro has 4 lines in which there is a short line running underground. Here I will tell you The kind of public transport tickets in Amsterdam that you should know:

Single Journey: The price of € 2. 9 is valid for 1 hour and can be purchased on car, tram and points of sale, using all GVB vehicles. If you go shorter then this ticket should not be bought.

OV-chip card: The GVB company offers a card for all three types of media, OV-chipkaar, but it looks more suited to locals or long stay Amsterdamers. There are two types of OV-chip cards that are available for indigenous peoples and tourists (refundable), for 7. 5e tourists for 4-5 years. Be (minimum € 4).

Method of payment: Basic fee + charge per km (base fee: € 0. 89, fee per km: € 0. 154 / km)

Unlimited GVB Travel Tickets: These are the kind of day tickets that when purchased you will be using unlimited. 24 hour tickets can be purchased from the driver, bus, ticket office and GVB office, 48h can not be bought from the bus, 72h and 96h are only available at the station and GVB office. The other type is only available at GVB office. Ticket prices are as follows:

+ 24 hours (1 day) € 7. 50

+ 48 hours (2 days) € 12. 50

+ 72 hours (3 days) € 17

+ 96 hours (4 days) € 21. 50

+ 120 hours (5 days) € 26. 50

+ 144 hours (6 days) € 30

+ 168 hours (7 days) € 33

Amsterdam Travel Ticket: This all-in-one ticket is available for unlimited use within 1, 2, 3 days of € 15, € 20, € 25. This ticket can be used for both commuter and airport transport, so it looks most suited to Amsterdam's dust-tourists. Note that this ticket does not have to count for 24 hours but it will expire at 4am the next day from the date you swipe the card. This ticket is similar to OV-chip card you must check in-out when used.

Amsterdam region day ticket: This is the type of ticket available for all transport companies, vehicles in Amsterdam and surrounding areas. This ticket is only available for € 24. 5. You should buy this ticket if you want to travel some day in Amsterdam, such as Zaanse Schans (Windmill Village), Volendam, Keukenhof (beautiful flower garden). Tickets available for Connexxion bus 197 of the airport.

Discounts: Traveling in Amsterdam will also save you money if you have a discounted ticket such as 40% Korting Kaart, train ticket for the day.

+ Korting Kaart is an OV-chip card, which is 40% off fare and applies on weekends or off-peak days. The ticket details can be viewed here, online or at the ticket counter, take photos and passport. However, you will not receive them immediately, but they will be sent to the address in the Netherlands that you give them.

+ Daily train ticket: This is a one-day discount ticket, which varies widely depending on the type of promotion. You can go to the Amsterdam Bracelet group because here they often share information about this type of tickets.

• Amsterdam and region travel ticket (3 days)

This is the type of ticket available for all transport companies, vehicles in Amsterdam and surrounding areas. Told the owner of airbnb they were surprised that tickets Amsterdam and regional travel ticket usually only 1 day.

Train

Generally, I recommend you buy this kind, I have used and found very effective, especially in cross-train system going to other city in the Netherlands.

• If you buy this ticket, you can use the Amsterdam Travel Ticket for unlimited travel by train (2nd class) the between any of the stations in Amsterdam and the Amsterdam region: Amsterdam Amstel, Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA, Amsterdam Central Station, Amsterdam Holendrecht, Amsterdam Lelylaan, Amsterdam Muiderpoort, Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam SciencePark, Amsterdam Sloterdijk, Amsterdam Zuid, Duivendrecht, Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, Halfweg-Zwanenburg, Haarlem, Haarlem Spaarnwoude, Overveen, Zandvoort aan Zee, Zaandam, Zaandam Kogerveld, Purmerend Weidevenne, Purmerend, Purmerend Overwhere, Koog aan de Zaan, Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, Hoofddorp, Diemen, Weesp, Almere Poort, Almere Centrum, Almere Muziekwijk, Almere Parkwijk, Almere buiten, Almere Oostvaarders, Lelystad Centrum, Diemen Zuid, Naarden-Bussum, Bussum Zuid, Hilversum, Hilversum Media Park and Hilversum Sportpark.

This type of three-day ticket in my opinion is much more comfortable for you to enjoy visiting other parts of the Netherlands. Ticket price is 33. 5 euros then right, say the purchase of this ticket is too expensive, with his bus ticket month in Spain.

• Buy and use train tickets

Buy train tickets:

I buy tickets directly at Amsterdam central station,

Please note that GVB tickets can be purchased directly at the GVB Tickets & Info office counter just outside Amsterdam central station.

At first glance, I thought it would be possible to buy tickets for automatic ticket machines at stations

, which usually only accept cards issued by Dutch banks, only Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol Airport accept Visa and Master cards (it is not clear at all points of sale yet).

Use train tickets:

When traveling in Ams, in my opinion, you should avoid buying tickets of 1hours but should buy a ticket the day depending on the time you stay. Passengers must check in and check-out when boarding a train, which means that each time you board and board, you will have to swipe your card and charge a fee of € 4.

There is a website that I found very useful for the Dutch travel it is 9292.nl.

You should go to 9292.nl to see and schedule your commute, city trips, help you travel by what means and how much time it takes. In addition, the ns.nl/en site will provide you with the cruise hours and the amount of money you will pay for the cruise you will be leaving.

In summary, when traveling in Amsterdam, to travel in the city most convenient you should set the schedule of travel during the day, if any day to take the train should buy the ticket 24 hours a day, many trips that include The Amsterdam Travel Ticket is available at the airport. If arriving in the day to the outskirts of Ams, you should buy the Amsterdam region day ticket. In this city

• Night Bus

If you go late at night, you may be required to buy a GVB night bus ticket for 90 minutes worth € 4. 50, purchased directly from the driver. In Amsterdam, I had to go for 3 bus trips late.

• Cycling in the city

the photo I have taken in Amsterdam, so many bicycles :v :v :v

On the occasion of my visit to the Netherlands, I heard that Amsterdam is a city of bicycles, to say the least.

Anyway, I bought Amsterdam Region Travel ticket, so I did not have to rent a bike.

Renting a bike to walk around the city like a true Dutchman is really an elegant and interesting beast. Today's bicycles are not only a favorite medium for the Amsterdam people but are also a cultural feature that promotes health and reduces environmental damage. City streets are also designed to maximize the use of bicycles, including climbing hills.

There are a number of car rental companies to choose from such as Mac Bike, StarBikes Rentals, WorkCycles,... The usual price is around € 8 / day and discount if you rent several days. For example, Mac Bike is priced at € 7. 5 for the first three days, € 9. 75 for one full day and € 6 for the following days.

You can go directly to each airline to view and rent online. Points pick up and return the car you see at each site, mainly in the city center should be quite convenient. Keep in mind that always lock your car and park the car carefully in the place where they are located at public places, steal like play!

• Take a free ferry in Amsterdam

It may sound strange, but I say it's true, these are ferries connecting central Amsterdam (especially the central station) to the northeastern portions of the city. There are quite a number of routes running between the two areas. If you choose a hotel across the city, you can easily take the ferry to the central station (line 901) and then take the metro to the city.. The ferry actually runs through the sea so you take the ferry to see the sea well, there is a line to the beach anymore so let's explore it! Ferries that run continuously for 10-15 minutes have a trip.

• From Amsterdam go to other places

From Amsterdam go the points in the Netherlands

To be honest, during my time in Netherlands, I just spend a little time in Amsterdam visiting Red-light district and Museums, but I spent a lot time to discovery the beauty of nature in Holland such as Zaanse Schans, you can probably find my blog writing about that village which is very beautiful.

Since Amsterdam connects most cities and towns in the Netherlands, the density of day trips is so numerous that you almost never have to fare any more, simply get off the station and buy train tickets and go. The fixed fare should be bought sooner or later (Amsterdam-Rotterdam fare is 15 Euros, for example), you can book online via the Dutch bank website ns.nl / but you need a bank account. Of the Netherlands. The ship is 15-30 'range is a trip. Also buy a ticket is very simple you go to the auto stop at the station or buy information counter, can use Visa or Master credit card here (0. 5EUR).

If you want to take a day trip from Amsterdam to the villages / neighborhoods I list down some places, I highly recommended.

Zaanse Schans - Village Windmill: You can ride a bike or rent a self-drive car, if you take the bus then catch bus number 391 in front of Central Station Centraal Station and go 30 degrees.

The Zaanse Schans country house has beautiful houses built in the 17th and 18th centuries, moved from neighboring areas, especially from the Zaandam region and rebuilt to become a very eco-friendly museum. Move with active windmills. Going to the Zaanse Schans countryside, visitors also visit a wooden shoemaker workshop set up in 1860, specializing in making traditional clogs made of handmade wood on square wood. Visitors can also visit a miniature cheese workshop, which shows the stages of the production of two famous cheese from the Netherlands, Edam and Gouda. (For more information, read my Zaanse Schans _ A Traditional Dutch Beauty article)

Kinderdijk: Take the train from Central Station to Rotterdam Centraal or Utrecht Centraal. In Rotterdam, you catch Metro to Rotterdam-Zuid to take bus 154 to Kinderdijk. If you go from Utrecht, take bus 154 to Kinderdijk.

Kinderdijk and the oldest windmills in the Netherlands

(My short experience)

Ships crossed the outskirts of Rotterdam and again I stared at the magnificent beauty of the Dutch countryside. Tile roofs, colorful wooden walls open up to a world like 3D animation. The meandering small canals run along the small road, embracing the lovely wooden bridge.

I saw the dazzling Daffodil in the spring sunshine, the saltiness of the tulip beds. On my right side, beside the canals, the old bicyclists leisurely, somewhere with the mother pushed the car for the little child, far away the father is teaching his children to ride the car. In the gardens, dairy cows, goats and rabbits grazed freely. Around the area, tulips crowded with cool bushes.

I tell you the truth, I go to many countries In Europe there is no shortage of beautiful houses with flower buds in front of the door, but it is difficult to have where there is so beautiful harmony between people and nature.

Then also to Kinderdijk. This village is famous for still maintaining 19 large windmills made in the 1400s. The oldest windmill system in Holland is arranged on a main vertical axis so that people can see from the distance. Huge windmill. Windmills in the village of Kinderdijk undertake the task of draining excess water from the Alblasserwaard reclaimed land, which then enters the Lek.

The features of the windmills at Kinderdijk are mushroom-shaped, built of brick and giant wooden propellers. The roof is covered with leaves, attached to the blade of the windmill, can rotate in different wind directions. Residents have been living in this area since the 11th century. They have rehabilitated peat bogs, expanded the area for farming by digging ditches, digging canals, using windmills swirling water into large rivers around. sesame.

Today, the work of windmills has been replaced by a modern pumping station. The windmills are still rotating, but basically to beautify the scenery, serve tourism. We got inside the mill to visit the bedrooms and kitchens of the people working here, climbing up to the top of the roof with narrow and narrow stairs.

Kinderdijk now mainly lives by travel. The magnificent windmills stood idle in mid-tide, waiting for winds, something lonely lost to the modern world outside. Visitors here are overwhelmed by the magnificence of the mill, drowsy by the water up and down the middle of the bowl, to add to the country of the most modern Dutch still has many beautiful old.

Waterland: The Waterland Bus stops behind the Centraal Station from 6am to midnight, or you can catch a 311 or 315 bus going directly to Broek in Waterland.

Delft: The train runs from Amsterdam central station half an hour and takes about 1 hour to Delft.

Paard van Marken. It is my last adventure in Amsterdam. I will write a full article about this place. You will have to read it, my friends. I will just give a great photo here. J

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