Getting around Amsterdam

1. Cycling

Bikes have priority, their own lanes and their own traffic signals. This is transport, not recreation.

• Cost: EUR 10–15 per day to hire

Watch outBike theft is endemic. Lock the frame and a wheel to a fixed object, and never leave one overnight unlocked.

2. Trams

The dense tram network covers the canal ring and reaches the museums directly.

• Tip: Tap in and out with a contactless card; forgetting to tap out charges the maximum fare.

3. Walking the canal ring

The centre is small and the canals make it genuinely pleasant.

• Tip: Never walk in the red-asphalt lanes — those are for bikes and cyclists will not slow down.

4. Train from Schiphol

Direct rail into Centraal in about 15 minutes.

• Cost: EUR 5.90

5. Canal boat and ferry

Free ferries across the IJ behind Centraal, plus tourist canal cruises.

• Cost: Ferries free

Booking apps in Netherlands

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

More about Amsterdam

• Scams
• Places
• Food
• Traditions