Getting There

By Air

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest and most user-friendly airports in the world, with direct flights to 223 international destinations. Train and taxi connections to the city centre take just 20 minutes, and you can arrange for a limousine service direct to your hotel.
Flying Times:
Frankfurt: 1.15
London: 1.10 New York: 8.00 Paris: 1.05
Website: http://www.schiphol.nl/schiphol/main/home.jsp

By Train

Super-fast trains whisk you to Amsterdam from all major European destinations. Brussels, for example, is just three hours away and Frankfurt around four. The Thalys high-speed train makes the link to Paris in less than five hours. Other express trains leave at frequent intervals every day for destinations all over Europe.

Dutch Railways, information on all train within the
Netherlands: www.ns.nl/reisplan2.asp

High speed train, with services throughout
Europe: www.thalys.com

By Car

Amsterdam is well linked into an Europe-wide network of motorways. There are parking facilities in town and at most larger hotels, but making use of park-and-ride centers such as the Transferium at Amsterdam ArenA is advised.

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Getting Around

Public transport is fast, efficient and inexpensive. Buses, taxis and trams share a special traffic-free central lane, so are seldom affected by congestion, there are good facilities for cyclists, like special bike lanes, and traffic lights for cyclists...and the canals offer all sorts of novel ways of getting about.


Trams

The best way to travel in Amsterdam is by tram. They are frequent, fast and dependable. You can buy a ticket from the driver, the conductor at the back of the tram, or a machine in the middle of the tram, depending on the sort of tram it is. However, it is considerably cheaper if you buy a "strippenkaart" from a tobacconist, post office or railway station beforehand.

Circle Tram

The Circle Tram (line 20) begins and ends its journey at Central Station, stopping at museums and theatres, almost all tourist attractions, hotels and parking garages along the way. The Circle tram makes a round through the city in both directions (line 20A goes clockwise, line 20B anticlockwise). There is no need to change trams, you can just stay seated until you come to the museum, square or monument you want to visit. The Circle tram rides every ten minutes from 9.00 to 19.00 hours. The last tram leaves Central Station at 18.00. You can enter the tram with a regular strippenkaart but you can also buy a special Circle tram ticket, which entitles you to unlimited use of the Circle tram. Just have the ticket stamped first by the conductor to validate it. The ticket is also valid on regular trams, busses and the underground everywhere in Amsterdam (also in night busses after 24.00).

Buses

Serve more outlying areas and the few places that the trams do not reach. Night buses run long after other services have stopped.

Metro

Amsterdam's three metro lines serve the suburbs and the south-eastern business districts.

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Taxis

Taxis are normally not hailed in the Netherlands, but taken from a taxi rank, of which there are many. You can order a taxi by phoning 6777 777, or 0900 0724. A taxi will arrive almost immediately (though be prepared to wait if it is raining on a Friday or Saturday evening). Taxis are good quality but relatively expensive and you don't need to tip more than rounding up.

Bicycles

The fastest way to travel is by bike. There are several addresses around town where you can hire a bike, for very reasonable prices. Traditionally, Dutch bikes have no hand-brakes, but back-pedal brakes. If you think you can't handle this, ask the hirer for a bike with hand-brakes.

Canal Boats

Why not make use of Amsterdam's web of picturesque canals? You can hire a boat to ferry delegates between venues, or hop on a "canal bus" or the special Museum Boat, which stops off at the main museums. You can also hail a water cab from the canal-side, and travel anywhere you choose! Canal taxis hold up to eight people and can also be hired for special events. There are also the Canal bikes, more for gadding about than getting about, the two-seater or four-seater pedals are for hire by the hour or can be used organized tours.