Amsterdam - questions

[SWT_USER]

I'm travelling by eurostar to Amsterdam next week, staying in a hotel on the outskirts. Just wondering what my best option will be ticket wise once I arrive.

I'll need to get to Nieuw-Vennep station for the hotel, is there a travelcard type product that allows unlimited travel between there and Amsterdam Centraal? I couldn't work out from the website whether or not it is part of their zonal structure. I'll only need a one day ticket as I'm flying back the next day.

 

[92002]

I'm travelling by eurostar to Amsterdam next week, staying in a hotel on the outskirts. Just wondering what my best option will be ticket wise once I arrive.

I'll need to get to Nieuw-Vennep station for the hotel, is there a travelcard type product that allows unlimited travel between there and Amsterdam Centraal? I couldn't work out from the website whether or not it is part of their zonal structure. I'll only need a one day ticket as I'm flying back the next day.

There is a chip card available but for one isolated journey it's not worth buying. It needs a deposit of €5 on the card, then topping up.
Probably best to buy a simple single ticket. Unless you plan many more trips.

 

[radamfi]

There are two tourist tickets for Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket and the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket. The first one gives unlimited travel on trains between the airport and the city, plus city transport, whereas the second one allows unlimited travel in the wider region. Nieuw-Vennep is outside both regions for rail, however the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is probably accepted on the bus between Nieuw-Vennep and Schiphol where you can pick up the train into town. I say "probably" because as far as I can see, there is no definitive coverage map for bus. The map just shows recommended routes for tourists. I would say it is reasonable to assume it is valid on all Connexxion routes in the vicinity of the airport, which would include the bus to Nieuw-Vennep.

https://www.connexxion.nl/amsterdam-and-region-travel-ticket/1244

 

[Quakkerillo]

To add on to Radamfi's post, the map posted was from last year. This year's map - although less pretty - does show bus line 397 to Nieuw-Vennep being included. And this bus goes straight to Amsterdam

https://www.iamsterdam.com/media/pdf/visiting-uit/getting-around/artt-map-nz-lijn-2018.pdf?la=en

 

[SWT_USER]

Great, thanks everyone. Probably won't bother with the buss and stick with the train.

 

[dutchflyer]

Right now I sit in AMS.
Radamfi is right-this ARTT (quite costly though, but 3 days is reasonable-33 eur or so, which is in fact cheaper even for someone doing daily travel on a monthly on longer distance) DOES cover ALL connexxion buses of the concession Amstel&Meerlanden, incl this 397-a superfast (mostly reserved buslanes) via Airport (where it stands very long and usually gets filled to the brims with screaming tourists) into centre of AMS=busstation Marnixstraat, along Leidseplein. Mostly artic brandnew all-electric buses. This route even has its own website.
There is NO other ticket available that would cover it all. However, depending on your actual travelneeds, a cheaper priced just ATT + daily returns to Schiphol may work out better. Also: I am not aware of any HTL near to NwVnp station (which is in a bleak meadows-outpost), so I guess its in centre village, near the canal-and thus much closer to the bus.
(the region south of Amsterdam is covered by this concession-incl. towns like Aalsmeer, Hoofddorp, Uithoorn and the whole of busway 300 Haarlem-AMS/Bijlmer).
best info is on the site of gvb.nl -use /en/ then search for tourist offers. CAN be bought at S'hol from some AKO-newsagents or the Connexxion van near the inbound stop of 397 (If going first to HTL-use stop other side outbound) oir if you can brave the Qs from the NS-salespoint-NOT from any machine.
NOTE: we have this silly system where the pax MUST check in (thats how touch in is called here) AND OUT anytime from any trip made-which is thus other as Oyster/London. Your ticket can block if not done properly. Or you can be fined when a -very rare-check is being made without having properly checked in in THAT vehicle.

 

[paddington]

NOTE: we have this silly system where the pax MUST check in (thats how touch in is called here) AND OUT anytime from any trip made-which is thus other as Oyster/London. Your ticket can block if not done properly. Or you can be fined when a -very rare-check is being made without having properly checked in in THAT vehicle.

Why is it silly to check in and out? That's how it works in several Australian systems where fares are distance-based.

I have used GVB day passes and the Amsterdam Travel Ticket and I don't bother to touch out when getting off a bus or tram, and never had a problem. Obviously I touch in when boarding.

What is silly is the Hong Kong system of fares based on boarding location, but there isn't any other good alternative. If you board at the first fare stage you pay the full fare to the final destination even if you only want to go one stop. (Exception are very few quiet routes operated by single-door buses where you can get a partial refund if you alight at an early fare stage, and the driver can make sure people don't short-fare.) So, for a long time this did keep people going one stop from crowding up long-distance routes (like Reading commuters on GWR Penzance services) except over-70s now pay a maximum fare of $2, with the government reimbursing bus companies the remainder of half the adult fare if more than $2, so now elderly people don't care which bus they get and the government pays more than they need to.

 

[radamfi]

DOES cover ALL connexxion buses of the concession Amstel&Meerlanden, incl this 397-a superfast (mostly reserved buslanes) via Airport (where it stands very long and usually gets filled to the brims with screaming tourists) into centre of AMS=busstation Marnixstraat, along Leidseplein. Mostly artic brandnew all-electric buses. This route even has its own website.

Are you sure it's electric? It wasn't when I was there last and

http://wiki.ovinnederland.nl/wiki/L...woud_Zuid_-_Amsterdam_Busstation_Elandsgracht

says it is Solaris Urbino 18 or Mercedes-Benz CapaCity L.

Is this ticket valid on all buses operated by the relevant concessions?

 

[SWT_USER]

There are two tourist tickets for Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket and the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket. The first one gives unlimited travel on trains between the airport and the city, plus city transport, whereas the second one allows unlimited travel in the wider region. Nieuw-Vennep is outside both regions for rail, however the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is probably accepted on the bus between Nieuw-Vennep and Schiphol where you can pick up the train into town. I say "probably" because as far as I can see, there is no definitive coverage map for bus. The map just shows recommended routes for tourists. I would say it is reasonable to assume it is valid on all Connexxion routes in the vicinity of the airport, which would include the bus to Nieuw-Vennep.

https://www.connexxion.nl/amsterdam-and-region-travel-ticket/1244

To add on to Radamfi's post, the map posted was from last year. This year's map - although less pretty - does show bus line 397 to Nieuw-Vennep being included. And this bus goes straight to Amsterdam

https://www.iamsterdam.com/media/pdf/visiting-uit/getting-around/artt-map-nz-lijn-2018.pdf?la=en

Thanks both, additional question - I notice there are no trains from Nieuw Vennep to Schipol on Sunday morning so will get the 397 bus instead. Is it possible to pay on the bus (contactless?) or will I need to purchase a ticket beforehand?

 

[radamfi]

Thanks both, additional question - I notice there are no trains from Nieuw Vennep to Schipol on Sunday morning so will get the 397 bus instead. Is it possible to pay on the bus (contactless?) or will I need to purchase a ticket beforehand?

You can pay the driver by card, even using Chip & PIN as well as contactless, but cash isn't accepted. There are two tickets available from the driver in that region. A ticket within the same town costs 2.50 but if you go out of town then the only option is the 90 minute BTM ticket for 6.00, which I think would be the ticket that would apply for that journey.

 

[radamfi]

As indicated earlier, bear in mind that the 397 bus route is about 2 km from the railway station.

 

[Groningen]

I do not want to open a new thread and searched for a topic somewhat connected to Amsterdam/Netherlands. So this is the message: the supplement between Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal (and v.v.) will be raised to 2,60 euro.

Source (Dutch): https://www.rover.nl/actueel/1533-ic-direct-duurder-ondanks-slechte-kwaliteit

 

[cle]

Hi - piggybacking on this with an Amsterdam brain pick -

What is the best ticket to buy for a 3 day trip:
day one - airport to city, city to Hilversum and back
day two - city to Hilversum and back
day three - city to airport

probably no trams or metros... also is there an app for this a la SBB?

 

[AlexNL]

If you just want to make a few trips by train, I'd buy individual tickets.

Schiphol - Amsterdam is € 4,30, Amsterdam - Hilversum is € 5,90 (2nd class, single journey. A return is the price of 2 singles.)

If you buy the tickets at the station you will be charged a supplement of € 1 per ticket, so you're better off buying an e-ticket through the NS website or app (they accept credit cards).

NS have a good app: Reisplanner Xtra.

 

[sprunt]

Just slightly piggybacking on this, am I right in thinking that if I buy a ticket in the app I give a date, and then the ticket is valid for any service on that date? That seems to be the case, but I've not been able to find anywhere explicitly stating it.

 

[radamfi]

Just slightly piggybacking on this, am I right in thinking that if I buy a ticket in the app I give a date, and then the ticket is valid for any service on that date? That seems to be the case, but I've not been able to find anywhere explicitly stating it.

Yes, that is right.

 

[AlexNL]

That's correct. Dutch trains don't have Advance tickets or mandatory seat reservations.

 

[sprunt]

Thank you both.

 

[cle]

Thanks too for my answers - i'll do the ad hoc ticketing.

As I'm on business, was thinking in terms of least admin for expenses too, but I assume the app lets you export or do a screen shot to cover all historical purchases, like Uber?

 

[AlexNL]

When you buy an e-ticket, you get an e-mail with the purchase confirmation. You should be able to declare this. If that is not enough, you can contact NS Customer Care to get a detailed invoice.

Personally I never buy e-tickets, I have an OV-chipkaart and I travel PAYG.