Best transport payment options Amsterdam/Utrecht

[bradleyd]

Hey all, I'm currently planning a trip to the Netherlands in early July, and am trying to figure out what the best ticket/pass options are...

I'm going to be travelling to Schiphol Airport on Saturday 2nd July, and staying somewhere in Amsterdam for 2 nights before meeting a family member, who's also flying in on the Monday, and then staying until Friday 8th july and flying back to the UK from Schiphol.

We're going to be spending most of our time in and around Amsterdam, and then travelling to Utrecht on at least one of the days.

What would be the best way to be covered for transport for all of those potential journeys?

I'm unsure as to whether would be using trains apart from the Schiphol to Amsterdam and back and Amsterdam to Utrecht and back, or just trams, metro, bus, ferry (and most probably bike hire somewhere) both in Amsterdam and utrecht

 

[DanielB]

I'd say the Amsterdam Travel Ticket would be a useful ticket to use, as it covers both the train from the airport and transportation within Amsterdam. And even part of your trip to Utrecht. You'd have to buy one multiple times however as the maximum validity period available is 3 days.

On the day you're travelling to Utrecht just buy an E-ticket from Amsterdam Holendrecht (which is the southernmost station where the Amsterdam ticket is valid) to Utrecht. That way your journey is covered without needing to worry about checking in a second ticket, and you'll also avoid issues in passing the gatelines in Utrecht. Do always keep both tickets however in case they are inspected, although the odds of winning the lottery are currently higher than encountering a guard

 

[bradleyd]

Thank you. Am I right, in looking at the validity, that to ensure I was fully covered, I would need to either. 1: Travel from wherever I am in Amsterdam, by GVB only to Amsterdam Holendrecht, and then change to NS (buying an e-ticket) or 2: travel to Schiphol by NS, than to Holendrecht (using the unlimited travel to Schiphol) and then pay for NS to Utrecht?

 

[DanielB]

Hmm, overlooked that condition completely. Even in Dutch its a bit of an odd sentence on the NS-website, I actually had to look elsewhere to confirm I read it correctly.
For the ticket to be valid you'd indeed have to travel via Schiphol when using the train (and also need to check-out at Schiphol and then check-in again). That would be quite a detour irrespective from where in Amsterdam you're travelling.

So your best option for the trip to Utrecht is to travel by metro to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA and change there for an NS intercity to Utrecht (from Holendrecht there are only slower Sprinter services, which would significantly lengthen your journey. Not worth it as you'd only save 20 cent on the fare)
In that case you could also simply buy a ticket from the ticket machine, but buying an e-ticket avoids the surcharge for the disposable chipcard.

Note that with an e-ticket you'll need to look for the gates having a "scan ticket" symbol as only those have a QR-code reader. E-tickets sometimes take a while to arrive in your email, so make sure to buy them in time.

 

[dutchflyer]

There is also the ARTT=Ams REGION Trv Tick-cost more, covers more, allows the tipical daytours, also by regional bus,that most make (Zaanse Schans, In season the tulips, Volendam+Marken, Zandvoort beach and so on. You have to check yourself how far it reaches southbound, have no access right now here.
For that there is no need at all to go via airpt all the time. What is best buy decide yourself. Both very easy and readily available at airport. In fact ticket machines at airport are set to /en/ as default-just opposite from all other stops.
When I quickly scan, you could do ATT 3 days and ARTT last 3 days. They come as chipcards-so cannot be directly bought online (only voucher to exchange) as the buses/trams cannot (yet-they are working on it) handle other types.
Depending on where you stay in AMS there are also various very frequent BUSes to airport (connexxion) which may be more handy. Tix also valid on these.

 

[bradleyd]

Thank you both so much

 

[DanielB]

There is also the ARTT=Ams REGION Trv Tick-cost more, covers more, allows the tipical daytours, also by regional bus,that most make (Zaanse Schans, In season the tulips, Volendam+Marken, Zandvoort beach and so on. You have to check yourself how far it reaches southbound, have no access right now here.

The Amsterdam Region Travel Ticket is only valid in the southern part of the North Holland province, so when taking an Utrecht bound Intercity from Amsterdam validity will still end as of Amsterdam Holendrecht.

Should bradleyd want to have a somewhat more scenic route, there is the option to travel via Hilversum when using the Amsterdam Region ticket, which is valid till Hilversum Sportpark. Trains from Hilversum to Utrecht stop there, so a chance to quickly run to the validator to check-in the ticket for the remainder of the trip to Utrecht. (Although checking in at Hilversum would be more convenient, it's an international stop so should have validators on the platforms as well besides the gateline. Though I'm not 100% sure of that.

 

[biko]

If you’re just using the train once from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal on an Amsterdam Travel Ticket and besides that only on buses, trams and metro, I don’t think it’s very good value. I would suggest looking at a GVB multi day ticket together with full-price singles between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport.

Prices:
Full price single Schiphol - Amsterdam Central: €4.70
Multi day ticket GVB 5 days: €29.50
6 days: €34
7 days: €37

These multi day tickets can be bought online, in some hotels and tourist shops and the 5 day version also in the GVB app. Note that you’d need to add €3.95 shipping cost to the price of buying online as they send a ov-chipkaart to you with the ticket on it. Collecting it at Schiphol Airport is also €3.95.

 

[johncrossley]

If you’re just using the train once from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal on an Amsterdam Travel Ticket and besides that only on buses, trams and metro, I don’t think it’s very good value. I would suggest looking at a GVB multi day ticket together with full-price singles between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport.

Prices:
Full price single Schiphol - Amsterdam Central: €4.70
Multi day ticket GVB 5 days: €29.50
6 days: €34
7 days: €37

These multi day tickets can be bought online, in some hotels and tourist shops and the 5 day version also in the GVB app. Note that you’d need to add €3.95 shipping cost to the price of buying online as they send a ov-chipkaart to you with the ticket on it. Collecting it at Schiphol Airport is also €3.95.

If he has a GVB only ticket then he can use the 369 electric bus from the airport, saving on the train fare. There is some impressive bus infrastructure in the Schiphol area, if that is his thing.

Lijn 369 Amsterdam Station Sloterdijk - Schiphol Airport - OV in Nederland Wiki

wiki.ovinnederland.nl

You can change at Antwerpenbaan for the number 2 tram.



(extract from GVB map)

https://www.gvb.nl/sites/default/files/daglijnenkaart2022.pdf