Getting Around Amsterdam

Amsterdam is compact, and the historic centre is easily walkable. For everything else, the city has one of Europe's most pleasant public transport networks, run by GVB: trams, metro, buses and a handful of free ferries. Here is how it works in 2026.

How to pay: just tap with OVpay

The simplest option for visitors is OVpay. You tap a contactless bank card, phone or smartwatch on the reader when you board and again when you get off, and you are charged the standard pay-as-you-go fare automatically. There is no card to buy and nothing to top up.

You may still see references to the old yellow OV-chipkaart. It is being phased out and replaced by a new card called the OV-pas, with the changeover running through to the end of 2027. As a short-term visitor you can ignore both and simply tap with OVpay, or buy a GVB day pass below.

GVB day and multi-day passes

If you plan more than a few rides, a GVB pass usually works out cheaper than paying per trip. It gives unlimited travel on all GVB trams, buses, metro and night buses (the ferries are free anyway). 2026 prices:

• 1-hour single ticket: €3.40

• 24 hours: €10

• 48 hours: €16

• 72 hours: €21.50

• 96 hours: €27.50

• 120 hours: €34

• 168 hours (7 days): €43 — about €6.15 per day

Children aged 4 to 11 travel for €5 per day; under-4s are free. Passes run on a rolling 24-hour basis from your first check-in, not by calendar day, so a 48-hour pass activated at 10:00 Wednesday lasts until 10:00 Friday. Buying online in advance saves queueing at machines on arrival.

Always check in and check out

Whether you tap with OVpay or use a pass, you must check in when you board and check out when you leave. Hold your card or phone to the reader near the doors; one beep and a green light means you are checked in, a double beep means checked out. Forget to check out and you can be charged a higher default fare. On the metro, tap at the platform gates.

What GVB does not cover

GVB tickets are for Amsterdam city transport only. They are not valid on NS trains, the airport train, the Airport Express bus 397, or regional buses such as Connexxion and EBS, and they cannot be used to reach other towns like Haarlem or Zaandam. For the airport connection, see our separate Schiphol guide.

Ferries, hours and apps

Free GVB ferries depart from behind Centraal Station to Amsterdam-Noord every few minutes, including a handy hop to the A'DAM Lookout and the NDSM wharf. Trams, buses and metro run roughly from 06:00 to 00:30, with night buses taking over until around 07:00. For door-to-door routing, the GVB app or the national 9292 app are both reliable.

What about bikes?

Cycling is the most Amsterdam way to travel, and rental shops are everywhere. If you ride, keep to the bike lanes, signal turns, and ride on the right. As a pedestrian, the single most useful habit is to stay out of the red-paved cycle paths — locals move fast and will not expect you there.