Getting Around Amsterdam: Public Transport & OVpay

Amsterdam is small enough that you'll walk most of the centre, but sooner or later you'll want a tram or metro — to reach a museum across town, to get back to your hotel after dinner, or simply to rest your feet. The good news is that getting around is genuinely easy here, and in 2026 it's easier than ever, because you can pay with the contactless bank card already in your pocket. Here's how the system works and how to avoid the few traps that catch first-time visitors.

The easiest way to pay: OVpay (contactless)

Since 2023, the simplest way to travel is OVpay: you tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard — or Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone — on the card reader when you board, and tap the same card again when you get off. No ticket, no app, nothing to buy in advance. You tap in, you tap out, and your travel is billed to your card at the end of the day.

The fare is distance-based: a boarding fee of €1.16 plus €0.217 per kilometre, so a typical short hop across the centre costs under €2. There's a daily cap (GVB Max) of €10.50 — once you hit it, the rest of that day's GVB trams, metros, and buses are effectively free, as long as you use the same card every time.

Two warnings. First, American Express does not work on Dutch transport — bring a Visa or Mastercard. Second, you must tap out at the end of every journey; if you forget, you're charged a penalty fare of around €4. Keep one card separate so the reader doesn't accidentally charge two cards in your wallet.

If you'd rather buy a ticket

You don't have to use contactless. Your options:

• A single one-hour GVB ticket costs €3.40 and covers unlimited tram, metro, and bus transfers within 60 minutes of your first tap. It's only good value for longer trips — for short hops, contactless is cheaper.

• GVB day and multi-day passes give unlimited travel for a fixed period (a 24-hour pass is roughly €9–10, with the per-day price dropping for longer passes). These suit anyone planning a lot of trips; check the GVB app for current prices.

• An anonymous OV-chipkaart (the old plastic transit card, around €7.50) still exists, but for most visitors OVpay has made it unnecessary.

Cash is no longer accepted on board, and ticket machines are slowly disappearing, so plan to pay by card or app.

Trams, metro, buses — and free ferries

Trams are the backbone of the centre and usually the most useful for sightseeing. The metro is faster for longer distances, like reaching Amsterdam Noord or the south. Buses fill in the gaps. And behind Centraal Station, the blue-and-white GVB ferries across the IJ to Noord are completely free — a lovely, no-cost mini-cruise that also gets you to EYE Filmmuseum and the A'DAM Tower.

Walking and cycling

Honestly, for the central canal ring you may barely need transport at all — most of the highlights are within a 20–30 minute walk of each other. Renting a bike is the most Amsterdam way to cover more ground, but if you're not used to the city's fast, assertive cycling culture, stick to quieter streets and always stay out of the tram tracks and bike lanes when on foot.

After midnight

Regular trams and buses stop around midnight, when night buses take over the main routes. A single night-bus fare is higher, around €5.70, and multi-day GVB passes cover them. Plan your route home in advance, as night buses run less frequently.

Quick tips to avoid trouble

• Always tap out — a forgotten check-out costs you the penalty fare.

• Use a Visa or Mastercard (not AmEx), and check whether your bank charges foreign-transaction fees on each tap.

• Tap the same card every time so the daily cap works.

• Take the free ferry behind Centraal to Noord — it's one of the best free things in the city.

That's really all there is to it. Tap in, tap out, and Amsterdam opens up.