Amsterdam travel guide: museum tickets, trains and flights

Flights to Amsterdam

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Best time to go

From mid-March to early May the Keukenhof tulip gardens outside the city are open, and the days get longer and milder.

Summer is the busiest and liveliest period. Autumn and winter are quieter and cooler, and good for museum-focused trips.

Good to know

The Anne Frank House can only be visited with a ticket bought online for a specific time slot. Tickets are not sold at the door.
The Van Gogh Museum also works with timed tickets, so pick your date and time before you go.
The centre is compact and easy to explore on foot, by tram or by bike, so a car is not needed in the city.

Where to stay in Amsterdam

Canal Ring

The 17th-century canal belt, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Beautiful and central, with many hotels in historic canal houses and steep stairs.

Jordaan

West of the centre, with small canals, independent shops and brown cafés. Quiet at night and close to the Anne Frank House.

De Pijp

South of the centre around the Albert Cuyp market. Lots of cafés and restaurants and a lively local feel.

Museumplein and Oud-Zuid

Next to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Vondelpark. Calmer, with wide streets and good tram links.

Amsterdam Noord

Across the IJ from Centraal station, reached by free ferries. More modern, with the A'DAM Tower and creative spaces.

When to fly to Amsterdam

Spring is tulip season, and King's Day on 27 April (26 April when the 27th is a Sunday) fills the city with street markets and orange clothing.

Summer days are long and mild, and it is the best time for canal boats and cycling, but also the busiest.

Autumn and winter are windy and wet, but museums are less crowded. In winter the Amsterdam Light Festival lights up the canals.

Local tips for Amsterdam

Bike lanes are usually red. Do not walk in them, and look both ways for cyclists as well as cars.
The ferries across the IJ from behind Centraal station are free.
In trams and metro, check in and out with your card or ticket at the reader every time.
Book the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House online for a set time.
A "coffeeshop" sells cannabis. For coffee, look for a café.

Day trips from Amsterdam

Zaanse Schans

Historic windmills and green wooden houses, a short train ride to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station.

Haarlem

A compact old town with the Frans Hals Museum and the Grote Kerk, about fifteen minutes by train.

Keukenhof

The tulip gardens near Lisse, open only in spring. Buses run from Schiphol and Leiden in season.

Top attractions

Rijksmuseum

The national museum of the Netherlands, home to Rembrandt's Night Watch and a large Dutch Golden Age collection.

Tickets on Tiqets

Van Gogh Museum

The world's largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings. Entry is by timed ticket.

Tickets on Tiqets

All Amsterdam attractions on Tiqets

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Car hire

A car is more trouble than help inside Amsterdam. It can be useful for day trips around the Netherlands.

Compare car hire on DiscoverCars

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From the airport to the city

Flights land at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). NS trains leave from the airport's own railway station and run direct to Amsterdam Centraal. Check current times and fares on ns.nl.

Arriving late or with heavy bags? You can book a private transfer in advance and see the price before you pay.

Private transfer on Welcome Pickups Compare transfers on Kiwitaxi

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