Amsterdam public transport tickets comparison
2024 guide to the types of tickets available when using Amsterdam public transport
When deciding which Amsterdam public transport tickets to buy you might find things a little confusing. Try as they might, all forms of paying for public transport across the world have layers of complexity that can swamp the uninitiated in various what-if scenarios.
Use this if you are just looking for a quick link to buy a public transport ticket.
With the advent of contactless payments and cards with chips built-in and even mobile payments, things can get confusing quickly.
In Amsterdam, contactless payment options have only been introduced since the pandemic began, this makes GVB transport system cashless (learn about the currency in Amsterdam). A GVB mobile app has being introduced across the network from October 2021. You can download the GVB app for iphone or android if you prefer to use your mobile to pay. There are though other cards and tickets available.
Even with the app you still need to understand all the available options for getting around using Amsterdam’s public transport to make sure you purchase the correct tickets for your needs.
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Using OV-Chipkaart in Amsterdam
This is in essence a contactless form of payment card. Just like an Oyster card in London, it is pre-loaded with money and then money is taken off for each journey you make. You don’t have to worry about card clash, which often occurs in London when accidentally using different cards for entry and exit, as you have only one payment method.
The OV-chipkaart can have other products loaded onto it, so if you are a regular traveller you can load season tickets, monthly passes or discount products.
Anonymous OV-chipkaart
The main issue for the visitor to Amsterdam is that you cannot register for one of the standard OV-chipkaarts and instead you will need to buy an Anonymous OV-chipkaart or disposable card.
The anonymous OV-chipkaart works in the same way as the OV-chipkaart but you have to pay a fee to buy it. This is currently €7.50. You then have to add money to the card itself before you can start travelling. If you were in Amsterdam for just one day, by the time you had bought an anonymous OV-chipkaart and added money to it, you’d already be paying more than the €8 cost of a day pass on public transport.
The longer you are staying in Amsterdam and the more travel you expect to be doing brings the equation back more favourably to the anonymous OV-chipkaart and away from the day passes.
Where can I buy an anonymous OV-chipkaart?
You can buy both the anonymous OV-chipkaart and disposable chip card at airports, stations, newsagents and supermarkets. You can also buy the disposable chip card on trams and buses. The pink OV-chipkaart logo indicates a sales point.
How long does an anoNymous OV-chipkaart last?
This card is valid for 5 years. So if you intend to come back to Amsterdam in the near future, you can just keep the card and use it again. Any unused credit will remain on the card.
If you know you are not coming back to Amsterdam within five years, then you can also request a refund of the money left on the card. You can do this at a public transport ticket counter, but there is an admin fee and you’ll need to have less than €30 credit on the card. If you are terminating the card, you’ll need to fill out a form and then post it along with your card to the address on the form. In other words, don’t expect to get all your unused money back there and then to use on the flight home.
How the OV-chipkaart works when travelling in Amsterdam
The first thing you will need to do is load your card with money before you can travel anywhere. You can load any amount you like onto the card and then top-up the card as and when required throughout your stay. You can top-up at service desks or using the self-service machines, most now take credit/debit cards.
A starting amount would be in the region of €20 if you intended to use the trains but less if you were just using trams, metro and buses for a day or two. The reason you do not want to put too much money on an anonymous OV-chipkaart is in case it is lost or stolen. Being anonymous means anyone can then use that card and you will have lost whatever money you put on the card.
Checking in and out with an OV-chipkaart
You must always check-in and then check out on every journey you take. When entering, hold your card against the reader and wait for a beep or the gate to open.
When leaving, again hold your card against the reader. The reader will check your card to see whether you have travelled on credit or using a travel product loaded onto the card. If you have travelled on credit, the card reader will display the cost of your journey.
It is important you don’t forget to check out as the fee is calculated with a boarding fee plus the journey. When you check out the boarding fee is refunded to your card, so if you do not check out, you lose the boarding fee cost.
This applies equally to transferring from one mode of transport to another. Always check-in and check out of each method of transport.
GVB 1-hour, day and multi-day pass for Amsterdam
The other option available is the day passes and one-hour tickets. GVB who run the public transport service in Amsterdam, have tickets that cover the use of all the public transport including buses, trams and metro.
These passes give you an unlimited amount of travel across the whole public transport network for a set time period. The tickets are not based on journey length but rather on time only.
For example, you can buy a one-hour ticket for a tram and so long as your journey is not over an hour, you can change multiple times to get to your destination. The GVB 1-hour ticket costs €3.40.
If you buy the one-day pass you get 24-hrs from the time you first use your ticket. A two-day pass is 48-hrs and so on.
If you are buying a one-hour ticket, you are allowed to take your bike on the metro and tram but only outside rush hour (mon-fri 07:00-09:00 and 16:00-18:30). You do have to pay an additional amount for this, in essence buying a slighter cheaper ticket for your bike. The bike supplement costs €2.20.
There is a ticket just for the GVB 1-hour plus bike which you can use on the metro and tram 26. As a visitor, it is less common that you will be thinking about taking a bike onto public transport, but the option is there.
The final hourly based ticket is a BTM 1.5. This is a bus, tram and metro pass that lasts for 1.5-hrs but importantly also covers the regional buses of Connexxion and EBS as well as GVB buses, trams and metro. Useful if you need to transfer from regional buses to the tram or metro in the Amsterdam area. This costs €6.50.
Day and multi-day passes
These tickets come in four varieties. The GVB day ticket, GVB day ticket child, GVB Multi-day ticket 2-4 days and GVB multi-day ticket 5-7 days.
The GVB day passes give you unlimited travel on all GVB services both day and night. You can change as often as you like from trams to buses to the metro.
The table below gives you the 2024 prices of the Amsterdam public transport tickets with links below to purchase tickets online:
GVB 1-day travel ticket
- Unlimited travel on all GVB routes both day and night. The ticket is valid for 24-hrs from your first use.
GVB 1-day ticket child
- Identical to the standard day ticket but with a large discount for children from 4-11 years.
GVB multi-day ticket (2-7 days)
- Includes unlimited travel on all GVB routes both day and night. Valid from first use and based on hours not days, so 48-hrs, 72-hrs etc.
2-days €15 • 3-days €21 • 4-days €26.50 • 5-days €33 • 6-days €37.50 • 7-days €41
Amsterdam travel ticket
- Arriving at Schiphol Airport and visiting for a day or two then this ticket includes train transfer and public transport usage throughout your stay.
1 day €18 • 2 days €24 • 3 days €30
Night bus tickets in Amsterdam
When the daytime services end, Amsterdam night buses take over, helping you get back to your hotel or Airbnb after a good night out in the city.
There is a GVB Night bus 1-ride ticket which gives you unlimited travel for 1.5-hrs on all GVB night buses which should be ample to get you back to your bed. This night bus ticket costs €5.40.
A 12-ride ticket also exists but is not really useful for a visitor on a short break in the city.
Tourist tickets in Amsterdam
Providing tickets designed for the tourist visitor is an art form in itself. Companies try and work out what is the most attractive bundle for a visitor to the city and offer these as a one-size-fits-all solution.
Amsterdam though has a nice narrow selection that actually is worth exploring depending on your interests when visiting the city.
I Amsterdam city card
This is the tourist pass that also covers attractions, so is very popular. It gives you unlimited travel in Amsterdam on the GVB public transport network – buses, trams and the metro. Plus a canal cruise is included too.
As well as the travel, you receive free or heavily discounted entry to over 70 attractions. The free attractions of note include Rijksmuseum, A’DAM LOOKOUT, Nemo Science Museum and Artis Royal Zoo. The Van Gogh Museum used to be included, but unfortunately is not anymore. Find full details on our I Amsterdam City Card page.
The card comes in 24-hr, 48-hr, 72-hr, 96-hr and 120-hr versions so will cover all your needs. Omissions of note include Anne Frank House and no transfer to/from Schiphol Airport.
1-day €60.00, 2-day €85.00, 3-day €100.00, 4-day €115.00, 5-day €125.00.
Learn more and buy your I Amsterdam City Card.
Amsterdam and Region Travel ticket
These tickets are valid for 1, 2 and 3 days. The ticket gives you unlimited travel on the bus, tram and metro in Amsterdam as well as the nearby region. It is supported by GVB, Connexxion, EBS and NS.
Use this ticket to also explore the wider Amsterdam area such as Keukenhof gardens, Edam’s cheese market, Aalsmeer flower auction and the beaches of Zandvoort.
1-day €21
2-day €31.50
3-day €40.50
Amsterdam Travel Ticket
This ticket helps you get from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal station and back and includes unlimited travel on all GVB trams, buses (including night buses) and the metro. You can use the NS railway, the Amsterdam Airport Express (bus 397) and Niteliner N97 to get from the airport to Amsterdam Centraal.
1 day €18
2 day €24
3 day €30
Holland Travel Ticket
The final tourist card is the Holland Travel Ticket. This is a one day ticket that gives you unlimited travel throughout Holland on all public transport. There are peak and off-peak versions of the ticket. The day is defined as starting at 00:00 and ending at 04:00 the following day.
Obviously, there are limitations to how far you can get to and return in one day if you are based in Amsterdam. There are also some limitations on which transport types you can use but it certainly has its benefits.
You can discover all the details of this ticket on the NS website – Holland Travel Ticket.
1-day €70
1-day off-peak €48
