Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [9]
Museumboot (020/530 1090, www.lovers.nl) operates on two routes – the North/South line and the Golden Age line. All jetties of both lines are located at or near many of the city’s major attractions. It departs from opposite Centraal Station (every 30min; 10am–6.45pm) and a come-and-go-as-you-please day ticket costs €20, children €10 (4–12 years old).
Canal Bikes (020/626 5574, www.canal.nl) are four-seater pedaloes which take a lifetime to get anywhere but are nevertheless good fun, unless – of course – it’s raining. You can rent them at four central locations: on the Singelgracht opposite the Rijksmuseum; on the Prinsengracht outside the Anne Frank Huis; on Keizersgracht at Leidsestraat; and behind Leidseplein. Rental prices per person, per hour are €7 (3–4 people) or €8 (1–2 people), plus a refundable deposit of €50. They can be picked up at one location and left at any of the others; opening hours are daily 9am–6pm, till 9.30pm in July and August.
Getting around |
By tram, bus and metro
The city centre is crisscrossed by trams. Two of the more useful are trams #2 and #5, which link Centraal Station with Leidsestraat and the Rijksmuseum every ten minutes or so during the day. You can either get on the trams via the front door or – if the tram has a conductor booth – at the back where you can get your ticket stamped. Buses are mainly useful for going to the outskirts, and the same applies to the metro, which has just two city-centre stations, Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein.
Trams, buses and the metro operate daily between 6am and midnight, supplemented by a limited number of nightbuses (nachtbussen), which run roughly every half hour from midnight until 7am. All tram and bus stops display a detailed map of the network. For further details on all services, head for the main GVB information office (Mon–Fri 7am–9pm, Sat & Sun 10am–6pm; 0900/8011, www.gvb.nl) on Stationsplein; the website has a useful journey planner. The GVB’s free, English-language Tourist Guide to Public Transport is very helpful, and it also provides a free transport map. A map of the city’s tram, metro and bus routes is included at the back of this book.
Getting around |
By bike
One of the most agreeable ways to explore Amsterdam is by bicycle. The city has an excellent network of designated cycle lanes (fietspaden) and for once cycling isn’t a fringe activity – there are cyclists everywhere. Indeed, much to the chagrin of the city’s taxi drivers, the needs of the cyclist often take precedence over those of the motorist, and by law, if there’s a collision it’s always the driver’s fault.
Bike rental is straightforward, with lots of rental outlets (fietsenverhuur) in central Amsterdam. Among the best are: Bike City at Bloemgracht 70 (020/626 3721, www.bikecity.nl; daily 9am–6pm); Damstraat Rent-a-Bike at Damstraat 20–22 (020/625 5029, www.bikes.nl; daily 9am–6pm); Orange Bike at Single 233 (020/528 9990, www.orangebike.nl; daily 9am–6pm); and Macbike, which has branches at Centraal Station (Eastpoint), Stationsplein, Mr Visserplein 2 and Weteringschans 2 (020/620 0985, www.macbike.nl; daily 9am–5.45pm). Most places charge around €7 for three hours, €9–13 per day or 24 hours, €25 for three days and €35–40 for a week for a standard bicycle; 21-speed cycles cost about half as much again. Everyone asks for some type of security, usually in the form of a cash deposit