Amsterdam Public Transportation Explained

Amsterdam is a great city to see on foot, but there are days when you'll be glad the trams exist: when it's pouring, when your feet have given up, or when you've packed far too much and your hotel is out past Leidseplein. The good news is that paying has become much easier. You no longer need to work out which ticket to buy. Tap a contactless bank card on the reader when you get on, tap it again when you get off, and that's it.

The city network, trams, metro, buses and ferries, is run by GVB. Trains to the airport and other cities are run by NS, and some regional buses by other companies. All prices below are GVB's 2026 rates.

The quick answer

• Use a contactless debit or credit card, or your phone or watch, and check in and check out every time.
• With GVB you'll never pay more than €10.50 a day that way.
• No cash on board. GVB is cashless.
• Staying several days and riding a lot? A GVB multi-day ticket in the app can work out cheaper.
• Get caught without a valid check-in and it's a €70 fine plus the fare.

Paying with a bank card or phone (OVpay)

The Dutch call this system OVpay, and it works on all public transport across the Netherlands. You don't register or download anything. Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and V PAY cards work, as do Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

A single trip costs a base fare of €1.16 plus €0.217 per kilometre. A few kilometres across the centre comes to roughly €2. On top of that, GVB Max caps what you pay on GVB at €10.50 a day, whatever you do, as long as you:

• use the same card or device to check in and out all day. Tapping in with your phone and out with the physical card counts as two broken journeys, and it's an easy mistake to make;
• never miss a check-out;
• stay on GVB. Night buses aren't included in the cap and charge their own fixed fare.

Each person needs their own card or phone. You can't tap twice for two people.

GVB tickets

If you'd rather pay a fixed price, GVB sells hour and day tickets. The cheapest way to buy is the GVB app, which gives you a barcode you scan at the readers, or you can add the ticket to Apple or Google Wallet.

Day and multi-day tickets start when you first check in and cover all GVB trams, buses, metros and night buses. They aren't valid on NS trains or on Connexxion and EBS buses. The one-hour ticket doesn't work on night buses.

So which is cheaper?

For one day, a €10 day ticket beats the €10.50 card cap by 50 cents, but only if you ride enough to use it. Two or three trips a day on a bank card cost less than either. Where the tickets pull ahead is a longer stay: seven days on a bank card could reach €73.50, against €43 for the 7-day ticket. The I amsterdam City Card also includes GVB travel, so don't buy both.

Heading out of the city by regional bus or train? GVB also sells the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket, €23 for one day, which I amsterdam says covers GVB plus regional operators and NS trains in the area.

Where to buy

The app is easiest. Paper tickets are sold on trams with a conductor (by card only), at GVB Service & Tickets offices and service points, and at station machines. Since 2025 most metro-station machines take cash only; the machines at line 52 stations still take cards.

Checking in and out

Everyone has to check in when they board, whatever ticket they have. On trams and buses, hold your card or barcode to the reader by the door when you get on and again when you get off. In the metro the readers are built into the gates. Inspectors ride all over the network, in and out of uniform, and the fine is €70 plus the fare.

Our original writer admitted to riding the trams for free many times before deciding to play by the rules. With plain-clothes inspectors and a €70 fine, that's a bad bet now. Feeling lucky, punk?

Trams, metro, buses and ferries

Trams

Still the most useful for visitors. They reach the canal ring, Museumplein, Leidseplein, De Pijp and the Jordaan, and they run from early morning until around midnight. Board where you see a check-in reader. On trams with a conductor, you can buy a ticket from them with a card. Let people off first, and keep an ear out for the bell: trams don't stop for pedestrians or cyclists.

Metro

The old version of this page called the metro "almost completely useless to tourists." That stopped being true in July 2018, when line 52, the North-South line, opened. It runs from Noord under Centraal Station to Rokin (near Dam Square), Vijzelgracht, De Pijp, Europaplein and Zuid in a few minutes. The other lines (50, 51, 53 and 54) mostly serve outer districts, but they're how you get to the Johan Cruijff ArenA; see our guide to getting to the ArenA.

Buses and night buses

Day buses mostly go where trams don't, so you may never need one. Once the trams stop, night buses take over. You can pay the fixed night bus fare by card, buy a €5.70 night ride (valid 1.5 hours on all GVB night buses), or use a day or multi-day ticket. Remember that the €10.50 daily cap doesn't cover night buses.

Ferries

The GVB ferries from behind Centraal Station across the IJ to Amsterdam-Noord are free, bikes included. It's one of the best short rides in the city: see our page on the free ferry to North Amsterdam.

Bikes

You can take a bike on the metro and on tram 26 (the IJtram) outside rush hour with a €2.20 bike ticket. No bikes Monday to Friday 07:00 to 09:00 and 16:00 to 18:30. If you'd rather pedal everywhere, see bike rental in Amsterdam.

Getting to and from the airport

The fastest route from Schiphol is the NS train to Centraal Station, and you can tap in and out with the same bank card. Just use one card for both legs of your day and remember that NS trains don't count toward the GVB cap. Our guide to getting from Schiphol to central Amsterdam has the details, and getting around Amsterdam covers taxis, bikes and walking.

FAQ

Can I pay cash on Amsterdam trams and buses?

No. GVB vehicles are cashless. Use a contactless card, the app, or buy a paper ticket in advance, and note that most metro-station machines now take only cash.

Does my foreign bank card work?

Contactless Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and V PAY cards work, as do phones with Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Your bank may add a foreign transaction fee, so a card without one is best.

Do children pay?

GVB's age-based discount applies to children aged 4 to 11 (and people 65 and over), and there's a €5 child day ticket for ages 4 to 11.

What happens if I forget to check out?

An incomplete journey doesn't count toward the €10.50 cap. GVB says you have to correct a missed check-in or check-out yourself.