Other Definitions
amsterdam (dest)
amsterdam (enc)
amsterdam (dict)
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Amsterdam Bikes Amsterdam is a compact city; most distances can be walked, if they can't be walked they can be biked. Bikes are therefore the most effective way of getting around Amsterdam. If you walk through the city, you see as many as 700,000 bikes, all seem to be worn down, half broken and protected with enough locks to guard Fort Knox. Nevertheless, about 100,000 bikes are stolen each year in this city. If you stay longer than a week in the city, you might consider buying your own bike, otherwise rent it from one of the many places. A good second hand bike should cost you about 70 Euros. People in the street will approach you sometimes offering bikes for sale from around 4,5 Euros. One of those 100,000. bikes. Get yourself at least two good locks and make sure it's tied to something secure. Public Transport Public transport, especially if you stick to the center, is excellent in Amsterdam. Trams have many routes and tend to be as frequency as 5 to 10 times an hour. Busses tend to deal with less accessable destinations of the way places in the city. At night (after 01:00 Am), night busses take over so you can always get around but they are not as freguent as the trams. There is even a subway or metro but this is only of much use to people who live in the suburbs of the city. Key to this travelling on all these public transports is the strippenkaart, a longish piece of paper with 2, 3, 8, 15 or 45 strippen. If you board the tram, bus or metro, you stamp from the top the number of zones you are going to travel plus one. After that you can change within those zones for up to an hour, also you can 1, 2 or 3 day passes which works out even cheaper. Tram 20, the circle tram, makes it's way through the center, passing most of the tourist sites and Central Station. Getting a day card and sticking to the line 20, might be a good start to getting a grip on the city, if you don't want to walk or bike it. Taxis Taxis are rather expensive in Amsterdam and you're not supposed to hail them down, but find a taxi stand and call from there. They are not very cheap and sometimes they take you the long way to a destination so it cost you even more money, if nessecary avoid taking taxis. Late at the night the Taxi queues can be very long and you can be waiting for up to 30-40 mins for a cab. Cars Don't bring your car into the city if you can avoid it. Getting around it usually slower than on bicycle or a tram/bus and certainly more expensive with all the parking fees. In the centre you have to pay until 11pm, even on Sundays. If you do bring your car, pay the parking fee. Leave your car alone for 5 minutes and you might find an additional feature on your car: the Wielklem, a yellow wheelblocking device. And no, you won't be able to get rid off it yourself. Getting one costs approximately 70 Euros. When your car gets towed away, it'll cost you nearly 230 Euros and is rather time consuming. You need to go to one of the four 'servicepunten' of Stadstoezicht, pay the fine and wait at your car 30-45 min, till the wheel clamp will be removed. Most cars are brought to the Daniel Goekoopstraat near metro station Spaklerweg. Others Getting to and from the airport is easy. Trains run from Central Station every 15 minutes and there are also trains from other stations, like Zuid. The train trip from Central Station to the airport will take you about 20 minutes. A taxi will set you back about 30 Euros, the train more like 4 Euros.
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