Whether you are looking for a single ticket, a day pass or an Amsterdam Travel Card, here you will find all the information you need. In this guide we present the most important tickets for visitors.
So you can easily find the right ticket for your stay in Amsterdam.
The OV card / e-purse system is not that simple, especially if you don’t visit the Netherlands often.
How does the OV card / e-purse work?
The OV card works like a prepaid cellphone card. You can load the card with a certain amount of money at a machine and then use it up.
For a single ride, you will pay a fixed base price plus a set amount per kilometer driven. Thus, you are paying for the distance traveled. The distance is measured exactly every 50 metres and charged accordingly.
There is no such thing as a classic one-way ticket, which costs a certain amount regardless of the distance travelled (flat rate). The OV chip card / e-purse can be used in trams, buses, as well as the Metro.
E-purse – prices
A rechargeable and anonymous chip card, without personalisation with a passport-type photo, costs €7.50 (without adding credit). There is a €2.50 service charge for withdrawing any remaining balance.
Standard fare:
base price: €1.08 per trip plus 19.6 cents per kilometer traveled
Children (4–11 years) get a discounted fare:
base price: 71 cents per trip plus 12.9 cents per kilometer traveled
Another payment system was introduced in 2023: OVpay. You can pay for a single journey on local public transport directly with your credit or debit card. All you have to do is present your payment card to a scanner when boarding and alighting. The fare will be automatically debited from your account.
GVB single and multi-day tickets are popular with visitors to Amsterdam. They are easy to use and affordable.
What does this ticket offer?
However, you can buy a combined ticket consisting of a day ticket for public transport + airport transfer (express bus or train). This combined ticket is called the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket”.
→ You can find more information about the Amsterdam Travel Ticket here
→ More information about the various options for airport transfers, including travel times and prices
Prices are at the lower end for a European city. The longer the validity, the lower the price per day.
Fares (2024):
Children’s ticket (4–11 years) for 1 day / 24h: €4.50 – multiple tickets can be purchased for longer stays.
Standard fare:
1 day / 24h: €9
2 days / 48h: €15
3 days / 72h: €21
4 days / 96h: €26.50
5 days / 120h: €33
6 days / 144h: €37.50
7 days / 168h: €41 (€5.85 per day)
Our tip: buy online to save time and stress
You can buy your ticket online before your trip via the English-language website of the authorised GVB ticket seller without having to pay a surcharge (click here).
This will save you stress later, as you won’t have to deal with the fare system and ticket machines after your flight.If you are travelling via Schiphol Airport, you can also buy the Amsterdam Travel Ticket online (day ticket for local transport + airport transfer by express bus or train).
Children aged 0–3 years can use public transport in Amsterdam free of charge. There is a reduced day ticket for children between the ages of 4 and 11. It currently (2024) costs €4.50. There is no multi-day pass for children.
If you need a children’s ticket for several days, the easiest way is to buy several one-day children’s tickets.
You can buy GVB children’s day tickets online together with adult tickets.
Where is the GVB day ticket valid?
The GVB day ticket is valid on the entire GVB tram, underground and bus network.
→ Map / city map Amsterdam:
GVB day ticket coverage
If your destination or accommodation is outside the validity area, you might be interested in the Amsterdam Region Travel Ticket (see below). This ticket is valid for the entire region around Amsterdam.
The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket entitles you to:
You can buy this ticket before your trip via the GVB authorized ticket portal (click here). This will save you time and stress during your stay in Amsterdam.
With the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket you can travel in a much larger area than with a GVB day pass. Therefore the price is higher.
Current prices for the “Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket”
Valid for 1 day: €21
Valid for 2 days: €31.50
Valid for 3 days: €40.50
The validity period is different from the GVB day ticket. The “Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket” is valid from the first check-in until 04.00 a.m. after the last valid day (depending on whether you have the 1, 2 or 3 day version). The day starts at midnight.
For example: If you use a 2-day ticket for the first time from midnight on Wednesday, then your ticket will be valid until 04:00 on Friday morning.
Here is a map showing the area covered by the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket.
→ Map / Plan:
Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket (ATT) is an extension of the GVB single day or multi-day-ticket described above. It can be considered an extension because with this ticket you also have the option of using the following unlimited times for your transfer to and from Schiphol airport:
This ticket also entitles you to unlimited travel on all GVB trams, (night) buses, metro and ferries in the whole of Amsterdam.
However, its validity is regulated differently. The “Amsterdam Travel Ticket” is valid from the first check-in until 4 AM following the last valid day (depending on whether you have booked the 1, 2 or 3 day option). The day starts at midnight.
For example: if you start using a 2-day ticket at midnight on Wednesday, then it will be valid until 4 AM on Friday.
Please note: This ticket is not valid on buses that are operated by other transport companies such as EBS and Arriva or on any bus other than the Amsterdam Express (bus 397) and the Niteliner (bus N97) operated by Connexxion.
You can buy the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket” via this English-language website
This will save you stress on arrival. You won’t have to deal with ticket machines after your flight.
Current pricing for the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket”
Prices are higher than a simple day ticket as it includes your airport transfer. A return trip from the airport to the city centre on the Airport Express Bus 397 currently costs €11.75. Taking this into account, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket is affordable.
Current fares for the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket”
Validity 1 day: 18 Euro
Validity 2 days: 24 Euro
Validity 3 days: 30 Euro
Tickets with longer validity are not currently available.
The I Amsterdam card is the official sightseeing pass for the city of Amsterdam. It is designed to help visitors navigate the maze of public transport fares and entrance tickets. The name is derived from the play on words “I am Amsterdam”.
If you are also planning to visit the attractions and famous sights of the city, then the ‘I Amsterdam’ card may be of interest to you. It is a combination of day passes for public transport and discounted admission to tourist attractions.
1 Free & unlimited use of the GVB public transport system. This includes the Metro, city buses, as well as the trams. Ferries are generally free of charge.
2 Free entrance to more than 50 sights and museums, including TOP attractions like the Rijksmuseum (Rembrandt), the Royal Zoo Artis, the NEMO Science Museum or the Tulip Museum Amsterdam… (see below for details)
3 25% off the regular ticket price for many events (opera, ballet…), attractions, bike rental, and at participating restaurants
→ More information about “I amsterdam” city card – Test: “I Amsterdam” card – is a purchase worth it for you?
Insider tip: you can purchase the “I Amsterdam” card via this English-language website before your trip. This will save you the hassle and possibly even the credit card fees that you might incur if you pay on arrival.
1 day – 24 hours: €60
2 days – 48 hours: €85 (€42.50 per day)
3 days – 72 hours: €100 (€33.33 per day)
4 days – 96 hours: €115 (€28.75 per day)
5 days – 120 hours: €125 (€25 per day)
Amsterdam city:
unlimited use of
public transport (GVB)
Amsterdam region:
Connexxion &
EBS buses, train
Airport transfer
by Express Bus 397
Airport transfer
by train
free admission
& discount at
attractions
Price: 1 day
Price: 2 days
Price: 3 days
Price: 4 days
Price: 5 days
Price: 6 days
Price: 7 days
In addition, these tickets can be purchased online at no extra cost via this English language website. There is no need to handle a large sum of money at a local ticket machine while your group waits impatiently. You will receive a receipt for your online purchase, which makes accounting for a group much easier.
With the GVB 1 hour ticket, you can use all GVB lines within one hour. The ticket is unfortunately not available online.
Current price 2024: €3.40 for adults
The prices for the day ticket are very reasonable for a European metropolis. With a longer period of validity, the price per day decreases significantly.
Regular fare 2024:
1 day / 24 hours: 9 €
2 days / 48 hours: 15 €
3 days / 72 hours: 21 €
4 days / 96 hours: 26,50 €
5 days / 120 hours: 33 €
6 days / 144 hours: 37,50 €
7 days / 168 hours: 41 € (5,85 € per day)
More information about other tickets, online tickets, tickets for children … in our travel guide
The day or multi-day ticket of the city’s public transport company GVB is very popular with visitors to Amsterdam. With this ticket, you can easily use local transport (metro, bus, tram) in the Amsterdam city area. It is very cheap compared to other European metropolises.
More information about other tickets, online tickets, tickets for children … in our travel guide
There is no classic single ticket for Amsterdam public transport. Single journeys can be paid for with the “OV / E- Purse card”. It works in a similar way to a prepaid mobile phone card. You can load an amount of money onto this card at a machine. You can then use this credit to pay for local transport. A reloadable, anonymous e-purse card (without passport photo) costs 7.50 euros (without credit). It is easier to use local transport with a day or multi-day ticket.
You can buy local transport tickets in Amsterdam at vending machines or sales points of the local transport company GVB.
You can also buy many tickets online. This saves time and stress in Amsterdam. You can find more information and our tips on buying tickets in our Amsterdam travel guide.
The regular GVB day pass does not include the airport transfer by express bus or train.
However, you can buy a combined ticket consisting of a day ticket for public transport + airport transfer (express bus or train). This combined ticket is called the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket”.
→ You can find more information about the Amsterdam Travel Ticket here
→ More information about the various options for airport transfers, including travel times and prices
With the “Amsterdam Travel Ticket” you can use the following unlimited transfer options to and from Schiphol Airport: