Getting there

By plane

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is situated 15 km south-west of the city. Train transport to and from Schiphol is convenient, simple and fast, with the Schiphol train station located directly below the main lobby of the airport. Here are the finer details. When leaving Amsterdam, give yourself enough time to get to your plane and through security! (Especially when flying to the United States) Schiphol is a large airport - be there at least an hour in advance.

Rail

Amsterdam is served by eight stations of the Dutch Railways (NS). Five are intercity stops: Amsterdam Sloterdijk, Amsterdam Amstel, Amsterdam Zuid, Amsterdam Bijlmer/Arena and Amsterdam Centraal. Amsterdam Centraal is an international train station. From the station there are regular services with destinations in Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland.

Getting around

Bike

Amsterdam seems to be built for bikes, which are probably one of the most convenient and fun ways to get around the compact city with its narrow streets. Nearly half of all traffic movements in Amsterdam are by bike, so it makes sense that you should join in by renting a bike.

• Typical black "Oma" (granny) bikes
• A list of more bike rentals

Public Transport

Public transport in Amsterdam, operated by the GVB, Connexxion, Arriva, and Nederlandse Spoorwegen, consists of numerous bus, metro and tram lines. An overview of maps is here
In all public transport you can use the "strip-ticket"; the ins and outs of which are described at the gvb site. Apart from the metro stations they are available at post offices, Albert Heijn supermarkets and most tobacconists in Amsterdam.

Taxis

Taxis in Amsterdam are plentiful but expensive. Find the details here.