Getting around... Amsterdam

Although Amsterdam is a modest metropolis of a little over 800.000 inhabitants the city knows many forms of public transport. This is off coarse partly due to the narrowness of the historic streets that often run along canals. This combined with the extensive implementation of one-way streets to create space for cycling lanes, makes this capital city of the Netherland fairly cumbersome to navigate by car.

After Utrecht, Amsterdam is the busiest train hub in the country with train lines radiating out to all corners of the Netherlands. Most international trains also depart from here. Within the metropolitan area public transport is organised by GVB, the municipal public transport operator. This publicly owned company runs the river ferries, busses, trams and underground within Amsterdam. There are currently 16 tram routes that span the city, but only south of the Y. The 4 metro lines also only run south of the Y, with a fifth line that connects Amsterdam-North with the rest of the city -the eponymous north-south line- now under construction. The 3 ferries across the Y are without charge to provide better connectivity from Amsterdam-North to the city and especially the central station. The two harbour ferries that run east west along the North Sea Channel do charge. The canal boats are not a form of public transportation!

All vehicles of GVB have the same colour scheme: blue and white. The modes of transport vary from the Y ferry from Amsterdam-North to the central station (left), to city busses (middle) and trams (on the right).