The Netherlands, The art of hitting the road.

Arriving at Amsterdam’s Centraal Train Station is truly an overwhelming feast for all your senses. You don’t have to walk far to be inundated with trams, trains, buses, cars and an endless flow of bicycles. This is the hub of the capital! It is very important to not just look both ways, but to look ALL the ways; any vehicle can meet you from any angle. The busiest area of the city is called De Dam, it is right in front of the station. Facing out from the station, the trams sit waiting for you on both sides. Just watch yourself and trust your instincts.

It used to be that you could buy something called a Strippenkaart to ride the tram. Rick Steves said in his Dutch travel book that you actually have to strip for it. I briefly fell for it. Anyway, today the locals buy a pass for their phone (OV-chipkaart), but you can get a paper ticket or a card at Amsterdam Centraal and at many Tobacconists and Souvenir shops, there are one-day and multi-day options. Most trams end at Amsterdam Centraal.

Hopping a tram to get to your hotel is a good idea, it is quite fun if you’re not used to this mode of transportation. It glides and rings, the subtle turns it takes along the old tracks, it is musical. I enjoy hearing the next stop announcements, (the sound of Dutch is magical to me!) pay attention to them, it could help you on future rides. If taking the tram is too unnerving, don’t worry, chances are good that you can walk to your hotel. I so enjoy the sound of suitcase wheels jumping along the cobblestones.

You can also hail a taxi in back of the station. They will likely begin by explaining to you that to get anywhere in Amsterdam you have to do significant driving because there is never a straight shot. This is Europe, the streets are narrow and many are one-way. I gather that they are often accused of padding the meter, but in my experience they are quite trustworthy; they are professionals.

The city of Amsterdam itself has limitless attractions, of course, but if you have enough time to venture out and see what the majority of the country looks like, I highly recommend it! (Favorite city recommendations follow).

Getting started with the trains: at Amsterdam Centraal, you will see several yellow kiosks from which to buy your tickets. As you enter, you will see them on both your right and left. Most likely the previous customer did not complete their transaction, so press “volgende klant” which means Next Customer. Press the British flag to show directions in English. The first thing you do is type in your destination, when that pops up you pick between dag terug (returning same day-this ticket is good for 28 hours) or one-way. You will also need to choose 1st (if you’re feeling fancy) or 2nd class, each train car is numbered accordingly. You will need to get another one-way ticket if you are returning on a different day or just buy it when you know your plans. For more details, here is the Nederlandse Spoorwegen website: https://www.ns.nl/

As seen here, this woman is waiting for a train that goes to and ends in Den Helder. Let’s look at the sign; it is an Intercity train which means it will make several stops, you can see the list in smaller print underneath, but it is often a partial list, normally the list will change to show the remainder of the stops in just a few seconds. There are direct trains “snel trein” available for many destinations! Den Helder Z indicates Den Helder Zuid, a “zuid” (south) station is usually not in the city center, so wait for Den Helder Centraal. The “Spoor” tells you the ‘platform’ number; head over, then look for a car numbered with your chosen class and enter the train. Do you prefer complete silence? Look for “stilte trein” written on the train windows.
There are digital signs in the train cars to further assist you, as in the picture below that says: “Verwacht aan komsttijd” meaning expected arrival time. As you get closer to the stop the sign changes to “we komen aan…” If you are confused, ask anyone on the train, the Dutch are very helpful! When you exit, you must first press the open door button pictured here. There will usually be someone there to do it for you.

If, at the ticket kiosk, you don’t find the town you want to visit, you may need to visit the transportation/ticket office which is just steps away inside the station. In many cases it means that you have to take the bus! I did this on my most recent trip; it was my first time (on my 30-something trip here – shameful!) I walked into the ticket office at Amsterdam Centraal and said, “I’d like to go to Volendam.”
An unimpressed straight-faced Dutchman held our eye contact, “You need a bus to go there.”
Ummm. “Okay, can I buy a ticket?”
Yes, he said. Catch the bus at terminal A in 12 minutes. All bus terminals are upstairs and in the rear of the station.
Let’s look at the bus sign. Vertrek bussen: departure buses. Lijn: line. Richting: direction. Halte: stop. Opmerking Verwacht… this gives you additional information, here it is telling you when the bus is expected to arrive.

Bus travel always seemed to me more “advanced” and therefore intimidating, as doing anything new can often be, but it is quite simple. The busses do tend to stop more frequently and many of the stop names sound like it might be your stop, which can be confusing, so ask the driver which stop is the most centrally located. The ticket office will happily print out your itinerary including the stop just before yours, so ask! I embarrassed myself a bit on the bus with several trips to question the driver, but no one cares. I’ll play it cool next time…maybe wear shades…

!!!VERY IMPORTANT POINT!!!
No matter what travel mode you use, you have to remember one thing: KEEP YOUR TICKET. Have it on your person until you get home. You scan it to access your platform, and you scan it again at your destination, in fact you often need it -as in Amsterdam Centraal- in order to exit the station! You check in by showing your ticket to a scanner, you check out showing your ticket to a scanner. Occasionally, especially during rush hour, ticket agents will appear on the train to validate your ticket. Always keep it handy.

Favorite Dutch towns (and highlights) include: Utrecht, Delft (Vermeer!), Amersfoort (Mondriaan!), Haarlem (Frans Hals!), Nijmegen (the ‘oldest city’ in NL), Maastricht (the other ‘oldest city’ in NL), Volendam (https://www.volendamsmuseum.nl/en-gb =big fun!), Hoorn (WestFries Museum), Leeuwarden (tall people!), Breda, Groningen (more tall people!), Leiden (smart people), Den Haag (royalty!), ‘s-Hertogenbosch and on and on.

Here is just a small sample of the breathtaking scenery you will see on your train ride, most of these are in Noord Holland and Friesland (a special favorite). To me, this is the poetry of The Netherlands; the low sky, the chiseled out fields of green, red-roofed farmhouses, the flowers, the water and the animals… It is simply gorgeous…so put down your phones and gaze out the windows! Happy traveling!