Thinking about travelling around on the famous Amsterdam tram system? When i first arrived in Amsterdam. I was amazed by the amount of trams that run the streets in Amsterdam, also how they literally went everywhere throughout the city. I figured it would it be a great way to get around the city centre and the tourist attractions on the outskirts of the city.
To use the tram system in Amsterdam, you need to grab youself a Strippenkaart. It’s a prepaid paper ticket strip which is stamped for each couple of stops you will be on the tram for. Places to buy these from are newspaper kiosks,post offices and stations. Or you can pay for single journeys on the trams.
How the strippenkaart works.
If you get the strippenkaart and want to figure it out for yourself how it works. Then here’s a few tips. Each strip on the Strippenkaart is 1 zone. So first you need to know how many zones your travelling. Once you’ve determined how many zones your going. Get ready to fold your kaart at the right point. To work out where how far along you have to stamp it. Take the number of zones and add 1. So if your travelling 3 zones, stamp four strips. The strippenkaart has a total of 15 strips and costs €6.50.
If your still confused after getting there. Ask the person your buying your strippenkaart from. They should be more than happy to help you with your questions. Or ask the driver of the tram.
To stop a tram just make yourself known when waiting at one of the correct stops. Hop aboard and stamp your strippenkaart and off you go. Make sure you hang on tightly as the trams move fast and stop just as quick. Locals don’t seem to have a problem. But being a visitor, there’s nothing more embarrasing than flying from one of the tram to the other when it decides to brake.
To work out which tram you need to get to where. Plan your journey through this interactive map of Amsterdam’s tram network.
If after your first experience of using the trams you find them confusing,dangerous or just not for you. Then consider renting a bike and fitting in like a local.
