WHEN IN AMSTERDAM, the best way to get from one point to another is by taking the tram. A tram is some kind of train, but has been adjusted for the urban world: the city. The public transport (tram, bus, train, ferry, metro) in Amsterdam is quite well organized: with the tram you can travel throughout all the ‘hot’ places to visit in Amsterdam. You can also travel with buses in Amsterdam, but I wouldn’t recommend it: the buses aren’t allowed to drive through the old inner city of Amsterdam, so you will miss a lot of sights to see. The trams have by far the best sight see routes in Amsterdam.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT AMSTERDAM: if you want to use the public transport in Amsterdam you have to buy an OV Chipkaart (Public Transport Card). You can find all the info you need on the website OVChipkaart.nl. You can also buy in the bus or tram a Public Transport Card, but we’d advice you to buy these cards on forehand, as the 1-hour ‘public transportation’-cards are quite expensive. The public transport company (GVB) sells these cards in different places, as in kiosks and at train stations. Most important thing when travelling with the Public Transport Card: do not forget to check in and check out in the trams / buses / metros! When you enter a public transport vehicle keep your card near the reader until it gives a green light and bleeps. When leaving the vehicle you have to hold the card again near a reader until it bleeps.

THE IMPORTANT TRAM LINES. All the trams start at the Central Station of Amsterdam. The trams which lead you into the center of Amsterdam are these: tram 2, tram 5 (via the Dam to the canals, from the canals to the Leidseplein (Leidse Square), from the Leidseplein to the Museumplein (Museum Square), from that point the tram lines split up). Tram 1 goes also from the Dam to the canals, and from the canals to the Leidseplein and from there it goes to Osdorp (an area with newly built houses for bored families). Tram 16 and tram 24 lead you also through the canals and through ‘de Pijp’ (an interesting mixed cultures, student, arty area) and from there to Museumplein. The whole ‘train map’ with the tram lines can be found HERE.

CHEAP TRAVELING THROUGH AMSTERDAM. I would recommend to take the following trams: tram 5, tram 16 and tram 24. Why? On these trams they don’t check if you use the Public Transport card. Sometimes there are teams which check if you’ve made use of the card, but this is very rare: but when they catch you, you’ll catch a ticket. So good luck with traveling cheap in Amsterdam.

BY BIKE THROUGH AMSTERDAM, although this post is about public transportation, we have a word of advice for you: when renting a bike in Amsterdam (and yes, you should rent a bike, the best way of transport in Amsterdam), be aware of the rails of the trams, because you can easily ride into the rails..