The 3 day Amsterdam Region Travel Pass Ticket is mentioned on the main site, but I thought I would go into more depth and show what a value it is here on the blog. I will also explain how this card differs slightly from almost every other travel pass you may have used. It is very easy to screw up and waste a day of this card so please spend a minute or two reading through the article so you understand the specifics of this CALENDAR DAY card.
There are many travel passes available, so here is a picture of the card you want.
Let’s start out by listing the prices for the most common trips a tourist to Amsterdam might make. Since a tourist buys single tickets, there would be a 0.50 euro charge per train ticket. There is no additional charge for single ticket tram tickets.
Schiphol to Amsterdam – 5 euro
Amsterdam to Schiphol – 5 euro
Amsterdam to Haarlem – 5 euro
Amsterdam to Zaandam – 3 euro
Amsterdam to Almere – 7 euro
Schiphol to Keukenhof – 5 euro
Tram ride Amsterdam – 3 euro
So now a typical tourist example. A couple flies in for a 3 day visit to Amsterdam. On day 1 they want to see the tulips. On day 2, tour the city of Amsterdam. On day 3, take a side trip to Haarlem. This is the single person cost, so our couple would pay twice the total listed.
Day 1
Schiphol to Keukenhof – 5 euro
Keukenhof to Schiphol – 5 euro
Schiphol to Amsterdam – 5 euro
Tram to hotel – 3 euro
Day 1 total – 18 euro
Day 2
Tram to museum area – 3 euro
Tram to Rembrandtplein – 3 euro
Tram to Dam square – 3 euro
Tram back to hotel – 3 euro
Day 2 total – 12 euro
Day 3
Train to Haarlem – 5 euro
Tram/bus in Haarlem – 3 euro
Tram/Bus in Haarlem – 3 euro
Train to Amsterdam – 5 euro
Day 3 total – 16 euro
Day 4
Train to Schiphol – 5 euro
Day 4 total – 5 euro
Total Transportation costs – 51 euro
This theoretical couple used transportation quite minimally, and it still costs over 50 euros. If you rode the trams more often, or planned more side trips, transportation cost would be higher.
Now let’s compare that cost to the cost of the 3 day Amsterdam Region Travel Pass Ticket. The Amsterdam Region Travel Pass Ticket for 3 days costs 33.50 euro. But unlike most other types of travel pass, it is a CALENDAR DAY pass. Days begin anytime between 00:00 and 23:59. What’s the difference? A typical pass starts the first time you check in. If that were 10 am on a Monday and it was a 48 hour pass, it would work until 10am Wednesday, 48 hours from the first check in.
The Amsterdam & region Travel Pass Ticket does NOT work like that. No matter what time of the day you first use the pass, that counts as day 1, and that day ends at 4am(so you get 4 hours past the end of the day). So if you step off the plane at Mon 8am, use the pass to get to Amsterdam, you are on Day 1 of your car, tuesday will be 2 of the card, wednesday will be day 3 of the card, but it will work until 4am thursday morning. That’s not so bad. The problem is if you happen to arrive at night and use your pass that first night. Then you have burned Day 1 of your card simply by using it before midnight. if you use your card for the first time at 23:30, you burned a whole day for 30 minutes of rides. But if you wait until 00:01 to use it, you card is on Day 1 that entire next day(If and when you wake up).
So that you understand it completely, I will mention something that you either caught or didn’t catch from the example above. Even if you buy the 3 day Amsterdam Region Travel Pass, you will still have to pay for that airport trip on Day 4. Why? Because of the calendar day pass. On a typical travel pass if your flight landed on Day 1 at say 9am, and you had to catch a flight on Day 4 before 9am, thus needing to be at the airport earlier, you could use your typical 72 hour pass. It would still work because you would be in hour 70 when you needed to go to the airport on Day 4. Your Amsterdam Region Travel pass will never work on the day 4 unless the train or bus leaves between 00:00 and 04:00 on day 4. So the savings shown above is not 51 euro vs 33.50 euro. It really is 51 euro vs 38.50 euro since you will have to most likely pay the 5 euro airport ticket on day 4. Hopefully now you fully understand the difference between the Amsterdam Region Travel Pass and most other types of 24, 48, & 72 hour passes. It really is a good value as long as you understand the concept and maximize the value of Day 1, especially when buying only a 1 day card!
Now let’s take a look at where you can go using the 3 day Amsterdam region Travel Pass.
Besides the well known towns of Amsterdam, Haarlem, & Zaandam, the 3 day Amsterdam Region Travel Pass Ticket allows you to visit some other great town and sites with no additional cost. Here is a short list of possible side trips:
Almere – Almere is a planned city. It used to be the bottom of the North Sea. The first building was constructed in 1975. But since then it has become a booming town with an amazing mixture of modern architecture, futuristic city planning, and unspoiled nature in Oostvaardersplasen a huge nature reserve with wild horses and birds galore. 250,000 people now call Almere home. With over 500 km of bike paths, it is the mecca of bicycle riding in the Netherlands. Amsterdam can be a very crowded, noisy place. Almere is the exact opposite, yet it is only 20 minutes away by train, and free with the Amsterdam Region Travel Pass ticket. If you want to ride a bike, see nature, or just get away from the crowds, Almere with its car free walking mall is the perfect place for a little peace and quiet during the trip to Amsterdam.
Naarden – Naarden is a beautiful old town that is virtually unknown to tourists. It is the classic star fort town built in 1300 and has the oldest Protestant church in europe dating from the 15th century in the Grote Kerk. You can ride a bicycle on the ramparts, visit world famous designer Jan de Bouvrie’s amazing shop and restaurant, and visit the Netherlands fortress Museum. If you are really adventurous you can take a row boat or canoe out into the moat and see Naarden in a way that most people never will.
Zandvoort – This may not be the best idea in winter, but during the summer months Zandvoort is the place to be. Zandvoort is basically the Dutch Riviera. Translated, it’s one of the nicer beaches in the Netherlands. Does that mean you should expect a mini Monoco or Cannes? No, but if you would like to be a a beautiful beach, catch some sun, and jump in the sea, then Zandvoort is the best option.
Edam & Volendam – Let’s start with Volendam. Volendam is the town that markets itself as the Renaissance Faire town of Holland. You get to see people walking around in clogs, making cheese, wearing Dutch clothes they wore in 1900. It is Instagram popcorn. Take pictures here and everyone will know you were in Holland. With that said, its a tourist trap. The goal is to get you to buy clogs you won’t wear, cheese you can buy anywhere, and for you to leave as much of your souvenirs dollars there as possible. Go ahead and see Volendam. Take your cheesy pictures. Then head over to Edam. This is a more traditional Dutch town where they make the cheese of the same name. In Edam you can wander the streets in peace, eat a nice meal, maybe pick up a cheesy souvenir if you have to. But you won’t be surrounded by Dutch cheesiness all day.
Hopefully this helps you save some money and allows you to see some towns in the Netherlands that very few others even know about. The 3 day Amsterdam Travel Pass Ticket will allow you to See More and Do More with your time in Amsterdam.
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