Best Amsterdam Travel Pass & Tickets
The best Amsterdam Travel Pass or ticket will always depend on the length of your visit and the sites you want to see. But there are several Pros and Cons of each card. There are also certain cards that you would never want to buy together. Our Amsterdam Travel Pass Ticket Comparison Chart makes seeing which card offers what really simple, but let’s look at the different cards and the types of itineraries they would be best suited for.
Ride every tram, bus & train in North Holland & Almere!
View the map for the Amsterdam Region Travel Ticket here: Amsterdam Region Travel Ticket Pass Map
Amsterdam Travel Tickets & Passes
GVB Unlimited Travel Ticket Pass – This is good for ALL GVB trams, buses and metro. It is not good for trips to/from the airport. It is not good for day trips to other towns.
Amsterdam Travel Ticket Pass – This is the same as the GVB Unlimited Pass but also includes the trips to/from the airport.
Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket Pass – This is the same as the Amsterdam Travel Ticket Pass but also includes the train trips to/from the airport, most of North Holland and parts of Flevoland.
Holland Travel Ticket – This is an unlimited train pass for all of the Netherlands
iAmsterdam Card – This card combines the GVB Unlimited card with entry into some museums and sites & a canal cruise.
Amsterdam Museum City Passes & Tickets
iAmsterdam Card – This card combines the GVB Unlimited Travel Pass card with entry into some museums and sites & a canal cruise.
Museumkaart – Museum Card – This card includes entry into all the best museums, but virtually nothing else.
Amsterdam Holland Pass – This is a very strange combination of most museums, but not Anne Frank House, a canal cruise, and the option to buy the Holland Travel Ticket for 19 euro instead of 39 euro.
Amsterdam City Pass – This combines a Skip-the-Line ticket to either Rijksmueseum OR Van Gogh Museum, a canal cruise, a round trip airport transfer by train, and 20% off selected other museums and attractions. For adults flying in and out this isn’t bad, but include no tram pass, so get ready to walk. Don’t buy for kids. Don’t buy for kids, most museums are free for them.
Amsterdam Museum Pass – This combines a Skip-the-Line ticket to BOTH the Rijksmueseum AND Van Gogh Museum, a canal cruise, a round trip airport transfer by train, and 20% off selected other museums and attractions. For adults flying in and out this is WORSE than the Amsterdam City Pass! Why? It is €20.50 more for an adult than the City Pass. Entry into either Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum is only €17! Don’t buy for kids, most museums are free for them.
Best of Amsterdam Travel Passes & Ticket Guide
This category is fairly simple because as the options increase as does the price.
If you look at the pricing on the GVB, Amsterdam, & Amsterdam Region travel cards, the increase in about the cost of one round trip ticket. The difference in cost between the GVB & Amsterdam ticket is basically the cost of the round trip ticket to Schiphol. The difference between the Amsterdam Travel Pass and the Amsterdam Region Travel Pass is about one round trip to Haarlem, Zaandam or Almere.
This means the best bargain, particularly if you plan to do more than one side trip, is the Amsterdam Region Travel Ticket.
If you have no side trips and are coming/leaving by TRAIN, get the GVB Card.
If FLYING in and out, get the Amsterdam Travel ticket.
But once you want to see two other towns or sites outside Amsterdam,Keukenhof during Tulip season, Zandvoort in summer, the Amsterdam Region Travel Card is the best option.
Best Amsterdam Museum Pass Ticket
This is a bit trickier because your choice will depend a lot on what you plan to do and your interests.
That is unless you also want a side trips or two outside of Amsterdam, in which case skip this card because you will be paying for two travel passes. The GVB unlimited included with iAmsterdam card then an Amsterdam region Pass Ticket to take trains outside the city. You could buy individual tickets for the train and an iAmsterdam card, but again once you get to one round trip the Region card starts to save you money.
but it is pricey at 60 euro. To get your 60 euro worth in less than 3 days means all you did is spend time inside looking at old stuff.
The Best Amsterdam Pass Option For Most Tourists Is….
Most tourists would get the most value from simply buying the correct type of travel pass, and then paying for individual tickets at the museums and sites that they wish to see. A little research into the admission prices for the most popular museums and sites shows that you can enter 2-3 of the most popular ones for less than the price of any Museum or Site related unlimited pass.
Admission to Rijksmuseum: Adult €17.50 Children 0-18: FREE
Admission to Anne Frank House: Adult €9 Children 0-9: FREE Children 10-17: €4.50
Admission to Van Gogh Museum: Adult €17 Children 0-18: FREE
Canal Cruise Cost: Adult €16 Children 0-18: €8
Total: Adult €58.50 Children: 0-9: €8 Children 10-17: €12.50
In addition, admission for children and those under 18 are significantly cheaper, or even free, at many attractions including those listed above. Even canal cruises are half price for kids. When you buy a pass for a person under 18 you are paying full price for admissions they would get for half price or free. NEVER buy an Amsterdam museum pass for a child.
So, the best advice for tourists regarding an Amsterdam Passes & Tickets is to buy the correct travel pass based on your type of transportation to/from Amsterdam and your itinerary while in the Netherlands. Then simply pay to go to the sites and museums you want unless you are a complete museum nut who plans on doing nothing else on the trip.
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