Tourism
I amsterdam
A comprehensive official guide to what's on in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam Internet Guide
An excellent, entertaining and very practical guide to Amsterdam! You will –among others– learn about Dutch peculiarities, habits, weather, money, as well as about Amsterdam restaurants and cultural outings in an entertaining manner.
Weather
Nothing is less predictable than the weather in the Netherlands. The average high temperature in June is 18 °C, the average low is 12 °C. The average probability that some form of precipitation will be observed in a given day is 60%. Bring an umbrella if you don't like the rain.
Money
The Netherlands has the Euro, €, as its standard currency. Prices are rounded off to the nearest 5 cents. Money can be exchanged in many places: e.g. at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, at banks, at the numerous specialized exchange offices in downtown Amsterdam and at most major railway stations. Credit cards are accepted in most places, but it is advisable to ask beforehand if credit card payment is possible.
Tours
Amsterdam and its surroundings offer a multitude of tourist attractions (and traps) including famous museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, the windmills and historic houses of De Zaanse Schans and the obligatory canal boat tour.
You can easily explore these outings on your own or you can get it all organized for you by the VVV tourist office opposite Amsterdam Central Station or by one of the tour organisers on the Damrak, the street leading from Amsterdam Central Station to Dam Square.
Restaurants
See the Amsterdam Internet Guide.
Shopping
See the Amsterdam Internet Guide or the iamsterdam guide.
Public Transport
Public transport in Amsterdam is carried out by trams, buses, express-trams, metro (subway) and trains. Within the city limits, these modes of transportation have an identical fare-system, and transits can be made without a problem. Amsterdam airport, Schiphol, is not within the city limits, and normal train tickets are required for travel to and from Schiphol.
The ticket system runs on chip cards. You can buy disposable cards at the Ticket Vending and Add Value machines and from tram and bus drivers and conductors. A disposable card already carries a travel product. The I amsterdam City Card is an alternative. Valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours, the card includes a detailed city map, unlimited use of the public transport system, free entrance to Amsterdams best museums and attractions, plus great discounts and special offers.
Public transport runs until just after midnight. After that there is an hourly service of night buses.
The GVB transport company has information in English on the public transport system.
