Strippenkaart NOT VALID FROM AUG 2009!, Amsterdam

Amsterdam uses for its public transport the same national system as in the rest of the country. The so called "Strippenkaart".

This card has a specific number of zones which give you the right to travel a certain distance.

Usually these cards come in 15 zones for €6,70. How it works?? Easy.. if you are on the subway, look at the map and count the number of zones you will be travelling in (including the number of the current zone), add 1 zone to it, and stamp on this number your card on one of the yellow machines (fold your card and put it in).

On the bus, the driver will stamp your card if you tell him where you are heading for, same goes for the tram where they also have an extra operator.

If your card is full the last zone will be stamped, and you can continue on a new card. Buy your cards in advance at a vending machine or kiosk. Buying tickets in the bus & tram is possible (not on the subway!) but are twice the price. Cards with less zones are for sale as well but relatively more expensive than the 15-zone card. The 45 zone card for those who travel a lot, is relatively cheaper.

Usually you pay 2 to 3 zones for a journey. Short hops are always more expensive as you always have to count 1 extra zone per journey. Frequent travellers can also opt. for a transportation card like a daycard.

You can pay for buses, trams, and the metro (subway) using a strippenkaart. You can buy this card at the railway ticket office or from a tobacco shop. You can use the same strippenkaart throughout the Netherlands.

When you get on to a bus or metro, you can either stamp this card yourself, or if there is a conductor, have them stamp it for you.

You can get either a 15 space of 45 space card. You stamp one more strip than the number of zones that you are going.

For example, if you are staying the city center, one trip = 2 spaces, therefore you stamp the second space.

There are maps that can show you how many zones you are going... or just tell the conductor how many zones you are going and they'll figure it out for you :)

You can use the same stamp for an hour in the same zone.

Confusing? Yeah. But once you figure it out, you'll find its really efficient and affordable. And don't worry if you stamp it upside down... I did for the first year that I lived here :)

The most cost effective way of travelling around Amsterdam if you are staying for several days is the 72 hour pass (72 uurskaart). This gives unlimited travel on all city GVB services including bus,tram and metro for 72 hours from the time it is first used and is also valid on night buses. This was especially useful to me since my hotel was about 15mins by tram from the centre, which meant that I could pop back early evening to freshen up before my nocturnal excursions (i.e. trawling around various bars and clubs 'til whenever). Another useful thing is that you can just get on a bus or tram and see where you end up - if the destination fails to impress then simply get the next one back.

I bought mine from the main tourist office opposite Centraal Station but I think they can also be bought from GBV offices and tobacconists.

UPDATE May 2010 - I think this can no longer be bought as it looks in this pic but instead has to be put on a smartcard - either the paper tourist version or the plastic "anonymous" version if you are a regular visitor. Website has all the details.

Purchase a Strippen Kaart which gives you access to trams & buses in & around Holland.

I bought a strip of 15 strips for EUR6.70 (2007 Euro 6.80) which means a journey within central Amsterdam on the tram is 2 strips (ie 1 strip + 1 zone) which means I can use the trams for an hour from the time stamped. For example on 1st strip used within Amsterdam fold strip to no 2 strip & feed into the yellow machine to be stamped. If there is a conductor on board he will stamp the zones. There is a hefty of the spot fine for not travelling with a valid ticket

Strippenkaart are valid anywhere in Holland & if you still have strips left & plan to visit again within the year the old price is still valid for 12 months.

THESE ARE BEING PHASED OUT SEE TIP FOR OV-CHIPKAART (a more expenisive way to travel)

Since 22 june 2009 the ticketsystem changed. From 27th of august you cant use a strippenkaart in the metro and i think this year or beginning next year that you cant use it at all.
At the moment a single ticket ( 1 hour ticket) cost 2.60 euro
a return ticket 5 (2 X 1 hour) 5 euro
a 24 hour ticket 7 euro
This ones you can buy on the tram and bus.
A lot of people make a mistake with this new system. When you got a ticket you need to check in when you enter and need to check out when you leave. If you dont check out your ticket doesnot work no more even the 24 hour one.
Using public transport a lot in Amsterdam buy a 24,48,72 or 96 our pass at the office or a chipcard but then you need to put enough money on it.
Chipcard same you check in it will take 4 euro you pay then about 75 ct basic and about 10 ct for each kilometre. When you check out you get back what you didnot use. (personal chipcard with picture cost now 1.50 euro and anonymus 3 euro but i understand they will cost 7.50 euro later.
DONT FORGET CHECK IN WHEN YOU ENTER AND OUT WHEN YOU LEAVE.

Buy a '15-strippenkaart' (strip ticket) for 6.80 EUR (Feb 2007) is cheaper than day-cards, if you don't intend to travel a lot by public transportation, it can be used for several days.
If you buy the ticket at VVV office infront of the Central Station, you can get a guide book with some discount ticket for some museum. I've got 10% off for the entrance fee Madame Tusaud museum.

** You can use the same kind of tickets for the metro as the kind you use for the tram or the bus: the "STRIPPENKAART".
** You can buy a strippenkaart in the metrobuilding, about 7 euro voor 15 "strips" (in 2008). Also in a sigaretstore, a magazinestore, at trainstations and some other places.
** The place next to a number on the strippenkaart is called "strip". For every zone you travel in you have to stamp one strip extra. So: 1 zone is 2 strips, 2 zones is 3 strips. For the centre of Amsterdam, you only need 1 zone (2 strips).
** Every time you use the metro within one hour you need 2 strips per person. If you want to go further than the Amstelstation, you need more strips.
** You have to stamp in the building, before you use the escalator. There is a little yellow box. You have to fold your strippenkaart in a special way: the yellow box will stamp on top of the strippenkaart.
When you use your strippenkaart for the first time: you must fold it between number 1 and number 2. Then hold number 2 up and put it in the yellow box. There will be a stamp on number 2. For a second person, you stamp on number 4.
** At the stamp you can see till which time you may be in public transportation. If you stamp at 08.00 o'clock, you will see "8-" at the right sight of the stamp. Often, it will show "8 1/4" in stead, what means 08.15 o'clock.
** You may travel 1 hour after the time showed on the stamp. Within this hour, you may use the metro's, the trams and the busses in Amsterdam centre. That means you may also change from the metro to a tram or a bus, or another metro. You only have to stay in the centre. If the hour is passed, you have to stamp again, you are not allowed to stay in the metro, bus or tram anymore.
** If you step out of the metro, you have to do nothing.
** Do not buy a day-ticket: it is much more expensive!
If you buy a strippenkaart in the tram or the bus, you pay much more!
** For children or a bicycle you can buy a red strippenkaart in stead of a blue one, for a reduced price.
** More about transportation at my Amsterdam Travel guide.

In Amsterdam you will mostly use the tram or bus and maybe a metro.
Because the rules for public transportation are all the same nationwide, please see my Netherlands Tip for this here.

Daytickets
Mind you, a 8-strippenkaart (strip card) that is stamped off as day ticket is only valid in a certain area (such as Amsterdam inner city) for bus/metro/tram and some local trains. You need 2 8-strippenkaart for a nationwide day ticket.

For more information click here

You should note that especially for Amsterdam, you might not even need a day ticket because you can walk quite a lot.
If you're going to have more than 4 rides on a day, then it is better value to stamp off your 8-strippenkaart as a day ticket. If it's going to be less (which is probable), then just stamp off strips as needed.
Alternately, buy yourself a 15-strippenkaart for € 6,90 (not available in buses or trams or metros) and stamp off strips as needed. In my opinion you'll get more transportation for less money.

Below you will find the link to the public transportation website for Amsterdam.