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Amsterdam GENERAL INFORMATION

Amsterdam airport information, getting around Amsterdam, opening times, banks, communication, visas for Holland... basically we have put it upon us to provide you with some additional information that will ensure that your stay in Amsterdam is a relaxed one!

Tourist Information Service

There are four Tourist offices in total in Amsterdam. All are super efficient and provide information on anything from hotels, local sights and car hire can be found in an instant. In Amsterdam, the tourist office can help you find anything you are looking for and is a great way to start experiencing this wonderful city.

Central Station: [Platform 2b, next to Burger King] Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. On Sundays and public holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Opposite Central Station:[Noord-Zuid Hollands Koffiehuis, opposite Amsterdam Central Station] Open daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m

Leidseplein: [Situated on the corner of Leidseplein and Leidsestraat] Open daily from sunday to thursday 9.15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saterday 9.15 a.m. to 7 p.m

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol: [Arrival hall 2, close to Schiphol Plaza] open daily from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Opening Hours: Amsterdam has varied opening times but generally the shops are open from Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm. Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm and Mondays usually from 1 pm. There is also Sunday opening hours from 12 noon to 5 pm in the city centre. Youwill also find many small grocery shops open until late at night. Most cafes open early and close late all week.

Getting to Amsterdam FROM THE AIRPORT

There is one airport that serves the whole of Amsterdam. Schiphol Airport is 18km (11 miles) from Amsterdam.

By Train: By far the easiest way of getting to Amsterdam is by train which takes you directly from the airport and directo Centraal Station. There are easy directions throughout the airport to get to the airport train station. Elevators and escalators take you underground to train departure areas in the middle of the Plaza. The one-way fare to Centraal Station is EUR 2.90. The ride lasts 15-20 minutes.

By Taxi: Taxis in Amsterdam are expensive. Most of the taxis line up in front of the airport's main plaza. You'll usually pay around 40 euros to the center of Amsterdam but it will take longer than the train.

Getting AROUND Amsterdam

Getting around Amsterdam is really easy and not too expensive. The city has a great public transport system and uses mostly trams troughout the city. It's also really small so walking and cycling are two of the best ways to explore the city.

By Tram: Trams run daily from 6am-12:30am. This is a high efficient and economical way to get around town. The trams glide through traffic and pedestrian streets, clanging their bells and forcing walkers to step out of its way. You can purchase a "strippenkart," a card with two to 45 strips on it, to take a ride. The city is divided into several zones including Centrum, West, Oost, Noord and Zuid. Most of the tourist attractions fall in the Centrum, or central, zone. This is the are we call the "Old Center." Strippenkarts with two strips cost EUR 1.40, 8 is EUR 5.60, 15 is EUR 5.9, and 45 costs EUR 17.40.

By Bike: This is the Amsterdam way to get around te city. Everyone from children to funny looking old men with handlebar moustaches ride bike around town. Amsterdam is an extremely bike-friendly city.

There are many agencies tat rent bikes throughout the city. One of our favourites is MacBike, which has three shops in the city: Marnixstraat 220, Wteringschans 2 and Visserplein 2. They offer same-day rentals, 3-day rentals and 6-day rentals.

Money and banks in Amsterdam

Currency: The Netherlands is located in the Euro-zone and the currency used is the Euro

Banks: Banks can be found all over the city and the opening-hours are very consumer-friendly. Banks have varied opening hours but you can use the following as a good guideline. Mondays from 1 pm to 5 pm, Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and all are Cclosed on Saturdays and Sundays. If you're in difficulties, it's usually possible to change cash at larger hotels [generally bad rates] and there are many Bureau de Change kiosks throughout the city that all offer very competitive rates.

ATMs and Money Machine: ATMs are found almost everywhere and almost all machines accept all major credit cards. American Express is not as widely accepted but most banks will allow you to take cash advances out. Make sure you have a personal identification number [PIN] that's designed to work overseas.

Traveller's Checks: Travellers' cheques are no longer the cheapest nor most convenient option and most people use bank cards now. However you can change up travellers checks pretty much everywhere and the usual fee for buying travellers' cheques is one or two percent.

Communications in Prague

Post Offices: Housed in every post office is the Postbank, a money-changing facility. Stamps (postzegels) can also be bought with postcards from tobacconists and souvenir shops.

The two main Post Offices in Amsterdam are:

Centraal Station Post Office: [Oosterdokskade 3, Old Centre: Old Side Phone: +31 (0)20 622 8272] Open 8.30am-9pm Mon-Fri; 9am-noon Sat; closed Sun.

Main Post Office: [Singel 250, Old Centre: New Side Phone: +31 (0)20 556 3311] Open 9am-6pm Mon-Wed, Fri; 9am-8pm Thur; 10am-1.30pm Sat; closed Sun.

Telephone Services: The dialing code for Amsterdam is 020. Public telephones in Amsterdam can be found on streets all over the city, at railway stations, post offices and some bars. Phone cards are available at post offices and most tabacco shops.

Internet: There are also plenty of Internet cafes in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Emergency Numbers

Amsterdam is a small and generally safe city. If you are unlucky enough to be the victim of a crime, you should report the incident as soon as possible at the nearest police station. If you report a crime you will be asked to make a denuncia, an official statement, which is essential if you wish to make an insurance claim.

Emergency telephone numbers:
>> Police, Fire, Ambulance: 112
>> Doctor: 592 31 31
>> Emergency pharmacy: 6 94 87 09

About Visas FOR The Netherlands

All visitors entering The Neterlands must have a valid passport.

Citizens of the following countries don't need a visa for stays less than 3 months: Stays up to three months For a period of stay up to 3 months, international guests from countries belonging to the European Union and from Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, the United States of America, New Zealand, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Switzerland, Andorra, Brunei, Cyprus, Israel, Jamaica, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, and countries in Central and Latin America do NOT need a tourist visa before entering the Netherlands. Guests from all other countries need to get a tourist visa before they leave for the Netherlands. Please check with the Dutch Embassy in your country.