prepare your trip

Are you ready to visit Amsterdam? We collected a few tips to prepare yourself. Find out what to pack and how to travel to and in Amsterdam. We also include some fun things to do if you decide to stay a little longer.

Pack your bag

For the creative event on Saturday, you'll be filming a lot. If you have one of these items, and they fit into your luggage, you're welcome to bring them:

Speaker
Tripod
Powerbank
Your coolest pair of sunglasses

Advanced tip from our locals: check the weather before you pack. We can have a heatwave, storm and freezing cold weather every 15 minutes. You'll never know ;)

Travel through town

These are the best ways to travel through Amsterdam:

1. Rent a bike
We recommend A-Bike rentals, Rent A Bike (cheapest option), MacBike or Yellowbikes. Enjoy the local experience!

2. Public transport
Travelling by train, metro, bus or tram? Check in (and out!) with your debit or creditcard (Mastercard, Visa, Maestro or V PAY) or contactless payment with your phone or smart watch. For train or metro, check in and out at the entrance gates. If you travel by bus or tram, you check in (and out!) in the vehicle itself.

Or get yourself a full day ticket for metro, bus and tram. You can buy these at most tram or metro stops, at Amsterdam Centraal station and some P+R locations.

24h card = €9,50
48h card = €15,50

3. Walk

Amsterdam is a very safe place to walk. The city is completely flat and it is quite a dense city. Therefore it is relatively easy navigating the streets by foot. Everyone speaks English so if you get lost, just ask someone around you.

Getting to Amsterdam

Haven't booked your trip yet? Here's how to get to Amsterdam:

1. Plane to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

It takes roughly 20 mins to get from the airport to the central station, one train no change. Tickets can be bought at the yellow and blue ticket machines when you get to the Arrivals plaza. Or for more info check our public transport tips above.

2. Traveling by car

If you're very rich or don't like money that much, go park anywhere you like. Otherwise we recommend parking at a cheaper P+R spot. This costs € 6 a day if you arrive after 10 AM or in the weekend. Park your car at a special P+R spot: P+R Noord, P+R Sloterdijk or P+R Zeeburg 1, 2 or 3. To actually get the discount, please read these instructions carefully.

3. Travelling by bus

Flixbus will drop you off at Station Sloterdijk. From there it's just 6 minutes by train to Amsterdam Centraal.

4. Travelling by train

Check your local train company to see the best rates for train to and from Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Local rules

Amsterdam may seem like a free city where anything can happen. It mostly is. Just be aware of these local rules:

Alcohol
You may not drink alcohol in public (except from bars, cafés, restaurants). Be extra careful of this rule in the city center.
Drugs
You can buy them, but you're not allowed to smoke in parts of the city center. Also check how much you can legally take with you.
Loud music
If a police officer (or BOA) gives you a warning to turn down the music, just do it and be nice. You'll get off with just a warning.
Bicycles
No matter what the traffic rules say, bicycles will knock you off your socks. Please watch out ;)
Cats and dogs
If there's a cat or dog, you pet them.

Okay, those last two aren't official rules. The first three are for real though.

Fun things to do

Here are some fun tips to do if you prolong your stay. Pro tip: book your tickets in advance, some sell out quickly!

Our top 2 for dancers, in random order:

Amaze. Immersive audiovisual experience by ID&T, masters of Dutch dance events.
Nxt Museum. New media art museum. You'll love it (picture 2)

Fancy a traditional sightseeing tour?
Hop on a canal cruise. Visit a traditional museum, like Rijksmuseum (the best Dutch paintings) and Van Gogh Museum, or a modern museum like Foam, Stedelijk Museum or Straat Museum. If you're interested in history, try Anne Frank Huis (very hard to get tickets), Scheepvaartmuseum or the secret hidden church Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder.

Looking for fun experiences?
Take crazy pictures at Wondr or Upside Down, swing over the edge of A'dam Lookout or visit Artis, the oldest zoo of the Netherlands. Book a free tour at Gassan Diamonds or learn (and taste) more about Heineken.