Amsterdam

Although most cruise lines list Amsterdam as the destination, the port may instead be IJmuiden.

Getting there

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has a direct service to Amsterdam Central Station, with about 5 trains an hour and a journey time of about 18 minutes. A foreign credit card (Maestro or Visa) can be used to check in and then out again; this applies across public transport in the Netherlands, including trains, buses and the Metro. Do remember to check in and out.

A taxi from the airport costs around 60 Euro; official taxis queue outside the airport.

For around 17 Euro per person, the Schiphol Hotel Shuttle serves almost every Amsterdam hotel. The cruise terminal sits beside the Movenpick Hotel.

Direct international trains operate to and from Brussels, with connections to Eurostar services for London, England, as well as Paris, Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin and more.

GPS address: Piet Heinkade 27, 1019 BR Amsterdam.

Amsterdam’s cruise terminal is about a 10-minute walk from Central Station and the city centre. Leave the station by the rear exit, where the ship is visible, and follow the waterfront. Taxis often decline short journeys; tram 26, which stops on the east side in front of Central Station, is useful with heavy luggage.

The terminal described above is expected to close as the city council seeks to address "overtourism". A cycle bridge is planned, after which cruise ships will no longer be able to berth in the city centre. Environmental activists may also block the locks at IJmuiden, preventing a ship from reaching Amsterdam.

River-cruise ships may berth on the far side of the terminal, making the walk into town a little longer, although many are docked closer to the station.

Elsewhere in the port, there are no good airport connections, leaving an expensive taxi as the only option.

If more than two ships are at the Main Passenger Terminal, the VCK Waterland terminal at Elbaweg 10 is used, with shuttles provided. It is an industrial port handling Nissan cars and machinery from factories around the world, with no facilities or public transport. The often-free shuttles run to Sloterdijk station, from where Central Station in central Amsterdam is a 10-minute train ride. Check with the cruise line in advance to confirm the services it will provide.

Be sure to take your passport with you when disembarking, as customs will check it.

Harbour webcams.

Video of Central Station.

There are 2 terminals: the older ferry terminal, Felison Terminal, and the new Felison Cruise Terminal (see map).

Only small cruise ships use Felison Terminal, where buses take passengers to Amsterdam and other destinations. A "Shanty Chorus" is often there to welcome or bid farewell to visitors. A taxi to Amsterdam costs about 60 Euro, public transport is limited, and ship-provided shuttles or excursions are the best option.

This terminal stands in an industrial area, but a large marina, the Holiday Inn and several modest restaurants and outdoor cafés are within walking distance. A wide beach with further outdoor cafés and restaurants is a little farther on and can be pleasant on a fine day.

A minibus is available in the port area to carry disabled passengers from the ship to the terminal building.

Cruise lines generally offer shuttles to Amsterdam for around 45 Euro per person.

The terminal has the following services, although the desk is slightly understaffed:

Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket for 1-3 Days: valid on buses, the Metro, trams and trains across the Amsterdam region, for 21 Euro. See map.

In daytime, route 382 runs every 30 minutes to Amsterdam-Sloterdijk station and takes 41 minutes. From there, take a train or other transport to the area you want. The bus stop is a few minutes’ walk away; see the video for directions. On leaving the terminal, use the steps opposite it: there are about 20 steps up and down, and the stop is there. Enter Badweg IJmuiden as the starting point and Amsterdam Sloterdijk as the destination, with the relevant day and time. A one-way fare is about 6.30 per person.

Credit cards are accepted for checking in and out; do not forget to do both...

On trams and buses, check in and out on board. For the Metro and train, do so at the station entry gates.

Taxis cost €120 each way for a 4-seater or €180 each way for a 6-seater.

From Schiphol Airport to IJmuiden with light luggage, take the frequent train to Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station, running almost every 10 minutes, then take bus 82, which runs every half hour, to the cruise terminal.

Take your passport ashore: customs will check it when you disembark.

Printable map.

Cruise schedules for Amsterdam and IJmuiden.

Amsterdam port location on Google Maps.

A canal cruise is a highlight of an Amsterdam visit and a memorable way to discover the city. Many operators run hour-and-a-quarter trips past grand canal houses, colourful houseboats, the canal with seven arched bridges and the Dutch East Indies Company replica ship, among other sights and waterside scenes. From the water, you also get excellent views of Amsterdam’s splendid landmarks.

Several canal-cruise companies operate in front of Central Station, with tours costing around 15 Euro.

Public transport is unlikely to be necessary directly outside Central Station. In bad weather or if walking is difficult, buy a ticket from the bus driver, tram ticket inspector or Metro machine. It costs a little more but is simpler: 2.60 Euro for a one-hour card or 7 Euro for a day card. Check in and out, or the ticket becomes unusable. These tickets are valid only on services displaying the GVB logo, not on trains or other bus operators.

The well-known fishing villages of Volendam, reached by bus 110 or 118, and Marken, reached by bus 111, lie on the former Zuiderzee coast, now called the IJsselmeer. They are known for wooden houses and local colourful traditional dress.

The Marken Express links Volendam and Marken in both directions, with daytime departures every 30/45 minutes.

In spring, the flowers and colours at the Keukenhof are said to be unrivalled anywhere in the world.

Zaanse Schans is an old hamlet beside the River Zaan, with characteristic green wooden houses, stylised gardens, small hump-backed bridges, craftspeople’s workshops, historic windmills and little shops. It gives a strong impression of a typical Zaanse village in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Alongside its windmills and houses are several museums, restaurants, a visitors’ centre and river boat trips. Zaanse Schans has become one of the top tourist destinations in…

With ancient buildings, cobbled streets and winding waterways, medieval Haarlem is one of the Netherlands’ most photogenic destinations. It is an easy fifteen-minute train journey from Amsterdam Central Station and is often described as a smaller version of its better-known neighbour.

Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s longest shopping street, runs from Dam square to Muntplein. Turn right at Heiligeweg for more exclusive shops; at the far end, on Koningsplein to the left, is the famous floating flower market. Continue along Leidsestraat to reach Leidseplein.

For fashion, antiques and art, begin at the Concertgebouw (Concert Hall) and walk northwest along Van Baerlestraat towards Vondelpark. Turn right into elegant PC Hooftstraat, a noted shopping street. At the canal at its end, turn right and walk to the Rijksmuseum, then turn left across the canal. Straight ahead, Spiegelgracht is a quiet stretch of canal leading to Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, Amsterdam’s leading antiques-shopping street.

Amsterdam’s international population is reflected in restaurants and cafés serving everything from authentic Indonesian dishes to Mediterranean tapas.

A popular snack is the kroket: thick ragout, formed into a cylinder about 10 cm long and 4 cm thick, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. It is usually made with beef or veal, and even McDonalds sells a MacKroket.

Try herring served raw with some chopped onions.

One Euro is divided into 100 cents. Coins are issued in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, plus 1 and 2 euros; notes are 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, following the 1, 2, 5 pattern. Some shops will not accept high-denomination notes and many dislike 1- and 2-cent coins, so cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5 cents.

Credit cards are less widely accepted in the Netherlands than in many countries because of retailers’ high charges. Ask before planning to pay by credit card; cash is preferred. Public transport does not accept credit cards.

Almost everyone in Amsterdam speaks English, and many people also speak German and French. English speakers are generally better off using English, unless they also speak Dutch, rather than trying French or German.

Dutch is often assumed to be very close to German, but the languages are not mutually intelligible. Dutch people learn German at school and generally speak better English than German. The relationship between German and Dutch is rather like that between French and Italian.

The Amsterdam cruise terminal has free Wi-Fi; collect the login and password from reception. On the ship’s promenade deck, the port-side connection is good. The Felison Cruise Terminal also offers free Wi-Fi, with login details shown on its terminal monitors.

Shops generally open from 1-6pm on Mondays and 9/10am-6pm from Tuesday to Friday. Most stay open until 9pm on Thursday and close earlier, at 5pm, on Saturday. Some supermarkets, including Albert Heijn, remain open until 8 or 10 pm. Sunday shopping is available in the city centre, Kalverstraat, Damrak, Leidsestraat and near the Noorderkerk.

Public holidays in the Netherlands:

There are also two World War II remembrance days. Neither is an official holiday, though some places close: May 4 commemorates those who died in the war, while May 5 marks Liberation.

• New Year’s Day falls on Jan 1.
• Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
• Ascension Day, on Thursday, 40 days after Easter.
• King’s Day – April 27, when Amsterdam becomes one large party.
• Pentecost Sunday (the 7th Sunday after Easter) and Pentecost Monday.
• Christmas Day is December 25, followed by Boxing Day on December 26.