Further information on this page includes nightbus tickets and validity of tickets on railways in the Amsterdam area.

Zones
The number of zones your ticket has been made valid for determines the area you can travel in. For example, the number of strips you have to stamp on your strippenkaart is always one more than the number of zones you travel in. Another example is the sterabonnement where you will have to pick a centre zone and star value to indicate what zones you can travel in.

Ticket inspectors
Occasionally you will encounter ticket inspectors in the bus, tram and metro vehicles and on the metro platform. If you can't show these ticket inspectors a valid ticket you are liable to a €. 64,50 fine. If you cannot or will not pay this fine you will have to show them some sort of identification. Ticket inspectors have the authority to take you to a police station to establish your identity if necessary.

A fare of €. 4,50 is included in the €. 64,50 fine. That makes the receipt for your fine a valid ticket for one hour on all GVB lines.

Strippenkaart
The strippenkaart is the most common ticket. It is a card with strips of which you have to stamp a certain number to make it a valid ticket. Several types of the strippenkaart are available.

Small strippenkaart
Tram- and busdrivers and tramconductors sell the -relatively expensive- small strippenkaart with 2, 3 or 8 strips. This ticket is always stamped when you purchase it.

The small strippenkaart can be used in different ways simply by stamping it differently. By stamping a 3-strippenkaart vertically it becomes an uurnetkaart instead of a regular two-zone ticket. An uurnetkaart is valid for one hour in all Amsterdam zones.

If an 8-strippenkaart is stamped vertically it becomes an Amsterdam dagkaart (dayticket). This dayticket is valid during the day that it is stamped and the following night. Two of these vertically stamped 8-strip tickets make up a national dayticket. The national dayticket is valid in the entire country.

The ticket dispensing machines that can be found in most metro stations sell 1, 2, 3 and 4-zone tickets, the uurnetkaart and daytickets. These differ from the strippenkaart only in appearance.

Large strippenkaart
The large strippenkaart with 15 or 45 strips can only be obtained in advance at places like the GVB and conneXXion ticket offices, post-offices, bookstores and tobacconists.

The 15-strippenkaart is also available from most railway ticket dispensing machines and the ticket-windows at railway stations.

Reduced fare
Children of 4 up to and including 11 years (younger children travel free) and owners of a Pas 65 or OV-studentenkaart can travel for a reduced fare. A red 15-strippenkaart is available for this reduced fare. The reduced fare also applies to bicycles, that you can bring on some metro lines, and dogs, if you do not carry them on your lap or in a bag.

For all forementioned groups except owners of the OV-studentenkaart it is allowed to travel together as one person normal fare on a 2, 3 or 8 strippenkaart. One 8-strippenkaart stamped on the fourth strip is then an Amsterdam dayticket; one 8-strippenkaart suffices as a national dayticket.

Stamping a strippenkaart
In a bus or in a tram with conductor the driver or conductor will stamp the strippenkaart when you board the vehicle but in other cases you will have to stamp the strippenkaart yourself in a stamping machine. In a tram without a conductor or the sneltram (line 50 and 51) you will find the yellow stamping machines next to the doors or in the back of the tram. You should stamp your strippenkaart immediately after you have boarded. In the metro stations you should stamp your ticket before entering the platform. Stamping machines are located at the entrance of the platform. In railway stations the stamping machines can be found in the hall or at the entrance of the platform.

Before you stamp the strippenkaart in a machine you have to calculate how many strips you need. Take the amount of zones for your trip and add one strip for the basic fare. Then count the strips from the last stamped strip (or the first strip if it's a new strippenkaart), fold the strippenkaart and stamp it. You only stamp the strippenkaart once on the strip you need. For example, assuming you have an unused strippenkaart, you stamp only the third strip if you are traveling two zones.

This is an example of a stamp on a strippenkaart. From left to right is shown: the number of the stamp that was used (always vertical), the four-digit zonenumber, the weeknumber, the day (sometimes vertical) and the time.

A two-character abbreviation is used to indicate the day on the stamp:

MA	Monday
DI	Tuesday
WO	Wednesday
DO	Thursday
VR	Friday
ZA	Saturday
ZO	Sunday

Validity of the strippenkaart
The time after which your strippenkaart expires when stamped is shown in the table below. Within this time you can make as many transfers as you like, just as long as you stay within your zone(s).

Validity of the strippenkaart
Strips	Zones	Valid for
2 - 4	1 - 3	1 hour
5 - 7	4 - 6	1½ hours
8 - 10	7 - 9	2 hours
11 - 16	10 - 15	3 hours
17 - 19	16 - 18	3½ hours
20	unlimited	3½ hours

Multiple persons using one strippenkaart
Multiple persons can travel using one strippenkaart. Just stamp the ticket as many times as there are persons.

Not enough remaining strips on your strippenkaart
It is possible that your strippenkaart contains less strips then you need for your trip. Then stamp the old strippenkaart on the last strip and use another strippenkaart for the remaining number of strips.

Prices of the strippenkaart

Sterabonnement
Those that regularly use public transport in Amsterdam may want to purchase a sterabonnement. These can only be obtained in advance at places like the GVB and conneXXion ticket offices, post-offices, bookstores and tobacconists.

Sterabonnement
A sterabonnement (ster means star) is made valid for a certain period (a week, a month or a year) and a certain number of stars when purchased. The zone stamped on the abonnement is the centre zone. With one star you can travel only in the centre zone. With two stars you can travel in the centre zone and one bordering zone in any direction. Three stars enables you to travel in the centre zone and two bordering zones. So, when buying an abonnement be sure to pick the best possible centre zone. An N-star abonnement is valid in all zones.

If your trip exceeds the area your abonnement is valid for you can use a strippenkaart for the remaining number of zones.

The sterabonnement is available in normal and reduced fare. The reduced fare applies to 4 to 18 years-old, owners of a Pas 65, dogs and bicycles.

Prices of the sterabonnement

Stamkaart
To be able to use a sterabonnement you will also need a stamkaart (identification card). You can get a free stamkaart at the GVB offices or a post-office. A passport photograph and identification are required. You also need a stamkaart to use a 12-reizenkaart reduced fare.

Dagkaarten (Daytickets)
Especially for visitors to Amsterdam daytickets are available. These daytickets are valid for a whole day on all Amsterdam tram-, bus- and metrolines. If you decide to buy a dayticket you have three options: the 8-strippenkaart as a dayticket, the GVB dagkaart and the Circle-tram ticket.

The 8-strippenkaart as a dayticket
see strippenkaart

GVB dagkaart
The regular dayticket is only valid for one day, but a GVB dayticket can be obtained for a period of 1 up to 9 days. These tickets are only available at the GVB offices.

The GVB dagkaart is available in normal and reduced fare. The reduced fare applies to 4 to 11 years-old, owners of a Pas 65, dogs and bicycles.

Prices of the GVB dagkaart

Circle-tram ticket
Like the other daytickets the Circle-tram ticket is valid on all Amsterdam tram-, bus- and metrolines. It is available for a period of 1 up to 4 days. Circle-tram tickets can be obtained at the Circle-tram itself, the GVB offices, the VVV and a number of hotels.

Prices of the Circle-tram ticket

Gezelschapsbiljet
For groups of 10 persons or more the gezelschapsbiljet is available. The rules of the gezelschapsbiljet are the same as those of the strippenkaart. The fare per strip equals that of the 45-strippenkaart. This ticket can only be obtained at the GVB offices.

The gezelschapsbiljet is available in normal and reduced fare. The reduced fare applies to 4 to 11 years-old, owners of a Pas 65, dogs and bicycles.

Prices of the gezelschapsbiljet

Nightbus tickets
The nightbuses require a special fare and ticket. The fares for the different companies are different.

GVB nightbuses
The GVB nightbuses require a higher fare. You have to buy a special ticket (Ritkaartje) or a supplemental ticket if you already have a valid ticket. Only the OV-jaarkaart, the GVB dagkaart and the Circle-tram ticket are valid on all local nightbuses without any additional fare.

Ritkaartje
This ticket is valid for one hour and costs €. 4,00. A 5-trip ticket is available at the GVB offices. A 5-trip ticket costs €. 17,50.

Toeslagkaartje (Supplemental ticket)
This supplemental ticket is also valid for one hour and costs €. 2,00. It is only valid in combination with:
- a sterabonnement valid in at least one Amsterdam zone, or
- the OV-studentenkaart, or
- 3 strips on the strippenkaart

A supplememental ticket that can be used 5 times is available at the GVB offices. This ticket costs €. 8,75.

Nightbus 700 and 701
Nightbus 701 (to Zaandam) requires a strippenkaart or sterabonnement valid for the whole trip plus the supplemental ticket.

For nightbus 700 (to Almere) a special ticket is required. This ticket costs €. 12,50 but if you have a sterabonnement that is valid in at least one Amsterdam zone the ticket costs €. 7,50.

NZH nightbuses
The NZH nightbuses also require a higher fare. On all NZH nightbuses you need a valid ticket plus a supplemental ticket. This supplemental ticket is also required during weekends for all regular NZH buslines that depart after 0.45 hours.

Supplemental ticket
This ticket is valid for an entire night on all NZH nightbuses and costs €. 2,50. The supplemental ticket is always used in combination with another valid ticket.

A set of 10 supplemental tickets is available at the NZH offices for the price of €. 22,50.

Midnet nachtbuses
A different fare applies to all Midnet nightbus lines.

A special ticket is required for nightbus 157N. This ticket costs €. 10,00 but if you already have a ticket you only need to buy an additional ticket that costs €. 5,00.

Nightbuses 137N and 139N also require a special ticket. A ticket for nightbus 137N costs €. 12,50. A ticket for nightbus 139N costs €. 15,00 but is cheaper when you do not travel the entire route.

Tickets for the Midnet nightbuses are available from the nightbus drivers.

Validity of tickets on railways in the Amsterdam area
The strippenkaart is also valid on all railways in the Amsterdam area. The normal rules apply to the calculation of strips on your strippenkaart. Daytickets and the sterabonnement are also accepted as a valid ticket, if the sterabonnement has at least a 3 star value and zone 5700 as centre zone. For railway trips that exceed the Amsterdam area a railway-ticket has to be bought.

The Amsterdam area is bounded by these NS railway stations: Station Lelylaan - Station Bijlmer - Muiderpoortstation - Diemen - Amsterdam Zuid/WTC - Diemen Zuid

Further information
Several other tickets are available. These include the combined public transport and railway tickets issued by the Dutch railways (NS) and the OV-jaarkaart that is valid for a year in almost all public transport in the Netherlands. Event-related tickets are available on occasion. The GVB and cenneXXion ticket offices will have more information.

More information about Dutch public transport tickets is available at: