Hoofddorp is located close to Amsterdam. Depending on where you need to be, travel and transport will bring you to the city in 20-30 minutes. A great alternative is going by train. They depart regularly, bringing you to Amsterdam Central Station in 20 minutes.
You can easily buy an Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket online.
Travel by car | Parking
P+R Amsterdam
P+R stands for Park and Ride. In Amsterdam, this means that you can park your car affordably and fast on the outskirts of the city and use public transport to travel to the city centre.
P+R Parking € 1 on weekdays after 10:00 | weekends and public holidays € 1 for 24 hours | € 8 on weekdays before 10:00 | € 8 first 24 hours, then € 1 per 24 hours
Regular rates in Amsterdam range from € 1.40 to € 3.60 per hour.
How does P+R work? Download P+R leaflet (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Public Transport
Amsterdam Travel Ticket
Are you planning to visit Amsterdam for 1,2 or 3 days and will you be arriving at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport? Amsterdam Travel Ticket is the easiest all-in-one ticket. The combination ticket offers you a train ticket, bus ticket and unlimited travel on all public transportation run by the Amsterdam transport company GVB.
You will receive a handy map that explains how the card system works and shows you also all the attractions of Amsterdam!
Buy your TicketsBuy your ticket at Schiphol
Right at arrival on Schiphol you can buy the Amsterdam Travel Ticket at the NS Tickets & Service counter (main hall at Schiphol Plaza), AKO bookshops and the Holland Tourist Information (arrival hall 2 at Schiphol Plaza). You can also buy this ticket at several hotels and the GVB Tickets & Info counters in Amsterdam.
Public Transport | Bus
There are extensive city and regional bus lines in Holland. This means that, wherever you are in Holland, there are bus services that will take you to most places, quickly and affordably. While bus companies vary per region, the connections are generally excellent, so you can reach your destination quickly. You will need a valid ticket to travel by bus: a single-use chip card or an anonymous OV-chipkaart (smart card). Single-use chip cards can also be bought on the bus, but that usually costs more.
Public Transport | Tram
The tram is a perfect means of transport in big cities. It is easy to get on and off and takes you to your destination quickly and affordably. Another advantage is that you can do some sightseeing on the way. Did you know that tram line 2 in Amsterdam is one of the world’s best tram rides? With 16 tram lines, Amsterdam is also the city with the greatest number of trams in Holland, but Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague also offer excellent tram connections. The ride from The Hague Central Station to Scheveningen boulevard, for instance, takes just 15 minutes! Tram services usually start at 6 AM and run until midnight; check the service schedules at the tram stop for precise times. You will need a valid ticket to travel by tram: a single-use chip card or an anonymous OV-chipkaart, see below. Single-use chip cards can also be bought on the tram, but that usually costs more.
Public Transport | Subway / Metro
In addition to trams and buses, the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam also offer a metro service. These are usually affordable as well and generally faster than trams. The metro takes you from Duivendrecht railway station to the very centre of Amsterdam within minutes, for instance. In Rotterdam, you can travel to Blijdorp Zoo or the port of Rotterdam. The Randstadrail network (a combination of metro, train and tram) even takes you to The Hague Central Station. You will need a valid ticket to travel by metro: a single-use chip card or an anonymous OV-chipkaart, see below. You can also buy a single-use chip card from a ticket machine at the metro stations.
Public Transport | Train
You can use a single-use chipcard or an OV-chipkaart (smart card) to travel by train in Holland. The single-use chipcard is perfect for incidental travellers. You can buy it at an NS ticketing machine or service desk. Single-use chipcards always cost 1 euro more per trip. You don’t have to charge credit to the card but you do have to check in and out. If you plan to use the train more often while staying in Holland, we recommend buying an ‘anonymous OV-chipkaart’. You can buy them at NS ticketing machines or the service desk.
If you want to travel by train, you need at least 20 euros worth of credit on your OV-chipkaart!
Using the OV-chipkaart
All means of public transport in Holland require a so-called OV-chipkaart, a smart card that is valid on the bus, tram, metro and train. Since there is no specific OV-chipkaart for tourists, we recommend using an ‘anonymous’ OV-chipkaart. This smart card costs 7.50 euros but comes without travel credit, so you must charge credit to the card at a service desk or (NS) ticket machine with the pink OV-chipkaart logo. You must have at least 4 euros worth of travel credit on your anonymous OV-chipkaart to use the bus, tram or metro. Once charged, you can use your anonymous OV-chipkaart on the bus, tram and metro right away! Always make sure to check in when boarding your bus, train or metro and don’t forget to check out on arrival.
Day tickets and single-use chip card
Amsterdam, Rotterdam and a few other cities offer special one to seven-day tickets for tourists. A perfect way to travel throughout the city without limitations at a special rate. If you don’t have an anonymous OV-chipkaart, you can also buy a single-use chip card, which is suitable for short trips and offers limited-time validity for bus, tram or metro in a city. Single-use chip cards are suitable for the incidental traveller. If you plan to use public transport services in Holland more than once, an anonymous OV-chipkaart is more practical and usually the cheaper option.