Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

Amsterdam's massive Schiphol airport, one of the biggest in the world, has connections and services galore. Buses are the best budget way to travel, but train is very pleasant - Centraal Station is both beautiful and efficient, and you can take the Eurostar train to Britain. Ferries run from Amsterdam to Britain and Norway. The roads in the Netherlands are characteristically well-maintained; if you want to continue your love affair with the bicycle, there are loads of bike paths, and the Dutch make popping your treddly on a ferry or train cheap and easy.

Getting around

The best and most classically 'Amsterdam' way to get around the city is by bicycle - make sure you get a lock, as theft is rife. Of course, the city is of such manageable size you can reach most places on foot, but there's also an efficient public transport system. It covers almost the whole city (though the canal belt can be tricky as trams and buses stick to 'spoke' roads). Centraal Station is the hub of it all, where tram, bus, train and metro lines converge. Trams are good for the inner city, buses go farther out, while the train is most useful for getting to the airport and the metro is best for getting to the international bus station.