Practical Information for visiting Amsterdam

Cycle. It is the fastest way across the city, the infrastructure is exceptional, and rental is cheap and everywhere. Learn the rules first: ride on the right of the bike lane, signal with an arm, use lights after dark or risk a fine, and never stop in the lane.

Trams cover the centre densely and are the easiest option if you are not cycling; buses, four metro lines and free ferries across the IJ complete the network. Tap a contactless card on and off, or buy a GVB day pass.

Walking works for the canal ring, which is compact.

From Schiphol: trains to Centraal in under twenty minutes, several an hour.

Do not drive. Parking is scarce and among the most expensive in Europe, and much of the centre is restricted.

Watch for bikes when crossing anything.

Coverage for mobile networks is excellent throughout with widespread 5G, including on the metro.

Dutch SIM cards are inexpensive, and EU roaming rules mean visitors from within the union pay domestic rates.

Wi-Fi is free in almost every cafe, bar and museum, and the Netherlands has among the highest broadband penetration in the world.

Payment is the thing to plan for. Many Dutch businesses accept only debit cards on the local PIN system and will refuse credit cards, and a growing number take no cash at all. A contactless debit card usually works; a credit card alone sometimes will not.

Power is 230 volts on European two-pin sockets.

Amsterdam is a safe city with low violent crime. The hazards are traffic and theft.

• Bicycles are the most likely thing to injure you. Do not walk, stand or photograph in a bike lane, look both ways before stepping off any kerb, and remember that cyclists often have right of way and will assume you know it.
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• Bike theft is endemic; use both locks, and never buy a cheap bike offered on the street.
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• Pickpocketing around Centraal station, on trams and in the crowded Damrak and red-light streets.
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• Canals have no railings. People fall in and drown every year, almost always after drinking.
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• Drugs: edibles and truffles catch visitors out badly, and street dealers sell dangerous fakes. Buy only in a licensed coffeeshop and start small.
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• Fines for public drinking and cycling without lights.

Dutch healthcare is excellent. EU visitors should carry a European Health Insurance Card; others need travel insurance. Access runs through a general practitioner or the out-of-hours service rather than straight to a hospital.

No vaccinations are required beyond routine cover.

Cannabis: what is sold in coffeeshops is legal to buy in small quantities and considerably stronger than most visitors expect. Edibles take up to two hours to act, which is how people end up in an ambulance. Do not mix with alcohol, and do not buy on the street.

Tap water is excellent — among the best in Europe — and bottled water is unnecessary.

Pharmacies are widespread, with a rota for nights and weekends.

Cycling injuries are the commonest reason visitors end up in a clinic.

Emergency number: 112 for police, fire and ambulance. Operators speak English, as do almost all Dutch emergency staff.

Non-emergency police: 0900-8844, which is where to report theft. You will need a report for any insurance claim, and it can be started online.

Medical. For anything non-urgent, call the central doctors’ service rather than going to a hospital; they will direct you. EU visitors use the European Health Insurance Card.

If you fall in a canal, swim to the nearest ladder set into the wall rather than trying to climb out; they are spaced along the quays for exactly this reason.

Lost property from transport is held by GVB and by the railways and is often recovered.

Most countries maintain consulates in Amsterdam and embassies in The Hague.