The centre of Amsterdam is easy to get around on foot but sometimes you may need to take the metro, especially to get around the more peripheral areas of the city.
In fact, the Amsterdam metro is not one of the best ways to travel around the centre, as it is better to use a bicycle or the bus or tram lines to reach the main sites of interest in the area.
The city’s metro system consists of a total of 5 lines and runs not only in Amsterdam but also to the neighbouring municipalities of Diemen, Amstelveen and Ouder-Amstel.
The Amsterdam Metro map
At the entrance to each metro station you can find a metro map with all the information posted on the walls. If you still like to have paper maps, you can ask for a copy of the map at ticket offices, information offices, tourist offices or even at your hotel.
If you would like to set off on your journey with the map already at your disposal, you can find the Amsterdam metro map here, which is very practical for organising your stay. You can download a detailed PDF version that includes all railway lines. The five lines are identified with different colours and numbers: on each line the stops are indicated, while white circles show the change stations.
Alternatively, you can download the free GVB (Gemeentelijk Vervoers Bedrijf) app for iOS and Android where you can find the map and all information for travelling by tram, bus, night bus, metro and ferry not only in Amsterdam but also in the rest of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam metro map Transport map
Metro lines
The Amsterdam metro currently consists of five lines with a total of 59 stops. Compared to the metro in Paris, Lisbon or London, Amsterdam’s metro is relatively new as the first line was opened in 1977. The initial construction plan envisaged a metro network with four lines that would replace part of the existing tram lines.
The metro is managed by the GVB company, which also coordinates tram, city bus and boat traffic. The lines have different colours and are named with numbers. Unlike other cities, in Amsterdam the numbering of the lines begins with 50, so lines 50 to 54 are currently in operation.
Three of the five lines (51-53-54) have their terminus at the Amsterdam Centraal station, while line 52 (also known as Noord – Zuidlijn) runs from Zuid station northwards, passes the central station and then continues to Noord station. Line 50, on the other hand, is the only line that does not pass through Central Station but connects the north with the south of the city
Here are the five lines:
- Line 50: Gein – Isolatorweg
- Route 51: Central Station – Westwijk
- Route 52: Zuid – Noord
- Route 53: Central Station – Gaasperplas
- Route 54: Central Station – Gein
Fares and subscriptions
There is no fixed-price single ticket to use the metro, but the cost depends on the length of the route you want to take. Alternatively, there are day tickets, the electronic rechargeable card (OV-chipkaart) and the ‘I Amsterdam Card’. The fares, tickets and subscriptions that can be activated can be found on the dedicated page, where there is also information on tram and bus tickets.
In the Amsterdam metro it is possible to take bicycles, outside rush hour, for an extra charge. Folding bicycles are considered hand luggage and can therefore be taken on the metro free of charge.
Timetables
The Amsterdam Metro operates daily from 6 a.m. to 12.30 a.m. The frequency of rides is approximately every 10 minutes.
If you travel by bike, note the peak times when bicycles are prohibited: Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 and 16:00 to 18:30. (There are no peak times on weekends and public holidays)
From 12.30 a.m. to 7 a.m. it is possible to travel on night buses, for which a special night fare applies.
Stations
There are five Amsterdam metro lines, stretching over 40 km and boasting 59 stops. Unlike metro stations such as those in Naples, Moscow or Budapest, those in Amsterdam are quite sober and have no special decoration or ornamentation, with the exception of the M52 line.
The M52 line is the newest and at almost every stop one can admire artistic works. For example, at Noord there is the Flyways bird artwork, at Noorderpark there is the masonry sculpture 7 Gates, and at Rokin there are several historical exhibits.
In almost all stations there is a ticket office that is open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., only the larger stations have a ticket office that is also open on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The history of the Amsterdam Metro
Amsterdam was one of the first places in the world to come up with the idea of a car-free centre. In order to achieve this goal, bicycle lanes, bicycle infrastructure and the Metro network were greatly developed.
In Amsterdam, talk of a metro network began in the early 20th century, but later the Second World War and the economic crisis blocked the realisation of these ideas. In the post-war period, however, economic growth brought an increase in the number of cars on the road and the city of Amsterdam, like many other European capitals, began to experience serious traffic problems.
In the Dutch capital, the construction of the metro network began in the 1960s, with the aim of reducing the number of tram lines and car traffic in general. The initial plan was to build only four lines, followed by the construction of a fifth line in the 2000s.
The first lines came into operation in 1977 and were lines 53 and 54, running between Weesperplein-Gaasperplein and Weesperplein-Holendrech. Thanks to its modern transport system and bicycle services, Amsterdam has become one of the European metropolises that has best realised a car-free urban mobility project.
