We needed to come to the Centraal Station to catch a train to visit Zaanse Schans yesterday. You…read moretap in with your credit card (or a pass if you got one for lots of public transit in a week or month). In order to enter the station. The digital directory screen was very easy to follow once we looked online to see which train we needed. There are intercity trains and sprinter trains which are slower or quicker because of the number of stops I think. We needed the 11:13 train on platform 5a to Uitgeest. We were t hungry yet but if we had been, the station has multiple places to buy pastries or snacks for travel. We only had to wait on the platform for about 15 minutes. The seats were comfortable and had options for 2 together or 4 facing each other for families. The ride was very smooth with only 2 stops before ours. You tap out at the platform of arrival at a little tap screen about waist height there.

Very large and a bit daunting for someone new to train travel. Once I figured out the platform…read moresystem, it was a bit easier, but many of the escalators are broken (June 2026), which makes moving around a challenge. Platforms are outside, which is not ideal during the worst heat wave in Amsterdam history.

Station Zaandam is in the charming town of Zaandam, and is steps away from downtown city center…read more Right now the station is under construction, which isn't to bothersome, as there isn't much to this train station. There is a ticket office onsite, along with a separate ticket kiosk outside of the ticket office. There is one fast food restaurant right when you enter the station, and a small coffee/snack/newspaper shop by the ticket office. (They do make a good cappuccino to take away.) You must take the stairs to the train platform, which was a bit difficult, if you have luggage to carry, with all the people hurrying to catch the train. I didn't see an elevator. There are a few seats that are surrounded by glass for those that want to get out of the rain, or wind waiting for the train. Also, a separate area for those that smoked. I was pleasantly surprised to see that not that many people were smoking at the train stations, compared to other countries that I have visited.

This is a station that looks more impressive on the outside than on the inside. It's a very…read moreutilitarian and basic station, with few amenities. It does have regular and direct service to both Amsterdam and schiphol airport.

Large train station, it was not the easiest station to navigate. Nor did the station have many…read moreemployees, for a station of this size, with so many people transferring you would think they have more than just one employee by the gate. He was very helpful and friendly but they probably should have at least one other person working. They had a bakery here, a Starbucks, I saw a small market, of sorts, and another place called Julia. However, I expected a few more options but what do I know, I am probably just a spoiled American... Kudos to the friendly worker who helped me find everything I needed here.

This train station is only six minutes away from the Amsterdam Central station. To avoid crowds and…read moreexpensive hotels downtown Amsterdam, you can stay here as there a few hotels within five minutes walk of this station. There are no staff here most of the time for ticketing assistance. The only time I saw a staff here, I asked a question about how to show the QR ticket of a eurail pass on "rail planer" app and she doesn't recognize the "rail planer" app. There is a Spar convenience store next to station where you can buy, fruits, sandwiches, coffee, water, instant noodles, and other snacks.

This is an excellent metro station, very modern and clean. The M52 metro line stops here in both…read moreNorth and South directions, during peak hours it stops every several minutes to around 10-12 minutes during non-peak times. Escalators and elevators are available to reach the train platforms. It takes a few minutes to get to train platform level as the escalators go very deep underground. There is also an elevator from the outside ground level to the lower level station entrance on the Northeast corner of Nieuwe Vizjelstraat and Weteringshans. Once you reach the station entrance level you must scan your ticket (physical or digital), chipped credit card, or QR code from relevant transportation pass at the electronic turnstile entrances to enter. You must also scan the same method upon exit, so make sure you have enough funds or time on your card so you don't get stuck inside a station! Ticket machines are available at the station entrance level too. Happy travels!

The Amsterdam Metro is extremely clean and efficient. The trains are wider, it seems, than Paris…read more The cleanliness is reminiscent of the Washington, DC, Metro. The announcements are both loud and clear.

Haarlem it's about 10 minutes away from Amsterdam Central Station by train. It is a small station…read more Lots of different restaurants in stores. Much quieter city to wander around than it is in Amsterdam. Great option for a half day trip here.

I had no idea that this station was the oldest station in the Netherlands. It's a beautiful…read morestation, that runs efficiently. It is easy to purchase tickets, and easy to find which platform your train leaves from. There is also a huge bike parking lot for those who want to park and ride. There are a few small shops on the platforms, and many coffee stands. Trains were on time, and no problems getting to my destination.

Amsterdam Amstel is all about the location. It's not a major structure when you see it but a major…read morelocation. This is a high end area and this station could be passed without noticing the trains or the trams. I give it five stars for the beauty of the architecture blending in with the surroundings as well as the travel options this station allows. If I were lazy after visiting friends out here and didn't want to cycle home, I could either get on a train or tram to eventually get home (hint - cycling is always faster and more reliable in Amsterdam). Nice station for going towards Utrech or Amsterdam Centraal. From those two options - you can get everywhere in Western Europe.

Amstel Station was the closest station to our hotel, so we were in and out of it quite a lot. It…read morewas bright, spacious, and easy to navigate. The workers were all very helpful whenever we needed assistance. We were most appreciative that the convenience store was open later for when we would come back from the main part of the city late at night and need snacks and beverages. We used the train to get to Centraal Station, but used the tram system just outside the station to visit the Museumplein. Both systems are very user friendly and easy to navigate for foreigners. 5/2020

Ok, all you Amsterdam newbies, here is a very important tip to remember: their dispensaries are…read morecalled "coffee shops" and their coffee shops are called "cafes". When I saw that Blue Lagoon had the word "coffee shop" in it, I thought that I was walking into a coffee shop and not a dispensary. Since this was my first time in Amsterdam, this kind of thing genuinely surprised me! This dispensary, or shall I say coffee shop, is a little hidden gem that has a ton of seating where you can enjoy whatever type of weed you're having. I have a love/hate relationship with weed in general - sometimes I want to take it, other times I do not. If I end up taking week in most cases, even if it's a small amount, I sometimes feel like a fish out of water. My dad ended up ordering a red velvet cupcake edible, which was titled "Sweet Sins Bakery". While the cupcakes looked good to eat, I didn't even try to have one bite of it. Other edibles besides this specific cupcake are also available. Cool place and I think this is the closest coffee shop that was within walking distance of our hotel. Also located right across the street is a train station (which we took to get here), which is convenient.

It was tucked next to a greasy spoon restaurant called...Greazy. I intended to eat and then go back…read moreto Blue Lagoon and hang out. I bought one of the recommended pre rolls and asked for a recommendation for food. He said Greazy was good. Went to Greazy and realized rather quickly that the service was super slow. The people I had seen sitting inside before I came here were just getting drinks by the time I was getting annoyed that I needed WiFi to pull up the menu. The charging stations also wouldn't work. Decided to move on and find food. Didn't make it back to Blue Lagoon but I smoked the joint. It was basically a cigarette. Had no effect and ending up tossing it because it tasted bad....like a cigarette. Maybe there are other strains or hanging out there improves things but I wouldn't go out of my way. Nice place to have if you live in the area.

Average train station. Nothing really special about it. They do already have the ov-chipkaart…read moregates in, but just like the ones in Amsterdam, they are always left open. One thing I don't like is that you can only exit the platforms in one direction instead of two like a lot of other stations.

Amsterdam Zuid (South) is a key public transit hub in the neighborhood of the same name, directly…read moresouth of the Museumwartier (Museum Quarter) district and south of city center Amsterdam. Overall clean and easy to navigate. The surrounding streets are mostly residential though heading southwards there are more office and commercial buildings. As a busy commuter station mornings and evenings you'll hit rush hour conditions, expect densely packed platforms and train cars on both local commuter trains and the M52 metro line. There are separate entry points for each type of transportation so you need to scan in and out of the respective areas, via chipped credit/debit card or smartphone payment method or QR code. If you pay by card or phone they will charge you by distance depending on where you scan in and out, same for buses and trams. Single/multi-ride ticket machines are also available in the station. Some parts of the platforms are exposed to the outside elements so keep that in mind if it's rainy/snowy. Bus and tram stops are located a short 2-5 minute walk depending on the line you're trying to catch. There's public bike parking underground accessible via a couple entrances with ramped escalators (as compared to normal stair escalators) to accommodate bike traffic. To reach the city center, by metro or tram it's about 15-25 minutes depending where you're heading, by train about 10 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal. To Schipol Airport it's a 10 min train ride.

I like this station over the Central one because it's cleaner and it's located in a business…read morelocation. There are good food options right outside the station if you have some time on your hands. Best thing is it's less crowded. So you should have good seat options. We were here during the strike in Belgium, so our train to Antwerp was cancelled. We had to take a train down to Rotterdam and then catch the Antwerp one down there. A little hectic, but we finally made it.