UPDATE – This section of the IBC 2013 is now updated with the latest up-to-date travel information.
Every year, IBC provides each attendee with a free tram pass to use throughout the show on the GVB public transport system, so all are able to explore the city to its full extent. The tram passes are valid from September 12-17. Once you have picked up your IBC badge you can collect your free six-day GVB public transport pass from any of the information desks. IBC also provides a free Shuttle Bus service from a selection of hotels to and from the RAI during each show day.
Trains to and from the Airport
If you are arriving at Schiphol Airport, you can take a train directly from Schiphol railway station, which is two stops from RAI. The railway station is underneath the terminal.
Trains to and from Amsterdam are a fast, comfortable and the most affordable method of transport. There are four trains an hour (:11, :26, :41, :56) leaving from platform 1/2 or 3, and the journey time is 10 to 11 minutes.
Should you wish to go to Amsterdam Central Station first, there will be trains leaving four or five times an hour, also from platform 1/2 or 3. There are about seven or eight trains per hour. Journey time varies according to the type of train (express or local), but will not take longer than 20 minutes. Note that trains going to Central Station do not go past the RAI (it is a different line).
You have to buy a ticket before you get on the train, either by using machines (“automats”) or from counters where available. Tickets (for RAI €2.50 single; €4.30 first class; for Central Station €3.70 single; €6.30 first class) are available from vending machines in the baggage reclaim part of Schiphol airport (before customs) or at machines near the escalator to the platforms.
Machines accept credit cards, debit cards and some will also accept loose change. There are additional charges for buying at the counter (€0.50) or using a credit card (€0.50) – and only Mastercard and Visa are accepted. Don’t be confused about the “reduced tariff rates” mentioned on some machines. Unlike London, this off-peak discount is only available if you have a special card.
Should you require more information about the Dutch train system, please go to the NS website (available in English)
During IBC a special shuttle service between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam RAI is available. At Schiphol Airport the buses will leave outside the terminal building. Departure is every 15/30 minutes in both directions.
Service will run approximately between 07:30 and 19:30 hours, Thursday 12 until Tuesday 17 September. An IBC badge or any confirmation of IBC registration will entitle you to FREE travel on this IBC shuttle service. You can download more information from here.
Transport around town
Trams are the most popular and easiest way to get around Amsterdam, although at times they tend to get very crowded, especially after the show closes. They are frequent, regular and are free with your IBC six-day travel pass, which can be collected from the IBC information points from Thursday, September 12.
Amsterdam public transport uses an an RFID system – similar to London’s Oyster Card. There are three types of cards, of which the anonymous travel card and the one-off are of interest to visitors. If you do use this system, remember to both check-in and check-out again when you get on and off each tram or bus you take. If you don’t check out, the system charges more from your RFID ticket-card.
After the trams stop running there is a half hourly night bus service.
Bring bucket loads of cash if you plan to park your own car in the centre of Amsterdam. It’s around €55 a day in the centre and very strictly enforced. There is some light relief in certain zones on Sundays, but not much. Perhaps best is to park the car in one of the RAI parking garages or parking lots. More information on parking in Amsterdam can be found here.
Parking at the RAI has remained at €15.50 per day.The garage is open from 7am till midnight. If you wish to park for more days then please go to the information desks at the RAI and ask for this product. You can leave your car overnight, but the RAI will inspect the garage every night to see if the appropriate fee has been paid.
Taxis
Taxis are taken from taxi ranks rather than hailed. As of April 1, 2012, a new fare structure is in place, which all licensed taxi drivers in Amsterdam must adhere to. Whereas the previous structure combined a fixed rate for the first two km of any journey, followed by a rate for each subsequent kilometre, there are now three components to consider in the price paid per journey. A taxi (with a maximum of four passengers) has a maximum start price of €2.83, the €2.08 for each kilometer or €0.34 for each minute waiting time. A typical taxi journey from the RAI into the city centre should cost around €15.
Should you need one at night, you can do so on the street without a problem. Alternatively, you can call TCA cabs (tel: +31 20 777 7777).
Although most taxi drivers are courteous and know their way around town, this is definitely not always the case. In order to improve the taxi ride experience, the City of Amsterdam is working to improve the transparency of prices and the taxi sector in general. For example, the City is clamping down on irregularities, such as demands by taxi chauffeurs for exorbitant off-meter fares and refusing short trips.
Taxis from the RAI are available from the taxi point located by the entrance to the exhibition by hall 11. But be prepared to wait in line.
A typical taxi journey from the airport to the RAI it should cost around €40.
Further Information
You can go to www.9292.nl and get a journey planner that covers all forms of public transport in Amsterdam (in fact across the Netherlands). Mobile versions run on the iPhone and Android and can be found for free in the relevant app stores.
There is also a useful website www.wifi-amsterdam.nl/free_wifi_internet.html that guides you to free Wi-Fi spots – an essential for any traveller.
