Today I rode my bike to work for the first time. I've practiced riding on the weekends and at night, but this is the first time in peak hour, and it's quite a different experience. The bike paths chock full, but I feel safe enough amongst the pack as long as I stay straight and consistent.
I also got my personal OV-chipkaart today, a bright pink tram card with my face printed on it. Now I feel more like a local when I swipe it on the tram, rather than using the blue anonymous ones that the tourists use. WHat's even better is that work pays for any travel I do using the card within zones 1 & 2, so I can go anywhere between Zuid and Centraal for free- score!
Showing posts with label public transport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public transport. Show all posts
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Walking on Water
Our tram did not turn up this morning so we had to catch the metro to the Nieuwmarkt station, and there was a bit of a walk into the shopping area we were aiming for. Fortunately this took us past one of the most stunning sights so far this week- a completely frozen over canal that was covered in ice skaters. We hopped down onto the ice and walked along the canal for a few hundred metres, even going under one of the bridges. It seems that this is a pretty rare event and we're very lucky to be here at this time to experience it.
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| Sunset we saw on the way home |
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Public Transport
The first day we caught the tram into the city centre, we got an absolute shock at the cost- we purchased tickets from the tram driver, and it was 2.70 Euro per person per way- that's over 10 Euro for both of us to get into the city and back, and it's only 10 minutes away!
After a bit more research that night, it turns out that there are 3 types of public transport tickets- the disposable tickets which we bought, the anonymous OV-chipkaart, and the personal OV-chipkaart. The personal card is for residents, but the anonymous card is exactly what we were after. It costs 7.50 Euro to start with, but you can charge it with funds, then you swipe it when you get on and off the tram. It is much cheaper- about 0.90 for the trip into the city. The cards can be bought from automatic machines in the metro stations, and recharged at the same machines with either cash or credit card, which is good for us!
Also, the website 9292.nl/ has been invaluable- it has a trip planner which you put in your start and end locations and it tells you exactly which tram or train to take, along with times and prices. Couldn't have managed without it.
After a bit more research that night, it turns out that there are 3 types of public transport tickets- the disposable tickets which we bought, the anonymous OV-chipkaart, and the personal OV-chipkaart. The personal card is for residents, but the anonymous card is exactly what we were after. It costs 7.50 Euro to start with, but you can charge it with funds, then you swipe it when you get on and off the tram. It is much cheaper- about 0.90 for the trip into the city. The cards can be bought from automatic machines in the metro stations, and recharged at the same machines with either cash or credit card, which is good for us!
Also, the website 9292.nl/ has been invaluable- it has a trip planner which you put in your start and end locations and it tells you exactly which tram or train to take, along with times and prices. Couldn't have managed without it.
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