Getting to the Arena

If you're lucky enough to be going to the Amsterdam Arena, this page will help you to find your way. Note: currency amounts were accurate at the time of writing, but there may have been minor changes to the fares mentioned.

GVB Amsterdam 24/48/72-Hour Ticket

If you will be using public transit in Amsterdam more frequently than just one trip to the ArenA during your stay, we recommend you buy a pass for 24, 48 or 72 hours, either at the Amsterdam Municipal Transit Company (GVB) office across the street outside the main entrance of Central Station or at the ticket-windows in subway stations. Note that GVB Day Passes are not available at Schiphol Airport. A 24-Hour Ticket costs approximately €6.30 (fare of 2006). You can also purchase a 24-Hour Ticket from tram conductors. The GVB 24-Hour Ticket is valid on all Amsterdam trams, buses and subways, as well as the ferries to Amsterdam North. A 48-Hour Ticket costs €10, a 72-Hour Ticket €13 (fares of 2006).

Stations serving the ArenA

There are three official stations for the Amsterdam ArenA:

Duivendrecht train and metro station
Strandvliet/Arena metro station
Bijlmer train and metro station

We advise you not to walk from Duivendrecht station (although some people on your train will take the 20 minute walk), but to catch a metro and hop one or two stops further down: lines #50 and #54, towards terminal station Gein. If you have a ticket for the North ends of the Amsterdam ArenA, Strandvliet/ArenA is your stop. If your seat is at the South end of the ground, Bijlmer station is closer.

From Amsterdam Central Station

If you don't have a GVB 24/48/72-Hour Ticket, you can use a so-called strippenkaart ('strip card') for your journey by metro or train. If you travel by NS (Dutch Railways) train you can also buy an NS train ticket to Bijlmer station (less than €2). NS train tickets can be purchased at the NS ticket hall at Central Station as well as from from the yellow/blue ticket machines in the station hall. 'Strip cards' are available at kiosks and bookshops inside the station and at the ticket window in the underground metro station. The most common variety is a 15-strip card (approximately €5.70). Note that a strippenkaart can be used for trams, subways, buses and trains within the entire Greater Amsterdam area, whereas an NS train ticket is valid on NS trains only.

The required number of strips on a strippenkaart can be determined by looking at the city maps at each metro platform or tram stop. Determine through how many zones you will be travelling. The number of strips to be stamped off on your card (before boarding!) is the number of zones +1. A trip from Central Station to the ArenA costs four strips. Stamping machines are located near the escalators to train or metro platforms. Fold your strippenkaart so that strip #4 is up and insert the card into the machine.

The price for travelling with a strippenkaart is about the same as the price of a train ticket: you require four strips to Bijlmer station (approximately €1.65), whereas a one-way train ticket to Bijlmer station costs approximately €1.70. A return train ticket costs approximately €3. Note that your GVB Day Pass (see above) is valid for the subway option only, not for NS (Dutch Railways) trains.

There are two travel options: you can either take metro #54 towards Gein (departing from the underground Central Station metro platform; stamp off four strips on a strippenkaart) or a slow train in directions Utrecht Central (:41 past the hour, platform 7B) or Rotterdam Central (:21 past the hour, platform 2B). These are the trains that call at Bijlmer station, right next to the ArenA. From Bijlmer station, walk along ArenA Blvd towards the stadium. You'll find SoccerWorld bar, the main entrance and the box offices if you follow the left curve around the stadium, walking clockwise.

Metro trains run frequently: four times an hour off-peak on Sundays up to once every six minutes during rush hours. The trip takes just under 20 minutes. Slow trains to the ArenA run only twice an hour, but will take you to the stadium some six minutes faster.

Subway #54 also calls at downtown stations Nieuwmarkt, Waterlooplein, Weesperplein and Wibautstraat, as well as at Amstel train station. See a public transportation city plan to find out which station is the most convenient for you.

From Schiphol Airport

You will find the Schiphol railway station underground, below the main airport hall. Tickets can be purchased at the NS (Dutch Railways) ticket-windows in the main hall, or from the yellow/blue ticket machines. We advise you to buy a one-way train ticket to Duivendrecht for approximately €2.20. All trains in directions Amersfoort, Groningen, Weesp, Enschede, Utrecht Central and Lelystad call at Duivendrecht station. There are at least six trains an hour all week. Maximum wait is 13 minutes.

At Duivendrecht station, we recommend the purchase of either a GVB Day Pass at the GVB ticket-window or a strippenkaart ('strip card') at the ticket-windows, depending on the amount of travelling in Amsterdam you will be doing the rest of the day (see above).

The strippenkaart costs approximately €5.50 and can be used for all buses, trams, subways and trains within the Greater Amsterdam area. Fold your card at the 2nd strip and insert it (make sure strip #2 is up) into the yellow stamp-machines near the escalators to the subway platforms. Subways #54 and #50 will take you to Strandvliet or Bijlmer stations, from both of which it is a three minute walk to the ArenA.

The trip from Schiphol Airport to the ArenA should take less than 30 minutes and costs approximately € 2.80.

From Bijlmer station, walk along ArenA Blvd towards the stadium. You'll find SoccerWorld bar, the main entrance and the ticket box offices if you follow the left curve around the stadium, walking clockwise.