Amsterdam Metro: Lines, Fares and How to Ride

The five metro lines explained

Amsterdam runs five numbered metro services, and most share track through the centre so you rarely wait long. Lines 50, 51, 53 and 54 form the older network — first opened in 1977 — reaching the east, south-east and the Isolatorweg direction, while line 52 is the modern North-South line that opened in 2018 and tunnels under the IJ to Amsterdam-Noord.

The numbering is unusual: it begins at 50, so there is no line 1 to 49. Lines 51, 53 and 54 share the same central platforms between Centraal and Amstel before they branch, so always check the destination on the overhead sign before boarding. For sightseeing you will mostly use line 52 and the eastern lines, which connect Centraal with the museum and stadium districts.

• Line 52 (North-South) — Noord ↔ Zuid via Centraal, Rokin, Vijzelgracht, De Pijp and Europaplein
• Line 51 — Centraal to Isolatorweg, sharing the central tunnel
• Line 53 — Centraal to Gaasperplas in the south-east
• Line 54 — Centraal to Gein, via Bijlmer ArenA for stadium and concert events
• Line 50 — the ring line linking Isolatorweg and Gein without entering the old centre

Line 52: the North-South line you’ll use most

Line 52, the North-South line, is the metro tourists ride most because it tunnels directly under the historic core. From Amsterdam Centraal it stops at Rokin (steps from Dam Square and the Flower Market), Vijzelgracht (walkable to the museum quarter and De Pijp), De Pijp itself (for the Albert Cuyp Market) and Europaplein (the RAI convention centre) before reaching Zuid.

Trains run every 4–8 minutes at peak and the full Noord-to-Zuid trip takes under 20 minutes, making it far faster than a tram or canal-side walk when you need to cross the city. Rokin and Vijzelgracht stations are worth a look in their own right for the displayed archaeological finds dug up during construction. Note the line 52 platform at Centraal sits deeper than the others and is signed separately.

Key stations and where they take you

Only a handful of metro stops fall inside the tourist core, so it helps to know which ones matter. On the shared eastern lines, Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein put you beside the old Jewish Quarter, the flea market and Rembrandt’s house, while Amstel is a useful interchange. Out at Bijlmer ArenA (lines 50/54) you arrive right at the Johan Cruijff ArenA and Ziggo Dome for matches and concerts.

For everyday sightseeing, line 52 carries the headline stops listed above. If your destination is the canal ring, the Jordaan or the Anne Frank House, the metro will only get you close — finish the journey on foot or by tram, which threads the narrow streets the metro tunnels beneath.

• Centraal — the central hub for all lines and the free IJ ferries to Noord
• Rokin — Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the Flower Market
• Nieuwmarkt / Waterlooplein — old centre, flea market, Rembrandt House
• De Pijp — Albert Cuyp Market and the Heineken area
• Bijlmer ArenA — stadium, Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live (lines 50/54)

How to pay for the metro

You pay for the metro exactly like every GVB service: tap a contactless card or phone in and out with OVpay (the GVB Max cap protects heavy-travel days), or buy a fixed-price GVB day ticket for unlimited metro, tram, bus and ferry. Visitors arriving from the airport often pick the Amsterdam Travel Ticket, which adds the Schiphol train. The full 2026 price ladder and how to choose between them is in the tickets & fares guide — just remember to tap both in and out, or you’ll be charged a €4 penalty.

Hours, frequency and accessibility

The metro runs roughly from 06:00 until about 00:30, starting a little later at weekends. Line 52 is the busiest, with 8–12 trains an hour at peak (every 4–8 minutes); the other lines run every 10–15 minutes off-peak. There is no full overnight metro — after the last train, GVB night buses (single €5.70) take over, so plan late returns around them.

Stations and the modern trains are step-free and wheelchair-accessible, with lifts and escalators and level boarding at platform height. Buy tickets from machines or the staffed GVB desks at Centraal, Zuid, Bijlmer ArenA and Station Noord; many machines are card-only. As in any busy network, keep bags zipped and phones secure on crowded platforms and trains, where pickpockets work the rush.

Bikes, pets and luggage

Full-size bicycles are not allowed on the metro during weekday rush hours and require a separate bicycle day ticket at other times, so most visitors leave the bike at a guarded stand near the station. Folding bikes carried folded travel free, and small pets in a carrier or a dog on a lead are welcome at no extra charge.

There are no luggage barriers as such, but large suitcases can be awkward on packed trains and at the gates — give yourself room and tap through one person at a time. If you are heading to or from Schiphol with heavy bags, remember the airport is reached by NS train into Centraal, not by metro.

Metro vs tram: which should tourists use?

Use the metro for speed and distance, and the tram for the historic centre. The metro has only a few central stations, so the dense ring of canals, the Jordaan and the area around the Anne Frank House are better reached by tram, which stops far more frequently at street level.

In practice most visitors mix the two on a single GVB ticket: take line 52 to shoot between Noord, the centre and Zuid, then switch to a tram for short hops between sights. Both accept OVpay and the same day tickets, so there is no penalty for combining them — and the free GVB ferries behind Centraal add a no-cost way to reach Noord.

Metro vs tram for visitors