Amsterdam Travel Ticket Cost Breakdown Per Day
If you are thinking about buying the Amsterdam Travel Ticket, one of the smartest things you can do is calculate the cost per day, because many tourists only look at the total price and not at how much they actually pay per day or per trip. When you break down the Amsterdam Travel Ticket price per day and compare it with pay-as-you-go and other tickets, you can clearly see when the ticket is worth the money and when it is not.
In this detailed guide, we will do a full Amsterdam Travel Ticket cost breakdown per day, including comparisons with OVpay and GVB day tickets, and realistic tourist scenarios.
Amsterdam Travel Ticket Price Overview
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket comes in three durations: 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days. The longer the ticket, the cheaper the price per day becomes.
| Ticket | Total Price | Price Per Day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | €20 | €20 |
| 2 Days | €27 | €13.50 |
| 3 Days | €34 | €11.33 |
So the 3-day ticket is the cheapest per day, and the 1-day ticket is the most expensive per day. This is why most tourists choose the 2-day or 3-day ticket. (Amsterdam Travel Guide)
What You Get Per Day For The Price
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket includes:
- Train Schiphol ↔ Amsterdam
- Airport Express Bus 397
- Tram
- Bus
- Metro
- Night buses
- Ferries
So when you calculate the price per day, you are not only paying for trams and buses, but also for the airport transfer, which is important when calculating the real value of the ticket. (Discover Holland)
Cost Breakdown Per Day Compared To Other Tickets
To understand the real value, we need to compare the Amsterdam Travel Ticket per day with other options.
Option 1 – Pay As You Go (OVpay)
With OVpay:
- You pay per ride
- There is a daily maximum of about €10–€10.50 per day for trams, buses, and metro in Amsterdam. (I amsterdam)
- Airport train is not included
So the cost per day looks like this:
| Transport | Cost Per Day |
|---|---|
| OVpay city transport | ~€10 |
| Airport train | ~€6 |
| Total with airport | ~€16 per day |
So if you include the airport, OVpay can cost around €16 per day.
Option 2 – GVB Day Ticket
| Days | Price | Price Per Day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | €10 | €10 |
| 2 days | €16 | €8 |
| 3 days | €21.50 | €7.17 |
This ticket is cheaper per day than the Amsterdam Travel Ticket, but it does not include the airport train. (Amsterdam Travel Guide)
If you add the airport train (~€12 return), the price becomes similar to the Amsterdam Travel Ticket.
Real Tourist Cost Breakdown Example
Let’s calculate a realistic example for a 3-day trip.
Pay As You Go:
- Airport return: €12
- City transport (3 × €10): €30
- Total: €42
- Per day: €14
GVB Day Ticket:
- 3-day ticket: €21.50
- Airport return: €12
- Total: €33.50
- Per day: €11.17
Amsterdam Travel Ticket:
- 3-day ticket: €34
- Airport included
- Total: €34
- Per day: €11.33
So the cost per day is almost the same as the GVB ticket + airport, but the Amsterdam Travel Ticket is simpler because everything is included.
Cost Per Trip Breakdown
Let’s assume you use transport 5 times per day:
| Ticket | Price Per Day | Price Per Trip |
|---|---|---|
| OVpay | €10 | €2 |
| GVB Day Ticket | €10 | €2 |
| Travel Ticket 3-day | €11.33 | €2.26 |
| Travel Ticket 2-day | €13.50 | €2.70 |
| Travel Ticket 1-day | €20 | €4 |
This shows something important:
- The 1-day Amsterdam Travel Ticket is expensive
- The 2-day and 3-day tickets are much better value
When The Cost Per Day Is Worth It
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket per day is worth the money if:
- You include airport transport
- You travel many times per day
- You stay outside the city center
- You use metro often
- You travel at night
- You travel between different areas
In these situations, the cost per day becomes low because you use the ticket a lot.
When The Cost Per Day Is NOT Worth It
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket is not worth it if:
- You stay in the city center
- You walk most of the time
- You only take 1–2 tram rides per day
- You stay only 1 day
- You don’t use the airport train
In those cases, paying per ride is cheaper.
Example Per Day Tourist Scenarios
Tourist Who Walks A Lot
- 2 tram rides per day → €6
- Travel Ticket → €11–€20 per day
- Ticket not worth it
Tourist Who Uses Transport Often
- 5 rides per day → €15
- Travel Ticket → €11–€13 per day
- Ticket worth it
Tourist Staying Outside Center
- Metro + tram every day
- Airport train included
- Ticket worth it
Key Takeaways
Here is the most important cost breakdown per day:
| Ticket | Cost Per Day |
|---|---|
| Pay as you go | ~€10 |
| Pay as you go + airport | ~€16 |
| GVB Day Ticket | €7–€10 |
| Amsterdam Travel Ticket | €11–€20 |
So the conclusion is simple:
- Cheapest per day: GVB Day Ticket
- Best per day with airport: Amsterdam Travel Ticket
- Cheapest for few trips: Pay as you go
The Amsterdam Travel Ticket becomes cheaper per day the longer you use it, and for most tourists staying 2–3 days and using airport transport, the cost per day is actually quite reasonable compared to buying separate tickets.