Amsterdam and Region Travel Ticket 1 to 3 Days

Zaanse Schans windmills on the Zaan river

Zaanse Schans is an open-air heritage village on the banks of the Zaan river, where historic windmills, green wooden houses and old workshops were brought together from across the region from the 1960s onwards. Several mills still work, grinding pigments, pressing oil and sawing timber, and you can climb inside some of them. There are also a clog workshop, a cheese farm, a traditional bakery and the Zaans Museum about the industrial past of the area.

With this pass, a Zaanse Schans day trip from Amsterdam is easy: the train from Centraal reaches Zaandijk Zaanse Schans in about 17 minutes, followed by a 15-minute walk across the river bridge. Walking around the village is open to everyone, while individual mills and the museum charge separate entry. Arrive before 10:00 to enjoy the riverbank before the tour coaches come.

Volendam and Marken on the Markermeer

Volendam is a lively fishing town on the shore of the Markermeer, with a curving dyke street lined with fish stalls, souvenir shops and studios where you can be photographed in traditional Dutch costume. Smoked eel and fresh herring are local specialities, and the harbour, full of old wooden fishing boats, is the place for photos.

Marken, a former island linked to the mainland by a causeway since 1957, feels completely different: quiet lanes, green and black wooden houses raised on mounds against floods, and a white lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula, about a 40-minute walk from the village. Regional buses to both places leave from the stop behind Amsterdam Central Station and take about 30 to 40 minutes. The seasonal boat between Volendam and Marken is not part of this ticket.

Haarlem, the historic town next door

Haarlem is one of the most charming towns in the Netherlands and only about 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal. Its Art Nouveau railway station from 1908 is a sight in itself, and a short walk leads to the Grote Markt, where the huge Gothic Grote Kerk of Saint Bavo towers over the square and its historic town hall.

Spend a few hours wandering the narrow streets, the hidden almshouse courtyards known as hofjes and the river Spaarne, where the white windmill De Adriaan stands on the water and can be visited. Haarlem has excellent museums, independent shops and Saturday and Monday markets on the Grote Markt. It is a calm, easy alternative to the busy centre of Amsterdam and combines well with an afternoon at the beach in Zandvoort.

Zandvoort aan Zee and the North Sea beach

Zandvoort aan Zee is the closest North Sea beach to Amsterdam, about 30 minutes by train, and the station is only a few minutes' walk from the sand. A long, wide beach stretches north and south, backed by dunes and lined in summer with beach pavilions where you can eat, rent loungers and watch the sunset over the sea.

Behind the village lie the dunes of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, crossed by walking and cycling paths, where you may spot Scottish Highland cattle and even European bison grazing in the wild. The best time to visit Zandvoort is from June to early September for swimming, though a windy walk along the shore is lovely in any season. Bring layers: the sea breeze is cooler than in Amsterdam.

Keukenhof by regional bus in spring

Keukenhof, the famous spring garden in Lisse, blooms for about eight weeks each year from late March to mid-May, with tulips, daffodils and hyacinths planted in flowing beds under old trees and colourful bulb fields all around. During the season this ticket covers the Keukenhof buses: route 852 from Europaplein in Amsterdam, 858 from Schiphol Airport, 859 from Hoofddorp station and 50 from Haarlem station.

The garden entry ticket is not included and must be booked separately for a set date, often well in advance at weekends and around Easter. Allow at least three to four hours inside the gardens and take an early bus to avoid the midday crowds. Late April is usually the peak for tulips, and the surrounding fields are at their most colourful in the second half of April.