Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Frank House
, the only line-skipping option is booking tickets ahead (or, if you'll be buying
a Museumkaart, reserving an entry time). The I amsterdam Card, also described later, only
lets you skip the line at the Van Gogh Museum.
Advance Tickets for Major Sights:
It's easy to buy tickets online through each mu-
seum's website:
www.annefrank.org
(€0.50 surcharge per ticket, but worth it),
www.rijksmuseum.nl
,
www.vangoghmuseum.com
,
and
www.stedelijk.nl
(no extra fee for
Rijks, Van Gogh, or Stedelijk). Print out your ticket and bring it to the ticket-holder's line
for a quick entry. Before you get your tickets online, however, consider whether you'll save
money by buying a sightseeing card.
You can also buy tickets for these sights in advance at the TIs (main TI only for Anne
Frank House), but TI lines seem almost as long as the ones you're trying to avoid at the
sights.
If You Don't Have Advance Tickets:
If you end up visiting the Anne Frank House
without a reservation, trim your wait in line by showing up the minute it opens, or late in the
day; this works better in early spring and fall than in summer, when even after-dinner lines
can be long. Visit the Van Gogh Museum on a Friday evening, when it's open until 22:00,
with no lines and few crowds, even in peak season.
Sightseeing Cards:
Two cards merit consideration for heavy-duty sightseers: The Mu-
seumkaart and the I amsterdam Card. If your trip includes any other Dutch city, you'll
save more money by purchasing the Museumkaart, which covers many sights throughout
the Netherlands, than the overpriced I amsterdam Card, which is valid only in Amsterdam.
(There'snoreasontobuyboth.)However,ifAmsterdam'syouronlystopintheNetherlands,
and if you plan to get around on transit (rather than by bike), the I amsterdam Card makes
sense, as it includes a transit pass. Both cards allow you free entry to most sights in Ams-
terdam (including the Van Gogh Museum), but neither card covers the Heineken Brewery,
Westerkerk tower, or any sights dealing with sex or marijuana. The Anne Frank House and
Rijksmuseum are covered by the Museumkaart but not by the I amsterdam Card. The Mu-
seumkaart is a better option for avoiding crowds (it lets you skip ticket-buying lines every-
where except the Anne Frank House; the I amsterdam Card lets you skip only at the Van
Gogh).Note: Even if youskip the ticket line, youhave to gothrough security (like everyone
else). You'll also see ads for the Holland Pass, but it's not worth it.
The
Museumkaart,
which costs €50 and is valid for a year throughout the Netherlands,
is a no-brainer for anyone visiting at least six museums (for example, an itinerary that in-
cludes these museums, for a total of €65: Rijksmuseum-€15, Van Gogh Museum-€15, Anne
FrankHouse-€9,Amsterdam Museum-€10,Amstelkring Museum-€8,andtheDutchResist-
ance Museum-€8). The Museumkaart is sold at all participating museums (buy it at a less-
crowded one to avoid lines).
