Hoera! Amsterdam public transport becomes free for children up to 11 years old

It’s official — from 22 July until 30 November 2023, public transport in Amsterdam will be free of charge for children aged four to eleven. 

During these four months, children can make use of free transport in all GVB (Amsterdam’s public transport operator) buses, trams, and metros, reports Het Parool. 

This decision aims to make travel more accessible for families in Amsterdam who sometimes are not able to go much further than their neighbourhood.

How to use the free travel discount

From 1 July, Amsterdammers can request to put the travel product on their personal public transport card or ask the municipality for help on how to do this. 

An important note, children must have a personal OV-chipkaart to get the discount. 

But that’s it — once the travel product is on the card, you’re all good to go and explore every inch of Amsterdam.

Efforts to make public transport more accessible 

At first, the city proposed to make public transport free for children on Saturdays, but the measure was quickly expanded to cover the whole week.

The city council also hopes that this travel product will increase public transport use back to pre-COVID-19 levels which is essential to maintain the transport network, according to Amsterdam’s deputy mayor, Melanie van der Horst.

READ MORE | Public transport in the Netherlands: the complete guide

The GVB has said that they will take on the additional costs of the new discount.

While the city of Amsterdam discussed the possibility of making public transport completely free — something that many of us would love, they concluded that it’s not financially possible. 

In the meantime, we’ll have to be content with existing efforts, which also include plans for cheaper travel to the centre for residents in the New West, North or Southeast in 2025. 

What do you think about the new measure for children? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!