I'm in Amsterdam now and have yet to locate an ATM attached to a bank. There are a couple Travelex ATMs in Centraal Station which I'll use if I have to (and only if they give me a good rate, not a Travelex rate), but prefer more secure machines next to a bank. Does anyone know offhand where one is? I tried Googling "ATMs in Amsterdam" and "banks in Amsterdam" but did not get reliable results.
I used a Travelex in Centraal this year and received a proper rate when i checked it out, same as I was getting elsewhere (had to use the Travelex in Centraal, it was the day after King's Day, and it was the first machine I could find that had cash)
The bank names ABN, ING, and Rabobank immediately come to mind as large Dutch banks whose machines are all over Amsterdam. Having trouble with the idea that you are not able to find any of these, they are all over the Centrum.
Use the locator function on the web site for your ATM card to locate machines in that network.
Google with »http://places.tomtom.com/search?what=pinautomaten&where=Amsterdam« and you get a list of the apparently 1.022 ATMs in Amsterdam. Zoom in, and you get those in your neighbourhood including a map.
As an explanation: »ATM« is an English word. In the Netherlands they're known as »geldautomaat« or - more informally - as »pinautomaat«. Never assume that an English word is universally used!
When using the above link, you may need to change the language to Netherlands. I tried using the link in English and had no hits.
... or use the English version (which I hadn't noticed) and change the search term to »ATM«. Your served without having to take the trouble to look up how those things are called in Dutch!
»Your served«. Sorry!
There aren't many actually banks in central Amsterdam like you would see in lot of other cities. Instead banks put their ATM at kiosks right on the street or built into the sides of buildings. So a lot of stand alone ATMs in Amsterdam are actually bank owned and operated. On my last visit in April, I did notice that Travelex has also stated installing their own stand-alone atms in lots of places as well.
ABN Amro has some sporadically throughout the city, and not necessarily attached to their bank. Googling ABN Amro ATMs gave me successful results, with locations all over central Amsterdam.
I think the issue is as others have stated. The lack of brick and mortar banks in central Amsterdam means the ATMs will be standalones. I know the advice is to use an ATM physically attached to a bank, but to be honest, I have used many ATMs of all types and never had an issue. I do prefer to use an ATM associated with a known Bank, the only ATMs I have been leery of are the small ones found in a shop or bar with no outward affiliation.
Thank you all for your help. I didn't realize that ATMs were separate from banks here; I think that's why I couldn't find any.
Tom, thanks for the link. I used Google.com to search for ATMs, instead of Google.nl, so I figured they'd come up. Oh well. Live and learn!
Today, in Amsterdam, we watched from a tram window as a man with teenage children tried to get money from an ATM. He did not cover his PIN number with his hand and unknown to him, three young men watched him and followed he and the kids. We have no idea what happened, if lost his money to these young men, but the statement still holds true every time, cover your PIN number with your hand, have the kids gather around to shield the transaction. Someone always seem to be watching.
par.pas, we must have just missed each other. I left Amsterdam on October 16. Glad you posted this reminder about being careful when entering your PIN at an ATM. I used a Travelex ATM in Centraal Station and made sure to be aware of people around me.
I had no trouble finding atm's in Amsterdam. I used an "ing" atm in Schipol and abn amro right in Dam Square. There were bank atm's scattered around the city.
Bank physical offices are fewer in Netherlands than in North America (and all major banks closed many offices over past years). For all purposes, all ATMs from major Dutch banks are a single network and people use the ATMs interchangeably.
Some TRAVELEX-branded ATMs in the airport and train station, however, are notorious for their extra fees charged when you use them! And do not use the automatic foreign exchange machine in the airport no matter what - exchange rates are really bad, like 20% worse than you'd pay in a normal ATM.
I had a bit of trouble finding a bank ATM in Amsterdam too. Found an orange one with a lion on it that didnt charge fees on the edge of usury. Made a massive withdrawl from that one.
Andre and Frank, thanks for your additional information. I used the Travelex ATM in Centraal Station because I couldn't find any others. There were no fees other than the $1 my credit union charges for using foreign ATMs.
There is always a bank ATM in or near the train stations. Schiphol airport has several regular bank ATMs. You can find them on the map on their website. http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/AtSchiphol/Maps.htm
I use cash to pay all for everything, hotels, meals, trains, so I have to withdraw money most days due to my withdrawal limit. So, I also have an ATM finder app on my iPod Touch (an iPhone without the phone). I use my hotel's wifi the evening before to locate an ATM is small villages. Rabobank, ING, and ABN-AMRO banks are the ATMs that I found most common.