Holland Pass vs. IAmsterdam Card vs. Museumkaart

Its complicated.
How many are your "full days"?
How are you getting to Amsterdam?
How are you leaving Amsterdam?

We are arriving by train from Brussels and flying out of Schipol Airport.

We will arrive early Monday afternoon and leave Friday morning. Thanks!

Which card is best for you all depends on what and how much you want to see and do (compare the prices of the museums you want to see and attractions you want to do) and wether or not you want to use public transport and how often and where you want to use that public transport.
- Museumkaart: 60 euros for 1 year access to almost all museums in NL (no public transport)
- Holland Pass: available in three versions (Small: 40 euros; Medium: 55 euros; Large: 71.25 euros) which gives free access to 3, 4 or 6 museums or attractions in a one month period plus discounts at other museums/attractions. (no public transport)
- The IamsterdamCard is available in 4 versions (24h: 59 euros; 48h: 74 euros, 72h: 74 euros; 96h: 98 euros). This card will give you free access to the major museum in Amsterdam, a free boat ride and free travel on all buses, trams and metros operated by GVB.

There are several different cards for public transport. These tickets differ in validaty: duration (a single ride or up to a week), transport companies (GVB only, or also NS, Connexxion and EBS) and area (Amsterdam only or also the surrounding area)

A single railway ticket from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol will be 5.30 euros (if you buy it from a ticket machine) or only 4.20 euros if you buy it via https://www.discoverholland.com/Ticket/19/Amsterdam-City-to-Amsterdam-Airport-Schiphol-train-ticket

The Museumkaart is the only pass that covers the Anne Frank House. It's expensive, but if you visit five or more museums, it's worth it. Also, only Dutch citizens qualify for the annual pass good for a year. Tourists have to get the "temporary" pass at the same price which is good for only 31 days--but that's enough time for most of us. You can't get the Museumkaart online unless you have a Dutch bank account, so buy it when you arrive at a less busy place. The tourism junta wants to discourage foreigners from using the Museumkaart, so they've added extra restrictions and only have the website in Dutch--a real anomaly in English-friendly Holland.

" The tourism junta wants to discourage foreigners from using the Museumkaart, so they've added extra restrictions"

No, they really don't. It is just a case if optimization of their website for their biggest client group (Dutch residents). Non-Dutch residents can register for the Museumkaart. However where Dutch residents can register online via the website, non-Dutch residents will have to phone/mail. The year pass will be sent to your home address. It will be sent to any country.

I plan on spending 7 full days in Amsterdam this month. I plan to repeatedly go to the Rijksmuseum (among many other activities). It is my understanding that the museumkaart is the only card that will allow me to enter the same museum more than once. If that is a possibility in your case, you might want to review the museumkaart or at least check my understanding of it.

There's a fabulous website in English that I stumbled on - dutchmuseums.com - where you can see listed every museum by city and region and whether the Museumkaart is valid there. It's a great way to discover some attractions that you may not learn about otherwise. It might even tempt you to spend some time in a town you hadn't planned to visit when you discover how many interesting museums they have! Sharon

Note that the information on that website about the National Museumweek is not correct. The museumcard is valid during that week and most museums will not be free.

Please be advised that the Holland Pass provides you with coupons that you have to exchange for the tickets. That means you can't skip the ticket lines, which in the case of Van Gogh Museum, was very long.

HI all,

I found this site: https://www.amsterdamtourist.info/tips/amsterdamdiscount-cards/ which provides a side-by-side comparisons of the different Amsterdam Discount Cards & City Passes for 2018. It looks like the Holland Pass might offer the most options.

The information on that website is partly incorrect. I would advice to check the official websites of the different cards.

The Holland pass does not include public transport. You can buy train tickets and tours for an extra fee via the Holland Pass website, but train tickets can also be bought via discoverholland.com (official website Dutch transport companies) or ticket machines.

The museumkaart is not only valid for a year for Dutch residents. The only difference is that Dutch residents can register via the website and others via e-mail.

Thank you so much for the feedback. I will definitely check out each individual site. Most appreciated!

Thank you so much for the feedback. I will definitely check out each individual site. Most appreciated!