Navigating Dutch/Amsterdam Trains and Metro System

Answer to your first two questions is the train. You can use the NS app to see what public transport options are available, including departures times, walking routes to and from the station/bus/metro/tram stop and which platform the trains/bus;tram/metro depart from.

More information on travel options in Amsterdam can be found here: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/travel-stay/getting-around/public-transport-in-amsterdam. The trains are operated by the NS and the city buses, trams and metro by the municipal GVB. Regional busses are run by mostly Connexxion. Haarlem is not served by the GVB.

I am not sure the various passes listed in the Save money on public transport with Amsterdam travel tickets section at https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/travel-stay/getting-around/public-transport-in-amsterdam are economically of interest to you.

Ideally, it is tap in and tap out with all modes of public transportation. It would mean though you will need to have one credit card per person or set up devices so each of you have a payment method (or a mix of adults with individual credit cards and the children with these same cards linked on phones or smart watches). I would search this forum for tips and experiences.

Alternatively, you could buy individual day return ttrain ickets on the NS app (which then also allows you to benefit from off-peak discount) or the vending machines/counter at Sloterdijk train station in combination with a GVB (multi-) day pass for city trams, busses and metros. Maybe you can just take the tram from Sloterdijk to where you want to go (like the to the museum quarter) with no need to take a train. The NS or 9292 apps will show you the options available.

For tap pay, you can use the same credit card for the children, just use a different mode. For instance, using an Apple Watch, your phone, and the credit card itself- three modes, one card.
It's very user - friendly and works great. Remember to tap off the transport, in all modes originally used to tap on.
Have a great trip!

In 2024, we bought multi-day Amsterdam Region Travel Tickets. They definitely cover Haarlem (we were staying in Zandvoort, which is farther out). I don't know if we saved money, but the convenience was a bonus. Also, when you have young children who might be getting tired, just knowing that you can hop on a tram (or bus or train) for a few stops to get some rest time is a bonus.

https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/tickets/amsterdam-region-travel-ticket

Thank you all so much for the information. I have one more question. Is it better to purchase day/multiday tickets for adults or to use OVpay? Is there a daily max for tapping on and off of the metro/tams/busses? I'm just going to purchase day tickets for my children since the cost is low.

There is no max with OVPay.

Whether it is worthwhile to buy a multiday card or not is depending on how often you plan to use public transport. Amsterdam is very walkable and you may be wandering around a lot rather than taking metros or buses.

You may want to look into a child day ticket for the GVB bus, metro and tram: https://www.gvb.nl/en/travel-products/hour-and-day-tickets/gvb-day-ticket-child.

The NS (train) has something similar: https://www.ns.nl/en/tickets/railrunner.

GVB, the company that operates the trams, metro/underground and busses in Amsterdam does have a maximum fare cap of €10 per day if you use OV Pay.
More information here;
https://www.gvb.nl/en/max-en

Please be aware that GVB does not operate the trains, so this daily €10 cap doesn’t apply when you take the train.

Thanks Dutch_traveler for this! I wasn’t aware of a GVB maximum.so learnt something myself.. it is not limiting you to only travel up to 10 euros worth of trips, you just don’t pay more than 10 euros a day.

It may for you be more interesting to take the tram from Sloterdijk into Amsterdam than taking the train as that is not included in the price cap as Dutch_traveler already mentioned.

Just that the tram is quite a bit slower. It depends whether you are more concerned about money or time. (Speaking as someone who once stayed in Sloterdijk and tried both the train and the tram).

Very true! It also depends where you want to go to. For example, there is a direct tram (tram 19, 35 minutes) from Sloterdijk to the Rijksmuseum rather than taking the train to CS and then a tram towards the Museumplein.
The NS or 9292 apps I find useful to determine the most cost effective and time efficient option.