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Cheap parking in Amsterdam
Your park guide for Amsterdam
(Status: Update on 15/06/2021)
Parking in Amsterdam is literally a ‘muddled’ situation – and not just for visitors. With its narrow alleyways and numerous one-way streets, the centre of Amsterdam is a veritable traffic labyrinth. If you want to park your car directly along the picturesque canal belt, you should have plundered your piggy bank beforehand, as you can easily pay €7.50 per hour. It’s therefore no wonder that Amsterdammers are out and about on their ‘fiets’ (bicycles) in all weathers!
As it is difficult to travel from Germany by bike, we have put together the ultimate parking guide for you to make it easier for you to find a parking space before our tours. Here we answer your most frequently asked questions and share all the information, tips and tricks you need to know. This way, you’ll be prepared for your Amsterdam parking adventure and you can avoid unpleasant encounters with the dreaded parking claw.
How expensive is parking in Amsterdam?
Where can I park for free in Amsterdam?
Free parking in Amsterdam? Not a chance! Within the ring road (the A10 motorway that surrounds Amsterdam) there is virtually no place where you can park your car for free, even if it is not always visible to the naked eye.
The city of Amsterdam has introduced a digital parking system. This means that you enter your licence plate number into the parking meter and pay cashless with a debit or credit card*. There is no such thing as a printed slip of paper to put behind the windscreen.
*A little Incredible Amsterdam tip on the side: you can’t really get very far with cash in Holland. So don’t withdraw extra cash for your city trip, but rather take your Maestro, V-Pay, Visa or Mastercard collection with you!
How much does parking cost in Amsterdam?
Between €1.40 and €7.50 per hour – it’s all about the location!
Unlike in other big cities, in Amsterdam you can’t just park your car for free in a residential area and then take public transport to the city centre. Parking on public roads, on the other hand, is subject to a charge. The closer to the city centre, the more expensive it gets!
Parking in Amsterdam must be paid for between 9 am and at least 6 pm. In some areas even until midnight. There are also streets where you can only park your car for one hour and then have to look for a new parking space.
Here is a quick guide to the different parking tariffs depending on the neighbourhood:
Centre incl. Jordaan: Up to €7.50 per hour.
De Pijp, Westerpark, Oud West, Oosterparkbuurt, Staatsliedenbuurt, Oud West: Up to €6.00 per hour.
Oostelijke Eilanden, Rivierenbuurt, Indische Buurt, De Baarsjes, Amsterdam Oost, Sloterdijkmeer, Erasmuspark, Rembrandtpark: Up to €4.50 per hour.
Watergraafsmeer, IJburg: Up to €3.50 per hour.
Sloterplas, Slotervaart, Sloterdijk: Up to €2.50 per hour.
A normal car park can easily cost between €20 and €60 per day. It is therefore worth considering alternatives such as a multi-storey car park or Park + Ride.
What parking options are there in Amsterdam?
Car park, multi-storey car park or Park + Ride?
The choice is yours: you can park your car in a normal parking space, in a multi-storey car park or opt for a Park + Ride car park.
The advantage of an ordinary parking space is that you will find a parking space directly in front of your destination – with a lot of luck, mind you, because parking spaces in Amsterdam are in high demand. The cheapest options are Park + Ride (P+R). However, you will have to accept that it will take you between 20 and 30 minutes to get into the city centre by public transport and that P+R facilities are quickly fully booked, especially during weekends or on public holidays.
Normal car parks, on the other hand, offer the option of reserving a parking space online in advance. Although they are more expensive than P+R, they are usually more centrally located and a parking space is reserved for you. You can usually even get an early booking discount.
Another advantage of car parks and Park + Ride facilities is that they are usually monitored – so your car is protected against theft. Also, don’t forget any valuables in your car. It’s best to simply leave your glove compartment open to signal to car thieves and thieves that the ‘fun’ is not worth it!
Car parks in Amsterdam
The most central car parks in Amsterdam
Once you’ve arrived in Amsterdam, you naturally want to make the most of your time! This means: the more central the car park, the more time you have for sightseeing in Amsterdam. You can also be enchanted by the culture and history of Amsterdam on our city centre tour, conquer one of the 50 museums or marvel at the charming, crooked canal houses on our canal cruise.
We have put together a list of the five most central car parks, which cost between €20 and €55 per day.
- Q-Park De Bijenkorf – directly on Dam Square
- P1 Parking Amsterdam Centre- directly at Central Station
- ParkBee Kalverstraat – right at the foot of Amsterdam’s shopping street
- Apcoa Parking Prins & Keizer- directly at Prinsen- and Kaisersgracht, on weekends only 20€/day
- Q-Park Museum – directly at Museumplein
Reserve a car park parking space in advance
The providers Parclick and Mobypark offer you the opportunity to find a car park near your hotel, hostel or AirBnB and reserve it directly online. This saves time and money, as the online prices are often cheaper than on site. You can also specify the size of your car – after all, a camper van, VW bus or SUV needs a little more space than a Smart 😉
Park + Ride (P+R) in Amsterdam
What is Park + Ride?
Park + Ride is designed for the thrifty among you: you park your car on the outskirts of the city and then travel into the city by public transport – i.e. bus or tram.
It usually takes 20 – 30 minutes to get to Dam Square, the centre of Amsterdam.
For the guarded P+R car park you pay between €1 and €8 per 24-hour parking period, plus the cost of public transport (GVB ticket).
Please keep this in mind: The maximum period of use for P+R car parks is 96 hours (4 days). For P+R RAI, the maximum P+R usage time is 24 hours.
How does Park + Ride work?
To benefit from the Park + Ride rate, you have to follow a few rules, otherwise you will quickly pay the normal parking rate of up to €50 per day. We have created a step-by-step guide for you.
1. Not all car parks offer Park + Ride
Below you will find an overview of all P+R facilities in Amsterdam.
2. Pay attention to the correct entrance or button
When approaching your P+R car park, you must pay attention to whether there is an extra Park + Ride entrance (e.g. at the Olympic Stadium). If this is not the case, there is an extra P+R button at the barrier to obtain your P+R ticket.
3. Buy a GVB ticket for public transport
There is a blue GVB ticket machine in the car park where you can get your GVB ticket for public transport. If you already have an OV-Chipkaart, you can simply use it.
4. Travel to the city centre by public transport
From the car park, you can travel to the city centre by bus, tram or metro. It is important that you swipe your GVB card over the scanner at the entrance/exit of the vehicle both when getting on and off.
You must also make sure that you travel directly from the stop of your P+R car park to the city centre without getting off and on again in between!
5. Take public transport back to the car park
Don’t forget to “check in” and “check out” on the way back! Here it is important that you check in inside the centre and check out outside the centre at the stop of your P+R car park. Again, do not get off and on again in between. The last check-in must have taken place within the centre!
6. Pay for your parking ticket in the car park
Once in the car park, you pay for your parking ticket at a parking machine. To do this, first insert your parking ticket into the machine, then scan your GVB ticket and receive the discounted P+R rate. Incidentally, you can only pay by debit or credit card.
What does Park + Ride cost?
Park + Ride is made up of the cost of the car park ticket and the train ticket (GVB ticket, a ticket for using public transport):
Car park ticket:
Monday – Friday before 10.00 am: 8€ for the first 24 hours, thereafter 1€ per 24 hours
Monday – Friday after 10:00 am: 1€ per 24 hours
Saturday, Sunday, public holidays: 1€ per 24 hours
P+R GVB ticket :
For 1 person: 5.50€
For 2 persons: 5.50€
For 3 persons: 6.50€
For 4 persons: 7.50€
For 5 persons: 8.50€
Overview of all P+R car parks in Amsterdam
> P+R Bos & Lommer
> P+R Johan Cruijff Arena (Attention, P+R not possible for big events)
> P+R Noord
> P+R Olympic Stadium
> P+R RAI (Attention, P+R not possible for big events; P+R only allowed 24h)
> P+R Sloterdijk
> Zeeburg II
> Weekend P+R VUmc (from Friday 6 p.m. to Monday morning 4 a.m. and on public holidays)
Parking offences in Amsterdam
Parking illegally or exceeding the parking time is very expensive in Amsterdam. This can quickly turn a city trip into an unplanned luxury holiday. A parking ticket costs at least €90, the removal of the generally dreaded parking claw €194 plus the unpaid parking fee. If the car is towed away, the costs amount to a minimum of €373.
Our motto: “Better safe than sorry”. So better reserve a parking space in advance so that you can spend your holiday money on gouda cheese, drops (liquorice) and tulips from Amsterdam 🙂
Your Incredible Amsterdam team wishes you a safe journey ❤️
