Must Have Android Apps for Your Trip to Amsterdam
If you are ever planning a trip to Amsterdam or maybe you already booked your flight, here are few tips on which apps to install on your Android smartphone in order to make the whole experience more enjoyable, navigate the city easier and get more from your trip to this amazing city.
Amsterdam is not the largest city you will ever visit / have been to, but with all the canals and little streets, it is a bit confusing, especially if this is your first time. So, to cover the basics you will need a way to orientate yourself, quickly locate the places you want to see and find the best and quickest way to get there. And preferably, do all that without relying on permanent Internet connection (just imagine the toll on your roaming Internet bill).
One of the apps that I think everyone should have when traveling abroad is TripAdvisor City Guides, and in this case the Amsterdam City Guide app. For a full list of supported cities click here! Why this app? For starters it has all the information that you will find on TripAdvisor about Amsterdam, places, attractions, hotels, user reviews, photos, self guided tours and more and most importantly it works completely in offline mode, so no charges for using mobile data while roaming. Two features that you will end up using the most are "Point me there" and the offline map of the city, both rely on GPS to determine the location and guide you to your next attraction. Internet usage: None.
Another great app if you are looking for a offline map is the Amsterdam Offline City Map. The maps are based on the OpenStreetMap project with different zoom levels and an easy to use search by street name. A big list of points of interest (POI) is built in the app including attractions, museums, theaters, cinemas, hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs, nightclubs, shops, railway stations, bus and tram stops and more.
Depending on where your hotel is located, traveling by train to the city center might be the fastest and most convenient way to get there. Luckily the NS Reisplanner Xtra app will help you with information about trains, timetables, prices and disruptions. Also there are two very useful features built in the app, the journey planner and saved trips. Don't panic when you see that everything is in Dutch when you first launch the app, just open the pull out menu click "Instellingen" -> "Taal" -> "English" to change the language to a more familiar one. Internet usage: Low.
Now about public transport, buses, trams and metro there is the official GVB app, which can be helpful if you speak Dutch or at least understand the basics. A better alternative for getting information in English about the public transport, from -> to, timetables and other stuff, is the 9292 app, a travel planner for all public transport in the Netherlands, not just Amsterdam. Internet usage: Low.
The Holland Pass app offers information about the attractions and museums that are included in the cart (not only for Amsterdam) via a simple interface. Unfortunately the app offers only listings sortable by type, name and distance (not always working) and some basic information about the place like entrance fee, address, working hours and the discount you get with the card. No information is provided on weather you can use the gold or silver ticket for specific location. The show on map feature uses Google Maps so, you will still need an Internet connection in order to use that feature.
The I amsterdam card app looks more promising packed with offline map of the city, info on free Wi-Fi spots (shown on the map and sorted by distance), advice on what to do while in Amsterdam, festivals, events, deals and some essential tourist information. All in all the app looks modern and stuffed with information. Best thing is it does not require a permanent Internet connection.
Amsterdam is not the largest city you will ever visit / have been to, but with all the canals and little streets, it is a bit confusing, especially if this is your first time. So, to cover the basics you will need a way to orientate yourself, quickly locate the places you want to see and find the best and quickest way to get there. And preferably, do all that without relying on permanent Internet connection (just imagine the toll on your roaming Internet bill).
Offline Maps, Locating Attractions and More
One of the apps that I think everyone should have when traveling abroad is TripAdvisor City Guides, and in this case the Amsterdam City Guide app. For a full list of supported cities click here! Why this app? For starters it has all the information that you will find on TripAdvisor about Amsterdam, places, attractions, hotels, user reviews, photos, self guided tours and more and most importantly it works completely in offline mode, so no charges for using mobile data while roaming. Two features that you will end up using the most are "Point me there" and the offline map of the city, both rely on GPS to determine the location and guide you to your next attraction. Internet usage: None.
Another great app if you are looking for a offline map is the Amsterdam Offline City Map. The maps are based on the OpenStreetMap project with different zoom levels and an easy to use search by street name. A big list of points of interest (POI) is built in the app including attractions, museums, theaters, cinemas, hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs, nightclubs, shops, railway stations, bus and tram stops and more.
Public Transport Apps
Depending on where your hotel is located, traveling by train to the city center might be the fastest and most convenient way to get there. Luckily the NS Reisplanner Xtra app will help you with information about trains, timetables, prices and disruptions. Also there are two very useful features built in the app, the journey planner and saved trips. Don't panic when you see that everything is in Dutch when you first launch the app, just open the pull out menu click "Instellingen" -> "Taal" -> "English" to change the language to a more familiar one. Internet usage: Low.
Now about public transport, buses, trams and metro there is the official GVB app, which can be helpful if you speak Dutch or at least understand the basics. A better alternative for getting information in English about the public transport, from -> to, timetables and other stuff, is the 9292 app, a travel planner for all public transport in the Netherlands, not just Amsterdam. Internet usage: Low.
Amsterdam City Passes
If you decide to get a city pass card like the Holland Pass, I amsterdam City Card or the Museumkaart there are Android apps available for the first two cards. Without getting into details about which one is better, there are a few words that need to be said for the Android apps available for download for these cards.The Holland Pass app offers information about the attractions and museums that are included in the cart (not only for Amsterdam) via a simple interface. Unfortunately the app offers only listings sortable by type, name and distance (not always working) and some basic information about the place like entrance fee, address, working hours and the discount you get with the card. No information is provided on weather you can use the gold or silver ticket for specific location. The show on map feature uses Google Maps so, you will still need an Internet connection in order to use that feature.
The I amsterdam card app looks more promising packed with offline map of the city, info on free Wi-Fi spots (shown on the map and sorted by distance), advice on what to do while in Amsterdam, festivals, events, deals and some essential tourist information. All in all the app looks modern and stuffed with information. Best thing is it does not require a permanent Internet connection.