Netherlands' Schiphol International Airport is connected by rail to central Amsterdam, making it very easy to travel into the city. The train network in the Netherlands has a great reputation for efficiency, and gives access to the most remote areas of the country. The Rail Aktief Kaart or Voordeelurenkaart offers a 40% discount on rail journeys after 9 am Mondays to Fridays, throughout the whole day at weekends, and the whole day throughout July and August as main holiday months. Similarly, if you are under 26, enquire about a Jongerenkaart (Young Persons Card), which is cheaper to buy than the Rail Aktief Kaart.

There are many great packages out there enabling you to travel around and explore the country:

Within the cities, you will find a very well organised system of tramways and buses in all the cities. The country is divided into zones based on De Nationale strippenkaart. You use two strips for one zone, three for two zones, four for three zones, etc. Once cancelled you have a time limit for your journey: one hour from the time stamped on your card for a journey within one zone, an hour and a half if the journey crosses two zones. Within this time you can change buses, trams or metros (there are metros in Amsterdam and Rotterdam) as often as you like. On buses the driver cancels the required number of strips but on trams or the metro, it is up to you to do so.

Typically, such trams and buses run from 6am to midnight, with night buses running in major cities. However, you will not be able to use your normal strippenkaart or pass, and so you will have to buy a ticket from the driver which costs around €1.50.

Be warned: A number of tram routes have introduced conductors whilst the number of random ticket inspections has also increased. If you are caught without a valid ticket and are unable to prove your identity, you face being hauled off to a police station until your identity is proved, plus a hefty fine!

And don't forget, of course...the bicycle, a practical, cheap and environmentally friendly way of getting around. Any reputable second-hand bike shop should provide a three-month guarantee and there are plenty of bike shops listed in De Gouden Gids (Yellow Pages) under tweedehands fietsen (secondhand bikes). Alternatively you could choose to illegally buy a stolen bike off the street. If you do, you run the risk of either getting a dud bike or being arrested by an undercover police officer!