The Canal Bus

A soft purring engine. The canal bus glides through the smooth water. The roof is open, the sun streams in. We sail along houses, warehouses, cars and Amsterdammertjes. We pass under humpback bridges festooned with bicycles.

“These chairs”, says a teenage boys sitting next to me to his friend. When I look at him, his cheeks red with exitement.

“Did you sit on them? It’s just like …. and they vibrate!” His friend answers.

I smile. It’s obvious that they enjoyed the Sex Museum. I wonder if they are on their way to one of the coffeeshops.

“I have never realised that drugs grow on tree”, says a middle aged man behind me.

“You first have to dry them, though”, his wife replies, “I think they make lovely pot plants”, she continues.

Hash Museum, I conclude.

“And now we’re approaching Skinny Bridge or Magere Brug in Dutch. Come back when it’s dark to see the bridge illuminated by a hundred lamps. The voice continues in French, then German and Dutch.

“Why does the man tell more in Dutch than in English?” a little girl asks her father.

The father proves to be a linguist, “No, it’s not like that. German and Dutch sound the same, so it is as if he tells more in Dutch, but actually he tells first in German and then in Dutch.”

The Canal Bus is a perfect way to move around Amsterdam. It’s a combination of public transport and a canal boat trip. The difference is that when you travel by the canal bus,  you need not do the whole route. The boat stops at main tourist attractions where you can get off, see the tourist thing and hop on again. Besides, on board you will get useful information about the sights you see en route.

There are three lines: red , green and blue.

red line: 90 mins.
Centraal Station, Anne Frankhuis, Prinsengracht, Leidseplein, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, City Hall, Sea Palace.

green line 90 mins.
Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein, City Hall, Central Station, Anne Frank Huis/Prinsegracht, Rijksmuseum.

blue line 90 mins
Centraal Station, Gassan Diamonds, City Hall, Hermitage Museum, Tropenmuseum, Artis Zoo, Nema, Java Island.

red line 90 mins
Centraal Station, Anne Frankhuis, Prinsengracht, Leidseplein, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandtplein, Rembrandthuis, Centraal Station.

You can buy a day ticket at:
Central Station
Rijksmuseum
in your hotel
Westerkerk
Leidseplein
at the VVV (tourist information centre)
in the canal bus itself

Price of a ticket € 20, valid 24 hours.

photo credit: personal collection