From Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans

• Getting there by train
• Traveling time: 18 minutes

From other cities to Zaanse Schans

• Getting there by train
• Traveling time:

1. Rotterdam to Zaanse Schans: 1 hour 4 minutes
2. Utrecht to Zaanse Schans: 1 hour 8 minutes
3. Den Haag to Zaanse Schans: 1 hour 13 minutes

As you can see, the easiest way to go to Zaanse Schans is by train. You can check the train schedules on the railway website of the Netherlands. The train station’s name is Zaandijk Zaanse Schans. This website also has an English version so I found it very easy to use. The trains in the Netherlands drive quite often (every 5 to 10 minutes).

Buying ticket

Two options to buy train tickets:

1. From a vending machine at the train stations

2. From the website www.ns.nl/en

Oh my god! I just figured out that buying an e-ticket online is 1 euro cheaper than a ticket from a vending machine. I should have known this information earlier to recommend my friends. Ok guys, next time when you come to the Netherlands and if you know where you want to head to, just buy the tickets on the website I mentioned above.

The payment options are iDEAL, MasterCard, Visa or American Express (Amex). No supplement is charged.

After buying the ticket, you can print it or download a PDF version to keep on your phone.

I don’t have a printer so most of the time I had the tickets on my phone to check in and check out. However, this way is quite risky when your phone runs out of battery and you can’t use the tickets anymore. It happened to me sometimes :(((, so I would either print the tickets or bring a portable charger for my phone, just in case.

⇒Remember to check in and check out. Sometimes your ticket will be checked randomly by a train operator.

Getting around in Zaanse Schans

From Zaanse Schans train station, I always walked 10 to 15 minutes to the main area of the town where I could see the windmills and green houses. It’s quite easy to get there. You can simply follow the tourists after getting out of the station.

And here you are, enjoy your time in Zaanse Schans. I’ve been there 3 times in different periods of a year and I like it so much!!! Although this place is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands, I didn’t feel overwhelmed or annoyed by the crowd. It was always peaceful and lovely when I was in Zaanse Schans.

I highly recommend you to come here if you would like to get away from the busy streets in Amsterdam and to know more about the historic windmills of the Netherlands.