Amsterdam runs eight free ferries across the IJ, and almost every visitor uses only one of them.
They are part of GVB, the city transport operator, and they carry pedestrians, cyclists, moped and scooter riders and wheelchair-accessible vehicles at no charge.
No ticket, no tapping, no OVpay: you walk on and the boat goes.
The three behind Centraal Station are the ones worth knowing first, and the other five are how people in Noord and Oost actually commute.
Every IJ Ferry Route, And What Each One Is For
F3 is the Buiksloterwegveer, the short hop from behind Centraal to Buiksloterweg on the north bank.
Two boats work the crossing during the day, so one leaves roughly every six minutes; after 21.00 a single boat runs it every twelve.
F4 runs from Centraal to NDSM, the long crossing past the container cranes, and it keeps sailing through the night until around two in the morning.
That makes it the route to remember if you are coming back from something at NDSM Werf rather than a lunchtime look at the water.
F5 is the night service, linking Centraal, Pontsteiger and NDSM when the daytime boats have stopped.
F2 crosses from De Ruijterkade to Meeuwenlaan at IJplein, running through the day with extra boats at rush hour.
F1 connects Azartplein in the Oostelijk Havengebied to the eastern end of Johan van Hasseltweg, on weekdays only.
F6 links Tasmanstraat by the Pontsteiger to Distelweg, and F7 runs from the same western landing across to NDSM.
F9 crosses from Ertskade on Sporenburg to Zeeburgereiland on weekdays, roughly every twenty minutes.
Departure times shift with the season and with works on the water, so check the GVB app or the display at the landing rather than a printed schedule.
Which Crossing To Take First
Take F3 if you have an hour and want the north bank.
It puts you within a few minutes’ walk of the EYE Filmmuseum and Tolhuistuin, and the return boat is always in sight, which makes it the low-commitment option on a first day.
Take F4 if you want the ride itself.
The NDSM crossing is roughly fifteen minutes of open water and ends at the NDSM shipyard, a former industrial site now given over to street art, studios and waterfront cafés.
Both leave from the same waterfront strip directly behind Centraal, signposted from the station’s north exit.
Tickets, Passes, And Payment
The IJ ferries need no payment at all, which is the single most useful thing to know about them.
Everything else on the GVB network does need payment, and OVpay with a contactless bank card or phone is the simplest way to handle it.
Pay-as-you-go on GVB costs a €1.16 boarding fee plus 21.7 cents a kilometre.
A GVB day ticket is €10 for 24 hours, and the multi-day version runs from €16 for two days to €43 for seven.
If you also need the airport, the Amsterdam Travel Ticket covers a day for €20, two for €27 and three for €34.
The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket stretches further out at €23, €34 and €44 for the same durations.
The Noordzeekanaal car ferries are the exception to the free rule, because they carry vehicles.
A single crossing for a car or motorcycle is €1.55, a book of fourteen is €15.30, and a monthly pass is €30.55.
For more of what is happening on the water and around it, the Essentially Amsterdam newsletter arrives each morning.
How Ferries Fit Into City Travel
The metro’s Noord/Zuidlijn is faster to Noord than any ferry, so the ferry is a choice about the journey rather than the clock.
For Museumplein, Vondelpark and the museum quarter, trams remain the sensible option and no ferry helps.
Where the ferries genuinely win is with a bike, because they turn Noord from a separate errand into an extension of a ride along the IJ.
They also pair well with an arrival or departure day, when you want twenty minutes on the water without booking anything.
Bikes, Airport Transfers, And Canal Boats
Bikes ride free on every IJ ferry, which is the main reason locals use them.
If you are hiring, MacBike, Black Bikes and Yellow Bike all have branches near the station, and the north bank is a far gentler first ride than the centre.
For Schiphol, the train into Centraal remains the fastest public route and no boat competes with it.
Bus 397 is the useful alternative if you are staying near Museumplein or Leidseplein rather than the station.
If what you want is a boat trip rather than a crossing, that is a canal cruise and a different product entirely.
Mokumboot and the other canal operators run for pleasure; the IJ ferries are a working part of the transport network that happens to have a good view.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below cover where the boats leave from, what they cost, and when a ferry beats the metro.
Where can I find an up-to-date map of Amsterdam’s ferry routes?
The GVB app carries live departure times for every F line and is the only thing that reflects diversions and works on the water.
The displays at each landing show the same information if you are already there.
Which ferries in Amsterdam are free, and where do they depart from?
All eight IJ ferries are free for pedestrians, cyclists, moped and scooter riders and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
F3, F4 and F5 leave from the waterfront directly behind Centraal Station, while F1, F2, F6, F7 and F9 serve the eastern docklands, IJplein, the Pontsteiger and Zeeburgereiland.
What are the current timetables for the Amsterdam Noord ferries?
F3 runs about every six minutes by day and every twelve after 21.00, and F4 to NDSM continues through the night until roughly two in the morning.
F1, F6 and F9 are weekday services with narrower hours, so check the app before relying on them at the weekend.
How do you pay for ferries in Amsterdam, and do you need a ticket?
You do not pay and you do not tap: the IJ ferries carry no fare for foot passengers, cyclists and scooters.
The Noordzeekanaal ferries do charge for vehicles, at €1.55 for a single car or motorcycle crossing.
How can I get across the IJ quickly from Amsterdam Central Station?
Walk out of the station’s north exit to the waterfront and take F3 to Buiksloterweg, which is the shortest crossing and the most frequent.
It lands a short walk from the EYE Filmmuseum and the north waterfront promenade.
What is the F3 ferry in Amsterdam, and which stops does it serve?
F3 is the Buiksloterwegveer, running between the landing behind Centraal Station and Buiksloterweg in Noord with no intermediate stop.
It is the oldest and busiest of the crossings, and the one most visitors mean when they say “the free ferry”.
