Free ferry to Amsterdam Noord

A boat ride that costs nothing

Behind Centraal Station, on the water side, small ferries cross the IJ to Amsterdam Noord. Foot passengers and cyclists ride free. The crossing to Buiksloterweg takes about five minutes, and you step off on the far bank into a different part of the city.

That is the reason to come. You get open water, wide sky and a long look back at the old centre, with no ticket and no plan. Locals use these boats to get to work, so you ride beside people with bikes, prams and shopping. It is the cheapest view of the IJ in town, and it is the way into everything on the north bank.

Why the ferries are here

Amsterdam grew up around the water, and the IJ was its harbour. Centraal Station sits on artificial islands in that water, which is why the centre now feels cut off from the river behind it. The station was designed by Pierre Cuypers and opened in 1889.

For a long time the north bank stayed quiet and apart. It was marshy land, and for four centuries the Volewijk gallows field stood there, where Amsterdam displayed its executed criminals. Nothing is left of it but street names and one drawing by Rembrandt. The city quest The Gallows Field tells that story.

Later the shipyards came, and with them the workers' neighbourhoods. Families lived in small streets close to the yards, and the ferry was how many of them reached the city. When the yards closed, the bank sat half empty for years. Then artists, film people and musicians moved into the old industrial buildings, and the place changed again.

What to look for, and what waits across

Go to the outside rail rather than sitting inside. Once the boat pulls away, turn round. You see the long front of the station, its towers and roof, and behind it the church spires of the old town. It is the best view of the station you will get.

Watch the water too. Tour boats, barges and other ferries cross your path all the time. As you come in, the A'DAM Tower and the angular white shape of the Eye film museum stand right by the landing.

From Buiksloterweg, the Eye Filmmuseum is a short walk along the water. It opened in 2012, and its terrace faces the IJ, so you can sit with a drink and look back at the station without seeing a film. Next door is the A'DAM Tower, once an office tower for Shell. The Lookout on top gives a view across the city and the harbour, and a swing called Over the Edge carries you out above the drop if you have the nerve.

For a longer trip, take the other ferry to NDSM, a former shipyard. The ride is longer and shows more of the harbour. The huge sheds and cranes now hold studios, cafés and a lot of street art. There is a flea market on the wharf, so check the dates before you plan around it.

Noorderpark and the old village dike of the Nieuwendammerdijk are also in Noord. Treat them as a separate outing rather than a quick add-on.