After departing from Boston at 5 p.m. EST, we arrived in Amsterdam at 6 a.m. Central European Time. The 7-hour flight took a toll on us so some of us decided to get coffee at a sustainable, eco-conscious coffee shop. I got an iced chai which had a lot of foam! We then took a train from the airport to the hostel we were staying at. Once we arrived at the hostel, we dumped our luggage in a room until we could check in at 3 p.m. We then took a tour around the surrounding area to become familiar with our surroundings. Then, we were split into groups and had to find various important locations around Amsterdam. In total, we walked around three miles. But all the walking and using the train allowed me to make many observations, specifically the differences between American cities and Dutch cities.
Public transportation in the Netherlands is vastly better than that of the United States. In Amsterdam, there are four types of transportation: tram, bus, metro, and train. With one travel card, we could access the first three of them. Although the train was an additional fee, it was roughly 4 Euro for a ticket, an assumingly affordable price. Not only was the transportation extremely accessible, it was also streamlined and serviced many areas across the city. Many people appeared to use the service and there always seemed to be a seat for everyone, except around the afternoon when more people seemed to be out and about. Additionally, it was super easy to use with the doors opening if and only if someone pressed a button. The trains were not in as much of a rush as in America, yet they still arrived relatively on time. The train and the station were clean and well-maintained, unlike some subways or buses in the United States.
The Dutch also heavily rely on bikes as their main mode of transportation. Walking around the city, I saw few parking lots. Instead, there were numerous metal bars filled with bikes. There were bikes along the canal, bike racks outside of restaurants, and even a huge lot with just bikes occupying it. Amsterdam also had a separate bike lane from the main road–dissimilar to the United States where bike lanes are more often than not directly adjacent to the road.
The streets were also more narrow, usually only fitting a single car going one way. Some streets were blocked off for pedestrian use only. The streets were also well maintained and I saw a man going around vacuuming up trash.
This type of non-car-centric public planning is in direct contrast to America. In the US, we have very car-centric cities. We need to drive to school, to work, to the grocery store, etc. In Amsterdam, the city layout could allow citizens to save time and resources by simply boarding public transit. This walkability also helps reduce the need to own a car, an expense some may not be able to afford. It also makes the city safer, as pedestrians are not at risk of being struck by multiple vehicles.
Another observation I was able to make was of Amsterdam’s culture. The people dress in jeans or slacks, never sweatpants or leggings. They also are very direct, with many people speaking what felt like shortly with us, but was really just straight to the point. The Dutch also seem to drop the pleasantries of the US with bikers not ringing their bell to alert crossing pedestrians and instead continuing full on. People also don’t really say “excuse me” but instead push through or stare at you until you move. The Dutch also speak English fluently, which contrasts with the monolingual population of the United States.
In all, my first day in Amsterdam was super fun. I can’t wait to get some sleep!