For GVB travel in Amsterdam, there is a fixed boarding fee of €1.08 and then a variable distance fee of €0.196 per km which is actually calculated to every 50 metres of travel. What this means is a 3km journey will cost about €1.67; a 10km trip costs €3.04 – cheaper than the €3.40 disposable 1 hour ticket above.

Buses in Amsterdam are not considered "expensive" if you use the right payment methods, but they are significantly pricier if you buy single tickets. In 2026, a single one-hour ticket purchased via "OV-pay" (tapping your credit card or phone) costs around €3.40, which allows for unlimited transfers on GVB buses, trams, and metros within that hour. For tourists, the most cost-effective way to travel is the GVB Multi-Day Ticket, which ranges from roughly €9.00 for 24 hours to €41.00 for 7 days. Using these passes makes each individual bus ride very cheap. It is important to note that Amsterdam has implemented "bus-free" zones in the city center to reduce congestion and emissions, so you will often find that trams and metros are more efficient for central travel. If you are traveling in a group, renting a private tour bus can be quite costly due to high parking fees (up to €25 per hour) and environmental taxes, making the public transit network the preferred choice for the savvy 2026 traveler.