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Amsterdam charges €8.05/hr in the centre — paid 24/7, no Sunday break. But there are legal options from €1/day. Here's every cheap parking strategy, ranked by price.
Sorted from cheapest to most expensive. All prices current for 2026.
| Option | Price | Distance to Centre | Catch | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P+R (10 locations) | €1/24hr | 8–20 min by metro/train/tram | Needs OV-chipkaart check-in/out on transit | Full-day visits, tourists, families |
| Mobihub Rembrandtpark | €1.25/hr · €10/day | ~15 min by tram to Leidseplein | Slightly out of the way | Best garage option for most visitors |
| Mobihub NDSM (Noord) | €2/hr · €12/day | Free ferry 7 min to Centraal | Ferry stops late night; industrial area | Day trips, evening visits |
| Park outside + train in | €8–12 total/day | 15–30 min by train | Requires planning; not for late nights | Best total value for day visitors |
| Q-Park Science Park | €2.50/hr · €15/day | ~20 min by bus to centre | East Amsterdam — less convenient | Visitors to East Amsterdam / UvA |
| Outer Noord (free streets) | FREE | Free ferry 7 min + walk | Limited spots; no guarantees | Early arrivals, spontaneous visits |
| Nieuw-West outer zone | €2.50/hr · Free after 21:00 | ~20 min by metro/tram | Complex zone rules — check signs | Evening visits; overnight |
| Centre garage (Q-Park, APCOA) | €4–6/hr · €40–80/day | 1–5 min walk | Very expensive; often full on weekends | When nothing else works |
| Centre street parking | €8.05/hr — 24/7 | On the spot | Most expensive option in the Netherlands | Avoid entirely |
Amsterdam has 10 P+R locations. These are the best ones depending on which direction you're coming from.
€1/24hr · West Amsterdam · A10 ring · 1 train stop to Centraal (3 min). Easily the most convenient P+R. Works for Centraal, Jordaan, and all centre destinations. 600 spaces. Rarely full on weekdays.
€1/24hr · Southeast · A2/A9 approach · Metro 54 → Centraal ~15 min. Largest capacity (700+ spaces). Fills early on weekends during Ajax matches and concerts. Best for A2 and A9 approach routes.
€1/24hr · East Amsterdam · A10 east · Tram 26 → Centraal ~20 min. Good for visitors coming from Utrecht direction. 350 spaces. Less busy than Sloterdijk and Arena.
€1/24hr · North Amsterdam · Free GVB ferry → Centraal 12 min. Useful for A8/A10 north approach. 300 spaces. Ferry stops at midnight — not suitable for very late nights.
€1/24hr · South Amsterdam · A10 south · Metro → Museumplein ~12 min. Best choice for Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and De Pijp visitors. 500 spaces.
€1/24hr · South · Metro 52 → Centraal ~10 min. Good for south Amsterdam visits (Zuidas, RAI, De Pijp). 400 spaces. Near A10 south ring exit.
Park your car at any P+R facility and tap your OV-chipkaart when boarding public transport. You must check in and check out on transit at least twice during your stay. The system verifies that you used public transport — without it, you pay the standard daily rate (~€20). You can buy a single-use OV-chipkaart from GVB machines at the P+R. The transit fare is charged separately (~€3-4 return to centre), making the total around €4-5 for the day — still far cheaper than any garage.
For when you need a garage closer to your destination. Pre-book for 10–20% off.
| Garage | Hourly Rate | Day Rate | Location | Walk to Centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobihub Rembrandtpark | €1.25/hr | €10/day | West Amsterdam (Rembrandtpark) | 15 min by tram 17 |
| Mobihub NDSM | €2/hr | €12/day | Noord (NDSM Wharf) | 7 min by free ferry |
| Q-Park Science Park | €2.50/hr | €15/day | East (Science Park / UvA) | 20 min by bus |
| ParkBee various lots | From €2.50/hr | From €15/day | Various — book via ParkBee app | Varies by location |
| Centrum Oosterdok | €5/hr | €45/day | Central (near Centraal Station) | 5 min walk |
| Q-Park Museumplein | €5.50/hr | €55/day | Central (Museumplein) | 1 min walk |
| APCOA Euro Parking | €6/hr | €60/day | Central (near Dam Square) | 5 min walk |
Amsterdam deliberately prices street parking high to discourage driving into the dense, canal-laced city centre. At €8.05/hr — paid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Sundays and public holidays — Amsterdam has the most expensive street parking in the Netherlands and among the highest in Europe. The city does this for practical reasons: the centre's narrow streets weren't built for modern car volumes, cycling infrastructure is extensive, and public transport from P+R facilities is fast and frequent. The policy works. But for visitors who do need to bring a car, knowing the cheap alternatives is essential.
Amsterdam's P+R system is one of the best value parking deals in Europe. Ten facilities around the A10 ring road offer all-day parking for €1 per 24 hours — provided you check in and out on public transport using an OV-chipkaart. The intention is to encourage P+R use as a genuine alternative to driving in, not as a cheap parking trick. The system works: P+R Sloterdijk, one train stop from Amsterdam Centraal, is consistently recommended as the best choice for most visitors. Journey time to Centraal: 3-4 minutes. Adding a return GVB transit fare brings the total to about €4-5 for the day — less than 30 minutes of street parking in the centre. For families or groups of two or more, the saving is enormous: two adults spending a full day in Amsterdam can save €60-80 versus a central garage by using P+R.
An even cheaper strategy for day visitors is to avoid Amsterdam entirely for parking and drive to a nearby city. Haarlem is 20 minutes by train to Amsterdam Centraal and has garages from €2/hr with a daily cap of around €10-11. Sunday parking is free. A day trip costs: garage €10 + return train ticket ~€7 = €17 total. Compare this to €60+ for a central Amsterdam garage. Schiphol Airport is another option — the P3 long-stay car park charges around €8/day and has a train to Amsterdam Centraal every 4 minutes with a journey time of 5 minutes. For early morning or late night events at Amsterdam venues, Schiphol is particularly convenient. Zaandam (10 min by train) and Leiden (30 min) also work well for longer stays where a cheap daily parking rate matters more than minimising transit time.
Free street parking in Amsterdam is rare but does exist in specific locations. Amsterdam Noord — the area north of the IJ river, accessible by free GVB ferry from behind Centraal Station — has residential streets beyond the paid zone boundary that are free at all times. The ferry takes 7 minutes and runs regularly. Walking from the Noord ferry dock to Centraal takes another 2 minutes. Some visitors who work or visit Noord use this as a base, parking for free and ferrying across. The outer residential edges of Nieuw-West also have streets where paid hours end at 18:00 or 21:00, making evening and overnight parking free. Always check the nearest parking sign before leaving your car — the paid zone boundary can shift from one street to the next.
All major Amsterdam garages — Q-Park, APCOA, Interparking, ParkBee — offer pre-booked rates at 10-20% below the drive-in price. If you know you'll need a central garage, booking the night before is always worthwhile. Q-Park operates a widely available app and website for pre-booking. ParkBee offers access to private and semi-private parking spaces that often undercut traditional garage rates. For weekend visits, book by Friday evening as popular central garages do sell out — particularly around major events like ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event, October), King's Day (27 April), and during peak summer weekends.
The cheapest is P+R (Park and Ride) at €1/24hr — available at 10 locations on the city's edge. You must check in and out with an OV-chipkaart on public transport. Cheapest garage: Mobihub Rembrandtpark at €1.25/hr or €10/day with a tram to the centre. For day visitors, parking in Haarlem (€10/day) + train to Amsterdam (~€7 return) totals €17 vs €60+ for a central garage.
Yes, but limited. Free options: (1) Outer Amsterdam Noord — residential streets beyond the paid zone, reach by the free ferry from Centraal, (2) Nieuw-West outer streets — often free from 18:00 or 21:00, (3) P+R at €1/day is effectively near-free. There is NO free Sunday street parking in Amsterdam — unlike every other major Dutch city, Amsterdam is paid 24/7.
Drive to any of the 10 P+R locations (Sloterdijk, Arena, Zeeburg etc.), park, then tap your OV-chipkaart on public transport to go into the centre. When you return to your car, the system verifies that you used public transport. Without at least two transit check-ins, you pay the standard daily rate. Buy an OV-chipkaart (€7.50 deposit + load credit) at the P+R facility or any train station.
Mobihub Rembrandtpark is the cheapest garage at €1.25/hr and €10/day. It's in west Amsterdam with tram 17 to Leidseplein (~15 min). Second cheapest: Mobihub NDSM (Noord) at €2/hr — free ferry to Centraal (7 min). Both are significantly cheaper than central garages which start at €4-6/hr.
Yes — this is one of the best strategies for a day visit. Haarlem is 15-20 minutes by train to Amsterdam Centraal. Parking in Haarlem: garages from €2/hr with daily caps of €10-11, free on Sundays. Return train ticket: ~€7. Total: ~€17 on a weekday, ~€7 on Sunday (free parking in Haarlem). Compare to €60+ for a central Amsterdam garage. It's worth the planning.
Yes. Schiphol P3 long-stay car park is around €8/day. The Intercity train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal runs every 4 minutes and takes 5 minutes. Return ticket: €6-8. Total: ~€14-16/day. The airport is well-signposted, open 24/7, and very easy to find by car — making it a reliable option especially for early morning arrivals or late night events.
Complete Amsterdam guide — all P+R locations mapped, cheapest garages, zone rates, tourist attraction tips and seasonal advice.
Full guide →All 10 P+R locations compared — which to use, OV-chipkaart explained, journey times, and how to get the €1 rate.
P+R guide →Which P+R to use for Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Vondelpark, Centraal Station and Amsterdam Noord.
Tourist guide →ParkBee offers access to private car parks in Amsterdam, often cheaper than garages. How to find and book them.
ParkBee guide →This site is 100% free. No paywalls. If our tips helped, a small tip keeps the rates updated.