Amsterdam extends free public transport for kids to 2027

Children in Amsterdam from the ages of four to 11 can travel by bus, tram, and subway for free for a year and a half from the summer holidays. The municipality reported that the scheme is being extended up to the beginning of 2027. Around 5.3 million euros will be spent on this.

Children have been able to use public transport for free in the capital city for the last few years. This was for four months last year, with the scheme coming into effect from the summer holidays this year.

The free public transport scheme can be used from July 12, 2025, until January 3, 2027. The times that children can use free travel are from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

According to alderwoman for Traffic and Transport, Melanie van der Horst, it is likely that children who get used to using public transport will continue to use it later in life. “Over the last few years, 17,000 children in Amsterdam used free public transport in the city. In 2023, they made almost a million trips using public transport in the city. This enabled them to go on day trips more easily or visit friends in a different part of the city.”

Parents can apply for free public transport for their children on the municipality’s website. Trials are also underway or planned in other major cities, such as The Hague, Utrecht, and Rotterdam, where children can travel for free on public transport.