1 · The short answer

King's Day, Koningsdag, is the Dutch national holiday for the King's birthday, on 27 April each year, or on the 26th when the 27th falls on a Sunday. The night before is King's Night. Amsterdam has the biggest party: the canals fill with boats, the whole city becomes a free market, and stages and street parties run all day.

The Dutch networks are strong, but the old centre packed with people slows data at the busiest spots, around the Jordaan, the canal ring and the big squares. For visitors from outside the EU, a Netherlands data eSIM installed at home avoids roaming. Ringo Light covers the Netherlands with unlimited data at full speed; it arrives by email and installs in one scan.

Ringo Light's Netherlands plan covers the whole of Netherlands: unlimited data at full speed, 2 weeks for $14.99 or 30 days for $26.99, nothing renews. The plan is at ringoesim.com/netherlands, and every brand's price for Amsterdam is compared on one day in Best eSIM for Amsterdam.

Get Ringo Light for Amsterdam, from $14.99.

Installed once, next to your own SIM. Your eSIM arrives by email in seconds.

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We sell data eSIMs for now to fund the full Ringo service. Ringo is self funded. Every plan bought here pays for the build of one plan that works everywhere.

2 · The crowd and the signal in the centre

The whole city is out, plus a large number of day visitors from across the country, so the crowd is spread through every street of the centre rather than at one stage. Messages and maps usually work; in the tightest spots, like the bridges of the Prinsengracht in the afternoon, uploads stall and calls drop.

Plan your route the day before, screenshot the train times home, and post the videos from a café terrace on a side street, where the crowd thins.

3 · Paying and the apps to have

  • ✓Paying in the Netherlands. Dutch shops and bars mostly take debit cards and phone payments, and some take no cash at all. At the free market, private sellers often prefer cash or a Dutch payment request link, so carry some coins and small notes.
  • ✓The free market. On King's Day anyone can sell second hand goods on the street without a permit. The Vondelpark is the classic for children's stalls.
  • ✓Transport apps. The NS app covers Dutch trains; 9292 plans door to door across trains, trams and buses; GVB runs Amsterdam's trams and Metro.
  • ✓Tap in and out. You can pay for trains, trams and buses by tapping a contactless bank card or phone at the gates; always tap out too.

4 · Getting there and around

Schiphol Airport has direct trains to Amsterdam Centraal in around fifteen minutes. On King's Day, trams are diverted or stopped in the centre, Centraal station gets extremely busy, and some Metro stations can close for crowding. Walking is often fastest inside the canal ring.

If you are staying outside Amsterdam, check the last trains home in the NS app in the morning and save them, because the evening rush back to the station is when everyone checks at once.

5 · Meeting points and safety

  • ✓Meet at a fixed point. Pick a named bridge, church or café away from the main squares and agree a time. Calls are unreliable in the tightest crowds.
  • ✓Canals and boats. If you are on a boat, keep the phone in a waterproof pouch or on a lanyard: a phone dropped in a canal is gone.
  • ✓Pickpockets. Keep the phone in a front pocket in the crowds around Dam Square and Centraal.
  • ✓Emergency number. 112 works across the Netherlands and the EU.

6 · Which plan covers King's Day

Ringo Light's Netherlands plan covers the whole country: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague and wherever the royal family celebrates that year. If you also visit Belgium or Germany, a Europe plan covers the borders on one eSIM. Your own SIM stays on for calls and bank codes.

7 · Amsterdam around King's Day

Late April is tulip season, which makes the days around King's Day some of the best of the year.

The canal ring, Amsterdam
AmsterdamThe canal ringThe seventeenth century canals at the centre of the party, lined with boats on King's Day.✓Watch from a bridge on a smaller canal; the main ones are packed by noon.Photo: Anne Dirkse (www.annedirkse.com), CC BY-SA 4.0
Keukenhof, Lisse
LisseKeukenhofThe flower park is in full bloom around King's Day, about forty minutes from Amsterdam by bus.✓Tickets are timed and sold online; keep the QR code offline.Photo: Kent Wang, CC BY-SA 2.0
Rijksmuseum, Museumplein, Amsterdam
Museumplein, AmsterdamRijksmuseumRembrandt and Vermeer, a quieter morning before or after the holiday.✓Book a time slot online; the museum may change hours on the holiday itself.Photo: C messier, CC BY-SA 4.0
Zaanse Schans, Zaandam
ZaandamZaanse SchansWindmills and green wooden houses, a short train ride north of Amsterdam.✓Trains run from Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans; tap in with your card.Photo: Mustang Joe, CC0

8 · Frequently asked questions

When is King's Day?+
Every year on 27 April, the King's birthday, or on 26 April when the 27th is a Sunday. King's Night is the evening before.
Does mobile data work on King's Day in Amsterdam?+
Yes, but it slows in the busiest spots of the centre in the afternoon. Messages usually get through; save train times and maps in advance.
Do trams run on King's Day?+
Trams are diverted or stopped in the centre and stations can close for crowding. Check GVB and NS on the day, and expect to walk inside the canal ring.
Which eSIM covers King's Day?+
Any eSIM covering the Netherlands. Ringo Light's Netherlands plan gives unlimited data at full speed and installs in one scan from an email.
Do I need cash on King's Day?+
Shops and bars mostly take cards and phone payments, but street market sellers often prefer cash, so bring some coins and small notes.

9 · Sources

  • The Royal House of the Netherlands: www.royal-house.nl, King's Day is held on 27 April, or 26 April when the 27th is a Sunday
  • I amsterdam, city of Amsterdam: www.iamsterdam.com/en
  • NS, Dutch Railways: www.ns.nl/en
  • GVB, Amsterdam public transport: www.gvb.nl/en
  • Ringo Light: prices from the catalogue our checkout charges, on the day you read this.

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