How to get here
The institute is located in the borough of Zeeburg in the Eastern part of Amsterdam. The address is, Lombokstraat 40, 1094AL AMSTERDAM.
An interactive map indicating our location and surroundings is available here.
From the Airport
Arriving to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport you should take the train to Amsterdam Central Station. When you get to Schipol Airport, once you have passed through the “Nothing to declare” doors, you come out into the huge airport entrance hall. Here you will find plenty of machines selling train tickets and windows where you can buy tickets from a human being (next to the Starbucks coffee shop - 0,50 euro more expensive). (Don't worry: the signs say something like “Credit cards with PIN numbers only,” but you CAN pay cash, euros, of course.) There, ask for a ticket for Amsterdam Central Station - or Amsterdam Muiderpoort if you wish to take the train to the institute, and the ticket seller will tell you what time the next train is and which platform to get it on. From there you take the escalators down to the train platforms and take the train he/she has indicated. When you get to Amsterdam Central Station, there are both escalators and an elevator you can choose from on the platform (depending on how many bags you may have, for example) to go down to the hallway to the exit.
From the Central Station
From the Central Station you have two options:
1) Take the train from Amsterdam Central Station to “Amsterdam Muiderpoort”. This is a short 5 minutes ride, but leaves you with a scant 10 minutes walk from the station to the Institute (see the map). A train ticket from Schiphol to Muiderpoort is 3,70 euros, from the Central Station it is 2,20 euros. If you arrive with Thalys or ICE you need to buy a new ticket at Amsterdam Central Station.
2) Take a bus from outside the Central station. Come out of the station in the direction of the city centre, keeping to the left of the railway station. You will see a large church with three towers and crosses on the top and a hotel with a large sign on the roof that says Barbizon Palace. Walk towards these two buildilngs crossing the tram tracks. You will cross a small bridge. Then cross the street and wait at the bus stop 22, in front of the church. Take Bus 22 towards Indische Buurt. You will have to buy a ticket from the busdriver for Javaplein. It costs 2.60 euros.
The trip takes about 20 minutes. Javaplein is the 12th stop (two stops after the Muidepoort train station). The bus has an electronic sign inside that announces the name of the stop and the name also comes over the loudspeaker. You request a stop using the yellow buttons on the walls of the bus and next to the door. If the sign doesn't work, you can ask the driver to tell you when you get to Javaplein, plus you should count the stops and watch for the names on the side of the bus stops themselves. When you get off at Javaplein, cross the street and walk along Borneostraat, keeping to the right fork that has the tram tracks. At the second corner, Lombokstraat, turn right. Number 42 is the second door on the left. You've arrived!
From the centre or Amstel Station
If you will be somewhere in Amsterdam city centre, tramway number 14 (Direction Flevopark) runs through Jordaan, via Dam Square and Waterlooplein to the Institute. Get off at Zeeburgerdijk, from where you can see our building.
From Amsterdam Amstel station (arrival point of Eurolines buses) you can either take the train or bus 15 or 37 to Muiderpoort station.
See the entrance of the Institute with Google Maps Streetview (to the left)
How to get tickets
The 'OV-chipkaart' is the only valid ticket on public transportation in Amsterdam (except on trains where paper tickets remain valid). The chipcard is an electronic pass that you load money on, which then deducts by use. You have to check in with the card and again to check out when you leave the bus/tram/metro. You can get an anonymous card at the "GVB info" at the Central Station, which can be reloaded at numerous locations throughout the city (including most Albert Heijn supermarkets) and in Central Station in front of the Starbucks with foreign bankcards. The card itself costs € 7,50.
On buses and trams you can still buy 1 hour (€ 2,60) or 24 hours ( € 7,00) tickets on board. If you go by metro (not likely because of our location) you will need to have a chipkaart.
Parking
Paid parking is possible in the streets around the IIRE. The price is € 2.80 per hour Monday - Saturday 9.00-21.00 or € 14.40 for a full day (9.00 - 19.00).
A more economic solution is to use the Zeeburg P+R from where you can take bus 37.
There are regular break in to cars in the neighbourhood, so we strongly encourage you to empty the car completely.
There is free parking, without surveillance, at the Science Park (July 2010), 20 minutes walk from the institute. See the map here
See Also
Dutch Journey Planner in English, with travel times and information