Aalsmeer

Aalsmeer is a town and municipality in Amstelland, near Schiphol Airport, just outside Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Understand

Aalsmeer is nicknamed "Bloemenstad" - Dutch for flower city. That is not necessarily because there are many flowers around in the area (there are not), but because it is the main flower export hub in the Netherlands.

Get in

By plane

Airport Schiphol is not far north of this place. Direct buses from the airport to Aalsmeer were suspended in 2021. Now you have to take buses 181/180 ("Cirkellijn") to Schiphol Knooppunt Zuid, then transfer to bus 340 towards Uithoorn Busstation.

By car

Aalsmeer can be reached by car by taking the exit Hoofddorp-Aalsmeer on the A4 and driving south-east on the N201. After a few kilometers Aalsmeer is reached. From the center of the Netherlands, Aalsmeer can be reached via the N201, which connects to the A2 at Vinkeveen. (The N201 goes around Aalsmeer, but has several exits. Depending on your destination in Aalsmeer, it may be more convenient to use the N196.)

By bus

Bus connections to Aalsmeer:

• Line 171: Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA - Uithoorn Busstation
• Line 340: Haarlem - Hoofddorp - Aalsmeer Busstation - Uithoorn
• Line 357: Amsterdam - Amstelveen - Aalsmeer Busstation
• Line 358: Amsterdam - Amstelveen - Aalsmeer Busstation - Kudelstaart

Lines 357 and 358 provide a somewhat awkward connection to Amsterdam because they stop at Amsterdam Elandsgracht and Amsterdam Zuid respectively. You'll have to take the Noord-Zuidlijn metro from Amsterdam Zuid in order to go to the central station and the city center.

On foot

Aalsmeer can be reached on foot with LAW Pelgrimspad and LAW Waterliniepad (formerly LAW Stelling van Amsterdam).

Get around

The centre of Aalsmeer is of limited size. Bus lines 171 and 340 from Connexxion are particularly suitable for public transport within Aalsmeer. The bus stop Aalsmeer West/centrum (340) is actually quite far from the centre.

See

• 1 Aalsmeer Flower Auction.  
• 2 Petting zoo Boerenvreugd, Beethovenlaan 118, ☏ +31 297 345 902. Tu-F 09:30-16:30, Sa Su 10:00-16:30. 
• 3 Funzone Aalsmeer - Avontura, Oosteinderweg 247c, ☏ +31 297 361 223, aalsmeer@funzone.nl. Daily 09:30-19:00. Indoor playground, glow-in-the-dark minigolf and a trampoline park. Snacks are available. (updated Aug 2021)
• 4 Floriworld, Sierteeltstraat 1, ☏ +31 85 4018480, info@floriworld.nl. (updated Feb 2022)

Do

Hop on your bicycle. While Aalsmeer itself isn't quite special, the surrounding areas are beautiful, especially Braassemermeer and Langeraarseplassen and the surrounding villages. Aalsmeer is a good hub for bicycling around the Groene Hart.

Buy

Most shops are located in the centre, near the town hall. There are also shops on the part of Ophelialaan east of the N196. On the Aalsmeerderweg, to the north-east of the built-up area, you will find some large garden centres.

Eat

• Nagoya, Dorpstraat 6-10, ☏ +31 297-267787, info@nagoya-aalsmeer.nl. 16:00-22:00. (updated Feb 2022)