OV Clipkaart and the traveling system

Hi muyong,
I see uou did some good research. Maybe you can find more googling http://www.OV-Chipkaart.nl

Though I am a regular user of the kaart, I'm not an expert as to all the options you mention.

I'm sure there are some Amsterdam-area transport-system experts coming up.

arizona, thank you for the website, the information there is overwhelming. I tried to search the site with google but still can't find answer to my question. Hope there'd be some amsterdam guru could help me here.

Muyong, I assume you're talking about the 24/48 hour GVB cards ([www.gvb.nl], the company that operates public transport within Amsterdam)?

If so, you can not+ use the card to get to/from the airport or the Keukenhof; intercity trains are operated by a different company. The OV Chipkaart mentioned by arizona in #1 is a different card, that you +can+ use on any form of public transport throughout the country. Basically you can buy this card - the NS (Dutch Railways) counters at Schiphol Airport probably being the most convenient to you - for €7,50 and then top it up as you go (through the NS ticket vending machines - that annoyingly only accept euro +coins+, +Dutch+ debet cards, +sometimes+ foreign credit cards - or through the small yellow boxes found at several places including Albert Hein stores and inside trams and buses. Make sure you swipe the card when you enter +and when you exit the vehicle.
For the Keukenhof you can go to Schiphol or Leiden Centraal by train and take a bus from there. It probably saves you some time if you buy a "combi-ticket" for bus + entrance to Keukenhof at the tourist office at Schiphol or at the GWK counter near the Centrum exit of Leiden Centraal - [www.keukenhof.nl] has details.

Aribo, thank you for the details. I think, I'm now have a clearer picture of the system. By following to the GVB website you provided, I found this page: http://www.gvb.nl/english/travellers/tickets-and-fares/ov-chipkaart-travel-products/Pages/ov-chipkaart-travel-products.aspx

And it seems to me that (correct me if I'm wrong) the GVB offer some travel products, including the 24/48 hr card, that can be load into the OV Chipkaart.

That's correct. Just make sure you get the €7,50 "anonymous OV-chipkaart" and not the GVB 24hr or 48hr card.

Assuming you'll arrive at Schiphol Airport, it's better to buy your card at the NS counter there so you can already use it for the train trip to Amsterdam Centraal. You can use that same card for all other public transport in the Netherlands, including those operated by GVB and Connexxion.
There is no GVB counter at Schiphol, as far as I know (GVB only operates within Amsterdam municipality, and Schiphol Airport is not part of that).

The NS trains are very straight forward. Just follow the instructions on the screen at the kiosks. City busses/trams are a different system, as others mentioned.

To go to keukenhoff I'd suggest renting bicycles at leaden centraal and biking there. It's a great way to see the surrounding towns. It's easy and only a 10k ride. As a side trip the north sea is close enough to add in to the trip.