People planning to travel to Amsterdam this weekend are being warned to avoid the Dutch capital altogether because of major roadworks and the closure of the main railway station.

The A10 ring road south will be closed from the Nieuwe Meer junction to the Buitenveldert turnoff from Friday at 10 pm until Monday morning as work continues on building a road tunnel through the Zuidas business district.

Traffic will be diverted via the A4, A9 and A2, and motorists are warned that journey times could be up to an hour longer. Seven more weekend closures are planned between now and the end of the year while the work continues.

There will be no trains at all to and from Amsterdam Centraal on Saturday, June 29 and only limited services on Sunday and Monday as major renovations enter their next phase.

No international trains at all will stop in Amsterdam over the weekend and on Monday, as platforms 14 and 15 are taken out of service.

Services will also be limited between Amsterdam Centraal and Sloterdijk on Sunday and Monday, which will affect passengers heading for Schiphol airport.

Travellers should expect to change trains more frequently, and to use buses or the metro, and for longer journey times, NS said.

The station work is aimed at boosting capacity to deal with the growing number of rail users.