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Planning a trip to Amsterdam -- Any advice?
Planning a trip to Amsterdam -- Any advice?
Quick ? for some of you other world travelers out there...
Hubby and I are planning a trip to Florence and thought we'd fly to Amsterdam first and spend about 3-4 days there and then head on to Florence for a week to 10 days.
I've got the Florence part of the itinerary squared away. But I need some insight into the Amsterdam portion of the trip. I visited Amsterdam several times as a child but that was FOREVER ago and I'm sure a lot has changed in 20+ years! Hubby had never been to Europe before we met so for each trip I try to introduce him to a little bit more of it.
In Amsterdam we want to stay somepleace decent, not fancy or pricey and in a good central location so we can walk to most places. We don't have a lot of time and we'll be jet lagged so we're most interested in just relaxing, good restaurants/cafes, and maybe a couple of interesting museums. We will not be doing five million things. Just taking it easy.
I've got all the travel guides on order and waiting for them to arrive but I thought if anyone had any suggestions for a decent hotel and location to stay that would help me on my on line search.
Any other Amsterdam tips would be great!
Thanks in advance!
Hubby and I are planning a trip to Florence and thought we'd fly to Amsterdam first and spend about 3-4 days there and then head on to Florence for a week to 10 days.
I've got the Florence part of the itinerary squared away. But I need some insight into the Amsterdam portion of the trip. I visited Amsterdam several times as a child but that was FOREVER ago and I'm sure a lot has changed in 20+ years! Hubby had never been to Europe before we met so for each trip I try to introduce him to a little bit more of it.
In Amsterdam we want to stay somepleace decent, not fancy or pricey and in a good central location so we can walk to most places. We don't have a lot of time and we'll be jet lagged so we're most interested in just relaxing, good restaurants/cafes, and maybe a couple of interesting museums. We will not be doing five million things. Just taking it easy.
I've got all the travel guides on order and waiting for them to arrive but I thought if anyone had any suggestions for a decent hotel and location to stay that would help me on my on line search.
Any other Amsterdam tips would be great!
Thanks in advance!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
I went as a student @ 10 years ago and stayed at a hostel so no recc's on where to stay.
Must do- Anne Frank House. MUST!
Must do- walk around everywhere! This city is highly walkable- around canals, up and over bridges, etc, etc. Check out the houseboats on the canals and dream about living on a boat.
There a specific walkable area, you can probably get the name from a guide book, that has lots and lotsa street performances and cafes etc. Very fun!
Maybe, um, perhaps, visit a hash bar. You know, if you're into that kind of thing.
Avoid the redlight district. Nothing here really to see honestly- except other tourists. Totally tamed.
Must do- Anne Frank House. MUST!
Must do- walk around everywhere! This city is highly walkable- around canals, up and over bridges, etc, etc. Check out the houseboats on the canals and dream about living on a boat.
There a specific walkable area, you can probably get the name from a guide book, that has lots and lotsa street performances and cafes etc. Very fun!
Maybe, um, perhaps, visit a hash bar. You know, if you're into that kind of thing.
Avoid the redlight district. Nothing here really to see honestly- except other tourists. Totally tamed.
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BirdsofParadise
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:12 am
- Location: Louisville, KY
Slow Pace!
The first thing is to go to a "Coffee House" and the rest of the day will be slow and easy!!
Last edited by BirdsofParadise on Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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IslandElle
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:21 pm
- Location: Dallas
We were just in Amsterdam this Summer. We had a great time there but it wasn't the highlight of our trip. If I can find out hotel I will recommend it for you. It was very reasonable, off the beaten path a bit and sort of boutique. I think it was under $140 us a night.
We wanted to do the Anne Frank house but we got there and it closed early that day. Such a let down, so just be aware that it can happen. My favorite thing we did was the Van Gogh museum. The majority of his work is there since he was from Holland and his family has ties to the museum. We spent a good couple hours there. Also you may want to take a boat ride through the canals. That was pretty fun and interesting. We learned a great deal about the history of Amsterdam. There is a place to get on just across from the Anne Frank house.
You really cant walk the entire city since it is pretty large. I mean there are places where you can walk near the main square but you will need to take the tram a fair amount. It is easy, you just jump on and buy your ticket.
As far as food, there really wasn't any local food except for waffles and fries with loads of mayonnaise. We saw lots of Chinese, Italian, Pubs, etc.
I am not sure if you have booked everything yet or how it would work for you logistically but we went to Bruge before Amsterdam and LOVED it. So quaint and picturesque. That is a town that you can walk all around. We spent 2 nights there and I wish we would of had a third. Just a thought. I will see if I can find our hotel in Amsterdam.
A word on Florence. I am assuming you are going to see the Ufuzzi? Maybe you all ready know this, but the lines are loooooong, and you need to buy tickets in advance. We decided to go on a tour through a company we booked with called Viator. They are the middle man and they booked us with Rome after Dark. It was the best thing we did. That museum is packed and we would of been lost. Our guide took us to the highlights, explained about the renaissance etc, all the paintings, we didn't have to wait in line, and then left us on our own to wander around when we were done. It was a really good choice. And the gelato in Florence is to die for! I think we had some every day.
Sorry if I rattled on too much! Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. You are going to have such a great time! I cant wait to hear about it when you get back. When are you going?
We wanted to do the Anne Frank house but we got there and it closed early that day. Such a let down, so just be aware that it can happen. My favorite thing we did was the Van Gogh museum. The majority of his work is there since he was from Holland and his family has ties to the museum. We spent a good couple hours there. Also you may want to take a boat ride through the canals. That was pretty fun and interesting. We learned a great deal about the history of Amsterdam. There is a place to get on just across from the Anne Frank house.
You really cant walk the entire city since it is pretty large. I mean there are places where you can walk near the main square but you will need to take the tram a fair amount. It is easy, you just jump on and buy your ticket.
As far as food, there really wasn't any local food except for waffles and fries with loads of mayonnaise. We saw lots of Chinese, Italian, Pubs, etc.
I am not sure if you have booked everything yet or how it would work for you logistically but we went to Bruge before Amsterdam and LOVED it. So quaint and picturesque. That is a town that you can walk all around. We spent 2 nights there and I wish we would of had a third. Just a thought. I will see if I can find our hotel in Amsterdam.
A word on Florence. I am assuming you are going to see the Ufuzzi? Maybe you all ready know this, but the lines are loooooong, and you need to buy tickets in advance. We decided to go on a tour through a company we booked with called Viator. They are the middle man and they booked us with Rome after Dark. It was the best thing we did. That museum is packed and we would of been lost. Our guide took us to the highlights, explained about the renaissance etc, all the paintings, we didn't have to wait in line, and then left us on our own to wander around when we were done. It was a really good choice. And the gelato in Florence is to die for! I think we had some every day.
Sorry if I rattled on too much! Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. You are going to have such a great time! I cant wait to hear about it when you get back. When are you going?
IslandElle-- Thanks for the info. This will be our second trip to Florence so I'm really set in that department.
Been to Bruge as well but Amsterdam is just more conveient for our purposes since we have to fly thru there on KLM anyway to get to FLR.
Any additional details on the AMS portion of your trip would be great!
BTW-- if you like Bruge you might like Prague and Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. We spent 10 days in the CR two summers ago and had a blast!
Been to Bruge as well but Amsterdam is just more conveient for our purposes since we have to fly thru there on KLM anyway to get to FLR.
Any additional details on the AMS portion of your trip would be great!
BTW-- if you like Bruge you might like Prague and Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. We spent 10 days in the CR two summers ago and had a blast!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Hey Gromit,
I lived and worked south of Amsterdam before moving to VT, but I must admit, it's been about 8 years since I've been back. I should be able to find info on decent hotels that are in great little neighborhoods from a friend who has moved back to the US recently.
My favorite museum is the van Gogh, but the Rijksmuseum is a must do too. The inner city is very walkable, and the public transportation is great. You could take a canal trip through the city to get yourself oriented. Or rent a bike and pedal around. You can go anywhere on a bike in Holland.
You might look into going to Zaanse Schans, a preserved Dutch village.
If you're going in late April or early May, you must go to the gardens at Keukenhof. Quintessential dutch tulips like you'll see nowhere else.
As far as city/towns that are close to AMS and worth a visit, check out Haarlem, Den Haag, or Delft. You can do all of these by taking public trains from Central Station, so you would not have to join any organized tours. (You may be renting a car. I find Holland to be pretty easy to negotiate with a car, except for the central part of AMS. You'll probably do better by using public transportation.)
Re: food. A visit to Holland is not complete without having a Rijsttafel (literal translation = Rice Table) which is an Indonesian meal. Also, I love to get the fries (or Friets) from a street vendor. Ask for it with "peanut sauce"; you'll thank me later. Another favorite is to go to a pannekoeken huis - a Pancake House. You'll find that they will offer both sweet and savory pancakes. Central Amsterdam has restaurants of every ethnic food.
I'll think a little more about this, and respond if I have any more ideas. The Dutch have an excellent command of English, so you'll never have any trouble getting help or information.
I LOVE Holland and am already looking forward to your trip report
Lovermont
I lived and worked south of Amsterdam before moving to VT, but I must admit, it's been about 8 years since I've been back. I should be able to find info on decent hotels that are in great little neighborhoods from a friend who has moved back to the US recently.
My favorite museum is the van Gogh, but the Rijksmuseum is a must do too. The inner city is very walkable, and the public transportation is great. You could take a canal trip through the city to get yourself oriented. Or rent a bike and pedal around. You can go anywhere on a bike in Holland.
You might look into going to Zaanse Schans, a preserved Dutch village.
If you're going in late April or early May, you must go to the gardens at Keukenhof. Quintessential dutch tulips like you'll see nowhere else.
As far as city/towns that are close to AMS and worth a visit, check out Haarlem, Den Haag, or Delft. You can do all of these by taking public trains from Central Station, so you would not have to join any organized tours. (You may be renting a car. I find Holland to be pretty easy to negotiate with a car, except for the central part of AMS. You'll probably do better by using public transportation.)
Re: food. A visit to Holland is not complete without having a Rijsttafel (literal translation = Rice Table) which is an Indonesian meal. Also, I love to get the fries (or Friets) from a street vendor. Ask for it with "peanut sauce"; you'll thank me later. Another favorite is to go to a pannekoeken huis - a Pancake House. You'll find that they will offer both sweet and savory pancakes. Central Amsterdam has restaurants of every ethnic food.
I'll think a little more about this, and respond if I have any more ideas. The Dutch have an excellent command of English, so you'll never have any trouble getting help or information.
I LOVE Holland and am already looking forward to your trip report
Lovermont
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IslandElle
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:21 pm
- Location: Dallas
Gromit,
Thanks for the Prague rec. We actually spent 3 days there during our Summer trip and loved it. It was one of our favorite stops and we tried to rearrange our trip to stay a little longer but couldn't do it. Old Town was just amazing!
When we were in Amsterdam we wanted to hit the Keukenhof but I was so cold we scratched it. I hear the tulips are beautiful though. We kept seeing the pancake places everywhere when we were on the tram but when we wanted some we could never find any. I forgot about that! I will look through my pics and see what I can remember and find that hotel name.
Thanks for the Prague rec. We actually spent 3 days there during our Summer trip and loved it. It was one of our favorite stops and we tried to rearrange our trip to stay a little longer but couldn't do it. Old Town was just amazing!
When we were in Amsterdam we wanted to hit the Keukenhof but I was so cold we scratched it. I hear the tulips are beautiful though. We kept seeing the pancake places everywhere when we were on the tram but when we wanted some we could never find any. I forgot about that! I will look through my pics and see what I can remember and find that hotel name.
I've been twice and it has been a while but here's some thoughts/memories....
The first time I went I rented a bike for the day and just rode around...that was a BLAST...try it!
Did the museams and Anne Frank house they were fun.
Did a public park near the Van Gogh museam that had a great snack shop in it...don't remeber the name but it is in the books...that was fun.
My wife and I went to see the local symphony orchestra play while we were there...that was awesome..a great memory.
The dark side....I went once alone and once with my wife...both times...checked out the sites only seen in Amsterdam and had some fun with that...nuff said.
We also did a day trip Via train to Utrech and went up the tower there...great view...
Enjoy!
The first time I went I rented a bike for the day and just rode around...that was a BLAST...try it!
Did the museams and Anne Frank house they were fun.
Did a public park near the Van Gogh museam that had a great snack shop in it...don't remeber the name but it is in the books...that was fun.
My wife and I went to see the local symphony orchestra play while we were there...that was awesome..a great memory.
The dark side....I went once alone and once with my wife...both times...checked out the sites only seen in Amsterdam and had some fun with that...nuff said.
We also did a day trip Via train to Utrech and went up the tower there...great view...
Enjoy!
STJ Villa Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie ... 2&t=h&z=14
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie ... 2&t=h&z=14
Ok and we all know everyone loves to see the pics so...
Peace.
Peace.
STJ Villa Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie ... 2&t=h&z=14
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie ... 2&t=h&z=14
Thanks for the additional tips guys-- keep em coming!
I grew up in Germany and Switzerland (didn't move back tot he US until I was 10) and I grew up eating fries with mayo! I got some seriously funny looks from my classmates at lunchtime when I was back in the US!
I grew up in Germany and Switzerland (didn't move back tot he US until I was 10) and I grew up eating fries with mayo! I got some seriously funny looks from my classmates at lunchtime when I was back in the US!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
OMG Gromit. I lived in Switzerland from the age of three until I was nine, and moved back to California (the state of my birth) in fourth grade. If I weren't soooooo much older than you, our paths might have crossed then.Gromit wrote:I grew up in Germany and Switzerland (didn't move back tot he US until I was 10) and I grew up eating fries with mayo!
Lovermont
Tooooo funny! I KNEW there was a a reason I liked you!!
I narrowly escaped having to go to Swiss Boarding School instead of coming back to the US. Mom and Dad thought the learning environment would have been more challenging and it probably would have but it was really far away to be from my parents and in the end I won out. Might have been nice to stay. Who knows?
I narrowly escaped having to go to Swiss Boarding School instead of coming back to the US. Mom and Dad thought the learning environment would have been more challenging and it probably would have but it was really far away to be from my parents and in the end I won out. Might have been nice to stay. Who knows?
*Another fine scatterbrained production