Anyone been to Amsterdam?

[Peaches]

So, I have three days in Amsterdam at the beginning of September.

Must sees?

How user-friendly is the public transport?

My Dutch isn't great ;) what phrases are most important?

Thanks!

P

[wildcat]

I was there for 2 days in May 05...I'll try to answer your questions:

1. Must sees: What we did was Anne Frank house, Vondel Park, Heinekin Brewery, Red Light District, Flower Market, just ride around the city, it's gorgeous.

2. We rented bicycles and TOTALLY recommend it!! It was really inexpensive (we used the place in the train station, an American was working there so no language problem!), and the city centre is SO easy to get around on by bike. EVERYONE there rides bikes and that was one of our favorite parts of our Europe trip.

3. Don't worry about language, as much as I hate saying this (bc I feel terribly that I only speak 2 languages), everyone there speaks English. And not only do they speak English, they speak VERY clear English. We were on a train from Bruges, Belgium to Amsterdam and spent the entire trip talking to a group of kids (age ranged from 12-17) and they spoke such clear English at such a young age (and they each spoke about 6 languages, and I won't even go into the different dialects of each language they spoke!). They said that the reason they were easier to understand than the Germans (which all spoke English, but not as clearly) is that they had American tv, but Dutch was NOT dubbed over top of the English, they heard the English and read Dutch subtitles. So their ear was trained to know what English sounds like. In Germany, they dub over top the American shows with German, so they don't get to hear it. Honestly, don't worry about the language, buy a phrase book and learn the few key ones (hello, thank you, toilet, etc.) as everyone appreciates you trying, but you don't "need" to know Dutch. We spent 3 weeks last May backpacking through London, Paris, Bruges, Amsterdam, Rotenburg and Munich, and Prague and never had a problem with our extremely limited language skills (I had a second major in Spanish in college and was fluent at that time and have lost a bit and therefor get by with French and Italian a bit also).

Have fun, Amsterdam is a gorgeous city!!

[Mrs. M.]

Hi!

The city center is very small and it's easy to walk everywhere. I never used public transport other than coming in from the airport.

Lines can be long at the Anne Frank House during the day. We went in the evening - 5PM and there was hardly any line. It is so worth seeing.

[Peaches]

Thanks for the replys!

I am so exited to be going. Will definately put the Anne Frank house on the list.

2. We rented bicycles and TOTALLY recommend it!! It was really inexpensive (we used the place in the train station, an American was working there so no language problem!), and the city centre is SO easy to get around on by bike. EVERYONE there rides bikes and that was one of our favorite parts of our Europe trip.

I hadn't even considered this. How does it work, I mean, do you just leave your bike wherever or do you need a bike lock?

[littlebear]

If you are into art, the Rembrandt and Van Gogh Museums are must sees. There's a Sex Museum that was fun as well. Not a must see, but entertaining. Definitely go very early or near closing for Anne Frank House. We also did a canal boat tour which was fun. Like the others said, pretty much everyone speaks good English and the city center is very small and walkable. We used the metro system, and it was really easy. There are only 4 lines (I think) so it's not that hard to figure out. We took taxis one evening too, and they were pretty cheap and easy to find.

[wander_woman]

How exciting! I absolutely love Amsterdam! It's one of my favorite cities.

I second the recommendations for the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh museum. Both are definitely must sees. Spend some time just walking around Dam Square and taking in the architecture. Definitely spend some time in the Red Light District, it's quite a trip. If you like boutique shopping and/or cute neighborhoods, walk around the Jordaan district. Eat pancakes (pannekoeken). Take a canal tour. I *highly* recommend the Boom Chicago canal tours. I've done both the standard touristy big boat canal tours and the Boom Chicago tour and the latter is far superior. They take you around in a small boat, so you can get in canals that the big boats can't get to, and it's a much more fun and personalized tour. Go to the Boom Chicago show. It's a comedy/improv show (in English) and is very very funny. It's a little touristy but you will definitely have a good time. They have booklets advertising the show in most hotels. Amsterdam has great food. I recommend trying out the Indonesian food (Indonesia was a Dutch colony). I've also had great Ethiopian and Arabic food in Amsterdam. Go to the WynandFockink bar (near Dam Square) and try some jenever (a traditional Dutch liquor). There's always the coffeeshops, if you're into that. Stay away from the Bulldog and go to the smaller more local shops.

Renting a bike is a great idea. You can also walk most places in the center of town. Public transportation is easy. I walked and/or took trams everywhere. Take the train in from the airport. It's faster and much cheaper than a cab and drops you off right in the center of town.

Everyone speaks English.

Have fun!!

[Rosebud]

Subscribing! We're going to be in Amsterdam for part of our honeymoon this October. These tips are great! :)

[Peaches]

If you like boutique shopping and/or cute neighborhoods, walk around the Jordaan district. Eat pancakes (pannekoeken). Take a canal tour. I *highly* recommend the Boom Chicago canal tours. I've done both the standard touristy big boat canal tours and the Boom Chicago tour and the latter is far superior. They take you around in a small boat, so you can get in canals that the big boats can't get to, and it's a much more fun and personalized tour.
Have fun!!


Who doesn't like shopping! ;) I am going with a very fashionista girlfriend so we will have to take advantage of this recommendation.

The canal tour sounds great. Yet another thing the guide books won't tell you; take the smaller boats!

[wander_woman]

If you like shopping, there's a ton of shopping around the Dam Square area (center of town, near the train station). Dam Square has more of the "standard" shops ... that's where you'll find the big well-known stores like the GAP, Nike, etc. There are also a ton of shoe places around there. There's about a 5-block shopping radius around Dam Square. The Jordaan neighborhood has more of the little funky boutiques (for clothes and for cute house stuff). It's kind of like a mellower version of the East Villlage in NYC, whereas Dam Square is like Broadway. Personally, I prefer the Jordaan. It's so beautiful and quiet and charming. But it takes more walking and searching to find what you like. There are a ton of cute little cafes there, so you can make a day out of just shopping, eating & drinking coffee ... sounds like heaven to me. :)

[thompso2]

I'm not normally a big fan of tours, but I loved the Amsterdam Canal Bus (http://amsterdam.city-discovery.com/amsterdam_canal_tours/canal_bus_day_pass_amsterdam.htm). It connects many of the city's attractions, giving you a guided tour of the city in between stops, and I really enjoyed traveling on the water instead of the streets.

The Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank house and the Flower Market were my favorite sights, but just sitting in a cafe having a snack and watching the city go by was great, too!

[squirrel]

The red light district is an eye-opener. If you really want to see it in all its glory, go at night when all the action takes place. I'm not sure if they still do this anymore, but back in 1995 when I was there, they had store windows where naked women pranced around trying to get customers. You would see crowds of men on the street looking at them (drooling, I imagine). If a man indicated he wanted to do business, she would motion him in and next thing you knew, she would draw a curtain across the window. I think they did their business right there! Truly a unique experience to watch ;)

[wildcat]

bicycles - When you rent the bike, they give you a bike lock (with a key) and warn you to make sure you ALWAYS lock up your bike. Seriously, there are thousands of bikes locked up everywhere...there's always somewhere to lock-up your bike no matter where you go. It was so wonderful having our own wheels in Amsterdam:).

I second the red light experience! What surprised me was that most of the girls were really gorgeous (I'm used to thinking of prostitutes as kind of well, nasty). They do stand in the windows, some dance, some are on their cells, some are eating...very strange. Most of the time you can see the bed and sink behind them (they lease their window and space as independent business owners), and the pp was right, when a guy goes in, the curtain closes and then he comes out a little later. So strange to witness! When we were there, Amsterdam had just won some soccer championship and the Red Light District was PACKED. We got home at 5am!!

[HeatherFL]

I spent part of Christmas last year in Belgium, France and Amsterdam. It was a great city!

Must sees?
Red Light District
Van Gough Museum
Anne Frank House
Tour the canals
Dam Square to see the Obelisk (Symbol of Amsterdam is phallic! How ironic LOL!)
Westerkerk
Rijksmuseum

How user-friendly is the public transport?
Very. I used the buses, but mostly walked. It's a small city.

My Dutch isn't great what phrases are most important?
No worries. Everyone speaks English! Just be careful. A LOT of people ride bicycles and if you're not careful you will get run over!

A few pics from my trip:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbOHLNmzZtWV5 (OOPS! I got a few pics from Belgium in there. They're labeled, though. Sorry 'bout that!)
Click on "View Pictures"
Then it will take you to a bunch of small thumbnails. There will be three icons and the third one says "View Slideshow." That's the easiest way to see the pics. :)

Have fun!

~H.

[Peaches]

Thanks again for all the replies.

As it was my birthday last week the friend, with whom I am going to Amsterdam, bought me a Dutch phrase book. Boy, I am glad they mostly speak English! ;)
I am going to try and learn a couple of phrases; I am thinking they might appreciate the effort (or aleast get a couple of laughs).

[Mrs. M.]

I just returned from AMS today, so I have a few more tips to offer :)

Lunch at V&D on Kalverstraat. This is a big, busy place where you can pick out your own food. Great baked goods, salads, fruit smoothies, etc...

A visit to Zaanse Schans http://www.zaanseschans.nl (Pretty bad website) About 20 minutes by train and walking from AMS.
This is such a lovely place. A bit touristy but we enjoyed it. On the way there from the train, we saw some of the most beautiful residential areas we have ever seen.

If you want to hang out in the big park behind the Rijksmuseum, carefully inspect the grass for dogpoop before sitting down :rolleyes:

[Quartercentury]

I'm bumping this up in the hopes that someone can give me hotel recommendations in Amsterdam (also thinking about Delft, too, if anyone's been there)...

I'll be with a friend and we're not looking to spend a ton of money on a place to sleep, but not wanting to stay in a youth hostel, either.

Thanks!

[designer]

really old thread - bumping for more ideas

[Rosebud]

I spent part of my honeymoon in Amsterdam last year. I wrote a trip review about it that includes sightseeing, dining and lodging recommendations. Plus, a bunch of photos and other feedback on the city. Here's the link to that review:

Honeymoon Review: Amsterdam (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10130)
(The section on Amsterdam starts on page 2)

:)

[bellabonga]

If you are in Amsterdam, I recommend taking a trip to the small town Alkmaar which is nearby. It is very pittoresque and they have a Dutch cheese market on Fridays which is traditional for Holland. The shops in Alkmaar are nice too. Apart from that there are several nice beach towns around Amsterdam, like Egmont, Nordwijk and Scheveningen. Scheveningen isn´t as nice as the others but it has Holland´s most famous spa hotel.

[HeatherFL]

For the Poster who was asking about hotels, we're staying here when we go in October:

Hotel Pulitzer (www.pulitzer.nl).

~H.

[Rosebud]

I was just reading an old issue of National Geographic Traveler that has a bunch of wonderful info on Amsterdam. It's the September 2006 issue, if anyone is interested.

They also have some good Amsterdam info on their website: Amsterdam Article (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/articles/1061amsterdam.html)

And here are a few things of note from the magazine:

Recommended hotels:
Lloyd Hotel
Hotel Orlando
Seven One Seven
Ambassade Hotel
The Dylan Amsterdam
Hotel Seven Bridges

Recommended restaurants:
Dylan (Keizersgracht 384)
De Kas (Park Frankendael, Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3)
Tempo Doeloe (Utrechtsestraat 75)
De Roode Leeuw (Damrak 93-94)
Cafe-Restaurant Dauphine (Prins Bernhardplein 175)
Bordewijk (Noordermarkt 7)

Tip #1- The free Amsterdam Weekly, published on Wednesdays and available at central bookstores, is a good English-language guide to local events.

Tip #2- The I amsterdam Card, sold by the Amsterdam Tourism Boards (www.amsterdamtourist.nl), covers admission to major musuems plus city tram and bus fare, and also provides a discount at many restaurants.

[Rosebud]

National Geographic photos:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/gossip/amsterdam_gal.jpg
Taken from Westerkirk, a historic church with a tall spire.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/gossip/amsterdam_gal5.jpg
In the Pompadour bakery [Huidenstraat 12; +31 20 623 9554] one can learn all about the fine Dutch tradition of making chocolate. The head chocolatier took time out to chat with us, even though he was very busy.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/gossip/amsterdam_gal6.jpg
On our way to our regular breakfast nook, Buffet van Odette & Yvette, I saw this beautiful reflection of the traditional Amsterdam houses that typify the feeling one gets walking through the Nine Streets area. This was made possible by the long winter—spring foliage had not yet blocked the view of these Renaissance facades

[Rosebud]

And a few Amsterdam trip reports from the Fodors.com boards:

Amsterdam Trip Report (http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34942337&numresponses=24&start=0&keyword=144&searchText=amsterdam+report)
Amsterdam + Paris Trip Report (http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34773150&numresponses=41&start=0&keyword=144&searchText=amsterdam+report)
Netherlands/Belgium Trip Report (http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34896254&numresponses=53&start=0&keyword=144&searchText=amsterdam+report)
Amsterdam, Bruges & Delft Trip Report (http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34813144&numresponses=8&start=0&keyword=144&searchText=amsterdam+report)
Amsterdam Tips & Report (http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34797735&numresponses=15&start=0&keyword=144&searchText=amsterdam+report)

[Rosebud]

The Los Angeles Times had a good article this weekend on traveling to Amsterdam with kids.

Touring Amsterdam, with two kids in tow (http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-amsterdam20may20)

The Dutch canal city turns out to be perfect for youngsters: charming, walkable and full of cool sights. And did we mention the pancakes for lunch?

When considering Amsterdam, its famous red-light district and the coffee shops where cannabis is smoked, you may assume it's less than an ideal city to visit with young children. But you would be wrong. (continued)

The article also includes travel tips (http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-amsterdambox20may20) that include apartment rental websites, sightseeing suggestions and dining recommendations. Their restaurant picks:

De Taart van m'n Tante, 10 Ferdinand Bolstraat, 1072 LJ; 011-31-20-776-4600; www.detaart.com. A must stop for a morning or afternoon sweet and coffee. The cakes are as splendid and colorful as the interior.

Pancake Bakery, 19 Prinsengracht; 011-31-20-625-1333, www.pancake.nl. The kids will be tempted by the sweets, but don't miss the savory stuff — bacon and cheese as well as Thai or curry; these are nothing like your IHOP pancake. Special dishes for kids come with toys, which may be too small for those younger than 5. From $13.50 to $27.

Sea Palace, 8 Oosterdokskade, 1011 AE; Amsterdam, 011-31-20-626-4777, www.seapalace.nl. Pagoda-style, floating Chinese restaurant. Great city views from the water. Entrees from $21; set menu from $35.

[booksie]

Here's a blog I came across from someone living there... has good info on food. Made me hungry. :)
http://www.hotelsbycity.net/blog/eur_netherlands_amsterdam/index.php?author=1597

[j*east]

Oooh, I love what I'm seeing here. Thanks for all of the interesting posts!

I would love to go to Amsterdam. I've been fascinated with the place since I learned about canals when I was about 8, and even more so after reading a lot about Anne Frank.

Anyway...DH and I are both teachers, which means we could visit either over Christmas break, over spring break (late March) or over the summer. What's the best time to go?

[Rosebud]

What's the best time to go?

I haven't been there during any of those times (we went in October), but in general I'd say Christmas will be cold/wet, late March will be a little less cold/wet, but still fairly so, and summer will be lovely but crowded. I do think that having better weather in Amsterdam is a real plus, so you can stroll along the canals, bike around and really enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, so I'm going to say summer. Depending on when you get out of school, the earlier in summer you can go the better. If that's early June, that's probably good. May would be even better. July and August are going to be really, really crowded and not as ideal.

[scubasam]

We went the last wk of May/first wk of June and it was perfect.....great weather and not crowded.

[bellanapoli]

Anyone had a good experience with a canal boat cruise they'd like to share? I'm heading to Amsterdam over labor day weekend and I'm thinking of taking the family on the canal boat cruise.

I can't decide if it's worth it to take a separate cruise or just use the museum boat to get around town. It strikes me that the museum boat is probably just the same view-wise and probably cheaper. Plus, I'll have a toddler in tow and the ability to get off quickly is pretty good. But, I'm willing to take the cruise if it's worth it.

Thanks!

[bookworm]

I did a canal boat cruise, and I'm glad I did. No idea which one (it was a dozen years ago). I think the advantage of a "tour" would be that they tell you things about what you're seeing.

[Rosebud]

We did one of the night cruises around the canals, which probably would be too late in the day for kids. I liked it fine, but actually would have prefered to do it during the day so as to see things a bit better. Ours wasn't very expensive, so I'd definitely say it's worth it. It's really fun to see the city from the canals and get an overall perspective of Amsterdam and learn some additional history and tidbits from the guide.

Have fun!

[am_81]

We did a canal boat cruise too . . . . it wasnt the museum boat, but it was a get-off-and-on one. (I'll try to look up which company we used in a bit.) We paid one fee and were able to use our ticket on any of their 3 lines. We ended up exploring a few parts of the city we probably never wouldve seen because we decided to randomly get off the boat at a couple stops. We also learned tons of those interesting little tidbits that you get when you do a tour. I dont think it was very expensive, so it was definitely worth it for us. FWIW, there were several children each time we got on and it didnt seem to be an issue for them and/or their families.

ETA -- Canal Bus (http://www.canal.nl/en/theme.php?theme_id=3) is the name of the company we used. We just showed up at one the stands (at Rijksmuseum stop, IIRC), purchased a ticket and hopped on the boat.

[May27JnJ]

DH wants to go to Amsterdam. How much are we looking at spending for everything? I'm looking for ball park, nothing fancy or detailed. It probably wouldn't be for a year or two.

[nyclaura]

I did the Canal water tour from the Rijksmuseum museum also. Before getting on the bus I walked through the shopping area (local and global upscale like Chanel) and toured the museum. Then on the way back I did the Van Gogh museum.

The canal tour was nice because the architecture in Amsterdam is just amazing. The history, colors, buildings are all stunning. I went in the fall and there were some leaves turning too. Picture postcard beautiful. The boat also pointed out many significant buildings - like the Anne Frank house. The line to go into the Anne Frank house was long - but seeing it from the canal was nice and faster.

There is a large amount of Indonesian food in Amsterdam and it is all wonderful. I have 3 different Indonesian dinners. Actually, there is a lot of food diversity period - but just a surprisingly large amount of Indonesian food.

Other than the museums I found that the best way to see the city was on foot just wandering through the neighborhoods. Bikes are very popular too - and that would be a great way to tour too.

[bellanapoli]

Thanks for the link to the canal bus. I think that's a good option for us. My guide book recommends a 75 cruise for only 10 euro a person but if DS goes to the bad place, that's a long 75 minutes. I think the get-on-get-off option will be better.

Well, I just purchased our tickets to the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House online. Can't wait to spend next weekend in Amsterdam!

[Rosebud]

DH wants to go to Amsterdam. How much are we looking at spending for everything? I'm looking for ball park, nothing fancy or detailed. It probably wouldn't be for a year or two.

The best way to get a ballpark estimate is to price out some airline tickets from your area to Amsterdam, and look at some hotel prices online. It's really hard for us to guess for you, because we don't know when/where you're flying and how long you'll be in Amsterdam. The air and hotel will be the biggest portion of your budget. Factor in a smaller amount for transportation/meals/shopping/museum admissions. If you're looking to save money, I'd advise traveling in the off-peak season (May and October are good ideas).