Between being known as the Las Vegas of Europe and the Venice of the North, how could you not want to visit Amsterdam? Ok, so maybe the red-light district and coffee shops aren’t your cup of tea, but there is definitely something for everyone (including Justin Bieber) in this fascinating city. Amsterdam can be experienced in as little as 72 hours, but requires savvy planning in order to fit everything in. Below is an all-inclusive Amsterdam travel guide for the savvy traveler.
Related post: if you are traveling to Amsterdam for a weekend getaway, check out my Amsterdam Weekend Itinerary!
Amsterdam Airports & Transportation
The international airport in Amsterdam is Schiphol, located about 20 km from the city center. The airport is fairly large and has long security lines for departing flights, especially for international flights, so plan accordingly.
There is a train that can take you from the airport to the city center that is only about 5€ per ticket. You can also hire a private taxi to transport you between your hotel and the airport, but expect to pay around 40 euros.
Uber operates in Amsterdam, so we decided to Uber between the airport and our hotel because it was only about 16 euros, which wasn’t much more than the cost of two train tickets and was much more convenient, especially with luggage and after traveling for almost two weeks.
Besides using Uber to get to/from the airport, we used the train or the tram to get around, depending on our destination. Biking is a very popular mode of transportation in Amsterdam as well, but I found the cyclists to be a bit too aggressive for my style, so we did not rent them even though they are an option.
Where to Stay in Amsterdam
Dam Square* is the city’s most well-known square and is a very central location to other popular sites. For these reasons, it’s very expensive to stay near Dam Square, and encouraging readers to stay in expensive areas is not what this blog is about.
Amsterdam Hotel Review: WestCord Fashion Hotel
When we were in Amsterdam in spring 2017, we stayed at the WestCord Fashion Hotel* which I found after an exhaustive search
The hotel itself is almost 3 miles from Dam Square and there isn’t really anything within walking distance of the hotel except for the train station and a tram station that will take you to the city center. The hotel is very modern, clean, safe and has free wifi! The employees that work at the front desk also speak English so they proved very helpful in explaining how to use the tram or the train to get to our various destinations.
We definitely got our best bang for our buck staying at the WestCord Fashion Hotel and I think this is a great example of the type of affordable accommodations travelers can find if they do enough research on properties outside of the normal tourist-trap areas.
What to See in Amsterdam
Obviously, a visit to the Anne Frank House is a necessity when visiting Amsterdam and so is the Heineken Experience, but beyond these popular attractions, there are a lot of other things to discover in Amsterdam.
Related post: Free Things to do in Amsterdam
Let’s start with the necessities:
Anne Frank House
Visitors must purchase their tickets online and they sell out fast! Tickets become available two months in advance and I highly recommend that you purchase them as soon as possible especially if you want a choice on the time of day you want to visit. We went to the Anne Frank House first thing in the morning, to avoid the inevitable lines that grow as the day goes on, and also to avoid visiting the emotionally-draining museum during the middle of our day.
Heineken Experience
It’s definitely an experience! It is essentially an interactive self-guided tour with periodic stops to see the evolution of the Heineken brewery, complete with Clydesdale horses in the middle. The tour, of course, comes with several opportunities to enjoy their beer which tastes even better in Amsterdam than
Now for other ways to discover Amsterdam:
Canal Cruise
While there are several different options for canal cruises (including a “hop on / hop off” version) in Amsterdam, we went on an evening one that included pizza and unlimited beverages* (including beer and wine) that did not disappoint. (P.S. it’s family friendly!) I highly recommend experiencing Amsterdam via a canal cruise to see a different perspective of the city.
Free Walking Tour
There is nothing savvier than free and my husband and I tend to participate in at least one free walking tour in every European city that we visit (or in the case of London, we did three…). Even though the tours are free, they tend to be high quality as the guides are working for tips, and our experience with the Sandeman’s Tour in Amsterdam was no different. Our tour guide told us the history of Amsterdam (including the fascinating story of the decriminalization of certain things that are definitely not legal in the U.S.), explained the architecture, and showed us different sites that we would not have otherwise seen.
Note: while the tour itself is free, tipping is definitely the savvy thing to do! Please tip whatever amount makes sense for your financial situation and the quality of experience you had on the tour.
Remembrance Day in Dam Square
If you happen to be visiting Amsterdam on May 4th, Remembrance Day, you will be there to see how the country commemorates the civilians and members of the armed forces who have died in war. There is a Remembrance Day ceremony that takes place in Dam Square shortly before 8:00 p.m. that I recommend attending, as the King and Queen are part of the ceremony that observes a nation-wide moment of silence. While there is a large crowd at the ceremony, my husband and I thought it was a very memorable experience.
Related: Further explore the Netherlands by taking a day trip from Amsterdam to places like Keukenhof Gardens for the ultimate tulip season experience!
Pub Crawl
If you are looking for an entertaining, safe way to experience Amsterdam’s nightlife, then I recommend going on an organized pub crawl with dedicated guide. My husband and I participated in this low-cost pub crawl of the red-light district* as it included a pseudo walking tour of the area (which has amazing people-watching BTW!) and got us into various bars complete with free drinks.
Broutweij ‘t ij Brewery
While Heineken is a good light beer, especially in Amsterdam, it does not have the flavor, hops, bitterness, etc. that true craft beer fans may be looking for in a pint of beer. After previously being in Paris and Rome, where Peroni is basically the only beer that is available, my husband and I were looking for a good craft brewery to experience. After more exhaustive research, I landed on visiting Broutwerij ‘t ij, which is decent tram ride outside of the city center. The brewery is in an old wind mill and has a lot of charm and the best part is that the beer is great! They offer a tasting flight so we were able try a variety of their beers and were thoroughly impressed.
So that wraps up this post on Amsterdam! More savvy tips to come but until then – let’s raise a bottle of Heineken and say cheers!
