This has definitely got to be the most versatile and city by far, you could literally go with anyone from dates to mates. In my case, my boyfriend. Whatever the reason that brings you to this vibrant city, being the architecture to the drug culture I want to give you tips and trips I’ve gathered on our adventure.
Schiphol Airport is only about an hour away from the UK so can definitely be a last minute trip on your agenda from the local airports; even just a spare weekend off it won’t break the bank.
For a short break you could arrive Thursday night or early Friday to get the full times worth. Most likely you’re going to be leaving for Amsterdam after you’re done with work so you’ll leave in the evening just as we did.
Once you arrive into Schiphol, there are many ways you can get to your hotel such as trains, trams and free airport shuttles dependent on where you are staying. Which leads me on to the question-
Where do you stay in the city? Or do you even staying the city? That ones for you to decide with your budget, ours being low as possible we pulled the price lever down low on our booking website and swiped them card details through without looking back. We were aware that the location was quite out the way of the hustle and bustle but conveniently it did offer a regular transfer throughout the day running from 7:30 there and coming back till 22:00- It may not seem late but by the time you are done with the day you will be exhausted. So if you're looking to see more of the nightlife I wouldn’t recommend the Correndon Village hotel but other than that I rate it all around with great value for money.
Something I noticed was the ‘I Amsterdam’ card, which seems like a pretty fantastic deal. This gives you entry to over 60 museums and attractions, plus a free canal cruise and with around 100km of canals surrounding Amsterdam, it’s definitely worth doing a to experience a different view. Also including unlimited public transport on the trams for a small cost of around €65 so if you wanted to do some site seeing this could be a great opportunity to save some money. Alternatively you can purchase a combo ticket as we did for the Amsterdam dungeons with the tour or Madame Tussaud’s with the tour for a reduced cost.
Home to some of the most famous artwork and history, Amsterdam has an array of museums to visit. Many of which you can just turn up and buy a ticket such as Van Gough with relatively small queues, however one mistake we made was to not book the Anne Frank Haus in advance. They no longer have, an arrive and queue process. Tickets are usually sold out up to 2 months before usually and 20% of tickets are sold on the morning of the day from 9am- the website seems to be so crowded you haven’t a chance of grabbing any of these without a computer. Some of the other quirky museums you may wish to see could be the sex museum based near the Amsterdam Cathedral or the red light secrets, which gives you an insight into more of the provocative side of Amsterdam. This is located right in the heart of the red light district; an attraction by day and a booming strip of sex by night. The women (and men) stand in the window to make their living all lit up by a red lights- hence the name. Along here you will also find live sex shows and busy bars ready to lure the customer in. It definitely is a sight to see and wouldn’t shy away from seeing it just be wary of who you are with and where you personal belongings are.
Although all the sites may be wide spread you can follow the locals by hiring a bike for as little as €10 per day. May I warn you there are a LOT of them; everywhere you look you can guarantee to see one locked up or in use. Just be aware as a pedestrian they do have right of way.
Amsterdam's reputation amongst a younger audience shines light on a different scene, bringing in millions of tourists per annum and of course; being the weed capital of Europe the people take advantage of this. Besides the Dam square you will find the official museum of marijuana if you wish to find out a little more of the culture. Along the side streets also you will see many funky places called ‘smart shops’ this is where they sell psychedelic truffles, magic mushroom growing kits, and natural/herbal highs but just for weed you must identify the ‘coffeshops’.
Now I had seen posts on Facebook saying that they had taken I Amsterdam statue due to too much tourism however I thought this was a hoax as it seemed crazy but turns out it actually is true! It was located in front of the Moco Museum home to Banksy artwork but had been removed by the government to prevent crowding around the area. If you did want to sneak a picture in there is also the same stature outside the airport entrance.
In January we had definitely underestimated how cold it was going to be as it was hitting temperatures of -2 but I couldn’t recommend it more with the hype of Christmas over but the Christmassy aftermath remains. The StaIjsbaan Leidseplein seasonal ice rink was still open set up with the food markets around. And as sunset hits there couldn’t be more of a perfect activity to do surrounded by the pretty lights. Winter is always a great idea in these kind of cities but I can imagine you would get a whole different experience in the different seasons: with all tulips blooming in the spring, and the heat waves in the summer. This would be better opportunity to take a day trip to see the infamous Hollandaise windmills.
From Dam Square it seems to branch off to a variety of different streets some offering high street shops and the others a selection of food, which you won’t be short of choice. May I add their sweet treats are something else!
I had the most fantastic weekend and I’m not a big believer in repeat visits but somewhere so complex with so much to offer I certainly wouldn’t say no.
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