Amsterdam (Netherlands) > Reviews (54)

I've been to Amsterdam Airport more times than I can remember. Living in Cardiff, taking the KLM flight to Schiphol and changing was quicker than going all the way to London. But I'd never actually left the airport, I was always just there in transit.

To be honest, I'd never felt any great pull to leave the airport and look around the city. I love culture but I'd never thought of Amsterdam as having lots of old churches and museums for me to look around. I'd always associated it more with the Red Light District and 'coffeeshops' which didn't really interest me.

Then I got a call from a friend saying that she was planning a girls trip to Amsterdam. 'How do I get out of this one' I thought. Another friend persuaded me, saying that she would accompany me to the 'boring' parts while the rest of them drank to their hearts content!

GETTING THERE:

Amsterdam is a hub for connecting flights and therefore lots of UK airports fly there. I looked for a flight from Cardiff with KLM (to get my airmiles!) but it was over £100. I checked with Easyjet from Bristol and they only charged £70 return - that's better! The airlines and airports which fly there are too numerous to list but shop around and you can find good bargains. Remember that using KLM to connect from Amsterdam may be cheaper, but a ticket just to Amsterdam can sometimes almost be as expensive as one that will take you all the way to New York via Schphol.

TRANSPORT ONCE THERE:

I found the transport very good. The odd train was delayed slightly but living in Britain I expect nothing less! The trains from the airport go every 10 minutes and cost 3.60 Euros one way. The station is located within the airport itself. When you get to Central Station, which takes about 15 minutes, you can connect with the trams outside. You can buy tickets for the tram at the office opposite the station, where the staff were very friendly with helping you work out which tram you needed. The best way of buying a ticket for the tram is to buy a strippenkarte which saves money. Remember to have it stamped or validate it yourself in the yellow machines when you board the tram.

THE EXPERIENCE AND WHAT TO SEE:

We arrived on Monday afternoon. Another 3 were arriving later on so we went to the hotel and checked in. We were staying at the Amsterdam American which is on Leidseplein and very conveniently located. When the others arrived we went for food and then, as one had been before, we walked around. I enjoyed walking around and did not feel unsafe. We went to the Red Light District, which did not bother me, in fact I found it very tacky, with big neon signs depicting all sorts of things! We went into a 'coffeeshop' which I was uncomfortable with as I don't really agree with any type of drugs. For the rest of the trip I avoided such places. To be honest, I would rather have watched a sex show, it would have offended me less!

The next day my friend and I were the only ones awake in the morning. As we were the ones who wanted to see the sights we invested in the I Amsterdam Card.

This is a fantastic investment if you plan to see a few things in Amsterdam. We paid 51 Euros for a 72 hour card, which entitles you to free public transport, free entrance to many attractions and discounts on other attractions and restaurants. Among the attractions included on the pass are the Oude Kerk (old church) Neuwie Kerk (new church), the Amsterdam Historical Museum, the Van Goch Museum and the Rijksmuseum. The card can be bought from all tourist offices, where we found the staff extremely helpful.

On the first day we did some shopping. Many of the shops were the same as those in Britain, H&M, Zara etc. The prices were about the same for clothes. The prices for cosmetics were sometimes cheaper, but buying in the airport was cheaper again.

We also visited the Old Church, which is in the middle of the Red Light District. The Church was very bare, but interesting. It contains the grave of Rembrandt's wife. If you go in the winter, take your thermals, we were absolutely freezing in there! We also went to the New Church, which I was very disappointed with as it is no longer used as a church but as an exibition centre. These on their own would have cost nearly 20 Euros, so the pass really is worth it.

That night (when the others finally woke up!!) we went to Boom Chicago, a comedy show in a theatre located in Leidseplein. This was hilarious. We also had dinner before the show in the theatre. The cost was 36 Euros which included a 2 course dinner, which was very tasty, a drink and the show. I found this to be a very good deal.

The next day we went on a boat tour (again included in our pass). This takes you on a tour of the canals and out to the harbour, and gives a commentary in Dutch and English as you go round. The boats are covered in so don't worry if its raining. There are many companies offering this, we chose on near Leidseplein and found it very informative. It did get a little choppy in the harbour though!

We then went to Anne Frank's House, which I recommend as a must to anyone going to Amsterdam. The atmosphere and the exibits were very moving and seeing how small an area the 8 people who were hiding lived in will really make you think. It costs 7.50 Euros to get in but it is worth every penny and I spent a good hour and a half in there.

Be warned, if you want to avoid the Red Light District, be careful where you wander. We were walking in an area which we didn't think was marked as the RLD on the map, only to be comfronted by a host of women pressing their...assets?....up against the window. This didn't bother me, in fact I found it quite funny, but for people that go to Amsterdam with children, be careful were you go!

That evening we went out to a bar in Leidseplein called the Bulldog. You will see these around Amsterdam, the company also runs cafes and coffeeshops. The bar was good fun, with music being played (although the live musician at the end wasn't that good). The drinks were about the same prices as you would pay in this country (about £2-2.

50 per pint). This place closed at 1pm.

The following day, after a light night by all except me, I headed out on my own. I felt very safe walking round by myself and ventured into parts that we hadn't seen before. I went to the main Catholic Church, St Nicholas, which is near the station. It was spectacular. Not very big, but very ornate and beautifully decorated. A definate must if you like looking round churches like me. I then went to the Amsterdam Historical Museum, which was fascinating, but there is a lot to see in there and I can see children becomming bored quite quickly. The museum tells the story of the city from its beginnings in the 13th century right up to the modern day. The exibits include artifacts, paintings, videos and more. One very interesting exibit was a video in the World War Two section. This is not really highlighted but is so fascinating. The video shows a group of people who went into hiding during the war. Its nowhere near as famous as Anne Frank, but really adds to the overall story of those hiding. If you've got the I Amsterdam card then I would definately say to make time for a quick walk around here as its included and parts were very interesting. If you've only got a short time or have children who find most museums a drag, then perhaps this isn't the place for you.

The afternoon saw visits to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Goch Museum, both on our passes. I loved the Rijksmuseum. At the moment only around 12 rooms are open while they rebuilt other areas. In these rooms they have put the most viewed items, those which people would come to the museum to see. These include artifacts in the first couple of rooms, from the Dutch Golden Age. Then there are rooms of paintings, including a room for Rembrandt, one for Vermeer and one for Frans Hals. The most famous painting was the Night Watch by Rembrandt, which was enormous. The museum building was absolutely huge so I'm quite glad that I didn't have to walk through all of it in the time we were there. However, I would like to go back there if I had more time. The Van Goch Museum was interesting, but to be honest I'm more of an Old Master person! It was interesting to learn about his life, although his ear, or lack thereof, was not mentioned! There were many of his paintings on display, included one version of his Sunflowers.

The next morning we headed back to the shops to rid ourselves of some Euros, and then to the airport. The shops in the airport are great, you could buy almost anything. I ended up with some cosmetics and some famous Dutch cheese - yummy!

CONCLUSION:

Would I go back to Amsterdam? Well I would, but it wouldn't be top of my list. Would I recommend it? Again, yes, but with reservations. I really didn't find it a family orientated place. There were places, such as Madame Tussaudes and the Amsterdam Dungeon, but you would definately have to pick and chose carefully where you walked with children. You can avoid the RLD fairly easily, but the 'coffeeshops' are everywhere.

Another thing to bear in mind with youngsters are the roads, which seem to have no set pattern and trams, bikes and cars come at you from all directions! If you offend easily then this may not be the place for you. However, it can also be a cultural experience. It is a fascinating place to go. There are lots of museums and churches to visit and even just walking around the canals is a pleasant experience. Remember that it gets very cold in winter because there are no hills blocking the wind, and I've heard that the flys can be bad in the summer becuase of all the water. Another tip is to make sure you change you money before you go as the rate they give you is terrible, as with changing in most places when you get there. Unless you have a Nationwide account your bank will charge for ATM use but this is probably less than the exchange rate will do you out of.

So overall, I would recommend it if you're looking for a cultural trip, or if you're looking for somewhere for a weekend with friends or a stag or hen do. If you like the idea of going somewhere with very relaxed attitudes then Amsterdam is ideal. I enjoyed the trip very much, but I won't be hurrying back.