We spent 4 days in March camping in Amsterdam this year, and it was fabulous. We travelled by Stenaline, from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, and it cost a total of £209 for 4 people and a car to travel both ways - a bargain. We booked it directly on the internet. The crossing was smooth, the Ferry was really comfortable, and the journey time was around 5 hours - getting us into Holland at around 4pm local time.
We drove from the Hook of Holland to Amsterdam, and once we were used to driving on the right and the slightly unnerving habit of some of the Dutch to drive straight through red lights, it was plain sailing to drive to Amsterdam itself, taking less than an hour to reach our campsite on the outskirts of the city. We stayed at Camping Zeeburg, and we couldn't fault it. If you are considering camping in Amsterdam, we would recommend this campsite. Set on the edge of the river, the campsite is roomy and very attractive. Even in March it was quite popular with a few other tents with ours, and caravans and campervans also welcome. You can't book tent pitches in advance - you just turn up and pay in the morning. They answered our e-mail queries promptly and in English too - first class service.
We pitched our tent in the evening, and paid at Reception in the morning, where you can buy everything you need, travel tickets, washing powder, hot coffee on tap, maps - they all speak good English and the place is very clean. The toilets and showers were also spotless, and there was a washing machine and dryer too, which you can buy tokens for from the vending machine 24/7 - this came in handy after a very wet night! Again, 4 nights with a 6 man tent and a car cost around 26 euros in total - far cheaper than any B&B's or hotels.
The main aroma on the wind at the campsite is cannabis, so if you are not a smoker, this is probably not the best campsite for you. There were also lots of students around, so again, if you want total peace and quiet, this is not ideal. However, if you do smoke socially and enjoy that atmosphere, you couldn't do better.
We bought 24 hour travel tickets for 6.5 euros each (about £4) which gave us unlimited bus and trams for 24 hours - absolutely perfect. The tram stop is less than a ten minute walk from the campsite across parkland, and a road bridge, and from there you can get to anywhere you like in the city. The trams also run late into the night, so you can enjoy the night life knowing you will not have to queue for a taxi at any point!
Over the course of the weekend, we visited the Van Gogh museum, the diamond museum, and took a canal boat trip - all of which were experiences in themselves and deserve separate reviews - suffice to say that Amsterdam is small enough to be able to pack a lot of sightseeing into 3 full days, and we would definitely go back in the summer.
The only disadvantages we experienced were that cyclists have priority and you need eyes in the back of your head sometimes to avoid getting entangled with them, and the time we stumbled across the red light district was not the most pleasant part of our visit, but these were minor inconveniences!
All in all, a fantastic, cheap trip to one of the world's most famous capital cities.
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Ahh, Amsterdam, where they bake the best "brownies" in the world, lol; did you get to check out the Anne Frank house too? Great first review there!
mightymuffin 29.05.2007 20:07
A good first review - perhaps a littl more detail though - it's certainly better than my first attempt at a review was!!
I've often wanted to visit Amsterdam - I will one day, I'm sure, but your review makes it sound quite appealing xx
Popalee 08.05.2007 10:08
Good review, but it would have been nice to include a little more detail about the actual city. Welcome to Ciao
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Advantages: Easy and quick to get there, an interesting and cosmopolitan city. Disadvantages: It clearly isn't for all given the abudance of blantant sex and drugs.
nickyturnill 07.01.2005 (26.03.2006)
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Review of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Advantages: Lots of things to do, always lively, many attractions are accessible on foot. Disadvantages: Weather is unpredictable, it can be difficult to find your way if you're new to it.
joycarole 27.09.2004 (27.09.2004)
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Review of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Advantages: a variety of activities; English-speaking; friendly people; good museums; interesting night life Disadvantages: not car-friendly; bicycles have right of way; changeable weather
bunny711 02.04.2004 (02.04.2004)
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Review of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Advantages: Inspirational, paintings and other fine objects, good museum shop! Gardens and courtyard outside Disadvantages: Too big! (cannot see all of it in one day!)
Connoisseur_Haggler 30.07.2001 (30.07.2001)
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Review of Rijksmuseum
Apr 8th, 2007
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