A Few Days in Amsterdam

This winter I got restless and decided to go somewhere for the Easter holidays. I decided on Amsterdam, because it is a convenient distance from me, there were direct flights, it’s an easy city to navigate on foot and there is lots to see and do. It’s not the cheapest place, but it is definitely possible to enjoy yourself, even on a tight budget. 

Trains to and from the airport

It is super easy to get from the airport to the city center of Amsterdam. Once you’re off the plane just follow the signs that lead to the train station. You buy a ticket in the yellow and blue ticket machines, that literally have a button that says “I want to go to Amsterdam”. And it is preset to English, so it couldn’t be any easier. Once you buy your ticket you need to check in at one of the poles that are placed by the tracks. You just scan your ticket and you are good to go. Finding the next train to the city is also quite easy, you just look at the screens placed in the hall and find your track. 

Getting back to the airport is just as easy, as the ticket machines in the central station in Amsterdam have a button that says “I want to go to Schiphol”. Again, it couldn’t be any easier. Just remember to check in and out with your tickets. I assume checking out isn’t really important if you buy a one-way ticket, but it is if you buy some sort of daypass/multiple trip ticket, so be sure to remember that. There are the poles I mentioned earlier, but there are also gates, where you sometimes need your ticket to get through, so be sure to hang on to it.

Hotel

I stayed at the Park Plaza Victoria, which cannot be more centrally located. It is literally across the street from the central station and right on the corner of Damrak, one of the main streets of the city center. It is quite expensive, so if you are on a tight budget this is not for you. If you have money to spend, I think you should consider spending it here. The hotel has a swimming pool and a gym. I never managed to find it, though, as I was pretty beat by the time I made it home after a day’s wanderings. Besides my room had a bathtub, so I just utilized that instead. The room itself was pretty small, but it had everything I needed. The noise level wasn't too bad, considering the location right across from the station in the city center. It is possible to get breakfast at the hotel, but partly because of the gluten-problem and partly to save money, I had brought my own homemade breakfast muffins and then I just bought some bananas and drinks at supermarkets around town to spice it up a bit.

Taking full advantage of the tub with a Lush bath bomb 

Amsterdam

I decided to go on a walking tour of Amsterdam, and there are a lot of companies that do this. I went with “Original Amsterdam Tours” because they are “free”. “Free” meaning you tip your guide at the end of the tour, so it’s up to you how much you want to pay. And tours can be pricey. 

There was a choice of the original tour and the alternative tour. I went with the alternative tour, because I have been to Amsterdam before and I feel like I know the basics. The alternative tour would take us through Amsterdam focusing on street art, punk bars, squatting and another red light district, that isn’t the touristy one in the center. The tour was good, but it was very heavily focused on street art. I had expected a bit more history, but hey ho. I can definitely recommend the tour, if you are interested in graffiti and such. 

Otherwise I pretty much just wandered the city. I met up with friends, and they took me around and showed me some interesting stuff, but we pretty much stuck to looking from outside. I had decided to blow my budget on a nice hotel, so I was mainly interested in free stuff. The only museum I entered was Anna Frank’s House, and that was definitely worth the money (see below for details). 

If, like me, you are on a budget it is completely possible to enjoy the city, without overspending. The city is full of interesting architecture and lovely views down the canals, there are a number of “free tours” you can join and the window shopping is lovely. 

The National Monument on Dam Square, meeting point for most of the walking tours

The Begijnhof

In the middle of Amsterdam you can find the lovely little Begijnhof. This is a little quiet courtyard, which used to house religious women, who were not nuns! They lived in a small community and spent their lives mainly taking care of the sick. The little courtyard is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city, although it too is teeming with tourists. You are not allowed to take photos in the courtyard as people still live there, but that rule seems to be disregarded by everyone. I must confess I took some pictures too, as I didn't see the sign at first. But do try to restrain yourself. Imagine people taking pictures of your house all day long.

The lovely Begijnhof, a little courtyard hidden in the city center

The oldest house in the Begijnhof

The houses in the Begijnhof are rented out to women. 

Jordaan

The alternative tour also took us to Jordaan, which is an area of the city that houses tiny shops and lovely cafes. It is a bit more quiet than the city center, and you can stroll around enjoying the old houses and beautiful canals. The “Negen Straatjes” (The Nine Streets) are placed here, an area know for little shops full of retro fashion and quirky specialities. 

Anne Frank’s House is also placed in this area. This is a must-see when coming to Amsterdam, and I think pretty much everyone knows the story of the young Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family and some other friends during the Nazi regime, documenting it all in her diary. Sadly, they were betrayed, arrested and sent to the concentration camps. Only Anne’s father survived, and he worked tirelessly to spread his daughter’s story. The museum is a chilling experience. You tour the warehouse and offices in front, and behind are placed the tiny rooms in which 8 people hid and lived for 2 years. When you see just how tiny the rooms are you wonder that they all managed to stay hidden there for so long. They even had to be quiet during the day, so the workers in the warehouse wouldn’t hear them. Imagine sitting all day in a darkened room, hardly able to move for fear of discovery and doing this for 2 years. 

You are not allowed to take pictures inside

As I said it is a chilling experience, but the atmosphere is a little hard to grasp because of the hordes of people in the museum. It is a must-see, so practically every tourist in Amsterdam finds their way here at some point during their trip. This also means that the queue can be of epic proportions. I came 15 minutes before they opened and the queue was massive already. I ended up queueing for 2,5 hours, so be sure to set off enough time for the visit in you itinerary. It takes about an hour to go through the museum once you get in. If at all possible check the website to see if there are time-slot tickets available. These give you a certain time to enter, and they will allow you to skip the queue and save tons of time. If there are none available, make sure to bring entertainment and snacks to keep yourself occupied in the queue. The entrance fee is 9 euros. 

The Pijp

This area of town is considered the bohemian part. It has tons of cafes and music clubs and it is home to the famous Albert Cuypmarkt where you can buy anything from exotic spices to a rice cooker. Sarphatipark is also located here and it is a nice little park, where you can step in and enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet among the trees. If you are into beer, you can enjoy the Heineken Experience, an interactive tour of the former brewery. 

The southern canals

This area is home to the Rijksmuseum, the iconic I Amsterdam sign and a number of other museums and shops. The area around the Rijksmuseum is laid out as a big open space surrounded by museums of all sorts and is a nice place to take a breather and plan your next move. In front of the Rijksmuseum you find the I Amsterdam sign which is usually teeming with tourists and children climbing all over it. Taking a nice picture can be difficult, but that’s life. 

Day trips

Volendam

Volendam is a quaint little fishing village, about an hours drive outside of Amsterdam. Here you can enjoy the fresh sea air and the cute little streets. You can also get a really cringey picture taken of yourself in traditional dress…We spent a few hours on a rainy day here. It’s a nice break from Amsterdam, but it can hardly fill an entire day. 

Den Haag

This is where the royal family and the parliament are placed and the city oozes of class and refinement. I went on a rainy day, and it was quite dead. It is a nice little place to wander around and have a look at all the beautiful buildings. If you like there are also a number of museums housing masterpieces of among others Andy Warhol, Rembrandt and Vermeer. 

It is about 50 minutes by train from Amsterdam. 

Leiden

My friends also took me to Leiden, as they had both attended university there. Leiden is a beautiful town with a historic city center just five minutes walk from the central station. De Burcht is an old citadel, dating back to the 11th century. From here you can enjoy spectacular views of the town. In Leiden we went for dinner at La Bota, a cozy restaurant that will cater to any allergies you may have. The food was really good and inexpensive. 

It is about 35 minutes by train from Amsterdam. 

Eating, drinking and coffee shops

Amsterdam is teeming with cafes and restaurants, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find something to eat. Being gluten-free I did have a little trouble finding something suitable for lunch, as most places have an assortment of sandwiches, paninis, pizzas and burgers. I can only eat so many bun-less burgers before I crave something else. I did manage to find a “Bagels and Beans” that has gluten-free bagels, and I got myself a ham and cheese toasted bagel. They have English menus and you can eat in or take it with you. The cold chocolate milk is yummy too. As far as I can tell they are open for breakfast and lunch. 

As for drinking and smoking weed, I didn’t really do any of that. Mostly because I wanted to stay sharp for wandering around town, and didn’t feel like doing that hung over. If you are looking to have a drink or a smoke, you shouldn’t have trouble finding somewhere to do so. But just make sure you read up on etiquette first. It is actually illegal to smoke weed in the street, although that law doesn’t seem to be enforced too heavily.