I first went to Amsterdam when I was 12 years-old as part of a school trip around Germany and The Netherlands. We stayed in a hostel slap bang in the middle of the red light district, and spent our days eating only foods that contained Nutella and looking at various flood management systems. It wasn't the most thrilling or memorable trip, so when my mum asked if I fancied going back I jumped at the chance.
Day one
We both flew into Schiphol airport. I'd definitely recommend getting the 197 bus over the train into the city centre. We had to queue for ages to buy a train ticket and then wait 40 minutes for the train. This was at 10am on a Friday morning. Coming back we got the bus which was cheaper and took just half an hour. You can also pay for the bus with notes, whereas you need coins to buy a train ticket. Whatever you buy make sure you 'check in' before boarding, a bit like the London Oyster card system. Find out more about Amsterdam transport tickets here.
We had pre-booked our tickets to the Van Gough museum which turned out to be a great move as the queue went on for about 100 metres down the street! It costs the same amount to book Van Gough tickets in advance so it pays to be organised. The museum made me really appreciate Van Gough's work more than ever before. It is arranged chronologically which is unusual for a gallery and really helped us to understand the different stages in his life. At €17 it is quite expensive, but arguably worth it. Especially if you are caught in one of the infamous Dutch downpours!
We then walked down to the Rijksmuseum, which is a couple of minutes away from Van Gough on the same street. The sun was shining so we spent an hour or so catching up in the (free) sculpture garden there. As well as taking the obligatory shots of the 'I Amsterdam' letters!
For dinner that night we ate at De Waaghals, the only vegetarian restaurant we visited during our trip. It's really small and fills up quickly so I would recommend making a reservation. It's only a ten minute walk from Museumplein.
Day two
After filling up on the free buffet breakfast at our hotel we headed straight to Anne Frank's house. My mum and I agreed that this is an unmissable part of any trip to the city. But definitely, definitely book your tickets in advance! I felt so bad walking past the hundreds of people queueing in the pouring rain and walking straight in. If it looks fully booked on the day you want to visit then keep checking back on the website. I had it open in a tab at work and I kept refreshing until tickets came up. The house is tiny (which makes it even more humbling and emotional) which means you walk through most of it in single file, don't go the day you need to catch a flight home as it would be impossible to get through in a hurry. I would allow two hours.
Right next to the Anne Frank Huis is the church where Rembrant is buried. Here you can pay to climb the 190 steps to the top of the church tower for amazing views of Amsterdam. Finding a photogenic vista is always a top priority for me when visiting somewhere new. It takes half an hour and you can buy tickets in advance, although we just waited twenty minutes until the next slot when we arrived.
After climbing all those steps we felt like it was the ideal time to sample our first Dutch pancake. Researching on Tripadvisor before we left told me that The Pancake Bakery is the number one place to go. Conveniently located on the same street as Westerkerk and Anne Frank's house we wandered here next. I did my 12 year old self proud and had banana and Nutella (!) and my mum went for the 'Brazillian' which included peaches, nuts, cream and syrup. Both were lovely! Highly recommended. Plenty of vegetarian savoury dishes too. They did salads for the vegans which looked nice. The pancakes are HUGE though, so make sure you leave enough time before dinner!
We spent the afternoon mooching around the canals looking at the beautiful houses and exploring winding streets. I was worried that it might be a bit awkward to go on holiday with my mum to a place synonymous with stag dos and debauchery. This was the only time we saw any drug taking or prostitutes, and it could have easily been avoided if we were made uncomfortable by this.
For dinner we went to Rose's Cantina. They had several decent veggie options and they did brilliant cocktails! It was affordable and they had the most amazing decor. I'd recommend it.
Day three
We visited at the end of April which meant Keukenhof Gardens were open (they are closed from June to March). We saw literally thousands of tulips (and other bulbs!). It was a beautiful spectacle. This was somewhere that my mum really wanted to go but I wasn't too bothered until we got there. I'd recommend buying the combi ticket which includes a bus ticket from Amsterdam. Just jump on the 197 to Schipol Airport, then walk along to the left of where the bus dropped you off to catch the Keukenhof Express which takes you straight there. Buses leave every 10 minutes. You also skip the queues when you get there with this pre-booked ticket.
Sunday evening we ate a Bar Huf, it does typical bar food including two vegetarian options. My mum has loads of allergies (rice, pasta, tomato, dairy, chilli etc...) so it's hard to find places where we can both eat something enjoyable. This was great for that. Relaxed dining, decent food and they serve meals until late too.
Day four
We left midday on Monday after going on a boat trip along the canals (I'd recommend the Blue Boat company, it was €16 for 90 minutes and the commentary was excellent) and a picnic in the beautiful Vondelpark.
Overall, Amsterdam is an affordable, beautiful and vibrant city. The ticket prices do add up but I would argue that Anne Frank Huis and the boat trip are unmissable if you are visiting the city. You could find cheaper food, but my mum's allergies meant we wanted to plan where to eat before we got there.
Top tips:
- Get the 197 from the airport, rather than the train.
- Prebook everything! Especially Anne Frank's House, the Van Gough Museum and Keukenhof.
- Visit in the spring so you can witness the tulips.
- Buy a 3 day ticket, these are valid on all trams, buses and some trains. Make sure you always check in and out.
Day one
We both flew into Schiphol airport. I'd definitely recommend getting the 197 bus over the train into the city centre. We had to queue for ages to buy a train ticket and then wait 40 minutes for the train. This was at 10am on a Friday morning. Coming back we got the bus which was cheaper and took just half an hour. You can also pay for the bus with notes, whereas you need coins to buy a train ticket. Whatever you buy make sure you 'check in' before boarding, a bit like the London Oyster card system. Find out more about Amsterdam transport tickets here.
We had pre-booked our tickets to the Van Gough museum which turned out to be a great move as the queue went on for about 100 metres down the street! It costs the same amount to book Van Gough tickets in advance so it pays to be organised. The museum made me really appreciate Van Gough's work more than ever before. It is arranged chronologically which is unusual for a gallery and really helped us to understand the different stages in his life. At €17 it is quite expensive, but arguably worth it. Especially if you are caught in one of the infamous Dutch downpours!
We then walked down to the Rijksmuseum, which is a couple of minutes away from Van Gough on the same street. The sun was shining so we spent an hour or so catching up in the (free) sculpture garden there. As well as taking the obligatory shots of the 'I Amsterdam' letters!
For dinner that night we ate at De Waaghals, the only vegetarian restaurant we visited during our trip. It's really small and fills up quickly so I would recommend making a reservation. It's only a ten minute walk from Museumplein.
Day two
After filling up on the free buffet breakfast at our hotel we headed straight to Anne Frank's house. My mum and I agreed that this is an unmissable part of any trip to the city. But definitely, definitely book your tickets in advance! I felt so bad walking past the hundreds of people queueing in the pouring rain and walking straight in. If it looks fully booked on the day you want to visit then keep checking back on the website. I had it open in a tab at work and I kept refreshing until tickets came up. The house is tiny (which makes it even more humbling and emotional) which means you walk through most of it in single file, don't go the day you need to catch a flight home as it would be impossible to get through in a hurry. I would allow two hours.
Right next to the Anne Frank Huis is the church where Rembrant is buried. Here you can pay to climb the 190 steps to the top of the church tower for amazing views of Amsterdam. Finding a photogenic vista is always a top priority for me when visiting somewhere new. It takes half an hour and you can buy tickets in advance, although we just waited twenty minutes until the next slot when we arrived.
After climbing all those steps we felt like it was the ideal time to sample our first Dutch pancake. Researching on Tripadvisor before we left told me that The Pancake Bakery is the number one place to go. Conveniently located on the same street as Westerkerk and Anne Frank's house we wandered here next. I did my 12 year old self proud and had banana and Nutella (!) and my mum went for the 'Brazillian' which included peaches, nuts, cream and syrup. Both were lovely! Highly recommended. Plenty of vegetarian savoury dishes too. They did salads for the vegans which looked nice. The pancakes are HUGE though, so make sure you leave enough time before dinner!
We spent the afternoon mooching around the canals looking at the beautiful houses and exploring winding streets. I was worried that it might be a bit awkward to go on holiday with my mum to a place synonymous with stag dos and debauchery. This was the only time we saw any drug taking or prostitutes, and it could have easily been avoided if we were made uncomfortable by this.
For dinner we went to Rose's Cantina. They had several decent veggie options and they did brilliant cocktails! It was affordable and they had the most amazing decor. I'd recommend it.
Day three
We visited at the end of April which meant Keukenhof Gardens were open (they are closed from June to March). We saw literally thousands of tulips (and other bulbs!). It was a beautiful spectacle. This was somewhere that my mum really wanted to go but I wasn't too bothered until we got there. I'd recommend buying the combi ticket which includes a bus ticket from Amsterdam. Just jump on the 197 to Schipol Airport, then walk along to the left of where the bus dropped you off to catch the Keukenhof Express which takes you straight there. Buses leave every 10 minutes. You also skip the queues when you get there with this pre-booked ticket.
Sunday evening we ate a Bar Huf, it does typical bar food including two vegetarian options. My mum has loads of allergies (rice, pasta, tomato, dairy, chilli etc...) so it's hard to find places where we can both eat something enjoyable. This was great for that. Relaxed dining, decent food and they serve meals until late too.
Day four
We left midday on Monday after going on a boat trip along the canals (I'd recommend the Blue Boat company, it was €16 for 90 minutes and the commentary was excellent) and a picnic in the beautiful Vondelpark.
Overall, Amsterdam is an affordable, beautiful and vibrant city. The ticket prices do add up but I would argue that Anne Frank Huis and the boat trip are unmissable if you are visiting the city. You could find cheaper food, but my mum's allergies meant we wanted to plan where to eat before we got there.
Top tips:
- Get the 197 from the airport, rather than the train.
- Prebook everything! Especially Anne Frank's House, the Van Gough Museum and Keukenhof.
- Visit in the spring so you can witness the tulips.
- Buy a 3 day ticket, these are valid on all trams, buses and some trains. Make sure you always check in and out.
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