I am planning a trip to amsterdam, please read the details and help w/ questions?
by admin on Jul.07, 2009, under Netherlands
Zayden asked:
I am currently planning a trip to amsterdam, I am wondering what is the best option for 4 people to be in amsterdam for 1.5 weeks. I am curious weather renting a house or apartment for the time would be the best solution. Or would staying in a hotel be cheaper? What are the best shops to hit and attractions to see. Im clueless about this place. Please only serious answers from people who either live there or have visited there. I would really love to talk to someone in depth about it and what are the best steps to take to have fun but also not spend a HUGE amount of money.
I am currently planning a trip to amsterdam, I am wondering what is the best option for 4 people to be in amsterdam for 1.5 weeks. I am curious weather renting a house or apartment for the time would be the best solution. Or would staying in a hotel be cheaper? What are the best shops to hit and attractions to see. Im clueless about this place. Please only serious answers from people who either live there or have visited there. I would really love to talk to someone in depth about it and what are the best steps to take to have fun but also not spend a HUGE amount of money.
10 points for the best advice
Glen
July 10th, 2009 on 11:13 pm
Phillip
You cheapest bet for staying somewhere would be a hostel or apartment, probably apartment being best.
Best shops and attractions depend on your tastes, but the Heineken Museum is awesome, as well as the Van Gogh Museum if you’re into that kind of stuff. Also, the Red Light District at night is really cool (even if you’re not into that kind of stuff, it’s a cool scene). Canal tours are fun as well, especially if you can get on a small boat and get into the small canals.
July 14th, 2009 on 1:20 am
Mike
Hi there!
I lived in Amsterdam for 10 years and I loved it. There is a decent Youth Hostel in Fokkerstraat or you could try “The Flying Pig”.
Eating there is pretty decent if you go around Leidseplein. They have all kind of specialties: italian, greek…They have pizza for $5! Also near Leidseplein there is a super cool restaurant called Wagamama. It’s japanese but you won’t get sushi’s. The food is excellent!!!
For entertainment by day you can always hang out in Vondelpark (the equivalent to Central Park but smaller). There are plenty of people doing weird stuff. In the Summer they also have free concerts in the park either during the day or in the evening.
Must do: Van Gogh Museum, The Heineken Museum and a tour of the canals with a guide.
At the Heineken, they give you 2 beers with your entry fee plus a take away souvenir.
For the tour, I always use the company on the Rokin near Muntplein but there are plenty others.
At night one of my favorite places is Boom Chicago on Leidseplein. They do lots of impro but if you like clubbing you should go to Rembrandtsplein.
To do things like the locals, go for a walk in Albert Cuypstraat on a Saturday morning and to learn more about the Dutch I recommend a book called “The Undutchables”
If you can I would advise you to rent a bike. Just be careful: the tram tracks are real killers…A friendly place to get a bike is “Frederic” on Brouwersgracht.
I can guarantee you will have the time of your life. Can you tell I’m ready to go back!? I miss this place more than my hometown in France!!!
July 15th, 2009 on 6:32 pm
Anita
The cheapest option would be a hostel, but 10 days with a group of 4 in a hostel (with no privacy) will probably not be the most comfortable option. Some hostels however do offer family rooms, so it might be worth it to check that out. I seriously doubt if any hotels will let you stay with 4 people in one room so you’ll be looking at two double rooms for ten days which would cost you at least a couple thousand US $. You should probably be able to find an appartment to rent for that kind of money for ten days also… You’ll really need to do your own research I’m afraid.
Alternatively, you could stay in another city and get a 10 day railroad pass for all 4 people. You would save money on the hotel and with that saved money you would be able to travel to many other interesting destinations in the Netherlands. There’s plenty to do in Amsterdam to fill 10 days, sure, but say 4 or 5 days of Amsterdam and 4 or 5 days in other places outside of Amsterdam would probably be a much more rewarding experience.
About what the best shops/attractions are… You’ll need to give us some more info about what you’re interested in if you want to get anything more than the standard answer that has been given hundreds of times before and which can easily be found looking through previous questions/answers.