Amsterdam travel guide

I’ve pulled back a little from posting travel guides on the blog because truth be told, they’re a lot of work to write. I’m also focusing more on my Italy travel planning and creating some downloadable travel guides for Etsy. This way I make a little money by providing people with my travel knowledge!

However, I’m going to keep the guides I have on the blog already and work on finding the right balance between sharing here and creating content to sell. I didn’t spend enough time in Amsterdam to make a full guide, but I wanted to share a little overview for those going to the city, including a few of the favorite places we went!

If you read my spring in Italy post, then you know I spent my weekend in the Netherlands with friends—three of which either currently live in Holland or have in the past. So, I had built in tour guides and literally planned nothing! It was honestly the best to just follow them around all weekend—especially as someone who’s usually making all the plans during travel. Highly recommend, haha!

So, without further ado, here’s everything I learned about traveling in the Netherlands and some great recommendations for your trip to Amsterdam…

overview

Amsterdam is such a well-known city, and of course, everyone has seen a million photos of the canals and the houses lining them. The city actually surprised me though, it’s a lot bigger than I thought and not just tiny canal streets. There are large museums and shopping streets and even a big square outside the central station.

My first impression is that it’s an absolutely gorgeous city. The architecture is incredible (very northern European vibes) and it’s just beautiful. I visited in March, and the sun was shining most of the time which was amazing! My friends and I had a great time doing a little museum-hopping and exploring the city by foot. We also made sure to try all the Dutch specialities—some I loved, some I hated! But don’t tell my Dutch friends that!

general tips

Like many other European cities, you don’t have to tip when eating out in Amsterdam (though you can if you want to)
Glass water bottles are the norm at restaurants (great for the Earth, so we love this!)
Most places take credit card, though it’s nice to have euros for smaller purchases or to use the public restrooms—they typically cost around 50 cents and are very clean (this is pretty standard in Europe to have to pay for the bathroom in places like the train station)
You must use either coins or a credit card to buy train tickets (the ticket machines do not take American Express)
Watch out for bikers—the Netherlands is allll about biking and they rule the streets
Albert Heijn is a grocery chain, if you need food or bottled water
Hema is a great little convenience store for other personal items
Kiosk is a coffee shop slash convenience store in the train stations and they make a great cappuccino

logistics + transportation

Schiphol (or AMS) is the main airport in Amsterdam (it’s also a huge hub in terms of European travel)
From the airport, there’s a train that takes you straight to Amsterdam Central Station (the main train station in Amsterdam)
Once in Amsterdam, there’s a locker room in the central station if you need to leave your bags for the day (suitcases do fit)
Amsterdam has a tram but the best way to explore is by foot
To reach other cities, just hop on a train from Amsterdam Central (I highly recommend! See the day trips listed below)

must-sees

Van Gogh Museum—buy tickets in advance
Anne Frank House—buy tickets in advance + know that there are some small spaces and climbing
Bloemenmarkt—floating flower market
Dam Square
Rijksmuseum—buy tickets in advance
Vondelpark
Royal Palace Amsterdam
The Oude Church
The New Church
Visit a “coffee shop”

where to eat + drink

Blond Amsterdam—the cutest pink cafe with amazing ceramics (makes a great souvenir!)
De Spiegel—great place for lunch in the sun
Loetje—slightly upscale spot for traditional Dutch food
Cafe Luxembourg—a vibrant spot to grab a drink and people watch
Cafe Hoppe—right next door to Cafe Luxembourg, one of Amsterdam’s oldest cafés

and foods to try

Bitterballen—deep fried meat balls (enjoy with a drink)
Patat frites—the fries in Holland are epic and often come with your choice of sauce, though mayo is the most common!
Poffertjes—little pancakes
Pannenkoeken—another type of pancake but more like a crepe
Tompoes—the most delicious cake
Appeltaart—exactly what it looks like, apple tart
Stroopwafel—crunchy waffle snack
Gouda cheese—why not eat it in its homeland!

day trips from Amsterdam

Den Haag—or The Hague, where the royals and government reside, on the sea
Utrecht—the cutest University town
Delft—known for the traditional Dutch blue and white ceramics
Zaandijk/Zaanse Schans—where you can find windmills and tulips, looks like it’s out of a story book