- Amsterdam
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Netherlands
This is the biggest park in the city and has millions of visitors a year. That said, it always seems like a tranquil place to be with many people strolling through the various gardens. A number of people go to Amsterdam, and never get to the Vondelpark... don't make this mistake!
Try to catch one of the out door plays, as they really are a magical experience. The park also houses a fascinating museum, The Filmmuseum which is well worth a visit.
Both the museum and the outdoor plays, have great facilities for children.
This is a blue multi-strip ticket which can be used on trams, metros and buses in Amsterdam and all over Holland. Works out about half the price of buying a ticket on board.
See www.gvb.nl (Amsterdam Transport organisation, mainly in Dutch)
Good English explanation of the Strippenkaart at
www.amsterdamtips.com/getting-around-amsterdam-the-strippenkaart.php
Right opposite the excellent Café Gollem (a lovely, cosy little bar where you can sample up to 200 Belgian beers) is one of the best beer shops in Holland. Selling about 500 beers from all over the world and specialising in beers from small independent brewers, it's an absolute treasure trove for the beer lover. You can buy Westvleteren there (which is reputedly the best beer in the world and extremely hard to come by), as well as some truly stunning Scandinavian and American beers. Try the Norwegian Porters and Imperial Stouts. Highly recommended.
And once you've bought some for later, why not pop into Café Gollem to try a couple on tap and maybe a Kaasplank (literally a plank with cheese & bread on it). Very satisfying. There's also a second branch of Café Gollem right by the Albert Cuyp Market in the Pijp district.
crackedkettle.nl/store/
www.cafegollem.nl/default_EN.asp
www.cafegollem.nl/bierkeuken/default_EN.asp
Both The Cracked Kettle and Café Gollem are on Raamsteeg, a small alley between Spuistraat and the Singel canal. The other Gollem is on Daniel Stalpertstraat, round the corner from the Albert Cuyp Market and the Heineken brewery
One of the best organic farmer's markets I've ever been to. Amazing cheese, bread, vegetable stalls, even a stall selling all sorts of mushrooms in season (bought some chanterelles and a black truffle last time). Smoked mozzarellas, huge focaccias, stunning veg - a truly superb market. 9am - 4pm Saturdays (the rest of the week it's a flea market).
Noordermarkt is in the shadow of Noorderkerk, about 10 minutes' walk from Centraal Station, on the edge of the Jordaan district.
About 45 kms from Amsterdam, Aalsmeer is the "Wall Street of flower trade". It has an average daily turnover of 6.6 million Euros, with about 60,000 clock transactions every morning.
silenteloquence.suryaonline.org/2007/05/29/wall-street-of-flower-trade/
www.vba.nl/
In summer the temperatures in Amsterdam, like in any city, can get quite unbearable. Hire a bike and head for the green Bijlmermeer in the south-east of the city, only half an hour from the centre.
On summer weekends there is the Kwakoe Afro-Caribbean festival, which makes Notting Hill look like a family picnic. Football, food and kaseko and no multicultural pretensions.
When you get really hot and even the ginger beer don't work, take a dive in the sparkling clear waters of the Gaasperplas.
metro 53 or 54: station Bijlmer/Arena or Gaasperplas
Open air food and music in Amsterdam's little known Afro-Caribbean area.
Friday: Amsterdamse Poort
Saturday: Ganzenhoef
Nearest metro stations:
Amsterdamse Poort: Bijlmer/Arena
Ganzenhoef: Ganzenhoef
Because of a deregulation of the taxi branch there are a lot of bad taxi drivers around. Although the city of Amsterdam is working on making things better there are a few things you can do to avoid getting a taxi that will charge you a high fare price.
Pre-book your transportation from and to the airport through the internet with either TCA (the largest taxi organisation in Amsterdam) or Ambassador Services (a smaller taxi company). Also beware of hotel porters who sell your transportation to the airport for a commission (guess who will be paying this commission in the end?). You can book this yourself in advance at a set rate. The companies mentioned will give you a quote if you ask them.
In the streets of Amsterdam don't just hail a taxi, but ask your restaurant, bar or shop to call one for you. This way you always can trace the taxi that transported you and you're not just taking one of the 'cowboy-taxis'.
TCA: www.tca-amsterdam.nl
Ambassador Services: www.ambassador.demon.nl
You pay upfront to have free entrance to key museums and art galleries and free tram, bus, metro transport. I bought one for 48 hours and found it very good value for money. I certainly got more than 43 Euros worth of museum, canal trip and transport from it.
You can buy it from Holland Tourist Information at Schipol by credit card and it makes it easier to work out a budget for the rest of your stay and you can hop on and off the fantastic trams without having to worry about buying and stamping tickets.
Based in the newly developing southern edge of town international business sector, this pod type hotel with self-service check in, has some nice features in the rooms: chaise longue and mood lighting.
The room space is above average for the price and the beds are massive and comfy. The pod is like a four poster bed with a wetroom and stools attached at either end. It lodges in the World Trade Centre and so there are cafes etc in the building for breakfast and cyclist watching.
The women all seem to turn up for work in black high heel boots, cycling, of course, and the men struggle to steer and hold their briefcases at the same time. They then disappear underground on a moving walk way to park their bikes. Dutch transport efficiency at its best.
Anyway, it's well linked to Schipol airport (train) and to Centraal on number 5 line tram, all in the same station Zuid. Very good value for money and pleasant escape from the city rush.
Station Zuid, World Trade Centre, www.qbichotels.com/
A restaurant of character and intrigue. Food like your Dutch granny made for you and served promptly and effectively. The liver and onions had just run out on the specials board as we arrived, so we settled for braised beef, giant meatball, saute pots, cauli and green beans (you select your veg from the specials board). Apple puree, rhubarb and rice pudding custard, rounded off the meal. All in the company of locals (mostly over 70). All great value for £22 with 2 bottles of beer and an apple sap. Only open of an evening though.
1e Helmerstratt, near Leidseplein and parallel to Overtoom. Tram stops on line 5 and 1 nearby
Great campsite on the edge of the city, 15 mins to Dam Square on a tram. Cheap tent rates or hire a little cabin, central heating and bedding included in the cost of these. Good breakfast can be bought from the bar in the morning, and food all day at not extortionate prices. Good clean showers, if a little cramped when you are taking one. Bike hire on site as well, and saves you having to find parking in the city centre at very expensive rates, you just leave your car at the campsite!
When booking Eurostar to Holland it's sometimes cheaper to book London to Brussels (actually valid to any Belgian station), rather than buying your onward ticket to Holland separately.
Information on transport, accommodation, meeting people, eating and drinking, shopping, sports, courses, entertainment, communication, events and festivals.
Great for kids (9 and over, could be a bit scary for younger ones) and big kids - enjoy an afternoon of some pretty gruesome tales of Amsterdam, especially on Halloween.
Near Dam Square
Great meat feast and happy friendly service.
Reguliersdwarsstraat 57, 1017 BK Amsterdam, 020 626 50 80
If dreadlocks, piercing and tribal tattoos are your style, there’s Soundgarden. It boasts a surprisingly civilized terrace overlooking the daily ebb and flow of boats and barges, but the inside is almost painstakingly run-down and graffitied, with a buckled pool table and a dartboard pocked with scars. Not as intimidating as it sounds, but hardly appropriate for the blue-rinse brigade. Grungy DJs and live music three times a week.
Marnixstraat 164-166, out west near Rozentheater
+31 (0)20 620 28 53
home.planet.nl/~nijbo143/soundgarden/english.htm
Just returned from a weekend with my pals to Amsterdam. The Dam is the place! My top tip is to get a hotel right near the red light and you can then be in the middle of everything. My friend unluckily booked late and by himself and was located away from us so ensure you get the location right.
Our hotel was called the Rembrandtplein and you can find it on this website: www.stagbookers.com.
In my opinion the best city in the world for a party, smoker or non.
This is a former Heineken brewery and despite it sounding like a tourist rip off, it’s actually a great way to spend an afternoon. Not particularly well advertised, but well worth the 10 Euros.
www.travelsavvy-amsterdam.com/cityguide.php?region=1&city=101&guide=2&tour=Off-beat+sights&image=47
Just off the route of the #2 tram lie a number of interesting restaurants, notably, Le 4 Stagioni, a former butcher's shop, with antique tiles portraying the four seasons - le 4 stagioni.
- Palma, Johannes Verhulststraat 104, www.restaurant-palma.nl/do.php?lg=eng
- Oud-Zuid, Johannes Verhulststraat 64, www.restaurantoudzuid.nl
- Le 4 Stagioni, Johannes Verhulststraat 32, www.le4stagioni.nl
- Pulpo, Willemsparkweg 87, www.restaurant-pulpo.nl/index.php?pag=diner
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