- Amsterdam
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Netherlands
Amsterdam’s Museum of Modern Art has a fabulous collection from Piat Mondrian to Karel Appel. There’s a host of galleries in the city centre but this has one of the best collections of contemporary art and is definitely worth a look. It’s free with a Museumkaart or Amsterdam Stadspas and there’s a nice little café on the second floor where you can grab a coffee and discuss the exhibits.
Oosterdokskade 3–5
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 outdoor 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.
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.
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
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.
The Van Gogh museum is brilliant, so, of course, crowded at peak times. Many hotels now let you buy tickets from their reception so you can avoid the queues. When you get there don’t miss the chance to email your friends a free short film message of yourself from their auditorium – they will receive the clip with your footage in a Van Gogh style frame.
Museumplein
If you plan to visit Anne Frank's house, make it your first visit of the day - the queues are likely to be much shorter.
My tip for Amsterdam is to leave the city immediately on a local train and go to Rotterdam - almost as pretty, and minus the drunken English clubbers and 'coffee-house' tourists.
While you're there take in The Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum of Art, a marvellous collection of modern and Dutch art; go on a Wednesday, when it’s free.
See how much the Dutch have in common with the British by visiting the Maritime Museum. Excellent displays and an old sailing ship to explore.
Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK
Skip the queue for 'The Nightwatch' and seek out Rembrant's sketches in the Rijksmuseum.
Postbus 74888
1070 DN
Save an hour's wait at the Anne Frank house by visiting the tourist information offices the day before to get direct entry.
Westermarkt
While all the museums are shut in 2007 try taking a train to Rotterdam instead.
Rotterdam
For those who love the rails it is well worth a visit to the Amsterdam Tram Museum, where on a Sunday you can ride through the Amsterdam Bos on a genuine historic tram lovingly restored and run by the local tram society of volunteers.
The track is well over a mile long, certainly long enough to think you are in a bygone age. They even issue original-looking tickets. It's a great day out for all the family.
Many families with young children are put off by the red-light-district, coffee-house, stag-party reputation of Amsterdam. However, it is a great city for young children.
NEMO is a children's science museum in the main harbour, right next to Central railway station. It has to be the best kids musem in Europe. Every exhibit is interactive, kids can dress up as scientists and blow things up in the lab (carefully helped by real scientists!). They can also appear on TV, wrap themselves up in giant bubbles and watch a fantastic great-egg-race-style show every half hour.
Despite being in Holland, every exhibit is also described in English and the presentations and announcements are also bilingual. The museum is great for kids aged from 4 to 14, and is so big that you can easily spend several hours there.
Once you have exhausted yourselves there, try the Pannenkoekenhuis, a pancake house in a 17th-century warehouse overlooking the canal on Prinsengracht. The kids' pancakes come with toys, games and fireworks to finish the day off with a bang!
Take time out from the shopping and bars to visit the Stedelijk Museum of modern art. It houses some incredible pop art pieces, including Lichtenstein and Warhol, as well as changing exhibitions regularly - and all for a very reasonable price, and in an incredible location. Make the most of the cafe and shop too!
Make a point of visiting the Anne Frank House - the issues are just as relevant today as they ever were.
Amsterdam itself is one of the most engaging and likeable cities in the world. A trip to the Rijksmuseum is alone worth boarding the Eurostar for.
But after your stay in Amsterdam, get yourself on one of the other best European train systems and make the trip to Maastricht. This is probably the most vibrant city of the Netherlands, likened to a miniature Paris with its cobbled streets and fantastic cuisine.
The city centre is excellent for the more contemporary shops while the older part of town contains high-class boutiques where the proprietors don't seem too fazed by the odd nose impression against the window.
After a hard day's shopping, fortify yourself with a coffee at one of the coffee shops (not that kind of coffee shop!) around the Wyck or Ceramique district before crossing the Hoge bridge and strolling around the Jekerkwartier area. Here you'll find romantic cobbled streets and a real sense of calm in this exciting city. But the best thing about Maastricht? You can get there easily from Bruges and Brussels too.
Both the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank Museum must be seen.
www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?lang=nl
www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2
Apart from dodging all the bicycles that seem to come at you from every angle, down every street, a must see place is the Anne Frank House.
We visited Amsterdam as one of the destinations on our cruise, so a map was provided and one gets a great feel for the place just walking through the streets. The house is immediately visible as there’s usually a huge queue outside, but it’s worth the wait.
It’s fascinating, haunting and sad all at once. There are photos and mementoes everywhere. I’ve certainly never forgotten it.
Anne Frank's House is the most amazing experience in Amsterdam - a true piece of history. It is thought-provoking and emotive.
See where the family hid upstairs via a bookshelf, and even see their toilet - but get there early as there are always queues!
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