Amsterdam

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bruceb83
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Amsterdam

Post by bruceb83 »

My wif and I are spending 3 days in Amsterdam in August (no car). Any suggestions for hotels in the central city and great things to do?
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batpot
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by batpot »

We stayed here a few years ago and it was fantastic:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review ... vince.html

Right around the corner from the Ann Frank House, and within walking distance from about everything.
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nirvines88
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by nirvines88 »

Walking around the Red Light district is interesting.
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stan1
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by stan1 »

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InvestorNewb
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by InvestorNewb »

I was there a few weeks ago and stayed at the Luxor hotel. Nice place and it's right downtown.

You could go to the Anne Frank house or Madame Tussauds museum but be prepared to wait in long lineups.

Oh yeah: on a busy night, the red light women will try to scam you. I won't be going back.
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bowes11217
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by bowes11217 »

The Rijksmuseum is absolutely wonderful. You can order timed tickets online to avoid the line. I really liked staying at a hotel on Vondelpark, very close to there. I believe there are also timed tickets from the Anne Frank House, which is a must-see, I think. I also enjoyed spending times just wandering up and down the canals.

I highly recommend eating rijstaffel at an Indonesian restaurant (my favorite is Sampurna on Singel Street, at the flower market, but there are many good ones), fresh herring on the street, and Dutch pancakes.
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Steelersfan
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by Steelersfan »

3504PIR
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by 3504PIR »

Stay at the Amsterdam Marriott. I've stayed there 5 times and enjoy it very much. Nice pub across the street and 300 meters to the Rijksmuseum and just a little further to the Van Gogh museum which is my favorite art museum in Europe because his work, which I never really appreciated until I went, is displayed as he progressed as an artist - and when I get to the end, my jaw still drops in amazement.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/a ... ott-hotel/
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DiscoBunny1979
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by DiscoBunny1979 »

I second the Marriott. They have some services that other places might not. For instance, size of room was decent and showering facilities fine. However, if you aren't traveling during 'season' or at peak traveling time or during a holiday like New Years, finding a guest house flat is also fun because flats often include kitchens - which might come in handy if you're on a special diet or want to keep a certain schedule for eating. But note that Amsterdam keeps to European store hours and therefore shopping should be done on weekdays, not Sunday (since I don't know what 3 days you'll be there).

It's my opinion that a car only adds to confusion when visiting Amsterdam because parking is difficult and you might end up parking at the Opera house (if they still offer overnight parking) or somewhere and not wanting to move it anyway. Also, even for such a short visit, obtaining a map of Amsterdam is important because the street names can be hard to keep straight if you're not familiar with the language. So, having a firm concept of east, west, north and south (Or major landmarks) is important because there are different things to see at different parts of the city and knowing main streets ahead of time can be helpful.....for instance if you arrive by train, knowing where you are in relationship to your hotel so you don't look like a tourist trying to figure out where you are going. August can be hot and therefore dressing accordingly for summer like weather with good walking shoes or hiking trail boots, not sandals, is also my advice because of the cobblestone streets and potential unusual pavement areas or spots that might require climbing (like getting into a boat or crossing over a bridge).
traveltoomuch
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by traveltoomuch »

There are some interesting hotel choices in Amsterdam. My favorite hotel there is the Grand Hotel Amrath - delightfully plushy beds, posh rooms, and free minibar. I've heard good things about the Hotel Estherea as well as the Toren, mentioned above. If you want a chain, Hyatt recently opened an Andaz there - get their Chase-issued credit card for two free nights.

And, depending on the year, I've have great luck using Priceline in Amsterdam. If you don't care too much what you get, just bid at the 5* tier in the City Center or Central Canals zones - you might get something as "bad" as the NH Barbizon, which is far from terrible and, in fact, is in a great location. (Correction: it looks like the Barbizon is now 4.5*; bidding at 4.5* may be sane, too.) I would probably not bid in the Museum Quarter zone, and I would be reluctant to drop down to 4*.

Things to do: sample the liqueurs at Wynand Fockink, have a cheese tasting at Reypenaer's tasting room, and visit the (under-rated) City History Museum and Troppenmuseum.
Last edited by traveltoomuch on Wed Jun 18, 2014 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by VictoriaF »

In 1998, my company sent me for a few months to The Hague. After three weeks, I got bored and moved to Amsterdam. To minimize my commute, I stayed in Victoria hotel in front of Amsterdam's train station. The hotel was excellent, well deserving its name.

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douginct
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by douginct »

Have stayed at the Marriott twice. Excellent hotel and great location.
renata
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by renata »

Visit the Albert Cuyp Market and enjoy the most delicious Herring Sandwich! Happy travels :D
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gunn_show
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by gunn_show »

I'll also chime in with Marriott, but raise the ante to the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel... a Marriott property that we thoroughly enjoyed. Not cheap, but it was the last leg of a 14 day Euro trip and it was worth the cost for the location, beds, luxury. Perfect location to walk or bike anywhere, very close to red light, to bars, to the canal. Super luxury and nice hotel. Built like a tank, meaning, no nightlife noise when you want to sleep. (and we were two mid-30s dudes who enjoyed nightlife...)

Also recommend Mike's Bikes for daily rentals (do not get a car)
Greenwoods - an amazing breakfast spot around the corner from Renaissance, was recommended highly by the hotel concierge
Brouwerij 't IJ - outstanding outside brewery
In fact here are the Trip Advisor links to all of them....
http://goo.gl/BVTQz5

we rented the bikes for 2 days and rode everywhere in the city, much like we did in Copenhagen, you can see everything if you set out via bike and enjoy the ride, take a map or iPad mini with downloadable maps and guides.
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The Wizard
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Re: Amsterdam

Post by The Wizard »

tommy_gunn wrote: ...we rented the bikes for 2 days and rode everywhere in the city, much like we did in Copenhagen, you can see everything if you set out via bike and enjoy the ride, take a map or iPad mini with downloadable maps and guides.
We stayed at two lower priced hotels in Amsterdam last September before/after an excursion to Belgium. I was late booking hotels and ran into conflicts with conventions, so book early.
Bicycles in The Netherlands are fine, but not necessarily for all tourists in central Amsterdam. You have to watch out for other cyclists, pedestrians, car/truck traffic and trams. So it's not as leisurely a ride as the one we did around Brugge.
In Amsterdam, we enjoyed using the TRAMS with a week-long pass. I kept a map with tram routes in my cargo pocket and got pretty good with it after a few days...
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