Amsterdam Travel Guide | My Life Trips

Amsterdam

Information

Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands and with more than a million inhabitants in the urban area and nearly 2.5 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area, it is the largest city in the country and its economic, cultural and creative center. In the past, the name was “Amstelredamme” which later changed to “Amsterdam.” Amsterdam is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, attracting over from 7 million international travelers per year.

Amsterdam is known as Venice of the North because of the wonderful canals that cross the city, its impressive architecture and more than 1,500 bridges. There is something for every traveler here, whether you prefer culture and history, endless parties, free cannabis use (in moderation), or just the relaxing charm of an old European city, you’ll find it all in unique Amsterdam!

What To See...

Dam Square

The central square of the city and a popular place for gatherings, flanked by the Royal Palace and some of the city’s most famous museums, such as Madame Tussauds, and some other very interesting attractions in Amsterdam.

Vondelpark

The Vondelpark is the most beautiful park in Amsterdam for sure and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Here you can enjoy a quiet walk or even better cycling, as it is a large park with lakes and incredible natural beauty!

Jordaan District

The Jordaan district is an area in the city of Amsterdam, known for its beautiful homes, fine restaurants and shops. If you are in Amsterdam, you have to visit it and walk through the small streets, canals and the many bridges to take some beautiful pictures and see why Amsterdam is called Venice of the North.

Red Light District

The most sinful area in Amsterdam! In this very beautiful spot of the city with the beautiful canals you will find the famous Amsterdam showcases with the prostitutes and some of the most famous coffee shops that obviously do not serve coffee. We will discuss below with more details what to watch out if you are one of the guys who have come here for the endless party that we mentioned in our introduction…

Van Gogh Museum

Even someone with little knowledge of art must have heard about Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch post impressionist painter, whose work had a great influence on the art of the 20th century for his vivid colors and emotional effects. This museum has the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings and drawings in the world. The ticket costs 18 euros per person and if you want to visit it, you have to book a ticket online to avoid the long queues.

Leidseplein

The Leidseplein is one of the city’s busiest streets, with many cafés and restaurants. Here are also some of the most beautiful canals you can see in Amsterdam!

Singelgracht Canal

One of the most beautiful canals in Amsterdam very close to Leidseplein.

Flower Market

If you like flowers then you will love this outdoor market! Here you will find a huge variety of flowers, seeds and tree roots, fruits or anything else you can imagine! A very good choice for a gift to your beloved people who love flowers.

Kalverstraat Street

One of the biggest shopping streets in the city center where you will find famous shopping malls.

Nearby Excursions

If you are in Amsterdam, there are plenty of options for some very interesting nearby excursions. We will suggest three of them, which in our opinion are the best choices and you will choose which one suits you best. Surely Amsterdam is the most beautiful big city in Netherlands with Rotterdam and The Hague following. Both cities are relatively close to Amsterdam and are easily accessible by car or train.

Rotterdam is only 73 km from Amsterdam (about 1 hour) by car or if you want to use the train then the ticket costs 32 euros per person roundtrip and the duration is about 35 minutes.

The Hague is 60 km by car (about 55 minutes) and if you want to use the train the ticket will cost you 26 euros per person with a duration of about 50 minutes.

The most beautiful choice is the incredible village of Giethoorn, but it is also the most difficult of the three options, since the train connection is not possible and so the best option is to have your own car. Giethoorn is about 1.5 hours (125 kilometers) and unfortunately cars are prohibited in the village. You can move through canals only with small boats and there are also no hotels in this village! As you understand, it needs a good planning to make this day trip, but trust us you will be fully compensated with the scenery. A Really unique experience!

What To Eat

There are many things to try in Amsterdam, others that are related to food and others not. It is known that Amsterdam is the number one destination for cannabis users because its use here is free and you can find it as easy as going to the kiosk and buy a chocolate. Of course, we will not encourage you to use cannabis because you are simply in Amsterdam, we will just focus on some points that you need to watch out, because if you have no experience the results can be very disastrous. Certainly if you decide to try out cannabis, you should do it with responsibility, and most importantly you must have someone with you who has previous experience and knows how to react just in case of something goes wrong.

As for food now, in Amsterdam we can not say that we have tried something very special except the very delicious waffles, french fries with various flavors and generally some products that looked like croquettes in various versions. In Amsterdam, fried foods in general are very popular and if you like them, then you will find plenty of food and relatively cheap. Beware of the classic tourist traps of restaurants that serving fast food quality in restaurant prices.

How to move

Amsterdam is the most cycling friendly city in the world and over 60% of the people use a bicycle for their daily transportation in the city center! In Amsterdam, you will surely see thousands of bikes, since here the bike is not just a way of moving for people but a way of life.

Amsterdam has a wide network of cycle roads and world class facilities for cyclists. There are bicycle roads and bicycle parking (Fietsenstalling) that can be used at a nominal charge. In 2006, there were about 1,000,000 bikes in Amsterdam! Many tourists discover Amsterdam by bicycle, as it is the typical Dutch way to see the city but also relatively safe. Particular attention is needed if you rent a bicycle because Amsterdam’s bicycle theft is widespread. Statistics have shown that about 50,000 bicycles are lost every year so you should be very careful.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Amsterdam is very expensive compared to other European cities, especially if you want to stay in the city center, overlooking a canal. It is not unlikely to see prices ranging from 150-200 euros in the city center for a normal double room! Be sure to make your reservation early, as Amsterdam is a super-touristy destination and you will have difficulties finding a good room that will not ruin your travel budget. You can make your bookings via Booking.com

Booking.com