Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, even in the winter, especially because of the architecture, the art museums, and the bikes and canals. The airport is convenient to get to with public transport.

I love Amsterdam! It's a relatively small city which is packed with a lot of great sights. It's very easy to get around, the airport to the city center is 15 minutes by train. Yes, there are more bikes than people and it is wonderful to see everyone zipping around on their bikes. I found the dams, dikes, floodgates, and canals fascinating. Nederlands is at a low elevation and is densely populated so they have built some civil engineering marvels to protect themselves against floods and rising ocean levels. I love that they are so progressive with their green initiatives and everyone including us can learn from them.

Great city just a warning do not use taxis here use uber a taxi driver billed my credit card $154 for a $30 fare I am trying t dispute the charged

We found Amsterdam to be a fun city. It's very easy to move around. Their Tram LRV system parallel the canals and they're easy to get on and off (map). We came away very impressed. Given some of my mobility issues (hip), we used both the Trams and Über interchangeable with no problems. The city has an incredible wealth of things to do and see. Dinning is well above average (see Incanto review) and with only three days, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the foodie scene here. Amsterdam also has plenty of museums to visit. There's the Van Gogh, the RijksMuseum and the Anne Frank Huis memorial just to name a few. And yes, there are also some more kinky ones you can visit, too. Shopping is plentiful. There's a lot of cute Mom 'n Pop places, along with some full priced international chains. But given the strong US Dollar, it's pretty inexpensive after the VAT discount. Amsterdam exudes that free spirited, open, love is love feeling, that you'll find exhilarating. Though, their cobblestone streets and kamikaze bicyclists become a pain after a while. So I've been asked.... what does the XXX symbol mean, that you see throughout Amsterdam? Well first, it isn't a film rating. LOL. It is in fact the crosses of St. Andrew's and is part of the City's original Coat of Arms (photo). "There are many theories about what the components of Amsterdam's flag represent. Some people say that the purpose of three crosses on the flag is to drive away the three main dangers (Floods, Fire, and Black Plague) from the city. However, there is no solid proof to support this claim" - from https://www.amsterdamrepublic.com "Imperial Crown of Austria, two golden lions, and the motto of Amsterdam (Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig, meaning "Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate" (photo). We have other trips planned, but Amsterdam will always be a place we'll come back to again. Love is love! Enjoy.

"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love, is well done." - Vincent Van Gogh How can I rate a city anything less than perfect when it's born from the imagination of 13th-century fishermen?! The oldest known reference to the settlement of "Aemstelredamme" (Amsterdam) 'dam in the river Amstel' comes from a document dated 1275. Hoi! It's more than pickled herring! In all honesty I first fell in love with Amsterdam without even stepping one foot inside city limits. It was back in 2003, and I saw the movie "Girl with a Pearl Earring", starring young Scarlett Johansson! Yes, I confess, I absolutely crush on Scarlett! It's a movie based on a painting by Johannes Vermeer of a young Dutch peasant girl wearing a pearl earring. This masterpiece is a national treasure to people of Holland and perhaps the greatest from Vermeer! Years pass by, as I kept dreaming of the Girl with a Pearl Earring. Time flies and Scarlett and I are years older now *sigh, yet I'm still crushing on her and a Dutch masterpiece I associate with her! Y'know me, being me again lol! The moment arrives and my chance to finally meet the Girl with a Pearl Earring arrives! I arrive in early Springtime to sunny weather and only a train stop to my Dutch hotel a ride away. Amsterdam is such a unique city with people of creativity, open-mindedness, and a passion for life. The list includes: Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Anne Frank, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Van Halen, Carice Van Houten (Game of Thrones crush). There are many, but this gives an idea of those that call AMS home. Anne Frank is perhaps the most emotional touching story out of Amsterdam. Everyone with a pulse should already know her story. She lives in my heart forever. Not many know the Audrey Hepburn story, who also suffered as a young girl during the Nazi occupation. She literally starved for years, and joined the Dutch Underground to fight Naziism! On my visit to Amsterdam I walked everywhere and only used the train to reach my Dutch hotel a ride away in Zandaam. On my casual strolls I saw Dams Square, Anne Frank's Haus, Rijksmuseum, historical landmarks, old churches and canals, bicycles and tricycles, and more bicycles and canals! Tulips! Hoi! My favorite foodie stops were Mannekken Pis (Dutch Fries oh my) and Winkel 43 (Dutch Apple Pie). Of course any art aficionado will know that the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is in Den Haag, Mauritshuis in The Hague. Even though it's an hour by train I simply ran out of time:(, but I promised myself I'll be seeing Scarlett Johansson next time! Trust! The reviews by others speak volumes for a love of an eclectic and artistic city in the heart of Old World Europe. It's rich in tradition, yet perhaps the most open-minded society I've encountered! I found San Francisco beatnik mixed in Venetian vibe here! Tolerant for gender equality, gender choice, and people just being who they are inside and out. By no means Utopian, yet an intelligence that fed my soul..

Amsterdam's a medium size city, the capital of the Netherlands, and a major tourist area. There are extensive and complex transportation systems. The city strikes a balance between vehicles, bikes, pedestrians, boats, and mass transportation. There are many museums, restaurants, bars, parks, shopping areas. Amsterdam is known for its liberal attitude toward sex work and soft drugs. Very tourist-friendly. As in much of The Netherlands, Amsterdam is fairly English-friendly. You can get by without knowing any Dutch. Visa credit and debit cards work almost everywhere. Dutch foods tourists often try: pickled herring, bitterballen, stroopwafels, many types of cheese. But for the most part, Dutch food isn't really a thing. Time zone: UTC+1 Money: Currency is Euros. Visa widely accepted; probably the same for MasterCard. Many businesses do not accept cash. Exchange rate: USD-EUR has been hovering around 1:1. Electricity: 230 V, 50 Hz, Type C and F plugs Weather: temperature is similar to the northern US. Tends to rain a lot. Phones: Emergency number: 112 Netherlands country code: +31 Amsterdam area code: 20 Transportation: The city's very walkable. Lots of public transportation as well. The "I amsterdam city card" (transportation plus activities) can be useful if you're planning to visit lots of museums. GVB is the main government agency handling public transportation. Uber is available. You can rent bikes easily. Best route from Schiphol Airport to city center: the NS train. Tipping: Dutch people don't like the idea of tipping, and there's less tipping in Amsterdam than in the US. In tourism-heavy areas such as the city center, however, tipping is often expected. You'll have to play this one by ear.

Beautiful city! I spent my birthday here and it was so much fun. Went to two other neighboring countries after but I am happy I started my trip with Amsterdam . So much fun, and lots of museums and old churches. Beautiful canals and lots of things to do from food to shopping to nightlife. I spent 5 days here and I think that was enough to see most of the popular things :)

I have no words, yet I don't have enough words....maybe it is a first time visitor's high, but my God, I heart Amsterdam sooooo much!!!! Coming into town from the airport by train, I was a little let down, as I didn't really see anything that screamed "You're in Amsterdam!!!". However, once we settled into our hotel and made our way back to the city center, I saw it....the canals, the canal houses, the narrow streets.... exactly what I was expecting! Amsterdam is the perfect mix of old and new; you could almost call it a living museum, what with all the history and modernity. The canal houses all retain their old world charm and architecture, while housing homes, museums, and modern day shops and restaurants. Yes, there is a red light district. No, it really isn't sketchy. In fact, it sits amongst Chinatown and modern shopping. The women aren't nude, but they are only wearing bras and panties. Still, it's not as lewd as your imagination might tell you. Chinatown is not just Chinese, but other Asian nationalities as well. The street signs are in Dutch and Chinese in this part of town, and there is a beautiful temple open to tourists. The museum quarter houses a plaza surrounded by the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Moco, and others, as well as food stalls, a large reflecting pool and open areas to lounge in. Amsterdam is a VERY walkable city, but we did try out the tram system along with the train. The train and tram are very efficient and easy to navigate and are the perfect solution for tired feet. There are so many interesting things to see in the city that you would need at least a month to explore! Everyone speaks English, and they don't judge you if you don't speak Dutch, so you don't have to worry about having problems getting around. VISIT!!! I can't wait to come back.....there are so many places I still want to see, both in the city and the rest of the Netherlands! 27/2019

Was excited about visiting Amsterdam during my European trip, in my mind this was going to be my favorite city where I had the most fun, I seriously convinced myself that Amsterdam was going to be the place I go back too, but that didn't happen....it's actually someplace that if I never go again, I will be okay with. While the city is absolutely beautiful, looks like you're walking in a Disney fairytale so picturesque, the rudeness of the people is something else. The city is extremely bike friendly, and the people on bikes basically have the right away, they don't care if you're trying to cross, it's rude and they will yell at you. While walking down the street, a man for absolutely no reason yelled at me, only word I could understand was the F word, who knows why.....another time I was getting out of a Uber, a biker pushed me, and after she pushed me, a man sitting at a cafe witnessing this yelled that I was stupid because I got out of the Uber where I did (as if I had a choice) while smoking a cigarette outside of a restaurant I was clearly being spoken about by locals, who knows why.....I summed all this up to they never seen a curvy Puerto Rican woman in their life, Amsterdam is SUPER WHITE, you might see people of color scattered around, but it isn't common. Yes the weed bars and stores are cool, but nothing I haven't seen before coming from NYC. the red light district was blah, my friend got accused and yelled at by a sex worker accusing her of filming, meanwhile no one was.....so after that I had enough! And couldn't wait to board my train and head to Paris!

On a recent cruise to the Baltic countries in Northern Europe, our cruise started and ended in highly populated Amsterdam of 17 million people, the capital of Netherlands (although governmental offices are located in The Hague). It is the safest country in Europe and is the safest major city in the world. We had sufficient time before and after the cruise to enjoy this wonderful and fun city. As English is widely spoken, we had no problem finding our way around or communicating with the locals. To get around, we used the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus and Boat, which is great for tourists and found in many of the European cities. We paid for a 48-hour pass for a flat rate and actually "hopped on and hopped off" at the various tourist attractions based on our time and preference of what we wanted to see. We were provided earphones to listen to a narrated description of all the attractions. Here is what we experienced: * Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse. We took a bus to get here, a 45-minute ride out of Amsterdam. There were millions of tulips and other flowers creating dazzling colorful displays that is only open during the Spring and is considered the world's largest spring garden. * Albert Cupymarkt. One of the largest open-air markets in Europe with 260 stalls where you can find anything. We bought Amsterdam-made Gouda and Edam cheeses, souvenirs and Amsterdam's specialties, poffertjes (tiny Dutch pancakes dusted with icing sugar) and Stroopwafels (caramel syrup in waffles). * Dam Square. 13th century square that is home to the governmental Royal Palace and National Monument. This was where all the hippies congregated during the 1970s. No hippies now, but lots of hustle and bustle of tourists and residents going to restaurants, stores and cafes. * Canal Boat Tour. As part of the Hop-On Hop-Off bus, the canal boat tours were included without additional charge. We were impressed by the lovely bridges, impressive historical buildings and winding waterways throughout the city. Note that Amsterdam is 6.6 feet below sea level. * Red Light District. A street which has become a tourist attract that is renowned for its sex shops and museums with prostitutes showing themselves in the windows. And in broad daylight too! (Sorry, no photos allowed.) * Old Town. Medieval cobblestone streets with beautiful stained glass churches and historical buildings. * Anne Frank House. The hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during WWII. * Van Gogh Museum. 200 paintings and 550 sketches showing Van Gogh in all his moods. * Rijksmuseum Museum. Largest museum in Netherlands containing many famous pieces of Dutch art from the 17th century. Amsterdam is a city of bikes and more bikes! I've never seen so many bikes in one city before! And the people love licorice! The city also has a tolerant attitude towards prostitution, cannabis, and gay rights. In 2001, the Netherlands was the 1st county in the world where gay marriage was legalized. We ate at various restaurants based on convenience depending where we were. Lots of sidewalk cafes and all kinds of sandwiches that were delicious, mainly because Europeans excel at making great bread, crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. Yes, there's raw pickled herring, and no, we did not want to try. We seemed to find delicious BBQ pork ribs at reasonable prices. But as we were on a cruise, we would normally find our way back to the ship for the AYCE foods of different countries at no cost. May is a little chilly in Amsterdam, 50's during the day and 40's at night. Better being cold than hot. We thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant and charming walking city that offers beautiful historic buildings and churches, museums, winding canals and sidewalk cafes, as well as interacting with people who are friendly and free-spirited. A must if you are visiting Northern Europe.

I agree with Robert B., BEST CITY IN EUROPE IF NOT THE WORLD. I have been here so many times, it fells like home, specially because i know a lot of the streets, familiar with the city layout and geography. Why I love this city, because it offers a lot of things and it is not pretentious. It is like saying to the tourists "welcome what would you like to do for fun while no one is going to judge you" If you haven't been to Amsterdam please take a trip it is worth it.

Love Amsterdam. Love it! Beautiful city, good vibes and friendly people. So much to see, and the city is very easy to walk around. Just be careful of bicyclists! Dutch is the official language, but nearly everyone speaks English. The Mrs and I spent 4 days here, but it wasn't enough, mostly because of jet lag (we fought thru it, but still felt it), and two day trips via train to The Hague, and Rotterdam. Highlights for us were the Van Gogh Museum, the Ann Frank House, and my favorite, the Rijksmuseum. Our very first attraction was a walking tour of Amsterdam. I highly recommend it because it was fun, informational, and helped us fight jet lag by keeping us moving. We also coverd a lot of ground! Afterwards we took a relaxing canal tour and loved it. The boat tour we took was smaller and without a roof, cruise like a local I believe was the name. Beer, wine, and soft drinks were complimentary and our captain let everyone drive the boat. It was the perfect first day in Amsterdam. I feel I must mention the red light district, after all it's something that comes to mind for everyone. It's not a big deal. It's there, but it's not in your face. We walked through part of it on our walking tour. Yes there's women in Windows, but they are wearing clothes (underwear). Nothing to get uptight about IMO. Unless you're looking for it you could easily miss it. Coffee shops. There's no shortage of them. You'll smell marijuana here and there but its mostly limited to the red light district or downtown. We didn't notice anyone acting stupid, making a big deal of it or walking into traffic etc. Love Amsterdam! Hope to return some day!

I enjoy the city but everywhere it smells like weed or urine or both. After being here a few days I understand why people pee in the streets. There are very few public bathrooms and if you find one they charge 1 Euro. That would be okay if they weren't filthy and lacking toilet paper and soap. Real a fun city to visit. Nice people, scenic and great beer. Enjoy it and feel free to light up and pee in the streets!

Amsterdam has an outstanding street car system. I found it very easy to use. It is so awesome to be able to get from the airport to city center via train. As a city Americans will greatly enjoy Amsterdam.

Take a canal ride. Visit a few museums but don't exhaust yourself. On Kings Day--hit the abundance of flea markets. Also, see the tulips garden in season.

BEST CITY IN THE WORLD. Friendly people. Clean. Simple and fun. Very safe.