Songdoc

We'll be taking our first trip to Amsterdam in March. We want to be within walking distance of museums and attractions. Don't mind taking a train occasionally -- but we're big walkers and enjoy staying in atmospheric areas that are close to the heart of things.

We'll be looking for a hotel around $200/nt USD and prefer "old and charming" to modern and gleaming. But for now, we're just trying to narrow down the neighborhood.

Suggestions will be much appreciated.

pennypie

Thank you for posting this! I was just getting ready to post the same question. I'll watch the replies to this post.

I am currently searching VRBO and am finding the apartments are very affordable.

TPAYT

I will also be watching this thread for ideas.

Dayle

Dayle,

Me too. I've been looking at Amsterdam for a while and it's a little hard to tell which area might be best.

Songdoc, why March? I'm thinking a little later, mid-May for better weather.

Songdoc

March wouldn't be my choice! I'm tacking it on to an annual business trip in Ireland.

Over the past years I've added on (at the same time -- early March) visits to Florence, Venice, London, and Paris. I intentionally choose cities with lots of museums and indoor activities. I hit freezing temps and a bit of snow in Paris in 2013-- but I dressed with lots of layers and LOVED it anyway.

Earlier this year we had surprisingly warm temps in Italy.

I hope we'll all get some helpful answers!

menachem

March weather can be anything, from near blizzards and freezing to balmy almost-summer weather. It's month with a couple of freak-days,

If you want to be close to museums, South is a good area, ie the area around Vondelpark, museumplein. In many ways this is the most genteel part of town in modern-day Amsterdam. And you'll find smaller hotels, b&b's and apartments that might suit you very well.

It's outside the Canals though. In general, the area around Damrak and Dam are less nice, the entire area is somewhat run down and not very pleasant, imo. Jordaan is considered to be good too, but please note that you'll have to walk a bit to find a tram.

For instance,

I've heard good things about Hotel Vondel, on Vondelstraat, maybe one of the nicest residential streets in Amsterdam.

If you check booking.com, you can filter by area. I'd go for a smaller, more boutiqueish hotel, outside "tourist central"

Dayle

Lucky you Songdoc. If I could fly for free, I would go any time too!

Thanks for the input menachem, happy holidays!

KTtravel

Amsterdam is very walkable. We visited twice and stayed near the Museumplein once and on the Singel canal the other time. Both were great areas. We loved the canal area for its beauty and being able to stroll and see picturesque sites. Staying near the Museumplein was very convenient for the museums and we found a hotel that was a bit cheaper.

Of the two areas, I think a centrally located hotel on a canal might win for old and charming.

cafegoddess

Hi menachem,

How is the area around the Andaz hotel?

It is on Prinsengracht 587?

TPAYT

We were checking out this hotel
www.ambassade-hotel.nl

Can anyone comment on the area for easy, safe walking?

Songdoc

Thanks so much for your help. I'm sorting through my travel books and hotel websites!

Songdoc

I'm considering Hotel Fita (at ‪Jan Luykenstraat 37‬ in the Museumplein)

and ...

The Toren – in the Jordaan on the Keizergracht.

Any thoughts?

When I went to Paris I obsessed about finding the perfect hotel in the perfect location. We loved the place I chose (in the Marais) -- but realized that it would have mattered very little -- unless I had chosen someplace completely out of the way. So I'm trying not to get nuts with it this time!

kmowatt

We were in Amsterdam in May and as has been said, it is a very walkable city and the trams are simple to use. TPAYT, your hotel is very central within the canal ring...a very pleasant area and safe walking, no worries there.

South of the city is good for a lot of the galleries/museums and it's a nice area...Vondel Park is great for a walk and also has some cafes for people watching,

We stayed at Canal House in the Joordan for a couple of nights (beautiful, but expensive) and then moved to the Hilton for business in the south end...was still easy reach to the centre by tram and it is also on a canal in a very upscale neighbourhood.

I fell in love with Amsterdam...it has a charm all of its own...

Leely2

Songdoc, I stayed at the Toren a few years ago. Excellent location and I was very comfortable there (in a single, on a stopover on the way home from Rwanda). For those asking about the Ambassade, Estherea and other hotels nearby, yes, that is a charming, convenient area. But Amsterdam is very walkable and much of it is charming, so I think you'll find many areas agreeable.

I had a tiny but cozy room: http://www.pbase.com/leelygoes/image/126334690

Tabernash2

We stayed in a fabulous location, at The Hotel Residence le Coin, which was directly across a small street from the Hotel de l’Europe, down the street from the Hotel Doelan, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?). A great neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam.

The hotel has a lift and A/C, also free use of the hotel’s washing machine and clothes dryer in the basement. Each room has a little kitchenette, a nice-sized bath, large rooms with wooden floors and a sitting area. Everything sparkles. Very friendly front desk, too.

Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café le Jarden, for great table seating on the canal.

http://www.lecoin.nl/en/

KTtravel

We stayed at the Fita and were happy there. The rooms are pretty basic but comfortable. The best part was the people who ran the hotel -- very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was delicious and the location was great for the museums.

We also stayed at the Estherea. The immediate area was, for us, more fun to walk around as we enjoyed seeing the canals. Everyone at the hotel was nice but it was a bigger, more impersonal place. The room furnishings were nicer than the Fita and I would consider it a more upscale hotel.

Songdoc

Thanks SO much! This is really helpful. Now all I have to do is make a decision!

IMDonehere

We visited Amsterdam this past May and most days were quite cool. It is a very walkable city and the tram system is crowded but reliable. We stayed in an apartment about 12 minutes from the Central Rail station but otherwise walked.

You might consider staying in or near The Jordaan, or the Museum District.

menachem

regading "walkable city" and "trams", I think the trick is to be near a couple of tram "through routes". Anywhere near the number 5 or number 2 tramstops is great, as that is the trunk route from the centre to Oud Zuid and the museums.

That is exactly why I tend to discourage people from the Jordaan, nice though it is: you always have to walk outside of the neighbourhood to get to a useable tram stop and then it 'll have to be Central Station, but Westermarkt will only give you the number 1, 17, 13 and 14 trams, that either go to Dam and CS, or the other way: way our west. From Marnixplein you can take 3, 10 or 7 of which 7 is perhaps the most useable: to Leidseplein. It's a bit of a public transport wasteland, strange though that may sound.

You have to remember that the centre of Amsterdam is built like the rings of an onion with a few through routes: it's these that the trams use.

So anywhere where you're in walking distance of Leidsestraat, Koningsplein, or in Oud Zuid itself works fine.

If you end up staying in Jan Luykenstraat, do explore the area around Vondelpark called Willemspark. It's a gentle neighbourhood for exceedingly well to do people and it has a couple of nice restaurants and day time cafes.

Tabernash2

You're all making me miss Amsterdam. Have only been there once, for 5 nights at Le Coin, but we loved it more than we even expected to. We walked everywhere, at all hours, and felt safe and were charmed by the neighborhoods. Amazing restaurants, too.

From Le Coin, we walked to Vondelpark, the museums, the shops, the train station, everywhere.

Loved Amsterdam!