aussiedreamer

After 5 weeks in Europe we will be flying home to Australia from Amsterdam. We were there last year for a few days, this time its purely because we are using points for all the flights and this was the only city that offered flights home that suited our timing.

So we will fly from Madrid to Amsterdam, arriving in the afternoon and depart 10.30am the next day. My question is, I'm pressuming we should just stay at a hotel at the airport and maybe go into the city for the evening (or alternatively just hang around at the airport hotel)

Can anyone suggest a nice way to spend this afternoon and evening? Maybe a nice dinner and a stroll around the city? It will be cold, mid January.

PAplumber

I would go into the city, hanging out at the airport hotel sounds like a bad novel. Amsterdam has enough or as litte as you would need for one last night in Europe.

aussiedreamer

ha ha, you may well be right. But are you suggesting 'staying' in the city or just going in for the evening? If so, got any nice restaurant suggestions? Not to break the bank but something 'nice'?

WillTravel

You don't have to go into Amsterdam, but could also go into one of the smaller cities, like Leiden, den Haag, or Haarlem. But logistically, it might be easiest to get a hotel room right by the train station in Amsterdam (or I suppose one of the other cities).

I can't tell you the spot I went to (have forgotten), but for a good, relatively inexpensive meal look for Indonesian rijsttafel. I am sure Yelp or TripAdvisor can help.

But no, no, no to hanging around the airport hotel!

PAplumber

With a 10:30 am flight I would stay in the city, it's a round trip to the airport either way. I am not a food person, the Leidseplein is a area with lots of resturants, Argentinian steak house workes for me but i'm a yank. You could then go around the corner to the Bulldog and have a drink and a smoke.

jamikins

We have eaten here twice www.sampurna.com and enjoyed it...our b&b recommended it.

aussiedreamer

Thanks one and all, maybe I'll 'priceline' a 4* star in the city and see what I get.

LSky

You'll have coats, so it won't be that cold

Amsterdam is a great city to be in at night. Go have fun. Like someone else said, it's a short train ride to the airport. Staying in ADam for the night would be worthwhile. If it's cold the lights will sparkle more in the canal waters. Take your camera!

greg

I do this all the time and I have stayed in Amsterdam as well as at airport. When I see an itinerary like this, I tinker with the flights to see if I can get something more useful without adding cost. When they propose a 17hr layover, I try to see if I can get a 23hr layover instead which is more useful in giving me a full afternoon starting at noon. I don't have a set way of deciding whether to stay in town or at airport. For each visit, I compare pros and cons depending on what I am doing, what kind of hotels I can get at airport vs. in town, and how much luggage I need to deal with. Either case, OMG I don't hang around at the airport. I either take a train to Amsterdam Centraal or a bus #197 to Leidesplein depending on where I want to spend time. Going to Harlem is just as simple: take a bus #300 or a train.

aussiedreamer

Thank you .........will look into it all. Never considered somewhere 'other' than Amsterdam itself, great idea.

WhatsupwithA

Hi

Amsterdam is just 15 minutes away from the airport by train, so just take a train and enjoy the city. It's a really small city, so you can see pretty much all you want.

Just don't hang around Dam Square, it's ugly and touristy. And I don't recommend Leidseplein either, restaurants here are really bad. The Bulldog is also a terrible place to be.

Just walk around the canals (from Central Station, cross the big street and turn/keep right, first canal should appear on left hand side). Then hop into Jordaan area for food and drinks. It's quiet and just really lovely.

Wish you luck. check out my blog for more things to do: http://www.whatsupwithamsterdam.com/

aussiedreamer

Thank you WhatsupwithA........will do, great advice.

aussiedreamer

So, after lots of reseach and not wanting to 'waste' our last night in Europe wondering aimlessly I've booked Restaurant De Kas. http://www.restaurantdekas.nl/

It looks and sounds wonderful. Now, my next question..........

We'll catch the train from the aiport to Central Station, can anyone suggest a decent hotel? Our flight doesn't land 'till 5pm, dinner is at 7pm and we fly out the next morning. So somewhere close to Central so we don't have to drag bags and can just catch a tram to the restaurant. Also something a bit 'roomy' as we'll need a bit of a re-pack before the flight home.

WillTravel

I haven't stayed there, but I suspect the NH Barbizon fits your needs most exactly. It's a 3-minute walk from the station, and a 4/5* hotel, so probably has reasonably-sized rooms.

dfourh

Pricelining a 4* is for sure the best value. The Ibis is also right by the train station and is a decent place. For plenty more options, go to www.bookings.nl then put in your dates, and zoom in on the map till you zoom to the Centraal station area - - if you hover your mouse over the properties you'll see price and the all important customer satisfaction star rating (there are plenty of dives to avoid). By the airport I'm also staying at the Best Western Ams Airport on Vuursteen in Hoofdoorp for 64e on an upcoming trip, unless I have better luck with Priceline (it has a free shuttle, but is also on the Zuidtangent #300 bus line that runs every few minutes from Schiphol; got it cheap with no cancel fee by looking at standard hotel listings on Priceline).

aussiedreamer

Thankyou, I'll have a look.

aussiedreamer

I've booked the Ibis at the station, thanks all.