Amsterdam and a bit beyond - a short trip report
Jun 4th, 2016 | 12:27 PM
#1
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Amsterdam and a bit beyond - a short trip report
After my many questions and lots of helpful advice from generous Fodorites, I wanted to share our recent travel experience to the Netherlands. Contrary to the title, this trip report may not be short, but it was our shortest visit to Europe. We (Jenn and Mitch) left on May 20 and returned May 29th. We decided to spend the entire time based out of Amsterdam, and rented a great apartment in de Pijp neighborhood – highly recommend this area as it was very well connected to everywhere we wanted to go, with the huge benefit of being a quiet refuge from the busy central area. We booked the apartment through FlipKey, but the link doesn’t seem to be working so I won’t add it here. Great service with the owner, and the combined location and quality of the apartment made it a pleasure to return there at the end of each busy day.
We had a good balance of several days in Amsterdam (we fell in love with the city!) and a few day trips to Utrecht, Gouda, Leiden, and Alkmaar. As we typically say when we visit a country that captures our heart (as the Netherlands did) we want to go back! My trip report will include where we went and what we did in general, with restaurant recommendations as well (we're not foodies, but were very surprised that almost without fail we had great meals with quality food each time).
We easily made our way from the Schiphol Airport, buying train tickets to Centraal Station, and then tram tickets. We found the #16 tram was our friend the entire trip as it was a very short walk to our apartment, and quickly got us to the center for any Amsterdam attractions, or for our day trips. We bought a couple 72 hour tram passes, and although there are many options for the re-loadable Chip card, I didn’t do enough research to consider that as a more economical option (but I bet it is).
As first days in Europe typically go, we were tired after the overnight flight from Halifax (NS, Canada). Unlike those lucky travelers who can catch a few hours sleep we weren’t able to do this, but knew we had to acclimate quickly. After arriving and locating our apartment, we dropped off our luggage , and then set off exploring, walking around and getting some fresh air and sun, as well as stopping for a coffee at a café near central station along the way. A bit later on we were hungry, and as we headed back to our apartment to get changed we stopped at Bagels and Beans where we enjoyed a yummy bagel with avocado, cheese and chicken, toasted, with pine nuts and mustard (actually writing this it sounds way worse than what it actually was!)
Back at the apartment, we rested and unpacked, luxuriating in the feeling that for 9 days we would not need to pack anything back up – this is not our typical trip. We headed back out to enjoy some more sunshine (we wanted to take advantage as sun was not what we expected for Amsterdam!) and walk off the jet lag. Around 7pm we were hungry again, and realized we were fading fast, so we decided to eat at an Argentinian restaurant directly across from our apartment. The name was Carlos Gardel (http://en.iens.nl/restaurant/33910/a...arlitos-gardel ) and we shared empanadas to start (delicious pastry, and lively spicy filling) and then we each had a steak with baked potato. There was an accompanying salad, and really, really, good sauces (3) to use on the steak. It was a comforting, lovely meal, and I enjoyed the wine as well ( I chose a Spanish tempranillo). It was quite quiet in the restaurant – in fact other than one other set of diners we were the only ones there. The service was really good, but I felt badly that they weren’t more busy. My previous research showed another steak house very close as well ( we didn’t make it to that one) that seemed to have more reviews, but was pricier.
We literally crossed the street, walked up some steep, narrow steps to our apartment, and were soon fast asleep.
We had a good balance of several days in Amsterdam (we fell in love with the city!) and a few day trips to Utrecht, Gouda, Leiden, and Alkmaar. As we typically say when we visit a country that captures our heart (as the Netherlands did) we want to go back! My trip report will include where we went and what we did in general, with restaurant recommendations as well (we're not foodies, but were very surprised that almost without fail we had great meals with quality food each time).
We easily made our way from the Schiphol Airport, buying train tickets to Centraal Station, and then tram tickets. We found the #16 tram was our friend the entire trip as it was a very short walk to our apartment, and quickly got us to the center for any Amsterdam attractions, or for our day trips. We bought a couple 72 hour tram passes, and although there are many options for the re-loadable Chip card, I didn’t do enough research to consider that as a more economical option (but I bet it is).
As first days in Europe typically go, we were tired after the overnight flight from Halifax (NS, Canada). Unlike those lucky travelers who can catch a few hours sleep we weren’t able to do this, but knew we had to acclimate quickly. After arriving and locating our apartment, we dropped off our luggage , and then set off exploring, walking around and getting some fresh air and sun, as well as stopping for a coffee at a café near central station along the way. A bit later on we were hungry, and as we headed back to our apartment to get changed we stopped at Bagels and Beans where we enjoyed a yummy bagel with avocado, cheese and chicken, toasted, with pine nuts and mustard (actually writing this it sounds way worse than what it actually was!)
Back at the apartment, we rested and unpacked, luxuriating in the feeling that for 9 days we would not need to pack anything back up – this is not our typical trip. We headed back out to enjoy some more sunshine (we wanted to take advantage as sun was not what we expected for Amsterdam!) and walk off the jet lag. Around 7pm we were hungry again, and realized we were fading fast, so we decided to eat at an Argentinian restaurant directly across from our apartment. The name was Carlos Gardel (http://en.iens.nl/restaurant/33910/a...arlitos-gardel ) and we shared empanadas to start (delicious pastry, and lively spicy filling) and then we each had a steak with baked potato. There was an accompanying salad, and really, really, good sauces (3) to use on the steak. It was a comforting, lovely meal, and I enjoyed the wine as well ( I chose a Spanish tempranillo). It was quite quiet in the restaurant – in fact other than one other set of diners we were the only ones there. The service was really good, but I felt badly that they weren’t more busy. My previous research showed another steak house very close as well ( we didn’t make it to that one) that seemed to have more reviews, but was pricier.
We literally crossed the street, walked up some steep, narrow steps to our apartment, and were soon fast asleep.
Jun 5th, 2016 | 11:36 AM
#4
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Joined: Jun 2007
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A great night’s sleep makes all the difference, and since our apartment was so cozy, this was easy to accomplish. A great breakfast at nearby CT - Coffee and Coconuts http://ctamsterdam.nl/ and we were off on a couple of great walking tours (one was a free historical walking tour and the other we paid in advance for - Red Light District tour). Both were better than I had expected and gave us a great overview and oriented us with the city.
In between tours, we had a refreshing snack at Pils Vogel - a couple chicken satays and chorizo hit the spot . We finished the evening walking from the red light district to de Pijp and had dinner at Lokaal de Pijp. It was a bit late, but we were warmly welcomed by the owner - he had such a great laugh! We shared a starter of sausage and cheese, and then had the salmon and herring burger – way better than it sounds! It was a great way to end a long day, and was so nice that we had just a short walk back to our apartment – we were quickly convinced that we made a good choice staying in this area.
A bit of rain the next day as we headed to Utrecht, but we were warmed up by breakfast at Bakers and Roasters, just a few minutes walk from our apartment. This was now our favorite breakfast place (possibly anywhere) http://www.bakersandroasters.com/ -I need to find a Canadian version of this in Halifax!
The visit to Utrecht took about half an hour and we enjoyed our time there doing the self guided city walk, and then climbed the Dom tower. It was a bit rainy, but we still liked the feeling in the city center, and the walking tour took us on down some great little side streets to explore. Lunch was tasty, and although I can’t recall the name, it kept us full enough that when we returned to the apartment we decided to just have a small picnic with some supplies from the nearby Dirk grocery store.
Leiden was up the next day and it was quick to get there from Central Station. Again, self guided city walk (these were the only tours available in English, although there were guided tours in Dutch) and we loved exploring Leiden. The good weather helped the experience as well, and we had seen the last of rain for the duration of our trip – not what we were expecting, but we’ll take Amsterdam sun over rain! Leiden was bigger than we expected, but great to walk around. We also visited one of the windmills that was open to visitors, which was fun to see.
One of the highlights of our trip was a Night Photography Tour that we booked through Amsterdam Photo Safari. We had 4 hours with a professional photographer taking us to great spots throughout Amsterdam and showing us (significant amateurs) how to take great night time shots with a tripod. We had so much fun, and learned a lot. This I would highly recommend for someone with photography interests (regardless of level) . We had dinner before the photo tour at a small, out of the way pizza place, La Zoccola del Pacioccone and loved it.
After such a long day, we decided to spend the next day in Amsterdam (we had considered going to Rotterdam and Kinderdijk) and took our time exploring the Rijksmuseum, and then walking through the Jordaan neighborhood. This was a lovely neighborhood, and we would also think this would be a great place to stay for a few days in Amsterdam. Dinner was at a restaurant very close to our apartment, called VanTspit http://vantspit.nl/ and although there was await for a table, it was very well worth it.
In between tours, we had a refreshing snack at Pils Vogel - a couple chicken satays and chorizo hit the spot . We finished the evening walking from the red light district to de Pijp and had dinner at Lokaal de Pijp. It was a bit late, but we were warmly welcomed by the owner - he had such a great laugh! We shared a starter of sausage and cheese, and then had the salmon and herring burger – way better than it sounds! It was a great way to end a long day, and was so nice that we had just a short walk back to our apartment – we were quickly convinced that we made a good choice staying in this area.
A bit of rain the next day as we headed to Utrecht, but we were warmed up by breakfast at Bakers and Roasters, just a few minutes walk from our apartment. This was now our favorite breakfast place (possibly anywhere) http://www.bakersandroasters.com/ -I need to find a Canadian version of this in Halifax!
The visit to Utrecht took about half an hour and we enjoyed our time there doing the self guided city walk, and then climbed the Dom tower. It was a bit rainy, but we still liked the feeling in the city center, and the walking tour took us on down some great little side streets to explore. Lunch was tasty, and although I can’t recall the name, it kept us full enough that when we returned to the apartment we decided to just have a small picnic with some supplies from the nearby Dirk grocery store.
Leiden was up the next day and it was quick to get there from Central Station. Again, self guided city walk (these were the only tours available in English, although there were guided tours in Dutch) and we loved exploring Leiden. The good weather helped the experience as well, and we had seen the last of rain for the duration of our trip – not what we were expecting, but we’ll take Amsterdam sun over rain! Leiden was bigger than we expected, but great to walk around. We also visited one of the windmills that was open to visitors, which was fun to see.
One of the highlights of our trip was a Night Photography Tour that we booked through Amsterdam Photo Safari. We had 4 hours with a professional photographer taking us to great spots throughout Amsterdam and showing us (significant amateurs) how to take great night time shots with a tripod. We had so much fun, and learned a lot. This I would highly recommend for someone with photography interests (regardless of level) . We had dinner before the photo tour at a small, out of the way pizza place, La Zoccola del Pacioccone and loved it.
After such a long day, we decided to spend the next day in Amsterdam (we had considered going to Rotterdam and Kinderdijk) and took our time exploring the Rijksmuseum, and then walking through the Jordaan neighborhood. This was a lovely neighborhood, and we would also think this would be a great place to stay for a few days in Amsterdam. Dinner was at a restaurant very close to our apartment, called VanTspit http://vantspit.nl/ and although there was await for a table, it was very well worth it.
Jul 9th, 2016 | 10:03 AM
#5
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Joined: Jun 2007
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One last post just to tie up this TR.
The next day dawned bright and sunny and we were off to Gouda. We again took the self-guided walking tour offered at the TI, and we enjoyed a couple hours walking and exploring Gouda. It was also cheese market day, and there was lots of action and people which was fun. We bought some cheese (yum!) and watched with interest as some people ate herring whole - they were quite skilled! We had a miss for lunch - fish and chips at a place right on the main square. We knew what we were getting into, but decided after lunch to head back to Amsterdam on the next train.
One thing we really wanted to do was a boat tour of Amsterdam, and so we were fortunate enough to book (last minute) the 8pm tour with Those Dam Boat Guys. I can't say enough about how great this was - highly recommended, and I'd suggest booking in advance as they are getting popular.
Our last day trip the next day was to Alkmaar - a little over 30 minutes by train and we were there. It was market day as well, and we loved the cheese market. We had a great lunch at Echt Alkmaar and did lots of walking.
That evening back in Amsterdam, we had dinner at Restaurant Blau, and although not sure what to expect with the mixed reviews of rijsttafel, we absolutely enjoyed our meal - we shared the rijsttafel instead of each ordering, and it was more than enough food.
Our last day in Amsterdam was spent trying to do everything we had wanted to do, but hadn't yet done. We went through Albert Cuyp market - crowded in spots but still fun to walk through. We then walked through the flower market and tulip museum, and had a great lunch at Ellis Gourmet burger. We walked again through the red light district, and then found a café (Spanner + Vantwist) on the Prinsengracht where we enjoyed some drinks and the sunshine on the canal.
We had such a fun, relaxed trip and feel that we had a chance to see lots of different aspects of Amsterdam. We would love to go back and explore more of The Netherlands!
The next day dawned bright and sunny and we were off to Gouda. We again took the self-guided walking tour offered at the TI, and we enjoyed a couple hours walking and exploring Gouda. It was also cheese market day, and there was lots of action and people which was fun. We bought some cheese (yum!) and watched with interest as some people ate herring whole - they were quite skilled! We had a miss for lunch - fish and chips at a place right on the main square. We knew what we were getting into, but decided after lunch to head back to Amsterdam on the next train.
One thing we really wanted to do was a boat tour of Amsterdam, and so we were fortunate enough to book (last minute) the 8pm tour with Those Dam Boat Guys. I can't say enough about how great this was - highly recommended, and I'd suggest booking in advance as they are getting popular.
Our last day trip the next day was to Alkmaar - a little over 30 minutes by train and we were there. It was market day as well, and we loved the cheese market. We had a great lunch at Echt Alkmaar and did lots of walking.
That evening back in Amsterdam, we had dinner at Restaurant Blau, and although not sure what to expect with the mixed reviews of rijsttafel, we absolutely enjoyed our meal - we shared the rijsttafel instead of each ordering, and it was more than enough food.
Our last day in Amsterdam was spent trying to do everything we had wanted to do, but hadn't yet done. We went through Albert Cuyp market - crowded in spots but still fun to walk through. We then walked through the flower market and tulip museum, and had a great lunch at Ellis Gourmet burger. We walked again through the red light district, and then found a café (Spanner + Vantwist) on the Prinsengracht where we enjoyed some drinks and the sunshine on the canal.
We had such a fun, relaxed trip and feel that we had a chance to see lots of different aspects of Amsterdam. We would love to go back and explore more of The Netherlands!
Jul 9th, 2016 | 01:33 PM
#7
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Joined: Jun 2007
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jangita - Here is the link for the free tour...http://www.newamsterdamtours.com/
It was through Sandemans New Europe, and we had also done one last August in Prague, and it was great as well. For the Amsterdam tour our guide was Axel and he was fantastic - a free tour needs a really amazing guide and so far we have been very fortunate. The tipping portion is optional, but every time we (and others) were generous as the quality exceeded our expectations.
So glad you enjoyed Halifax - quite different from Florida for sure!!
It was through Sandemans New Europe, and we had also done one last August in Prague, and it was great as well. For the Amsterdam tour our guide was Axel and he was fantastic - a free tour needs a really amazing guide and so far we have been very fortunate. The tipping portion is optional, but every time we (and others) were generous as the quality exceeded our expectations.
So glad you enjoyed Halifax - quite different from Florida for sure!!
