Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Amsterdam - Hotel and Area Recommendations

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myer (Post 16866614)

PalenQ,
We keep meeting on my two threads for this trip. Thanks.

If Menachem is an expert on coffee shops then maybe he can fill in. We don't usually eat breakfast in our hotel as we like to try different places. And since we eat very little for lunch that only really leaves dinners. Also, when we go on a day trip starting in the morning, we may pick something up on the way to the train and eat on the train.

I will look into using alternative train stations. That's good info.

Maybe some other Menachim questions. We're looking at a few day trips from Amsterdam. Any opinions would be very much appreciated.

Though not in Netherlands Ghent is high on the list of possibilities (we've been to Brugges twice over the years. Went there for an overnight last year. We loved it). Also possibilities are Rotterdam and Utrecht.

With possibly 3 day trips we'll still have about 2 1/2 days in Amsterdam ( the half day is the day we arrive from Mainz) (we've been there twice over the years but not recently). Is a few hours in Zaanse Shans worth the effort?

I can tell tall tales about Greenhouse, but that's neither here nor there. Actually Hotel V has a great breakfast place, The Lobby. Right inside your hotel. Another really favorite place for me, with the best coffee in town is Latei, on Zeedijk, at the Nieuwmarkt end (next to the fish shop). Also a really good place, but for an excursion, on saturday for instance, is Winkel on Noordermarkt. In summer, Tofani, just on Kloveniersburgwal, near Nieuwmarkt is great. And of course De Jaren on Doelenstraat. If you should go for Hotel de Doelen, it's right next door. They've got a great terrace too. Other places in your neighbourhood, so to speak are Cafe Het Loosje, on Nieuwmarkt, Cafe Fontein, on Nieuwmarkt, and the wonderful and quirky Swiss restaurant Cafe Bern. For a moment of calm, there's a very nice buddhist temple, right across from Latei. A really special bar is In't Aepjen, right at the start of Zeedijk near Pr. Hendrikkade. And a very nice gin tasting house is Wijnand Focking now incorporated in Hotel Krasnapolsky almost. One last place: you can have coffee and lunch inside Schreierstoren, at the head of Geldersekade. There's a nautical bookseller on the top floor. An oasis of calm.