DH and I are looking for a less expensive trip to Europe in 2025. We are looking at Amsterdam because it ticks lots of boxes for us--art/history museums, good food, easy transit. To keep costs down, we are looking at going for only one week vs. our usual 2. And I thought going the first week of November would hopefully mean lower hotel prices. I know it will be dark and colder--but we tend to tour hard from 9a-5p when most places close. Eat some dinner and crash early. We went to Italy in November and really liked it because it was very uncrowded. I guess I am wondering if it will really be wet, cold, and miserable. And are we really missing out by not going in the spring when tulips are in season?? We are from the Intermountain West so used to cold weather. I appreciate any and all ideas. Thank you!!!!

"I guess I am wondering if it will really be wet, cold, and miserable."

Could be - or not. Unfortunately you won't know until you are there. I travel to Europe often in Nov/Dec -- mostly to the UK/London but I've also gone to Paris, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Berlin in winter. I've had no issues re weather. A city-centric visit - it really doesn't matter all that much what the weather is (except if there is an historically bad storm). One is mostly doing museums, galleries, restaurants - indoors stuff. And if the weather is decent that's just gravy IMO.

That corner of the world gets a lot of rain in winter (or if it's cold enough, snow). If you know it's going to rain you can come prepared with waterproof boots, an umbrella, a raincoat. It's not so bad - you are in the company of millions of Dutch people, none of whom dissolve when it rains . Plus Amsterdam has great museums and galleries, plenty to keep you indoors where it's warm and dry. So a big yes from me to winter in Amsterdam. For years I could only travel between November and February (Australian summer holidays) so I have done it many times before!

Lavandula

The trick to Amsterdam is use the trams, a lot. Stay a bit out of town and commute. Or stay in Haarlem, but the train station is not perfectly placed for November walking.

The western Netherlands, being near the sea, has a fairly mild winter climate. Yes it will be cold, but not terribly so. When I lived there, I wore a waterproof trench coat with a sweater under it for the whole winter. A waterproof coat, preferably with a hood, is very useful, because an umbrella is often useless because of the wind.

I lived in Rotterdam, a fascinating and dynamic city. We returned for a visit a few years ago, and visited Delft, the Hague, Kinderdijk (windmills), and the Delta flood control works (which fascinated my engineer husband). We didn't go to Amsterdam, which I've seen several times before, and which is a bit too over-touristed for my taste. It would be an easy day trip from Rotterdam, though. Rotterdam has some great restaurants and museums, and enough to satisfy dynamic tourists for a week. I would highly recommend a day trip to the Hague, where the Mauritshuis Museum is spectacular.

Early November is not winter. It probably will be cool, around 9C, though it could be much warmer, and may be rainy but you will be in the city with plenty of places to visit out of the weather. The sun sets at around 17.00 so it isn't even really dark, and everywhere is well lit anyway.

Yay!!! Fodors Board for the win!!! Thank you. This all sounds quite doable--we will be inside and, as they say, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing

I was in Amsterdam in July this year…it rained some each day ( mostly showers)
The public transit, trams and metro are very good. One can use a credit card to pay , which I found very convenient.
Watch for cyclists zooming everywhere 🙂

Don't even think about walking on a cycling path!

The Netherlands is almost cash-free. We needed cash for something one day, and had trouble finding an ATM.

Go for 2 weeks to Utrecht. Or one week Haarlem, one week Utrecht. Amsterdam is super expensive. also in November. Haarlem-Amsterdam: 15 minutes. Utrecht - Amsterdam: 20 minutes. Or you could do The Hague or Rotterdam even.