We just came back from our second visit to Amsterdam—we had a great time. The highlights:

If you're staying more than a few days and like museums the Museumkaart (as mentioned) is a GREAT buy. It was 45 Euros but I totalled up how much we would have spent and it was 119 Euros (we spent one night in Rotterdam, a day at the Hague and 4 nights in Amsterdam). It enabled us to see museums we wouldn't normally visit—plus it let us skip lines at all the biggies (Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum, the Hermitage). It was probably the smartest choice we made on this trip.

And I'd like to add another vote for the apple cake at Winkel—we loved it so much we went back the next day for another piece.

If you like falafel, be sure to try Sonny's in the Pijp—great falafel and a thoroughly charming guy.

We came to the Netherlands from Paris and the difference in atmosphere was immediate—it's so relaxed and friendly—such a great feeling.

Probably the number one highlight was our visit to the Six Collection. I read about it in a very old guidebook so I googled it and asked if we could visit. We were the only people on our tour. Baron Von Six himself answered the door and shook my hand, and an art history student gave us a one-hour tour of their incredible collection of art and furniture. What a great experience!

outwest - thanks for the neat report!

PILS, PLEASE!

When you want a glass of beer in say a Brown Pub you politely say "can I have a pils, please?"

Pils being the universal word for a beer in any Dutch or Belgian pub I've been in - short I guess for 'pilsener' the type of beer common in the Lowlands (as opposed to our more Lager or German type beer.

When going thru the Heineken factory in old days when they actually bottled something there (weird they were bottling Amstel the last time I went - after the merger!) they explain for the American export market they make Heinies with more a lager taste than a pilsener taste like in Holland - only the beer actually bottled in Holland and then exported is the original pils like in Amsterdam.

the canals in the snow, went end of november and had lovely proper pretty snow, which hugged all the bridges and parked bicycles....so pretty

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...d_Holland.html

this walking tour....the guy was so interested in his job made it a real pleasure

HG001London, thanks for the link. This is what makes this forum so useful: separating the wheat from the chaff.

Yes HG001London - thanks for that link - WW2 in Amsterdam during German occupation - I was walking thru Vondel Park one day and an old Dutch guy - this was years ago - stopped and chatted about his memories of the days when Vondel Park was full of Canadian troops, after the Germans were given the boot - hard to imagine not long ago a lovely park like Vondel Park was a military barracks!

So happy i found this thread. I am going to Amsterdam for the first time in September. I am really looking forward to it and this info is really great!

no problem guys, it was very interesting tour despite it being truly freezing!!

Even when we booked from london the guy sent us a really interesting piece on how the dutch during the war compared with other nations.

Thank you to all for these wonderful posts. We are going to Amsterdam in June - all this info is so helpful!

Dave in Ohio makes some nice suggestions about Jenever tastings:

<Also, if one is in the vicinity of the Neuwe Kerk, and is of the inclination, consider visiting De Blauwe Parade Bar for a jenever tasting. They have gins ranging in age from practically "newborn" to well into their twenties. Highly interesting and informative (although some of the older spirits can get costly)>

JENEVER

Is a famous Dutch bar drink - served in tiny glass cups this is basically gin from plain old but potent plain gin to various flavored perfumes like lemon and other fruit-based flavorings. But be warned that many Dutch have told me that straight gin or jenever is for men and that only women drink the 'perfumed flavored jenevers."

But note that all pack a potent punch.

PalenQ,
re JENEVER:
On our recent visit, my wife and I did a "jenever tasting," trying a variety. It was all good, although some might be considered "acquired tastes." I hope the Dutch don't snicker at me when they find out, but we shared a PEAR jenever at happy hour with our traveling companions. Served very cold, it was a pleasant aperitif. By adding some to a dry white wine or prosecco, we had variations of kir cocktails. It went over well enough that we had to go out and replenish our supply!

Dave - I often sip the flavored jenevers as I like them better than the plain ones - but I have been told that only women do that. But what the heck if it tastes good why not? Thanks for your comments!

MODERN AMSTERDAM

The best way to see modern Amsterdam, and most of the town outside the old center is ultra-modern, being one of Europe's business capitals, is to take the Ring Railway around town.
Start at Centraal Station and take a train to Duivendrecht, change there for the WTC World Trade Center station, from where you can take a tram back to centraal station, passing thru a neat part of town built around the 1920s - a very unique Amsterdammer architecture very different from the neat centuries old centrum.
On the Ring Railway you'll pass by many gleaming modern office buildings - the World Trade Center is one such sparkling complex you may want to poke around.

THE IJS TRAM AND EASTERN DOCKS AREA AND NEW TOWN

Another area of new architecture is the newly redeveloped eastern docks area - for the best view of this take the new Ijs Tram from Centraal Station to its end - it goes by lots of new residential areas that are novel - some look like a new Venice - islands with tiny canals and humped iron bridges - the tram goes under and over the Ijs - the body of water that is Amsterdam's seafront by tunnel and bridge to a completely new city at its terminus being built on filled in lands. On the Ijs Tram route you'll also pass by, near Centraal Station redevloped old warehouses and Amsterdam's spanking new Cruise Ship terminal

At the eastern terminus of the Ijs Tram is a whole new city being developed on artificial sandy islands - a work in progress - it's neat on the tram as it soars over bridges and goes under a tunnel to the new lands.

So for something very different try the Ring Railway and Ijs Tram!

We will be in Amsterdam in early September. This has been a great post. Lots of info. I now feel as though I don't have enough time! My question to all of you is street food. Not just Frites, but seafood, fish, and meat. Where are the best places or at least areas where we can find these. We travel a lot and find this to be a less expensive way to eat local foods and it is usually very good. Thanks in advance for all your help.

See above - NIEUWE HARING - from street stalls, costs 3.30 euro served with chopped raw onion and pickle, or 3.60 on a roll. Very good if you like that sort of thing.

I was disappointed with the street frites, especially the poor quality mayo and catsup.

street markets like the Albert Cuyp Market are a great place for street foods - in case of Albert Cuyp a variety of ethnic food from around the world.

Hering stands are easy to stumble across - all over the city.

Thanks for the info, We will find them.

Thank you PalenQ! There is a great info here for our trip.

The National Museum Card is a great deal for practically anyone going to The Netherlands - just three or four major museum entries pay for it and you can get free entry to all the museums listed here for up to one year - no photo was required when I last bought one. Buy it at any participating museum - for young folk just about 20 euros for a year!

Museumkaart Coverage
From Wikipedia

The Museum card (Dutch: "Museumkaart") is a card that allows free entrance to a number of museums around the Netherlands. The card itself costs €44.90 (€39.95 plus €4.95 handling fee), and is valid for one year. A discounted card is available for under 19s, and costs €19.95 (plus €4.95 handling fee).
The Museumkaart is available to buy at any of the participating museums below. It is by far the best value way to get into many of the museums in Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam, the museums include:
Allard Pierson Museum / Archeologisch Museum Der Universiteit Van Amsterdam
Amsterdams Historisch Museum
Anne Frank House
Bijbels Museum (Homepage)
De Appel (Homepage)
De Burcht / Vakbondsmuseum (Homepage)
De Nieuwe Kerk
EnergeticA (Homepage)
Filmmuseum
FOAM Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam (Homepage)
Hermitage Amsterdam (Phase I)
Huis Marseille, Stichting voor Fotografie (Homepage)
Joods Historisch Museum
Tropenmuseum
Max Euwe-Centrum
Museum Amstelkring, Ons' Lieve Heer Op Solder
Museum Geelvinck-Hinlopen
Museum Het Rembrandthuis
Museum Het Schip
Museum Van Loon
Willet-Holthuysen Museum
Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum & Amsterdam (VOC ship) (Dutch East India Company trading vessel)
Oude Kerk
Persmuseum (Homepage)
Rijksmuseum
Stedelijk Museum CS
Theatermuseum / Theater Instituut Nederland (Homepage)
Van Gogh Museum
Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam
In other parts of The Netherlands:
Cobra Museum, Amstelveen (Homepage)
Drents Museum, Assen (Homepage)
Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
RijksmuseumTwenthe, Enschede (Homepage)
Groninger Museum, Groningen (Homepage)
Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem (Homepage)
Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Historisch Museum Haarlem
Museum De Hallen, Haarlem
Fries Museum, Leeuwarden (Homepage)
Princessehof, Leeuwarden (Homepage)
Boerhaave Museum, Leiden
National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden (Homepage)
National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden (Homepage)
Naturalis, Leiden (Homepage)
Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden
Aviodrome (Airplane museum), Lelystad (Homepage)
Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht (Homepage)
Valkhof museum, Nijmegen
Maritiem Museum, Rotterdam (Homepage)
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (Homepage)
Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam (Homepage)
Wereldmuseum, Rotterdam (Homepage)
Mauritshuis, The Hague (Homepage)
Museon, The Hague
Centraal Museum, Utrecht (Homepage)
Train Museum, Utrecht (Homepage)