Amsterdam - My Favorite Things!
Aug 27th, 2012, 06:42 AM
#101
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29 museums in Amsterdam to enter free with the National Museum Pass - and I note that the Anne Frank House is now included - making this pass an even more incredible value. Again with the card you can freely enter lesser known museums that you may pass by but normally would hesitate the several euros usual entrance free - and again I have been very delighted at what I found in many of these I would normally have just passed by!
Aug 27th, 2012, 06:52 AM
#102
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One of the main benefits of the Museum card (Museemkaart) is the ability to go through a member door without having to stay in line. The line to the Van Gogh Museum was about 45 minutes but we were able to surpass it and enter through a member entrance. It is definitely worth the investment. We were fortunate that our home exchangers allowed us to use theirs and the museum staff didn't budge at the fact that our names were different.
Oct 2nd, 2012, 11:16 AM
#104
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We were fortunate that our home exchangers allowed us to use theirs and the museum staff didn't budge at the fact that our names were different.>
my experience as well - just glance at pass and expiry date if that!) and yes the ability to come and go is priceless - pop into the Van Gogh or Modern Art museums just for a few minutes - perhaps if in the area just to use the free loo or sit in the snack bars and people watch the museum crowd...
my experience as well - just glance at pass and expiry date if that!) and yes the ability to come and go is priceless - pop into the Van Gogh or Modern Art museums just for a few minutes - perhaps if in the area just to use the free loo or sit in the snack bars and people watch the museum crowd...
Oct 5th, 2012, 07:24 AM
#105
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DAY TRIPS FROM AMSTERDAM
Though I love Amsterdam dearly I also love to visit the real Holland and some real Dutch towns - Amsterdam being cosmopolitan, especially in its city centre that attracts so so many foreigners and where English seems to be the de facto language.
So I will go over some of my very favorite day trips from Amsterdam and hope others will chime in with theirs as well!
I will briefly describe these day trip destinations in the coming posts:
HAARLEM; VOLENDAM AND MARKEB; ALKMAAR; UTRECHT; DELFT; LEIDEN; KROLLER-MULLER AND HOOGE VELUWE NATIONAL PARK; THE HAGUE; ZAANDVOORT; gOUDA; EDAM; ZAANS SCHANSE; and perhaps a few more!
Though I love Amsterdam dearly I also love to visit the real Holland and some real Dutch towns - Amsterdam being cosmopolitan, especially in its city centre that attracts so so many foreigners and where English seems to be the de facto language.
So I will go over some of my very favorite day trips from Amsterdam and hope others will chime in with theirs as well!
I will briefly describe these day trip destinations in the coming posts:
HAARLEM; VOLENDAM AND MARKEB; ALKMAAR; UTRECHT; DELFT; LEIDEN; KROLLER-MULLER AND HOOGE VELUWE NATIONAL PARK; THE HAGUE; ZAANDVOORT; gOUDA; EDAM; ZAANS SCHANSE; and perhaps a few more!
Oct 19th, 2012, 08:37 PM
#106
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Quick question - for a quick visit (4 nights) would you recommend Krakow or Amsterdam? My husband is travelling for business and I may be able to join him for a part of the trip. His meetings are in krakow but we'd be connecting thru Amsterdam so either could work.
Oct 20th, 2012, 05:53 AM
#107
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well that is a tough question - Amsterdam itself has a whole lot more varied offerings than Krakow but if you use Krakow as a base then you can day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau or the famous Wieliczka Salt Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just south of town.
But I think the average tourist will find Amsterdam for 4 days much more interesting - esepcially for museums, great food treats - its canals make it one of the world's most gorgeous cities and there are short day trips by train to gems like Haarlem or Delft, etc.
Krakow itself for 4 nights would be a few more than I personally would care for - not that much to do really for that amount of time - but you cannot go wrong really. Krakow would no doubt be much cheaper if that is a factor.
But I think the average tourist will find Amsterdam for 4 days much more interesting - esepcially for museums, great food treats - its canals make it one of the world's most gorgeous cities and there are short day trips by train to gems like Haarlem or Delft, etc.
Krakow itself for 4 nights would be a few more than I personally would care for - not that much to do really for that amount of time - but you cannot go wrong really. Krakow would no doubt be much cheaper if that is a factor.
Oct 24th, 2012, 01:36 PM
#111
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PAPlumber - do you have anything to back up the thing about the coffee shops or just like me thinking that they are too entrenched to just be done away with. And thanks a lot for the very nice comments.
Dank u very wel!
Tot Ziens!
Dank u very wel!
Tot Ziens!
Oct 24th, 2012, 02:17 PM
#112
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Been following the whole thing on another forum, Haarlem has announced that they will not introduce a weed pass but a hallmark system, which means buisness as usuall. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague are not for it. Prohibition is not working in the south were the coffee shops are effected by the pass, CRIME is up in those areas. I do not belive the Dutch people want or will tolerate prohibition.
Oct 26th, 2012, 10:10 AM
#113
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PA - having spent many a happy hour in various coffeeshops I welcome the thought of being able to continue to people watch and toke in freedom. Thanks for the update. Does seem improbable that coffeeshops like 4:20 where Americans have been gathering for years - including 60s radical and now poetry/jazz guru John Sinclair - that these places could be forced to ban non-Dutch and thus go out of business. Amsterdam's economy will definitely take a hit even though the undesirable types the law is aimed at - French and German teens and young folks who spend no other money. Now in my state of Michigan with my medical marihuana card I can go in my hometown to dozens of dispenaries and buy a mind-boggling number of pot varities over the counter - if someone told me ten years ago that I could do this in my hometown but not in Amsterdam I would have though that person was crazy.
But crazy times are afoot in Amsterdam where the iconic red-light district is even in for being sent to the dustbin of history.
But crazy times are afoot in Amsterdam where the iconic red-light district is even in for being sent to the dustbin of history.
Oct 27th, 2012, 08:06 AM
#116
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Thanks for the thanks johnny!
PAp - Queen's Day - ah one of my alltime top European trip memories - fantastic, wish I could be there next April - around April 30. One of Europe's finest citywide festivals - so mobbed and so so fun! A sea of orange for sure.
PAp - Queen's Day - ah one of my alltime top European trip memories - fantastic, wish I could be there next April - around April 30. One of Europe's finest citywide festivals - so mobbed and so so fun! A sea of orange for sure.
Oct 28th, 2012, 08:19 AM
#117
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