Amsterdam on New Year's Eve
 

My husband and I just booked a frequent flyer trip and our return home on 12/31 includes a 16 hour layover on New Year's Eve (from 9pm to 1pm on 1/1) in Amsterdam. How's that for lucky! We already have a hotel booked but we're looking for suggestions on interesting things to do on New Year's Eve in Amsterdam (excluding the sleazy stuff). We'll take the train to and from the airport to downtown, or possibly the KLM shuttle. We're not teetotallers, but are past the drink 'til you puke stage for New Year's. We most enjoy getting to know the culture of a place when we travel. Suggestions???

I dont think it's possible to take the train into town after 8 pm on New Years Eve. Train and other public transport services come to a halt between 8pm and 2 am on this day. You could try and find some kind of shuttle bus that does run. Otherwise you will have to take a taxi, which could cost up to 50-60 euro.

On NYE there are two main places where people congregate. One is Dam Square, where there will be a stage with performances by well known (well, at least in the Netherlands)bands and performers. This usually starts around 9 PM and continues till after midnight. Just before midnight a lot of people go to Nieuwmarkt, a square just to the east of the Red Light District. The area has a large Chinese population and people go there for the fireworks.

I went to Amsterdam a few years ago for New Years Eve. It was DEAD with EVERYTHING closed. It is a time for family reunions at home or private parties. I nearly starved to death as the only place open in the area was a small Italian restaurant which was closing at 9pm. It had a queue about 50m long outside the door - all foreigners looking for a bite to eat!
Hopefully it has changed but the only country really celebrating it in the vicinity is the UK!

Topping this to see if anyone has other ideas. My husband and I will be in Amsterdam for NYE this year, too.

Batara - do you know if you need tickets to the Dam Square performances? We'll be in a B&B somewhat near there.

i agree, amsterdam was pretty quiet on NYE. we were there last year for NYE. i think cuz everyone was trying to get situated for the night, and dont want to be stranded with no way home after 9pm. fireworks are everywhere. 10 year old kids are running the streets with them. we spent it in our hotel room. we were going to go to the hotel bar, but we ended up having our own little party in our room.

There is a big concert on Dam square that starts at 22.30. It has Dutch bands playing but could be fun.
Paradiso has a NYE party - you need to buy tickets ahead of time for that, likewise for Heineken Music hall or Melkweg where there are also NYE events.

Fireworks are part of the whole thing. It is the only day of the year that we are allowed fireworks and people tend to go nuts. Midnight is like ww3 has broken out.

You probably need to reserve a restaurant as they will want to close early so their staff can celebrate too.

Arriving at Schiphol it is probably a good idea to get something to eat there if you can, either at one of the fast food places or at the supermarket if it is still open.
The trains from Schiphol run on NYE as normal until 23.16 which is the last one. Likewise on NYD the trains run normally.

hetismij - do we need tickets for the Dam Square concert? That sounds like fun!

Also, any restaurant suggestions for that night? Unlike sceasley, we'll already be in town near the Anne Frank house. We're in our 30s, so nothing too young, too stuffy or too touristy. (I know... we're tourists, too) :-)

I was in Amsterdam last New Year's Eve and the fireworks are unbelievable, especially to an American who has always lived around highly restricted ones. The firecrackers start early in the day and can be dangerous and loud. At midnight you want to be somewhere safe, but where you can watch, as it is a truly astounding phenomenon. We did not have a dinner reservation, so were somewhat limited on restaurants. Eating early was a good idea, and we were treated to a fantastic show of firecrackers on the street from our table. A small fire started from the debris, quickly stomped out by passers by. The whole evening was quite an experience.

That's a great idea... a restaurant with a view of someplace people would be setting off fireworks. Any suggestions?

If your schedule allows, it would be a lot better to change your hotel to one near the center of Amsterdam. Get into your hotel early, grab some food from a market in case you can't find a restaurant open and have to eat in your room. You really should not miss the wonderful craziness that is Holland on NYE. You can always arrange for an early cab to get you to the airport in the morning.

I have been to two such New Year's Eve celebrations, one in the center, and one in a small town in the suburbs. I have NEVER seen so many fireworks! The Dutch must break the bank, as everyone sets them off. Unlike the States, they wait until the stroke of midnight, and they all go up at once.

A word of caution, if you are going to be out on the streets, do as my Dutch friend suggested -- wear a cheapo pair of safety glasses. He did, and kindly supplied some for me, as he had lost one eye as a child to the fiery things.

You will have a ball!

:-)

slangevar the Dam concert is free, but will be crowded.
I don't eat in Amsterdam so I can't really offer a restaurant recommendation I'm afraid. The place we held our mini GTG - the Vergulde Gaper was a nice enough place and you can book it online, though I don't know what the food is like in the evening. www.goodfoodgroup.nl/gaper.html It is an easy walk for you as it is just along the Prinsengracht from the Anne Frankhuis.
Or look at the others in the group and see if one of those appeals more.

Do be careful with the fireworks - there are a lot of them - all around you on the streets. Earplugs aren't a bad idea either.