Budget hotel or mini self-service flat?
 

Hi all,

Have found two possibilities within my budget in Amsterdam.

One is near the centre of town a couple of minutes walk from the Train Station.
It is a hotel and the rate includes breakfast. The facilities are shared with one other single room (e.g. 2 people maximum share).

The other is a small self-service flat, near Leidseplein a 3-minute walk from
Vondelpark Park. (Not likely to be doing much walking in the park at the end of March!).
It has a kitchen, full cooking facilities and all.

Both are the same price.

Considering locality, hotel versus flat, the difference in costs being able to eat in,
and this being my first visit to Amsterdam, which would you recommend?

I don't know if you want to do this, but addresses would help. A couple blocks from the train station could be a fine area, or the Red Light District (which may or may not be fine for you). Three minutes walk is usually an underestimate, but it's hard to say in this case.

To be honest, there are budget eating places in Amsterdam that may be cheaper than buying things and cooking your own. Meanwhile the free breakfast is obviously a better deal than buying stuff to cook your own. Dutch breakfasts are usually pretty major -- far more than a "bread and coffee" like much of Europe.

If you're OK with sharing the bath, then I'd say go for the hotel within walking distance of the train station.

Hi WillTravel,

No definitely not the red light district.
The hotel is on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal.
On the map it is not far at all to the Centaal Station - and everyone keeps emphasizing how small Amsterdam is...

NeoPatrick you surprise me! I have been reading that it costs a lot to eat out in Amsterdam, unless one sticks only to frites and falafel!

I'm sure you can spend a lot to eat out in Amsterdam... we have rather 'plebian' tastes, so not interested in any special restaurants...

Actually, we usually eat our first night's dinner at Hard Rock (oh, the horror) because it isn't spicy or strange and is reasonably priced (and good food).
Otherwise, we hit the walk-up noodle place, pizza or Italian restaurants, and the occasional Indonesian rijstafel (the high end of our spending at 19E per person + drinks). We're going to hit a pancake place on the next trip, which sounds like the meal will be very filling and hopefully tasty.

There are a raft of little places at Leidesplein where food is really cheap. You'll see lots of "starving" students hanging out there.

Hi unaS,

Do you mind sharing the names of the hotel and flat with us? We are looking for somewhere in Amsterdam as well and have been trying to decide between a hotel or B&B.

The reason I'm skeptical of walking times is because if you look at Mappy.com - there are 860 meters between Centraal Station and Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. This is over 1/2 mile, and so I guess if you are an Olympic class sprinter without any obstacles, it's a 2-minute walk from the train station.

Hi Travelnut

I do find that very reassuring! I have been seeing people talking about 30E meals as 'inexpensive'!!

Thought that I would have to survive on frites and felafel for 6 days! :-o

Much appreciated.

NeoPatrick

So what you are saying is that the mini flat will do just as well and that I can still eat out and see people?

The one great disadvantage of the flat is the potential for lonliness. I am more accustomed to hostels with a community room and communal kitchen. Even in a hotel there are the desk people to see and chat with...the flat had me a bit worried.

But the idea of good cheap student type restaurants in the area is just perfect.

Thanks!!

Hi Maude,

The flat is from this site: http://home.hetnet.nl/~paul131200/index.html

You have to write to him privately for the details on the mini flat for 1-2 persons only.

The hotel is the Cornerhouse Cafe:
http://www.hotelcornerhouse.nl/indexe.html

Be aware that in addition to being budget places, I chose them because the DO permit smoking. There are other places in more or less the same price range that do not.

WillTravel

That 'mappy' site is great!! Never saw it before. Many thanks. >:D<

Yes, you are right, 2 minutes it isn't!!
Maybe they meant 2 minutes by tram :))

It's not a bad distance depending on the weather. Less than I walk everyday to work. If it's pouring I can take a tram or a bus I guess.

Thanks for the tip!

Thanks unaS,

I have looked at the Cornerhouse before - maybe I will check again.

Good luck, with your research. Here are a couple of sites that I have been checking on. www.bbholland.com and also www.bedandbreakfast.nl/index.php?lang=en

They might be of some help to you.

UnaS, although I don't know the exact ambience of the Cornerhouse location, being a little further from Centraal Station is not a bad thing, in my opinion. And yes, it could be 2 minutes by tram. Did you see the reviews here - they're mostly very positive.
http://tinyurl.com/yh2uvj

Hi Maude and WillTravel,

Yes the reviews are very good, but they don't mention the one real drawback. For the ensuite rooms you have to climb 3 floors of <u>very</u> steep, narrow stairs.

I have reserved the shared facilites room for just that reason - it is on the first floor! Same price for both btw.

Also not ideal for people that go to bed early, but if you are a night-owl like me, it's no problem. The bar downstairs closes at 0100 hours (1 hour after midnight) on weekdays, later on weekends.

I am told by others on a different travel site that the area is a convenient one with lots of small inexpensive restaurants around and a few better ones as well. Also a fairly busy street so that a woman travelling solo doesn't have to worry about returning late in the evening on her own.

Maude, thanks for those links, but those properties are mostly non-smoking or out of town.

No worries unaS,

Hope you have a great time!

You too!