dovima

I'll be in Amsterdam during the second week of December. Never been in the winter before. How "touristed" is the city in December? I know that December 5 and 6 are popular for people visiting family and friends for Sinterklaas celebrations and that the last week is heavily booked for the New Year. But otherwise? I am looking forward to oliebollen, hot chocolate, etc. Can I look forward to fewer crowds as well? Thanks for your thoughts.

Auston

Hi there Dovima...I have traveled to Amsterdam several times in December and have found it quite enjoyable. It is much less touristy and the Christmas season gives the city quite a magical feel -- store windows decorated, Christmas trees in the flower market, etc.

On the downside, the weather can be even more unpredictable than in other months...count on rain and prepare for cold winds (last December was bitter cold). Also, daylight hours are much shorter (sunrise around 8:30am and sunset at 4:30pm), so you'll just have to take that into account as you plan to enjoy the day.

Overall, I'd highly recommend a December visit. In fact, I'm heading back again this year!

Enjoy your trip.

- Auston

PalenqueBob

The Sinterklaas festivities are great! Though I remember them being sometime around the third week of November, they were called Sinterklaas parades. Anyway there was a huge parade in Amsterdam featuring the traditional blackened-faced paraders, made to represent some dark Moor who accompanies Sinterklaas, Father Christmas who ends the parade. Actually I'd go to Utrecht where I saw a really neat Sinterklaas procession on boats thru the canals. Lots of boats had live bands on them and it really was a very festive event, one that attracted mobs of locals. Maybe they have similar ones on December 5 or 6 but I think it's like our Santa Claus parades, staged a bit before the real arrival of Santa Claus. The last week of December, between Christmas and New Years is one of the most hectic tourist-wise in Amsterdam, in fact it's as crowded as any summer time. Trying to get my son a place in any hostel or hotel even weeks in advance meant dozens of phone calls only to hear "we're full." Almost impossible to get any accommodations on the spot that week, even flea-bag dumps. But the city is especially lively with revelers. But before the last week the town should be as empty as it ever is, and it really seems to have no down period. On weekends in even October and November many hotels can be full as the town has become a hedonistic weekend retreat for much of northern Europe. Anyway, I've nver not marveled at Amsterdam, my favorite city in the world!

dovima

Thanks Auston and Palenquebob!
I love Amsterdam and would gladly go in any month. December just happens to be my window of opportunity for vacation. Last time there, I did notice that Fridays and Saturdays had a heavy concentration of long-weekender type visitors from the UK and other European nations. So, I've planned my arrival for Sunday evening and hopefully my foray to the Van Gogh museum on Monday afternoon will find it as "empty" as it will ever get.

Kay2

Was a tourist there week before Christmas once. Weather was bad--icy rain--but we travel anyway. Van Gogh museum was still rather crowded--we went about an hour after opening--maybe just because of size. Other museums were busy, but not crowded. Anne Frank House in the evening was deserted. Large crowds on the shopping streets and in the stores, but restaurants were OK.