Dos & Don'ts in Amsterdam
 

Thinking about going to Amsterdam over New Years. Never been there. Looking for tips on where to stay, sites to see, and what to avoid. Also is it worth staying there a week or better a few days and heading out to somewhere else?

I spent New Year's week in Amsterdam, which I combined with a trip to Belgium. I especially liked the combination because I adore Belgian food and have a hard time eating Dutch cuisine. Were I to go back, I would keep my combo of Amsterdam/Antwerp.

Two things I found extremely useful in both places: I had a hooded coat (I wore a true, long winter coat) and a shawl I could bring up over my face against the blowing rain. It is quite wet there, at sea level. I also found waterproof, laminate maps the only thing that held up under the frequent rain.

With days short and frequent rain showers, museums are highly enjoyable. Amsterdam has some of the best on the planet. I also daytripped (easy) to Den Haag to visit the art museums there, and I especially recommend the unique Panorama Mesdag.

Even in the rain, a canal boat tour (the boats are covered) is the very best way to understand and see most of beautiful, beautiful Amsterdam. It's surprising how little people talk about how very beautiful this city is.

I would stay in the canal district.

What's your hotel budget per night?

The historic center of Amsterdam is shaped like the left half of a wheel. In the middle is the old center bounded by the old Singel canal. It contains the Red Light district, the OudeKerk, the Nes theatre Street, the Dam, many small streets and canals, and pedestrian-only shopping streets like Nieuwendijk and Kalverstraat running north and south. Surrounding the old center are three concentric ring canals. In alpha and geographic order they are the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and the Prinsengracht.
The H. is considered the grandest, with the Golden Crescent to the east of Leidsestraat; the Prinsengracht is the most charming with its houseboats. The streets that connect the ring canals, especially the area called Nine Streets, between Brouwersgracht and the Leidsestraat have nice shops. To the north and west of the ring canals is the Jordaan, a nice area to walk in and to stay in. Many good restaurants and bars there.

I didn't fall in love with Amsterdam down to my toes, it didn't become a part of my soul the way Paris, Venice, Prague,and London have. I think Amsterdam is a great 3-4 day city; after four days I felt that I'd covered 90% of what I'd wanted to see in terms of tourism. There were a few museums and churches I didn't get to, but the only thing I really regret missing was Keukenhof (the tulip fields) which is of course a spring delight.

I have a trip file on Amsterdam; if you'd like to see it, email me at
ESL1051 at yahoo dot com

This is quite informative. Thank you!

Are you only going to Amsterdam? how long is your trip? and what interests you?
if you answer these questions then maybe we can give you some definitive answers.
I wonder what zeppole did not like about the Dutch kitchen?

Visiting Amsterdam,
really wonderful experience .
you can enjoy whatever you want..

visit www.myamsterdam.co.uk

Try also www.channels.nl

Channels.nl is a good recommendation IMO.

It is hard to tell you 'what to avoid" unless you tell us what you do and do not like.

Very good information from the previous posters. I would only add that you could stay in Amsterdam for the entire week and use it as a base to explore other cities in NL. It is a small country and from Amsterdam you could quite easily visit Delft, Haarlem, Utrecht, Leiden, etc. In my opinion these cities are "more Dutch" then Amsterdam (which is a fantastic city and very cosmopolitan).

So, see Amsterdam and then see what else the country has to offer.

The week between Xmas and New Year's is by far the busiest time of year in Amsterdamned - book your hotel as early as possible

It's really a big party as revelers from all over Europe flock here to party that week - mainly younger folk IME

May not be for everyone yet the city takes on a citywide festive and a bit rowdy atmosphere

>>I wonder what zeppole did not like about the Dutch kitchen<<

Pancakes, the use of sugar in sauces, and in general the prevalence of Indonesian influences. Dutch cheeses can be good but they are not my favorite European cheeses. I do, however, like herring.

Just spent 6 days in Amsterdam and while we had a nice, relaxing time, we definitely ran out of things to do. We went to Haarlem, and would have liked to go to Belgium, but we didn't feel like spending all that time on the train. In retrospect, it would have been better to spend 4 days in Amsterdam and then go to Belgium and go home from there. If you plan to do day trips, then you are okay, but in Amsterdam itself, a week is a long time.

zeppole
So you don’t like stamppot; erwtensoep; Andijvie met Spek; Kruidkoek etc…you are missing out!!!!

Or bitterballen. To each his/her own, but I don't think my tastebuds are all that unusual with respect to Dutch cuisine. It's not very popular worldwide, despite people's admiration for so many other aspects of Dutch culture.

Dutch cuisine is not my favourite either, but I do enjoy Indonesian food, and there are plenty of restaurants, indeed the majority, in Amsterdam that serve anything but Dutch food. Practically every cuisine you you wish for is represented there somewhere.
TWM61 do remember that the days are very short around new year - it gets light late, and dark early - about 4pm. That shouldn't put you off coming but do factor it into any plans you make. There is a lot to do in Amsterdam, and new years eve is one big unofficial party - lots of fireworks in the streets etc etc.
You could do trips from Amsterdam to other towns/cities in the Netherlands which also have lots to offer. It really depends on what you like.