October Amsterdam trip report
Oct 24th, 2007, 05:05 PM
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October Amsterdam trip report
Just got back from Amsterdam, and thought I would share our experiences. This was our second trip there. We went with a few friends last year, and got to know the destination a little.
I work in the travel industry as a tour operator specializing in Costa Rica. I can usually be found haunting the Fodor Costa Rica forum.
Every year, I also arrange a large group trip to somewhere fun for the gang in my Mardi Gras krewe. The groups have at times exceeded 40 people, but most of the time we have 12 to 20 people. Since we now had a little experience in Amsterdam, we thought that this would be a fun place to take the gang. All together, eighteen of us traveled to Europe.
We worked it out so that most of the group would spend a full week in Amsterdam. Everyone then went in different directions. Some went to Paris, others Rome, and some to Germany. We went to Prague after Amsterdam with three other couples. My Prague check report will be in the Czech section.
We arrived in Amsterdam at 7:00 AM, and took the train to the Central Station. This was pretty easy, except that it seems that the ticket vending machines are experiencing problems with credit cards. We learned later that this was indeed the case. But at the time, we figured it was just "operator trouble" brought on by jet lag. We finally were able to get some euro change and purchased our tickets. After a short train ride we arrived at the Central Station. From there we walked the short distance to our group's lodging, "Amsterdam Escape".
We had stayed in Amsterdam Escape (www.AmsterdamEscape.com) last year, and had a very positive experience. This year was no different. We rented the "Chillout", "Nest", "Home" and "Suite". The apartments are a little pricey, but this is such a great way to go. Especially with a group. The apartments are fully furnished, and include computers with Internet access, stereos, full kitchens, cable, DVD players with movies, game system, etc. Two of the units even had full laundry facilities. Everyone quickly made themselves at home. These apartments are located in the Nieumarkt area, right next to the red light district. This was a group that likes to have a good time, and the close proximity to bars and restaurants was just the ticket for them.
This is a fun group, and we had some good house parties. We would also meet at different apartments in the mornings for coffee to compare experiences, and to plan our days. Our first night, we had an amazing throw down dinner at Restaurant Gusto (http://ristorantegusto.com). This is right next door to the Chillout. We have eaten here on previous visits, and highly recommend it. The house specialty is pasta, that is finished by placing it into a huge hollowed out parmesan cheese wheel. The hot pasta melts the cheese, and it is all scraped together on the plate. They have lots of delicious Italian specialties and appetizers. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore, and washed it down with copious amounts of red wine. It didn't really cure our jet lag, but it sure was fun!
Within a day or two, the members of our group started to do their own thing. My wife and I spent a day in Haarlem, only a 15 minute train ride away. We had visited Haarlem last year, and had been unable to get inside the ancient church that dominates the town square and skyline. We were luckier this time. They were getting the massive 300 year old pipe organ ready for a concert, and we were lucky enough to hear the "sound check".
Some of us also took a day trip to Zandvoort aan Zee, a beach resort. It was freezing cold and rainy in early October. But we were just there for the mussels. It cleared a little, and we had an opportunity to walk on the beach.
We also took an afternoon to go to Zaandam. There are some authentic old windmills here, and scattered nearby there is the Dutch equivalent of a colonial Williamsburg. The little village has a pewter shop, with ongoing demonstrations, and cheese factory, a wooden shoe factory, several old buildings, and of course a gift shop. We got the chance to crawl around inside an old windmill that was grinding chalk for paint. It was fascinating to see how these actually worked. My wife is an amateur artist, and was thrilled to buy some pigments here.
Our own apartment at the Amsterdam Escape actually fell through. The apartments are scattered over several buildings, and our building failed the annual fire inspection. So we were forced to scramble a little at the last minute. But it all worked out. My wife and I were able to obtain lodging at a very small B&B, called "Sunhead of 1617" on the Herengracht (www.sunhead.com). This is only about a block from the Anne Frank house, and considered one of the better neighborhoods in Amsterdam.
The rooms here are small, but well appointed and decorated. I had to keep in touch with my office, and found the free WiFi a huge plus. Of course, the stairs are a killer. But that is Holland! The B&B is owned by a gay couple, and we enjoyed our mornings chatting with Carlos and savoring his fabulous breakfasts. We enjoyed the other guests as well. We shared meals with Russians, Canadians, and Brits. It was a wonderful way to start each day.
The B&B was located about 3/4 of a mile from our group. We found that we enjoyed our morning walks across Dam Square and through the neighborhoods to Nieumarkt. Because this was our second visit to Amsterdam, we had done much of the major "tourist" things. So we were able to slow down and enjoy Amsterdam. We liked having a drink in the local pubs and eating in the neighborhood restaurants. We always found our Dutch hosts to be friendly, with a sense of humor and usually very willing to have a conversation.
We have so many places to see, and have been to Amsterdam twice now. So I guess we will have to put it on the back burner for awhile. That is hard to do. It is a wonderful place, full of history and interesting people. I do know I will return. Actually by the third or fourth day, everyone in our group was musing about living there and scheming about how to make it happen. No solutions yet!
From Amsterdam, we flew to Prague for a week. I will post another trip report when I have time. That was an amazing trip too!
Happy Travels to All
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)
I work in the travel industry as a tour operator specializing in Costa Rica. I can usually be found haunting the Fodor Costa Rica forum.
Every year, I also arrange a large group trip to somewhere fun for the gang in my Mardi Gras krewe. The groups have at times exceeded 40 people, but most of the time we have 12 to 20 people. Since we now had a little experience in Amsterdam, we thought that this would be a fun place to take the gang. All together, eighteen of us traveled to Europe.
We worked it out so that most of the group would spend a full week in Amsterdam. Everyone then went in different directions. Some went to Paris, others Rome, and some to Germany. We went to Prague after Amsterdam with three other couples. My Prague check report will be in the Czech section.
We arrived in Amsterdam at 7:00 AM, and took the train to the Central Station. This was pretty easy, except that it seems that the ticket vending machines are experiencing problems with credit cards. We learned later that this was indeed the case. But at the time, we figured it was just "operator trouble" brought on by jet lag. We finally were able to get some euro change and purchased our tickets. After a short train ride we arrived at the Central Station. From there we walked the short distance to our group's lodging, "Amsterdam Escape".
We had stayed in Amsterdam Escape (www.AmsterdamEscape.com) last year, and had a very positive experience. This year was no different. We rented the "Chillout", "Nest", "Home" and "Suite". The apartments are a little pricey, but this is such a great way to go. Especially with a group. The apartments are fully furnished, and include computers with Internet access, stereos, full kitchens, cable, DVD players with movies, game system, etc. Two of the units even had full laundry facilities. Everyone quickly made themselves at home. These apartments are located in the Nieumarkt area, right next to the red light district. This was a group that likes to have a good time, and the close proximity to bars and restaurants was just the ticket for them.
This is a fun group, and we had some good house parties. We would also meet at different apartments in the mornings for coffee to compare experiences, and to plan our days. Our first night, we had an amazing throw down dinner at Restaurant Gusto (http://ristorantegusto.com). This is right next door to the Chillout. We have eaten here on previous visits, and highly recommend it. The house specialty is pasta, that is finished by placing it into a huge hollowed out parmesan cheese wheel. The hot pasta melts the cheese, and it is all scraped together on the plate. They have lots of delicious Italian specialties and appetizers. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore, and washed it down with copious amounts of red wine. It didn't really cure our jet lag, but it sure was fun!
Within a day or two, the members of our group started to do their own thing. My wife and I spent a day in Haarlem, only a 15 minute train ride away. We had visited Haarlem last year, and had been unable to get inside the ancient church that dominates the town square and skyline. We were luckier this time. They were getting the massive 300 year old pipe organ ready for a concert, and we were lucky enough to hear the "sound check".
Some of us also took a day trip to Zandvoort aan Zee, a beach resort. It was freezing cold and rainy in early October. But we were just there for the mussels. It cleared a little, and we had an opportunity to walk on the beach.
We also took an afternoon to go to Zaandam. There are some authentic old windmills here, and scattered nearby there is the Dutch equivalent of a colonial Williamsburg. The little village has a pewter shop, with ongoing demonstrations, and cheese factory, a wooden shoe factory, several old buildings, and of course a gift shop. We got the chance to crawl around inside an old windmill that was grinding chalk for paint. It was fascinating to see how these actually worked. My wife is an amateur artist, and was thrilled to buy some pigments here.
Our own apartment at the Amsterdam Escape actually fell through. The apartments are scattered over several buildings, and our building failed the annual fire inspection. So we were forced to scramble a little at the last minute. But it all worked out. My wife and I were able to obtain lodging at a very small B&B, called "Sunhead of 1617" on the Herengracht (www.sunhead.com). This is only about a block from the Anne Frank house, and considered one of the better neighborhoods in Amsterdam.
The rooms here are small, but well appointed and decorated. I had to keep in touch with my office, and found the free WiFi a huge plus. Of course, the stairs are a killer. But that is Holland! The B&B is owned by a gay couple, and we enjoyed our mornings chatting with Carlos and savoring his fabulous breakfasts. We enjoyed the other guests as well. We shared meals with Russians, Canadians, and Brits. It was a wonderful way to start each day.
The B&B was located about 3/4 of a mile from our group. We found that we enjoyed our morning walks across Dam Square and through the neighborhoods to Nieumarkt. Because this was our second visit to Amsterdam, we had done much of the major "tourist" things. So we were able to slow down and enjoy Amsterdam. We liked having a drink in the local pubs and eating in the neighborhood restaurants. We always found our Dutch hosts to be friendly, with a sense of humor and usually very willing to have a conversation.
We have so many places to see, and have been to Amsterdam twice now. So I guess we will have to put it on the back burner for awhile. That is hard to do. It is a wonderful place, full of history and interesting people. I do know I will return. Actually by the third or fourth day, everyone in our group was musing about living there and scheming about how to make it happen. No solutions yet!
From Amsterdam, we flew to Prague for a week. I will post another trip report when I have time. That was an amazing trip too!
Happy Travels to All
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)
Oct 24th, 2007, 05:41 PM
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Glad to hear that someone else has noticed all the stairs in Amsterdam. I actually planned my outings based on how many times I'd have to return to the hotel and climb the stairs to my room on what seemed to be the 100th floor.
Oct 24th, 2007, 06:00 PM
#3
Thank You very much Pat
I was in Amsterdam last year so I read with much interest!
Thanks for sharing.
We missed you on this board.
Percy
I was in Amsterdam last year so I read with much interest!
Thanks for sharing.
We missed you on this board.
Percy
Oct 25th, 2007, 08:06 AM
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Pat -- Thanks for posting this link on the Central America forum. You really get around, don't you? 
It sounds like you had a wonderful trip and I'm taking notes for when I'm able to venture there someday!
Like you, my list just keeps getting longer!
Welcome back.
It sounds like you had a wonderful trip and I'm taking notes for when I'm able to venture there someday!
Like you, my list just keeps getting longer!
Welcome back.
Nov 1st, 2007, 10:24 AM
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Hey all,
Prague report is up:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...;tid=35087038?
Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Prague report is up:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...;tid=35087038?
Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Nov 20th, 2007, 02:03 PM
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Pat, great report. We are going to Amsterdam for 5 nights next September so we find your experiences very interesting.
Any suggestions on "must sees" or inexpensive restaurants?
You would recommend the Sunhead?
I hope you enjoyed Prague as we did.
Any suggestions on "must sees" or inexpensive restaurants?
You would recommend the Sunhead?
I hope you enjoyed Prague as we did.
