My husband and I are traveling from NYC to France this September. Our frequent flyer tickets include a one night/day stay in Amsterdam. We arrive at 8:15 am and depart the following day at 6:10 pm. Any suggestions on a hotel (3 star - under $200 USD) and an itinerary to give us a quick view of Amsterdam would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Do not fail to take a canal ride. If you like museums, Amsterdam is a treasure trove. Window shopping in the canal district is perfect. Try to stay in the area if you can. You might consider B&Bs as well as 3stars.

I agree with the canal ride. But, I would plan it for your second day there. Being tired after an overnight flight, the boat motion is soothing, and you can sleep through the entire ride. Anne Frank house, museums, red light district, diamond tour. Keep some time open for just walking around and looking at the architecture and canals.

We visited Amsterdam last June and loved it. What a charming, friendly, clean city. Here's my trip report, which includes information on the hotel we liked, restaurants, activities:

"Final stop: Amsterdam. Five nights’ stay, first visit for all of us.

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Amsterdam! You always hear of the Red Light district and the coffee shops and the laissez-faire attitude, but you don’t hear how open and friendly the people are, how lovely the canals and side streets, how wonderfully trendy the restaurants and cafes, how people are out strolling at all hours of the night and you feel safe everywhere. I think I’d expected it to be quaint and charming (which it is), but in a dark wood-paneled cliché way, not in the young and contemporary way it is.

The standard reply we were given in Amsterdam, when we asked for anything, was always “Of course!” How refreshing.

We stayed in a fabulous location, at The Hotel Residence le Coin, which was directly across a small street from the Hotel de l’Europe, down the street from the Hotel Doelan, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?). A great neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam.

The hotel has a lift and A/C, also free use of the hotel’s washing machine and clothes dryer in the basement (which was welcome as we’d been traveling over a week when we arrived there). Each room has a little kitchenette, a nice-sized bath, large rooms with wooden floors and a sitting area. It’s fairly new, so everything sparkles. Very friendly front desk, too.

Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café de Jaren, for great table seating on the canal.

Amazing dinners at two restaurants in particular:
“Stout!”, at Haarlemmerstraat 73 (www.restaurantstout.nl). Fabulous ‘foamy asparagus’ soup with shrimp, chateaubriande, fresh fish, dessert course, wine list. Very trendy lighting. Great service. We’d gone to the neighborhood in search of a restaurant called “Lof” which we’d seen written up. We didn’t like its atmosphere, but were lucky that Stout! was just across the street.

Also at “Restaurant Dining Eleven” we had a great dinner. It’s at Reestraat 11. Also trendy and contempory, well-presented and beautifully-served meal.

Another nice dinner at “frenzi”, at Swanenburgwal 232. Very simple and contemporary. We arrived shortly after 10:00p.m., when most restaurants close in Amsterdam, and persuaded the owner to sell us any left-overs they had in the kitchen! They put together a nice Caesar salad with cooked-in-the-shell shrimp and mango. Very nice.

Also a good brunch at a place across the street from frenzi—called “Puccini”. Creative salads and sandwiches. Very nice also.

We took a canal cruise one evening. Toured the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum. Visited the Nieuwe Kerk (sp?) Our teens went to a concert at the Paradiso and loved it.

One afternoon we did the 2:30 “Best of Holland” excursion to Volendam and Marken, with a stop to see wooden clogs made, Gouda cheese created, and to visit windmills. It was by bus, with a boat from Volendam to Marken. A lot of fun. Even our two teens liked it.

Our teens also liked shopping at one street in particular, between our hotel and the museum district. Also a Zara shop there, and many others like it. They thought the selection and prices were better in Amsterdam than what they’d seen in London and Paris even.

A detail about Amsterdam if you go there-- carry enough Euros in cash, because many places won't accept a credit card for a 'small' purchase (i.e. under 25 EU).

The only unpleasantness we encountered in Amsterdam related to cab rides and inconsistent pricing. Especially when our two teens were grossly overcharged cabbing to the hotel from the concert. They were well aware of the route, having walked it already twice, but we'd wanted them to cab home late at night. They knew the cabbie took a very round-about way back in order to over-charge. Also, when we arrived at the taxi sand at Central Station, I was literally swarmed by rather aggressive cabbies and felt uncomfortably jostled by them all."

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I have a similar problem. I am on a layover from 4:30 pm on Thursday until 12:30 pm on Fridayduring the first week of October. We were initially planning on staying out at the airport, but both the Hilton and Sheraton (both attached to the airport by a short walk way) are very expensive (around $400). I like the idea of the airport hotel because we can check-in, drop our bags off and take the train into Centraal station. There are other hotels close to the airport (including the highly touted Dorint Sofitel hotel) that are more affordable, but then we would have to take a shuttle to the hotel from the airport and then either take the shuttle back to the airport to catch the train or spend $40 each way for a taxi.
Since we only have about 20 hours, should we stay in the center of Amsterdam? It appears there are some good,affordable hotels around $250 per night. We would definitely take a taxi if we stay in the city center (because of luggage, time and convenience). Any suggestions on things to do in Amsterdam on a Friday morning for some early risers? I know most museums/attractions do not open until 9am which will prevent us from seeing them and making our flight. Any suggestions on hotels in the city center around $250 for a couple in their mid 30's who love to shop and eat would be appreciated. Hotel must have an elevator since my wife is a notorious overpacker and we will be coming from 15 days in Central Europe. Thanks for all of you help. I have read all the threads on Amsterdam layovers and am unable to make up my mind!

jonalex; with an evening to spend in Amsterdam, definitely go for a hotel in the city. Your flight out is at 12.30 pm, so you will have time for a nice afternoon/evening, and the train to/from Schiphol airport is fast and easy. I have no specific hotel recommendations, since I do not often stay in Amsterdam hotels, but you will find plenty when you search on this site. Perhaps Jan Luyken, near the Van Gogh Museum (I think website is www.bilderberg.nl for Bilderberg hotel group) or perhaps a Golden Tulip.

The Jan Luyken is around the corner from the best shopping street in Amsterdam, PC Hooftstraat, but don't know if you will have time for that.
We liked this hotel a lot.
Le Garage is not too far, and a fun restaurant for dinner. Or Sama Sebu in PC Hooftstraat for indonesian food, very nearby. The restaurant is a bit crowded, but food is good, and worth to have Indonesian food when you're there for only one evening.

Tulips,

Thanks for the hotel tip. The rate is only $189! I was reading where most of the shops stay open until 9pm on Thursday, but it appears all of the multinational chain stores that are close to this hotel close at 7pm. Since we will not be able to enjoy any of the museums close to this hotel, is there another area of the city you can recommend?
We will probably try to run over to the Anne Frank house on Thursday night since it is open until 7pm. Afterwards we will do some wandering and shopping (we prefer local merchants with handicrafts or culinary treats than clothes or antiques), followed by a canal cruise and dinner. Do the restaurants stay open late? We definitely want to enjoy a great Indonesian dinner. Thanks again for your help.

<i>&quot;..My husband and I are traveling from NYC to France this September..&quot;</i>

I sure hope your stopover does not coincide with the IBC conference in Amsterdam, Sept 7-12. You will not get a room in Amsterdam at this point during those dates (and nearby towns will be difficult as well).

Decent, well-known hotels in Amsterdam:

Eden Hotel - Amstel 144
http://book.bestwestern.com/ propertyCode #92595

Hotel Estherea - Singel 303 - 309,
www.estherea.nl/

Golden Tulip Centre - Nieuwezijdskolk 19
www.goldentulipamsterdamcentre.com/

American Hotel - Leidsekade 97
http://www.amsterdamamerican.com/

Marriott Hotel - Stadhouderskade 12
http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/AMSNT

Seven Bridges Hotel - Reguliersgracht 31
http://www.sevenbridgeshotel.nl/

If you want to stay around the airport:
http://microsite.schiphol.valk.com/p...ult.aspx?ID=59
and
http://www.nh-hotels.com/portal/page...d=100060000000

You could also try Krasnapolky, right on Dam Square. They often have some good deals on offer, though the rooms at the low rate are not that good but Krasnapolsky is a good hotel, walking distance to Centraal Station and close to Kalverstraat where the shops may be open later. They have an excellent breakfast buffet, in their winter garden conservatory.