sorriso

We will be in Amsterdam for two weeks staying predominantly with my son in the Haarlemmerbuurt area. We've already purchased tickets for the Anne Frank house. How much time we spend in museums depends on the weather.

These are some of the museums I've jotted down: Amstelkring, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Amsterdam Museum, Rembrandt House, Tassenmuseum Henrikje. Definitely Muiderslot via Amsterdam Boat Excursion which seems to accept all three of the passes.

We will be going overnight one night to Utrecht and aside from Dom Under I haven't explored the museum options. My son will join us on the weekends as we explore out of the city to Leiden, Delft, Gouda, Haarlem.

We would like to explore the canals by boat. We are interested in architecture and history both Dutch and related to the World Wars. My husband is Catholic and always intrigued by churches. We love to walk.

I've looked at the options for passes several times and I give up; probably any would be fine. But if you'd chime in with your experience maybe something will become more obvious to me.

Thank you!

sorriso

Whoops, I forgot...a full day in Enkhuizen too.

tonfromleiden

With your list of museums to be visited, a Museumkaart might be a good option. It costs EUR 59,90, can be bought at any not too small museum, and gives free access to an impressive number of museums (see: www.museumkaart.nl).
For public transport a pass would be a nuisance. There is the OV Chipcard, but it costs a non-refundable EUR 7,50, and on the train it needs a EUR 20 balance. Just buy old-fashioned tickets at the window.
For your journeys this planner www.ns.nl/en/journeyplanner/#/ comes handy.

PalenQ

No brainer - National Museum Card - sold at participating museums -just about every one in the country and also at places like the Anne Frank House - gives priority entrance to popular museums too I think. good all over The Netherlands - in two weeks you will more than realize its benefit - valid for one year.

also valid at Enkhuizen's fantastic open-air and indoor Zuider Zee(?) museum. Many churches too and things like Amsterdam's Botanical Gardens, etc.

http://www.amsterdamtourist.info/tip...s/museumkaart/

Some comments about it on this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ite-things.cfm

Leyden

I strongly recommend a visit to the "Church in the Attic" in Amsterdam. It dates from the time that Catholic masses were outlawed and people had to worship in secret. The church is very pretty, too. More information: http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/museum_lordattic/

PalenQ

Yes Amsterdam has so so many neat museums and places like the Lord in the Attic church - I love the Troppen Museum, Dutch Resistance Museum; Maritime museum and so so many others - there is even a branch of St Petersburg's Hermitage in Amsterdam - all free with museum card.

Hash Museum and Sex Museum are not included in the pass however.

tonfromleiden

Oh yes, don't forget to visit the Jewish Historical Museum (www.portugesesynagoge.nl/eng), if only for the grandiose Portuguese Synagogue. Across the road you'll find the smaller so-called German synagogue, which mostly has an exhibition. This is the centuries old culture which was wiped away.

menachem

tonfromleiden, I am from that culture, and no, it wasn't "wiped away". It survived, hardly, but it did. Especially in Amsterdam, although I'm very happy with jewish life in Rotterdam, and in Delft, where I go to synagogue

sorriso

Museumkaart it is; thank you!

el13207

One note: the Museumkaart is only valid now for 31 days. We purchased one several years ago on our first trip to Amsterdam and it was a bargain (also getting a chip card for transit on trams, etc was also a wise move IMO). We'll be back in October and once again will buy a Museumkart as it pays for itself with just a few museum admissions.

tonfromleiden

»... it wasn't "wiped away"«
I stand corrected.

menachem

tonfromleiden, no harm done at all, but it's easy to forget that there is still living and breathing jewish culture in the Netherlands. You just need to know where to look.