BEFORE YOU GO
ADAPTER: You will need an adapter for your electronics. I got these ADAPTERS from Amazon. A power strip with several USB plugs is a great way for everyone to charge their electronics. Make sure your electronics (flat iron) have worldwide dual voltage. With dual voltage you don’t have to worry about getting an adapter AND a converter.
PHONE: Contact your cell phone provider to see what is included. T-Mobile gives unlimited data and texting, but charges $0.25 per minute for calls. This includes if someone calls you and leaves a message on your voicemail. I have read other companies require you to get a European SIM card to use your phone, so just contact your provider to find out before you leave.
AUDIO TOURS: You can download the Rick Steve's Audio Tours. There are several walking tours with audio, and one by bike with printable maps that are very helpful. Download them before you go. RICK'S AUDIO TOURS FOR EUROPE.
WHERE TO STAY: The Netherlands is not cheap. We usually stay at an Airbnb in Europe for our family of four as the hotels are not that big, however, they were much more than we were wanting to spend. My husband had been to Amsterdam previously and stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Amsterdam Airport Hotel. The fact that it had a large room with two queen beds for a good price was what sold us. Something we didn't pay attention to was that there was no pool, which was a disappointment, but not a deal breaker. It's also about 25-30 minutes to the Amsterdam city center. We were okay with this as we really only planned to spend a day or two there.
Let's cut to the pros and cons. Pros: free parking right next door at the casino lot, large beds, shower and separate tub, pool table in the lobby, fitness center, close to the airport (15 minute drive), and located on a huge green park with bike and running trails. See the hotel website for more details. Cons: No pool, our room was dusty upon arrival, cannot get a cup of coffee any time like at most hotels, and no free airport shuttle (airport shuttle service is €6 each way). In hindsight I would have loved to spend a couple days somewhere in the city and just used the metro. The parking fees are crazy!
CAR RENTAL: We chose to rent a car through Sixt, as we were staying so far out of the city and planned to explore the surrounding areas of Amsterdam. This worked out great, but that being said parking can be extremely pricey in the city. I think in the end we paid about $181 in parking! That was more than the car rental. That's crazy to me, especially since it was really only 3 days of paid parking (2 in Amsterdam and 1 in Haarlem). If you are in the city I would recommend using the metro. The parking is paid in 15 minute increments and you will pay it for street or garage parking, so beware.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
CURRENCY: In the Netherlands they use the Euro. It helps to have a currency converter app on your phone. We took money out at the airport ATM to avoid fees at the currency exchange counter. Call your bank to find out what the fees are for you to make a withdraw in the country, as well as if you use your card to make purchases before you go. They will probably also have a currency exchange fee, but ours was minimal. Notify your bank and credit card company before you travel so that they will not decline any purchases or withdrawls you make while out of the country. The ATMs do have an English option, so you will be able to read the screens.
SIGHTSEEING AND THINGS TO DO
The original plan was to drive out to Giethoorn from the airport and spend half a day there. When we checked the weather and saw thunderstorms, we had to rearrange some things. It was also going to be raining off and on in Amsterdam, so we decided to go to the museum and enjoy while staying dry. I always make a basic itinerary, and then when something comes up it's easy to change things around. We checked into our hotel, dropped off the bags, and took a short nap.
There is a parking garage right in the middle of all of the museums. I believe it was €1.60/15 minutes. If you are going to be staying for a significant period of time, it will cost you. I'd recommend taking the metro into the city if you can.
Day 1: We stopped in the square before going into the Rijksmuseum to get a bite to eat. There are a number of vendors right out front that you can get a quick bite or drink from with reasonable prices. We grabbed some hot dogs and espresso.
The Rijksmuseum is stunning from the outside, and has a beautiful garden to walk through with sculptures, a fountain, and there were people out painting by the pond. There are sculptures around the side of the building as well, so be sure to walk all the way around before going through the tunnel to the entrance of the museum. We also saw some street performers out front playing music.
Give yourself 2-3 hours in the museum. There is a lot to see here. We purchased our tickets at the door, but you could easily purchase online and skip the lines. Adult ticket price is €20 at the door (€19 online), 18 and under are FREE. Below are some of the art found inside. We really enjoyed it. You are allowed to take photos in this museum.
We stopped for lunch at The Pancake Bakery, which we had read about as a great spot to stop to try the Dutch pancakes. It was a bit pricey for what you get, but it was pretty mediocre. It's right down the street from the Anne Frank house and the Westerkerk church, so if you plan to visit the area you can stop, but I wouldn't make a special trip to eat there. The Anne Frank statue is just around the corner.
Walking along the canals you will spot a number of opportunities to take beautiful photos. Do it! Take a million photos. You won't regret it. We didn't.
We then headed to Dam Square to see the Royal Palace, Niuwekerk, the National Monument (Obelisk), and took a stroll down Kalverstraat. There is an old church about half way down the pedestrian street along with the shops and food. St Paul's Church was closed, unfortunately, so we didn't get to look inside, but it's known to have baroque interior. There are supposed to be 200 sculptures along Kalverstraat in plain sight. See if you notice any on your trip. Be sure to stop in a cafe or bar along your wandering and enjoy the outdoor atmosphere.
We called it an early night (around 9:00 pm) and headed back to the hotel. You definitely want a place with blackout curtains. It was still very light out at 10:30 pm.
Day 2: We started our day at Omelegg in De Pijp. I'm so glad we found this gem. It was our favorite breakfast on the trip! Everything is made to order right in front of you. They have an excellent selection of omelets as well as other items on the menu. Definitely check it out. I believe there are two locations in Amsterdam.
Next we set out toward Zaanse Schans to see the windmill village. It has the best collection of windmills. It is about 15 miles north of the city set on a river. There are a number of 18th and 19th century houses and windmills. You can also see how wooden shoes are made, taste cheese, and participate in a number of activities. They have a restaurant, shops, and a museum on site. You do need to pay for parking, but it's nominal. It's really amazing if you have the time to venture out there.
Next we headed to Giethoorn. It's a village with canals instead of streets. We rented a boat at Smit Giethoorn and had a bite to eat while we waited for one to become available. You are also able to take a picnic with you on the boat to enjoy. We saw several people do this.
When you rent the boat you choose how long you would like to be out on it. We chose the 2 hour boat path to follow. It does get crowded in certain areas, and it can be a bit frustrating when dealing with people who do not know how to drive the boats well (bumping into you, trying to pass when there is someone coming from the other direction, kids driving boats), but once you are out of the congested areas it is complete bliss.
The 2 hour boat ride cost us €30 and was worth every penny. The homes you are driving past are actual homes, so they encourage you to be respectful of the residents as you go by. You can also walk along the canals. There are a number of cafes and places to stop for a snack.
After turning in our boat we stopped for lunch at Het Wapen Van Giethororn. Someone on TripAdvisor had suggested ordering the plankie. Wow, we were not disappointed. It was delicious and just a short drive down from Smit Giethoorn.
We also stopped by Central Station on our way back to the hotel to check out the building and all of the bikes! Wow.
Day 3: We slept in a bit and then headed to the Albert Cuyp Market. We had a list of things we wanted to taste while in the Netherlands and we knew that the market had them all, so we couldn't wait to get started. Lucky for us there was a great coffee shop near where we parked so we got an espresso before we started taking a look around.
Stroopwafels are found at a number of locations, but THE ORIGINAL had our absolute favorite flavor. It's worth a trip to the market. Pickled Herring is another must try when in the Netherlands. We had it prepared Amsterdam style, which is cut into pieces. We did this so that we could all get a taste. It is served with pickles and onions. It's actually really good. And you can find herring pop ups all over the place. Poffertjes are tiny Dutch pancakes. We saw them on a YouTube video and couldn't wait to find them at the market. Unfortunately, they did not set up the day we were there. We did try them at The Pancake Bakery though, so you can find them there. Fries with sauce are found everywhere as well. Fries with Dutch mayo is our favorite. We had a cone at the market and along Kalverstraat near Dam Square.
The market has several souvenir shops and food vendors. We enjoyed fresh squeezed juice as well. There is a bakery at the end of the road with delicious treats.
Then we headed back to Museumplein (Museum Quarter). The first picture is of the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw where the symphony plays. Such a beautiful building. We got our tickets the night before to go to the Van Gogh Museum. You have to purchase your tickets online and get a scheduled time to go into the museum. We had about a half hour to spare so sat on the grassy hill and relaxed and people watched for a bit.
Inside the Van Gogh Museum we were surprised to see an area set up for a painting class. We were told we could paint our own masterpiece as long as it was inspired by sunflowers. Initially we thought we would paint one piece together, but the lovely woman in charge said she could set it up for us to paint near each other and each get our own. It was so amazing and so much fun. We all enjoyed it and had a wonderful FREE souvenir to take home with us. It was interesting to see how my boys interpreted sunflowers.
We then finished exploring the other floors of the museum. It was amazing. Van Gogh is my personal favorite, so it was beyond amazing to me.
Before heading to our next destination, we sat on the opposite side of the museum (between the Rijks and Van Gogh museums) and enjoyed the music of the local street performers. It was nice to sit a bit after all of the walking we did.
Then we headed to Vondelpark. It's about a 15 minute walk from the Museumplein. It's a huge park where locals and tourists walk, bike, hang out, and ride bikes. There is also a great place to eat in the park called Blauwe Theehis. This is the newest taproom from Brouwerij 't IJ (famous windmill brewery). The beer is amazing and it's in the middle of the park which gives amazing views. We sat by the lake after and enjoyed the weather along with what seemed like all the locals.
Last stop Winkel 43 who is known for having the best apple pie in the city. We were able to park right on the side street and sat outside and enjoyed our pie.
Day 4: Haarlem was described to me as a smaller version of Amsterdam when I was doing research, but it really is so much more. It's so pleasant and the streets are not crowded like they are in Amsterdam. We absolutely loved it. If you've been to Rome it reminded me of Trastevere. It's a lovely neighborhood.
The town gate looks like a castle. We passed it on our way to the city center. There is a huge museum here and you can get a good look at the city from there (or so I read). We decided to park somewhat close to Grote Market Square. It is a bit tricky driving as some roads are pedestrian paths and almost look like they are bike paths, but cars are allowed, so just pay attention and drive slow down the narrow one way streets. Many look like walkways, but are in fact streets. Also, on delivery days a truck will just stop in the middle of this street and you are trapped. Street parking is available, you just need to find the parking meter and enter your license plate.
We enjoyed breakfast at Bagels and Beans. It's a chain in Amsterdam, but its a nice cafe and you can sit outside and enjoy the ambiance. We stopped before heading to the square. In the square we stopped at the TI shop and got a map of the area. This was very helpful and only cost €.50. It points out all of the top attractions in Haarlem.
Across the square is The St. Bavo Church. We went in to get a look at the old church. The cost is only €2.50 for anyone 12 and up. Mozart played the organ in this church. It's beautiful inside and definitely worth the cost of entry. Take a look.
From here we stopped at a restaurant in Grote Square before walking over to Koepel Kathedraal. It was about a 15 minute walk from the square. We were informed at the visitors center that it has been updated recently and a bridge added to the top of the towers that you can walk across.
Once we reached the Koepel Kathedraal we were informed that the entrance fee gave access to the top as well as an audio tour. I believe it was €10 per person. My boys are 14 and 18, not really into touring churches like I am, but they really enjoyed the audio tour here. My youngest actually mentioned that they should have had more audio (since they didn't have an audio on each chapel toward the back of the church).
You make your way through spiral staircases, vaults, church bells, the cupola, and on to the towers. The steps will take you up one tower, across the bridge, and then down the other side. Then you do the audio tour throughout the main floor of the Kathedraal, and on to the museum below the church.
That last photo above shows you the bridge that you walk across from tower to tower before coming down the other side. It's really a great climb, but it is a lot of stairs. There are places to stop and take a break along the way up and down.
We headed to Jopenkerk Brewery for a drink and lunch. It's a brewery located in an old church. It's a really cool setup, but just go for a drink. The food is not that great. The best thing on our table was the fry basket, and probably only because the fries were doused in mayonnaise. There is a Gelato place just across the way with good espresso, apple pie, and gelato. My boys are always up for dessert.
You really can't go wrong just wandering the streets of Haarlem. It's beautiful and you will find a lot of places to sit and relax and just enjoy all of your surroundings. We did try to rent bikes in Haarlem, but it was so hot that we waited until it was later in the day. Unfortunately they rent by the day and at 4:00 pm would not rent bikes to us. So if it's something you want to do, get there early and bike around the city. I'd be more likely to enjoy a ride in Haarlem then in Amsterdam. They are pretty aggressive in the bike path in Amsterdam. The bike paths are amazing and really busy, so be sure to not stop or you will hear bells ringing and Dutch people yelling. (Not that it happened to us. lol)
There were several things we didn't get to, but I had on the list. I'll list them below and you can look them up to see if its something you might be interested in:
The Floating Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)
The Begijnhof - Open 9-5 daily. It's free.
Royal Palace - we went to it, but didn't go inside.
Anne Frank Huis - tickets sell out two months in advance. You can try to get a ticket online the morning of attending, but there are only so many available. We settled for seeing it from the outside and taking a photo of the statue.
Take a canal cruise!
Rembrandt House Museum - Open 10-6. €14 for adults, 17 and under €5.
More Museums!
NDSM Wharf
A 'Dam lookout
Farmers markets - several are only available on Saturdays
Foodhallen - 29 international food stalls
Brouwerij 't IJ Brewery
Concertgebouw - would love to see an orchestra performance here. (my son plays the cello, so we would love to get to do this in another country)
Febo - giant vending machines located throughout the city with hot snacks
Biking in Haarlem
City of Zaandam
Muiderslot Castle
I guess that means we need to return! That's quite a list. Have a great time exploring Amsterdam and the surrounding areas!
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