Amsterdam, Netherlands

[italiandoll]

^thanks sis, where is the Esprit outlet store in Amsterdam?  thanks again

[^Vain_Chiq^]

^Just below the trainstation of Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena sis.Just went there again yesterday.Shopping galore na naman.Hehe.

[Vera]

This is one of my destinations in Europe and in particular Utrecht. I would like to stay there for 2 weeks or so.

[^Vain_Chiq^]

^Replied to your PM sis. Hopefully I could meet you

[Vera]

^Hi sis, sure. I will definitely PM you so just in case I get lost... but this won't be until after winter

[mama squeak!]

Hubby and I will be in Amsterdam in September. We're booked at Sunhead of 1617 B&B located at Herengracht. Question please for the GTs familiar with the area, how is the road from Centraal train station to Herengracht? I mean is it paved or cobbled? We will have luggage with us and we're still debating whether we will take the train from the airport and walk it or take a cab to drop us off mismo sa B&B.

@melodymedley, sis where did you buy your 48 hour AMS card? Airport or at the city center na? How did you activate it? Is it the same as the Paris Visite Card? Thanks!

 

[melodymedley]

@mama squeak: I bought mine at the AMS Airport. Yeap, kinda similar to the Paris Visite Card's concept. It is active for 48 hours from the first time you swipe it. I used in in my first tram ride from AMS Centraal station - card does not cover the ride from Schiphol airport to Centraal.

[^Vain_Chiq^]

Hi sis mama squeak! I'm not specifically from Amsterdam but from Utrecht and I checked online the transportation from Schiphol to your hotel. Travel time is 30 minutes and after taking a train you will take a bus pa and then the total walking time of 12 minutes. I think it's better to take a cab to if you will have luggages around, yun nga lang it's more expensive but at least it's less hassle. A train and a bus from the airport to the hotel will cost you lang 5 euro each while the taxi around 30-50 euros.

[mama squeak!]

^sis, thanks for your feedback!  The owner of the B&B also gave me different options how to get to his place. We might just take the train from Schiphol to Centraal station then cab na kami to his place. Tipid pa rin compared to taking a cab all the way from the airport. Plus less hassle din with our bags.

 

[^Vain_Chiq^]

Yup sis I think that's better. May kamahalan din kasi transpo dito sa NL kaya majority ng tao eh nagbibisikleta. LOL. By the way if you want to know what mode of transportation to take plus the costs and travel time check here: www.9292.nl.

You can also message me if you're here sis. Would love to meet you since Utrecht is 30 minutes away lang naman from Amsterdam and I'm in Amsterdam every Saturday.

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks for the link, sis! That will surely help. Hubby and I are also thinking of renting a bike to go around Amsterdam. If we do that then we don't have to get the Amsterdam pass na. The bike locks we bring for our luggage will be handy here. 

Would be great to meet up with you and the other GTs based there kundi hectic yung IT namin. Sige I'll PM you nearer our departure time.

 

[karli_girl]

Wow! Enjoy amsterdam! my first out of the country trip. Since this was my first, i only remember few memories - i was only 5 or 6. First time to see snow and yung pond pag may snow ice skating rink, pag tunaw na, ducks come over and we feed them! I had awesome childhood memories there. Windmills are great, the small versions of houses and buildings (do not know the name), keuKenhof - holland. We just biked around for short trips. I spent around 2 months (late winter to spring) i wish i can go back. Enjoy your trip!

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks! I've always transited thru AMS but this will be my first time to really visit while this is my hubby's nth time there na.   

@^Vain_Chiq^, sis, I read that the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum are being renovated but are still open. Are they still worth it to visit? What other worthwhile museums can you suggest? Hubby does not like to visit the Anne Frank house, kaka-depress daw kasi. Pa-picture na lang daw kami sa labas 

[lesters_gal]

this is my next destination next year...reading all your post about amsterdam na eexcite na agad ako...

[^Vain_Chiq^]

Hi mama squeak. Regarding the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum, since you're already here I think it's still worth visiting. Sayang naman yung opprtunity diba? I haven't been to Anne Frank's house but according to my partner, it's just a house and a room where Anne Frank stayed while writing the diary, and there's always a long line there so you need to allot more time there. Other interesting places to visit are: Sex Museum, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Heineken Experience and Museum of bags and purses. What I like about the Netherlands is that it's so green. They have  parks everywhere so walking around is an experience itself.

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks, sis! We're definitely going there na. The Museum of bags and purses sounds promising. 
Anyway, here's my tentative IT. Please feel free to comment. Calling on melodymedley too!

Day 1  Arrive at 7AM. Drop off bags at the B&B. Walk around Damrak.
          Avail of the free walking tour (3 hours).
          River cruise (1.5 hours)
          Red Light district

Day 2  Museumquartier (Rijksmuseum/Van Gogh/Costner Diamonds)
           Heineken Experience
          - Would one whole day be enough to do all this?

Day 3  Canal walk (Singel/Prinsengracht/Herengracht/Brouwersgracht)
          Jordaan
          Check out De Grooyer windmill

Day 4  Albert Cuyp market

@melodymedley, sis some questions please on the I Amsterdam city pass.
       - How was your experience at the museums? Was there a long wait in line to get in?
       - How do you use the pass with the trams? Do you just show it to the driver/conductor?

I'm still debating whether to buy the pass or the Holland Pass 7. The latter includes the Rijksmuseum unlike the former plus it has the express/skip the line option. The only advantage I see with the I Amsterdam pass is it has unlimited transportation.

Thanks! 

[melodymedley]

@mama squeak: re your IT. For Day 2 - this is a plan that I encountered during my research but I wasn't able to do it because I got lost and I got distracted when I wandered around. tee hee!. I was only able to do the Van Gogh (nice) and Rjik----museum. Van Gogh was pretty nice for me (not an art fan here).

The free walking tour will quickly navigate you through the city streets. Quickly talaga - so have to balance your time between taking pictures and listening to the guide. Else, you might lose the group. Tip is optional naman at the end of the trip. hehe.

The museums in Amsterdam did not have longs lines - I easily got in after showing my pass. Yung Anne Frank lang yung museum that had this really long line. I wasn't able to prebook a ticket and kinapos na rin ako sa oras so I skipped it altogether.

The IAmsterdam kit has a card for the museums and a card for the transportation. You have to put the OV-chipkaart (as they call it) in the terminal - parang yung HK na Octopus card. You have to badge in when you ride and remember to badge out when you leave. They penalize those who do not use their OV chipkaart. When riding transpo, may doors ng tram na for entrance or exit lang (in some lines).

The unlimited transportation offered by the IAmsterdam card is really convenient. My transpo for my first 2 days in AMS was covered by this card kaya no hassle. Okay lang mawala. When I came back in AMS for my final night, yung 24 hour na transpo card na lang kelangan ko so I went to the GVB (?) transpo office to get a ticket. I had to wait in line for one hour. There were lots of counters but there were also lots of people. The attendant said ganun daw everyday. There were kiosks where you could use your credit card to buy a transpo pass but I was still wary about using my CC in those things (they are just unfamiliar to me, I guess). 

Hope that helped!

[mama squeak!]

^Wow! Thanks for the input, melodymedley! That surely helped. I didn't know that you had to swipe the pass pala when you get off too. We have to be conscious of that then. Baka malimutan sa excitement!  I also noticed when I used google earth that some tram stops let you off in the middle of the street?    I mean there are no proper waiting sheds just an embankment.

The free walking tour you joined, was it with New Amsterdam tours too? The guys in the red shirt? We booked with them after reading the good reviews in tripadvisor. We're doing this on the first day just to give us an orientation of the city. After that we can DIY it and take our own sweet time. Pictures galore!

About the transpo card, which GVB office did you go to? I'm thinking if we get the Holland 7 pass instead of the IAmsterdam pass we will then have to get the 3 day or 4 day transport pass. Sa airport kaya ganun din ang pila?

Thanks again for your tips! 

[melodymedley]

@mama squeak: The free tours offered by my hostel was organized by Sandman Tours. Looks like you have time in your IT so maganda talagang balikan yung mga sights that really interest you. I'll probably do that approach next time - if time permits. Parang free walking tour in the morning then repeat DIY in the afternoon.

You have to badge out like everyone else. Nalimutan ko na yung exact amount ng penalty. In some trams, may "conductor" dun sa stall sa gitna ng tram where you can ask questions re your destination. I had encounters with helpful locals even though they understand and speak English just a bit. Sign language na lang, keri lang. tee hee!.

As far as I recall, all the tram stops had sheds with maps and schedules naman. Kahit yung stop nasa gitna ng lines, may shed pa rin.

I went to the GVB office outside Amsterdam Centraal station. Mga 6pm na nun - lots of people - locals and non-locals. I didn't notice the GVB office in the airport. Yung IAmsterdam card sa airport, walang kapila pila. hehe.

[mama squeak!]

^Hi sis, I just realized now that the free walking tour we got is also from Sandemans Tours    I think they're the only company that offers free walking tours. Okay ba sila?

I think we're getting the 7 ticket Holland Pass instead of the I Amsterdam card. With the former kasi kasama na ang Rijksmuseum and Heineken experience which we like to go to. Sa I Amsterdam card  hindi sila included so that's an additional EUR30/pax pa!

For our transport needs we'll be getting the 4 day unlimited transport card. With both the Holland Pass and the transport card, they still come out cheaper than the I Amsterdam card. I just hope there is also a GVB office at the airport para isang bilihan na lang and walang pila!