Paris - The Travel House

What to do in Amsterdam
Sightseeing
Amsterdam is a city of countless highlights, from
canal tours to the Van Gogh Museum, Dam
Square to the Heineken Experience. It is also a
treasure trove for lovers of art and architecture.
Two of the city’s museums are dedicated to a
world famous Dutch painter, the Van Gogh
Museum and Rembrandt House. The
Rijksmuseum hosts a collection of 17th century
Dutch artists including Rembrandt, Vermeer and
Frans Hals. The home in which Anne Frank and
her family hid from the Nazi's during the 1942
occupation is open to visitors, here her famous
diary is preserved and on display. Popular
among tourists is Amsterdam’s Red Light
District. On top of the well known highlights the
city offers many smaller well hidden treasures.
Head out on foot or bicycle to explore the
streets, canals, squares and statues.
Shopping
A shopping paradise hosting all of the world’s
leading brands at shopping malls spread across
the city. There is an especially impressive variety
of fashion and jewellery stores at these centres.
The district known as the ‘nine streets’, hosts an
abundance of market stalls selling curios,
second-hand clothing and antiques. Also try the
Albert Cuyp Market and the Flea Market on
Waterloo Square. The floating flower market is
where permanently docked barges market exotic
flowers from around the world – a must see.
Amsterdam is the ‘city of diamonds’ and for
over 400 years has been a diamond cutting and
trade centre – why not treat yourself to a
sparkler!
Eating & Drinking
Amsterdam has a tradition of cafeteria dining
and ‘brown cafés’, named because of the dark,
nicotine stained walls and wooden fittings. Here
you can sample local beers alongside hearty
meals such as steaks, for a unique, inexpensive
dining option. Chinatown (close to Nieuwmarkt)
also offers reasonably priced Asian restaurants.
At the other end of the scale, there are many
high class restaurants where you can expect to
pay £50-£100 a head.
Try some of the local snacks: savoury
pancakes, pickled herring sold at brightlycoloured
fish stalls, frikadel (a snack sausage
served with mayonnaise, ketchup and onions),
and small windmill-shaped cookies called
speculaas that are traditionally dipped in coffee.
The Red Light District has shaped Amsterdam’s
nightlife and wouldn’t be the same without it,
serving up its own unique brand of
entertainment. The mainstream nightlife centres
round Leidseplein, where you can find all the
most popular bars, restaurants and clubs and
since it never really closes, you can literally
dance the night away. Rembrandtplein comes
alive at night with trendy, sophisticated places to
hang out.
Getting Around
Amsterdam city centre is fairly compact and
easy to get around on foot. However, there is a
good, inexpensive network of trams, buses and
metro lines that all meet at Centraal Station.
Canal boats are also a good option. Taxis are
among the most expensive in Europe and
driving in Amsterdam is not recommended.
The best way to get around is the Dutch way –
by bicycle, rental agencies are dotted around
town with day hire costing around €7.
Useful information
✔ Currency: Euro
✔ Time difference: GMT + 1hr
✔ Flight time from London: 1-1 ½ hrs
✔ Airports: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
9 miles southwest of Amsterdam
✔ See our selection of Rotterdam hotels on
page 30 – ideal for those who want to
explore Holland further .
P&O to Amsterdam
3 Night Packages from
£81
Prices shown on the hotel entries are based on a
3 night break which includes a 2 night minicruise and
1 night hotel accommodation. Hotel stays can be
extended up to a maximum of 3 nights.
Call reservations on 0871 221 2828, log on to superbreak.com or see your local travel agent 27
per
person