Amsterdam, Cities in the Netherlands and Belgium
I absolutely loved the Netherlands! It was so clean, safe, easy to navigate, and
just charming. The locals in Amsterdam were very friendly, and helpful. They
are generally happy and easygoing.
Using the train in Amsterdam
Very easy to navigate the trains here. We would guest map out our location
on Google Maps, and this will show you the platform you need to be on for
your destination. Double check on the train station monitors as this and the
train times can change! We got off the plane, went through customs (the
easiest customs experience I’ve ever had!) , walked downstairs to the Schipol
airport, and hopped on a train. SO easy.
KEEP YOUR TRAIN TICKET and have it easily accessible as you exit the station
you’ll need to scan it to have the carousel doors open to let you out.
The tap water is drinkable and it’s said to be some of the best water in all of
The Netherlands! I’m a water snob and it was very good water.
Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly towns in the world. There are a
lot of bike rental places around town. recommend booking at a hotel that
offers bike rentals as it just makes it easy to hop on and ride right from your
hotel. We paid 18 euros each to have bikes all day. They came with a locking
mechanism built right onto the tire and worked with a key. Very easy and
convenient. We rented bikes in another nearby city for 8 euro per person for
the entire day, and they came with a built-in tire lock and they provided a
chain lock as well for the cost.
If you plan to ride bikes I highly recommend getting a phone bike holder to
take with you so you can see on your maps where you’re going while riding a
bike. We used this exact one with one of our rentals and it made a big
difference, so we didn’t have to stop and get our phones out and check the
map.
Bike Phone Holder on Amazon
A canal tour is a must in Amsterdam. Private boat tours are so much better
than being jammed into a boat with 40 other tourists. I recommend this
company Pure Boats Amsterdam Private Tours. I personally did this Mini
Private Amsterdam Canal Tour and we loved it! We got a little bottle of
Prosecco and snacks and our tour guide was fantastic.
Food to try in Amsterdam
Fries with mayo - we tried quite a few places and they were all good! Here are
some recommendations:
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/restaurant-and-bars/best-fries
Dutch Pancakes - Pancakes Amsterdam. This is a chain seen all around town.
We had pancakes here and they were delicious.
Lungo Coffee - this is their version of an American-sized coffee. Otherwise
you’ll get a tiny little espresso shot.
Pickled herring is a traditional dish. I did not try this one so I can’t say how it is.
We did get fried fish at a market and it was REALLY good and fresh and the
tartar sauce was delicious.
De Haven Van Texel we ate here right on the canal last night and it was
beautiful, and the traditional Dutch food was so good. Get the bitterballen -
they are traditional deep-fried beef balls with mustard. Yum!
Stuff to know before you go to Amsterdam
Currency
Like in other European countries, the currency of the Netherlands (including
Amsterdam) is the euro. Don’t expect to use dollars or pounds (or any other
currency) here. You’ll almost never need or be able to use cash or coins. Most
every place is credit or debit card only!
Language
While Dutch is actually the official language of Amsterdam and is spoken by
locals, almost everyone speaks English here as well. We were able to
communicate 100% in English. However, I always love learning a few
important words in the local language (plus, it’s the respectful thing to do as
well):
● Hello: Hallo
● Good morning: Goedemorgen
● See you later: Tot straks
● Yes/No: Ja/Nee
● Please: Alstublieft
● Thank you: Bedankt
