Guide on where to go, eat and have fun in Amsterdam
Getting there
If you’re travelling from the UK there’s actually several options for getting to Amsterdam: fly, Eurostar train from London or ferry from Newcastle. Although it’s only a short flight we chose to get the Eurostar as by the time we got to the airport it worked out the same amount of time. It takes around 4 hours to get from London to Amsterdam on the Eurostar- you lose an hour on the way there and gain an hour on the way back.
Where to stay
Amsterdam is pretty walkable, with Trams and Metro lines to get you around if you have a big bag so you don’t have to stay right in the tourist centre. We stayed at Ibis Styles Amstel and this was a great neighbourhood. 40 mins from Central Stations on foot or 15 mins by metro/tram. 10-20 minute walk away were great restaurants, bars and cafes that weren’t overly full or touristy like the ones outside Central Station.
What to eat
We tried a few fantastic vegan restaurant during our two day stay. Vegan Junk Food Bar was amazing, recommend their Sumo platter to share as a starter, Daddy burger for main washed down with a Tipsy Unicorn cocktail.
The next morning we went to Mr Stacks for vegan pancakes and bubble tea. Again, everything we ordered was amazing from savoury to sweet pancakes- the Dutch apple with coconut cream was great.
You’ll notice walking around that there are queues in the centre for chip shops, but if you walk a bit further out you can grab some chips and mayo (or curry sauce) without queuing down the street!
What to do
There’s lots to do in Amsterdam I already want to go back! We only had about 25 hours so didn’t want to over-do it but still make the most of our time.
After we arrived and dropped our bags at the hotel, we went on a canal ride with Lovers Canal Cruises. This is a great way to see all of the different sites (A’dam Lookout, Anne Frank House, Heineken Experience) and get our bearings of the city. You can book tickets through Viator or Get Your Guide.
We then got a drink at Bulldog. There’s several souvenir shops and a few cafes/coffeeshops around the city. Bulldog was the first “coffeeshop” in Amsterdam and has been around since 1975. Not everyone goes there to smoke or try space cakes, you can just enjoy a Heineken or hot chocolate (really recommend the hot chocolate). Also, Heineken just tastes different there- like how Guinness does when you drink it in Ireland.
On our second day we wanted to visit a Museum (there are lots to choose from in Amsterdam) and we went with the Museum of Prostitution in the Red Light District. It was €14.50 each, including a pocket guide and audio guide and would definitely recommend. You hear from real prostitutes on their experiences and why they do the job they do. There’s one part where a screen with actors walk past gawking/giggling/staring as if you’re the girl in the window. This was really powerful as it reinforced the importance of behaving respectfully when you walk past these women in the windows round the Red Light District. At the end there’s a wall of sex related confessions from visitors of the museum so you leave the experience on a light hearted note.
Amsterdam in known for legalised cannabis and prostitution. However, unlike a Saturday night back home there was no “rowdiness”, overly drunk or high people, or cat calling to my friends and I. There’s a really fun and safe atmosphere.
Feel like we only scratched the surface with this whistle stop tour and look forward to heading back to this city in the future!