I’m taking my daughter to Europe after her HS graduation. We are going on a RS 14 day Europe tour but I would like to go to Amsterdam for a couple of days before tour starts in Paris. Her favorite movie is The Fault in our Stars which was filmed partially in Amsterdam, so got to visit Anne Frank house and I’ll try find other locations it was filmed. Looking for any other must sees while there and best place/location to stay thats kind of quiet.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
JT-we visited Amsterdam this past summer and stayed at Wiechmann Hotel (see link below) and found it quite comfortable. It is on a busy canal, but we never heard the noise. As with most hotels in Amsterdam, it is tall and narrow, with no elevator. Expect steep stairs, but also expect a wonderful breakfast, gorgeous room with charm, and excellent staff. I believe it's in the Rick Steves Guidebook (happy coincidence on my part). It's centrally located and easily walkable to the Anne Frank Museum (one direction) and the Van Gogh/Rijksmuseum area (other direction).
At the time we were there, the Anne Frank house was only accepting online tickets, and maybe that has changed now, but I would highly recommend booking ahead of time. Expect to take 1-2 hours in the museum. It's fairly self-guided, so really depends on how long you linger over the diaries.
If you have time, consider visiting Rotterdam to the south-excellent architecture and the jumping off point for Kinderdijk Windmills, which is absolutely gorgeous. If that's not in your plans, then Zaanse Schans windmills is an hour just north of Amsterdam.
Have fun!
Don't have any suggestions for accommodations per se, but consider and air bnb or VRBO - it will give you a little more room for the same price as a hotel.
Be sure to take a canal boat ride. Many posters like those Dam Boat guys - we used the Blue Boat Company.
As a treat/splurge, consider a reservation at Martine's Table - you won't be disappointed.
PS Don't know a thing about your Paris segment, but try to get to Angelina's (near La Madeleine) for a cup of the best hot cocoa!
Enjoy your trip
You probably already know that the Anne Frank House requires reservations be made up to 2 months in advance for a 15-minute entry window on a particular day that you choose. The 2 months is not mandatory (as Rick's guidebook seems to imply), i.e., you are not out of luck if you don't make the reservation exactly 2 months in advance--2 months is not the only date you can get a reservation, but why not do it at or around 2 months so that you have the best choice of times.
If you want a quieter area, I'd just steer clear of staying around Dam Square and the Red Light District which is crowded and loud - particularly on weekends.
Since your daughter is a big fan of Fault in Our Stars, you might want to consider staying at The American Hotel in Amsterdam which was featured prominently in the Amsterdam scenes as the hotel where the characters stayed (it was called something else in the film and the book). It's definitely not a budget hotel, but it's not super expensive either. There's lots of websites online, plus several YouTube videos, that will give you the locations of other film locations in Amsterdam.
If not there, I'd look at hotels or apartments around neighborhoods like De Pijp, Oud West and De 9 Straatjes (The 9 Streets) or Jordaan. You don't say what other interests your daughter has, but if she's into fashion and accessories, she may find a visit to the Tassenmuseum Hendrikje kind of fun - the whole museum is dedicated to purses and handbags - many dating hundreds of years back, but also a good selection of vintage bags and some more modern high fashion stuff. That museum's collection is housed in several canal homes and it has a beautiful room where you can have afternoon tea while looking out over the canals - you'll want to book a table in advance if you want to do the tea in that room - don't confuse it with their more casual drop-in cafe. If she likes cats, she might also find a stop at The Kattenkabinet (museum with loads of art and statues features cats, along with real cats that roam around the museum napping or hanging out on chairs, tables and sofas - or De Poezenboot (cat shelter inside a houseboat) to be fun.
hey JT
been twice to amsterdam, loved it. it's an expensive city and if you going there stay with the city center (the ring of canal area). be carfeful of all the bikes here there and everywhere.
check these sites for accomodations and book early.
citymundo.com, houseboatrental.amsterdam, houseboathotel.nl
see what's included: what floor (no elevators, steep stairs/steps to carry luggage up UGH!) kitchen, beds/bath not sharing bathroom and kitchen, checkin and depature times (luggage storage or lugging around street until place available, close to transportation.
amsterdamunderground.com
withlocals.com
eatingeurope.com/best-indonesian-restaurants-amsterdam
amsterdamcitytours.com tour out to the windmills and small fishing villages
ultimate flight experience (fly over holland)
tuktuk.amsterdam or get yourguide.com do a tour around town and neighborhoods
amsterdamredlightdistricrtours.com the area and canal is gorgeous, you learn about the area, history, the beautiful houses, the church (our lord in the attic), chinatown, shops, cafes, restaurants. take a noon time tour.
albertcuyp market place, a pedestrian only with blocks and blocks of anything and everything.
martines-table.com her husband also does a tour.
canal cruise, lots of walking: wear comfy shoes, tulip museum, stop at cafe for glass of vino and appetizer and people watch. i liked rembrandt plaza.
hope this gives some info to you, lots to see and do. have fun enjoy
aloha
Yes, as the above post mentions, in Amsterdam you're more likely to be run over by a bike than a motor vehicle. Crossing the street was actually a potentially exciting endeavor, since the bicyclists have, or certainly behave as if they have, the right of way over pedestrians.
