Meeting our college age daughter in Amsterdam for 5 night over Thanksgiving. We have never been so looking for reco's for which area to stay that has good restaurants, sights, a little night life (nothing crazy).
Also, any reco's for a day trip out of the town.
Thanks!
Would you consider renting a house or a houseboat?
Lots of options available from VRBO. Might give you all a little more room to spread out to visit and can be no more expensive than a hotel room. We found a nice house in Zandaam last year - about a 15 minute ride into Centraal Station. It was quieter but the town had its own share of good restaurants and ambiance.
Lots of restaurants to choose from in Amsterdam - Martine's Table would be memorable.
Day trips? Whatever sounds good that peaks your interest.
Many posters like Haarlem, and Delft; others like Den Hague.
consider Leiden for its historical significance tied to Thanksgiving.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/they-celebrate-american-thanksgiving-in-the-netherlands-140671441/
De Pijp area is my favorite . Famous Albert Cuijp market in the middle , close to Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum , lots of eateries . Public transport steps away . Remember that around Thanksgiving daylight is short b/c of the northern location ..
De PIJP is my favorite area . Check this website for more info:
thetravelingdutchman.com/amsterdam/neighborhoods/de-pijp/
Thanks for the suggestions. Very helpful.
The Jordaan area is where you should base yourself. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site and stunningly beautiful.
Here is a taste:
https://goo.gl/maps/hySrfMZuZS3WCLsB9
I second the Jordaan. That is where we stayed and we loved it.
Hi Wildergal,
Recommended would be the city centre, Jordaan is a good area as mentioned before.
A bit more to the West there is the 'baarsjes' this is also a popular neighbourhood and a bit cheaper. (Upcoming, has some cool places).
Nice restaurants: Venster33, Restaurant Johannes, Seafood Bar Spui, Toscanni, Zaza's , Restaurant Vinkeles. There is a nice restaurant also at the Amsterdam Lookout attraction. (Amsterdam North)
Another option for a special day trip out would be to go on a boat trip and have some lunch/dinner on board.
You could look at http://www.boatnow.com for a private boat.
Kind regards,
Freek
Amsterdam hotels are pretty expensive so it depends on your budget. The Jordaan is nice, also the canal belt on the western side is well located.
For day trips that you go on yourself, a train to the Hague takes an hour. In the Hague, there are 2 lovely museums, The Mauritshouse, this is like a mini Rijksmuseum and everything is lovely. There is also an Escher musuem in a small ex-palace that is well woth a visit. I visited the Gemeente Museum last time I was there and was hugely impressed with this as well.
Haarlem is also great for a day trip, only 20 miinutees by train from Amsterdam. The big church on tthe square is intersting to visit and has an infoormative leaflet that they give you. There is a super brewery in an old church called the Jopen Brewewry. IIt's greeeat for lunch and a few excellent quality beers. At the toursit info office on the main square, you can get leaflets with suggested walking routes in Haarlem, well worth the 50 centrs they charge for them!
hey hey wildergirl
are you still looking for a place to stay in amsterdam? it is an expensive city and hard to find places to stay that may meet what you prefer. it's a walking city, watch out for bikes bikes everywhere!!, public transportation is great, trams buses taxis. you're late and last minute with thanksgiving next month but i'm sure you can find something. not knowing what your budget is in euros. pack light, there are steep stairs/steps to carry luggage up with not many lifts/elevators. also check to make sure what's open for thanksgiving, don't know what their custom is about it.
amsterdam.citymundo.com
amsterdamapartmentalrental.com (you can check houseboats, we stayed in one near the jordaan area and enjoyed it, also stayed in apartment on prinsengracht near amstel river and enjoyed that.
we hired a private taxi tour to take us out to windmills, fishing villages, etc.
martines-table.com (husband also does a walking tour)
tripsavvy.com search indo-dutch rijsttafel (rice table) read up about this meal
thatdamguide.com
albertcuypmarket.com pedestrian only market place for blocks and blocks, everything and anything
eatwith.com or eatingeurope.com
lots of things to do and see, wear comfy shoes, wear warm clothes. hope this helps you out
aloha
Thank you for all your comments. My wife and I are travelling to Amsterdam in June 2020. Can anyone comment on any of the following hotels: Hotel City Garden, Hetel La Boheme or Hotel Cornelisz? Do you have other suggestions for reasonably priced accommodations?
We truly loved Haarlem as the best of our day trips. We were most enthused with the Ten Boom museum it was well worth it would almost rank it up with Anne Frank house but that could have been because I have read most of the books written by Corrie Ten Boom whose family hid Jews during WWII.
