I am looking for a VRBO or Air BnB for our family's trip to Amsterdam in May of 2019 (bought the flights already). The trip is with my husband and two sons, ages 10 and 16, and we will spend five nights in Amsterdam before continuing on for three more weeks in Europe. I like the idea of having a place with some peace and quiet after sightseeing, but also want to balance that with ease of getting to major sites. We will have a car, so these places on the outskirts also have the advantage of free parking. There are attractive listings in the Kadoelen neighborhood, Bettendorf, IJburg, Zandaam, and others just west of the city. Do any of these areas have especially easy or especially difficult public transportation options for getting to major sites closer to the city center? (Anne Frank house, Van Gogh museum, etc.) Or do any of these areas have other big advantages or disadvantages? Listings for some of these places claim they are only a 15-minute or 30-minute bike ride into the city, but I don't think we will try biking in Amsterdam, since we are not really regular bikers at home and Amsterdam seems a hectic place to ride. Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
IJbrug has an easy light-rail connection to the Centraal Station and to a trunk tram line (at Ritveld), both with easy access to subway/trams for all main sights. It's within GVB municipal transportation area. Easy to move around with public transportation at day and at night.
Kadoelen is a residential suburb in the outskirts of the city, it's on the opposite side of town, requiring bus + subway to get to central areas (and maybe bus + subway + tram).
Zandaam is another municipality, contrary to the other two it is not withing GVB municipal transportation area, requiring a different set of tickets (slightly more expensive) valid on NS trains as well.
Everything else equal, I'd pick IJbrug.
Posted by
307 posts
We went to Amsterdam last year and rented a house for 3 days in Zandaam through VRBO. A very nice, pleasant experience. Zandaam is a cool little walking suburb with plenty good restaurant choices and grocery stores within walking distance and very accessible. We stayed there for the same reasons: looking for a quiet place to relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing. the place we rented had bikes available with the rental.
The people were very friendly and helpful and our rental was a 5 minute walk to the train station.
Unless you really want, I would forgo the car and use the train/bus/tram/foot option.
Parking can be difficult.
Have fun!
Posted by
55 posts
Hello!
Was your lodging close enough to come back to during the day between sightseeing? Sounds like a lovely area but I have never been to Amsterdam and will be there for 5 nights in May so in the process of looking at lodging options. Good to know close to transportation. Thanks