We will be spending 3 days in Amsterdam with our boys (15,17) in Nov/Dec. Right now we are planning on visiting Ann Frank House, Rijksmuseum, taking a river cruise.
We would love input on.....
Places we should've miss
Places to stay (will probably check out Airbnb)
Places to eat
Thanks!!
I think your boys will love the river cruise, not because you get so much out of the guide's content (I didn't anyway), but it is outdoors and feels active even though you are just riding along. Make sure you are getting your tickets for Anne Frank House ahead of time - I think they have a new reservation system. You don't want to wait in line there (it is always a long line). I would suggest Airbnb - so many options to fit any budget and definitely going to get more room for a family at a better price than generally would in a hotel. We stayed on a houseboat in the Jordaan area, on the Prinsengracht (or "Prince's Canal"). The area is wonderfully historic, not far from Anne Frank House, vibrant but away from the really crowded areas of town, and has so many places to eat (the Dutch cafes are a good option - try Café de Prins for example). Try a good Indonesian restaurant too, part of Dutch colonial heritage that you will find in Amsterdam (we loved Restaurant Jun). I would probably skip much of the Red Light District (though a trip during the day to some specific spots such as Our Lord in the Attic would be a good idea). If they've seen an R-rated movie, they'd probably be fine but with sex shops, shows, and prostitutes in windows along the street it is not somewhere I'd take kids at this point. Enjoy your trip! It is a wonderful city.
By river cruise do you mean one of the multi night cruises up the Rhine? Or do you mean the one hour tours around the canals of Amsterdam?
If the former, they have real staterooms which can go someway towards protecting you against the bone chilling wet wind. If the latter, a lot of the fun is diminished when the sliding roof is closed and the windows steam up.
I've never done one in the depths of an Amsterdam winter, but I can tell you from a few trips there in March and April, if the sun isn't shining, and sometimes even if it is, it can get pretty nippy.
Amsterdam is the first stop for the winter winds off the North Sea.
At the ages of 15 and 17 it would be a good idea if you let the boys plan some or most of the days. It will give them great experience and take a load off you.
We have had two or three 16 and 17 year olds on here planning for themselves or a small group.
Apart from the puberal excitement of the Red Light District and coffee shops, the boys might be interested in the NEMO Science Museum, the Maritime Museum (www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl) and the Dutch Resistance Museum (www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/museum). The Hermitage has a spectacular exhibition of group portraits from the Golden Age (http://portraitgalleryofthegoldenage.com/) which might appeal more to them than the Rijksmuseum.
The Anne Frank Huis should be combined with a visit to the Jewish Historical Museum (www.jhm.nl/english) to experience the culture which was wiped away, and the two large 17th-century synagogues are still a monument of religious tolerance.
Take care with AirBnB! The city government is getting tough on rentals which don't comply with the regulations. Some visitors have found their lodgings closed down.
Ton's post is right on-we have take GS"s to those spots and they really got into them. Given the time you are going, NEMO will probably be full of teens on field trips.
Do stop at the Sky Lounge at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel right next to the Central Train Station in Amsterdam. It's on the 11th floor and you don't need to be a quest at the hotel to go there. It the perfect place for a rest while overlooking the city. You can order some drinks (coca cola or whatever) and order the appetizer Bitterballen. For your family order 2 of them. A perfect snack Also, your sons may enjoy the Maritime museum. I would recommend taking a day or half day trip to Edam, Volendam and Marken so you get a different view of the Netherlands but it is still close by to Amsterdam. They are very touristy but worthwhile all the same.
Have fun.
Another fun outing with your sons would be to go to Haarlem via the train and visit the Corrie Ten Boom House. The train ride is less than 20 minutes and would be a fun adventure. The Corrie Ten Boom House tour is free if you don't make a reservation and we were able to get in with no reservation. Learning about World War II and how the Dutch tried to survive is interesting and the tour there is very good. I think your sons will enjoy this tour more than the Anne Frank House. ( Still definantly go to the Anne Frank House) While in Haarlem, also see the Grote Kerk (Big Church) in the central market just a few minutes from the Corrie Ten Boom House. The organ in the Grote Kerk, the Christian Muller organ, has been played by Georg Friedrich Handel in 1740 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1766. Back in Amsterdam, I would take a canal cruise ( the 1 hour type) at night when it is dark because the canals are beautiful with all the lights on and you can see inside the homes as they turn the lights on and they don't shut the curtains. It's lovely to see.
The Maritime Museum! Also rent bikes and go around the city feeling like locals.
Among the big attractions of Haarlem for me was the windmill tour. Great! Just relaxing at a café on the Grote square was also quite enjoyable.
