Hello my husband is disabled and cannot walk far distance and I am struggling to find a nice hotel with on site parking that isn’t blocks away. Want to be in the middle of central area to restaurants and shops. Thank you.
Due to the nature of the historical city center, there aren’t many hotels, if any, that offer onsite parking unfortunately. There simply isn’t any space for that. Also, are you sure you wish to stay in the Red Light District? It’s party central and can be very crowded and noisy at night.
Depending on what you want to see and do in Amsterdam, it can be more practical to stay near the Leidseplein. From there you can easily reach the major museums and the historical city center. There are lots of restaurants and shops nearby also. Take a look at the Marriott for instance.
Assuming there were a hotel with a garage, getting there in a car would be a nightmare. I regret returning my rental car within the city. I have no experience with Amsterdam disability transit, but I suggest you investigate motorized wheelchairs and special transit options for getting from the airport. Because Amsterdam is a pedestrian-friendly city, it will be a motorized wheelchair or seated scooter friendly city.
This is an extremely modern, prosperous city and you need to investigate and find government and private agencies that support handicapped travel.
It's not at all the same thing, but many visitors to my native city, New York, think that having a handicapped permit and a car will improve their tourism experience in NYC. That is not so; A car is a millstone around your neck, not an eagle, freeing you on the open road.
I mean this in a kind way, but your desire to stay in the red light district indicates insufficient guidebook reading or online research. Legions of posters on Trip Advisor NYC mistakenly believe they must stay in Times Square to experience real New York life. In fact, New Yorkers avoid Times Square.
Just thought I'd throw this in as some of the tips provided may be useful for your trip. Sage Travel has been around for quite some time and has earned Mr. Steves endorsement. :O)
https://www.sagetraveling.com/amsterdam-wheelchair-accessible-travel-tips
https://www.sagetraveling.com/wheelchair-accessible-hotels-amsterdam
I'll agree that a car would be much more hinderance than help in this particular city.
As you're going to Paris too, take a peek at the website's info for that city?
Oh, and this may be useful as well:
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/travel-stay/accessibility/public-transportation
One more edit.... The RLD has one of the loveliest canals in the city, IMHO, and with no clutter of car parking along either side. Best to see it during the day so as to avoid the evening activity. A photo here:
https://www.amsterdam.info/red-light-district/
The oldest church in the city (Oude Kerk) is also nearby. Rembrandt's 1st wife, Saskia, is buried there.
Thank you all for the information.
We didn't find Amsterdam pedestrian/walking friendly. We felt on guard every second; as bicycles rule the road! You must be on high alert at all times. Also, when trying to get onto the trams;(we are able bodied, we were jostled while everyone made a scramble to get on, and we encountered many platforms (if you will) that are just a strip of raised concrete in the middle of busy roads. So I'm trying to image the challenge for anyone with a disability. When we were getting on near the Resistance Museum, there were a number of people in scooters and wheelchairs (with able bodied assistants) also trying to get on. As they made their way down the narrow platform strip many people just walked around them, cut in front of them and jumped on the very full tram, leaving no room for those in the wheelchairs to get on. It was very disheartening to watch.
Agree that having a car would definitely not be easy either. I honestly don't know what the answer is. Hopefully you find a nice hotel in a good central location that fits the bill.
NH Barbizon Palace is accessible by car and has parking at a mere 70 EUR/Day. Short distance from Red Light district if that is what you want.
I'll add that walking in Amsterdam is no picnic for the disabled either. Those cobblestones are a nuisance. We stayed a good way out in the suburbs and took Ubers into town. This worked well but was somewhat costly.
In my opinion Amsterdam is very pedestrian friendly. I've never had a problem in Amsterdam or any other Dutch city. Bikes generally stay in the bike lanes, and as long as you stay out of the bike lanes there probably won't be any problems.
In my opinion Amsterdam is very pedestrian friendly. ... Bikes generally stay in the bike lanes
Sure they do.
It's not my experience that bicyclists in Amsterdam stay in the bike lanes, nor is it clear in many places exactly where the bike lanes are. Horrible city for pedestrians IMO.
As for nice hotels, those won't be found in the red light district. Pretty seedy place. I'd look elsewhere. Booking.com allows you to filter for on-site parking, and you can view the lodgings on a map.
I'd loop back to what @dutch_traveller wrote and suggest a re-evaluation of the RLD as your choice for staying Amsterdam. Obviously, it depends on your plans for your time in the city, but there was very little in that area that was a must-see or do. Leidseplein area is great as it is near several great museums as well as near Vondelpark and many restaurants. The Marriott nearby offers handicap accessibility and parking (valet only possibly).
Shopping wise, I also don't think the RLD is the best location. The Jordaan area seemed to have some more "fun" shopping options (and restaurants and hotels) and is near the Anne Frank House as well.
Regarding pedestrians and bikes (and cars), it really comes down to paying attention in general. Too often, it simply is "tourists being tourists" that gum up the works in the areas most folks here might be visiting. Tourists (folks like us) will often be looking at all the fun stuff around them and "forget" that they're standing in a bike lane or blocking a sidewalk. Unlike most places in the US where the cycling population is tiny, and the amount of bike lanes is also slim-to-none, Amsterdam (and plenty of European cities) trade "watch out for cars" for "watch out for bikes". I prefer watching out for bikes, but it does require some relearning by the brain (just like the "look left" vs "look right" difference in the UK).
I might suggest pulling up some youtube videos of both bike traffic in the city and any about sightseeing with a mobility scooter or wheelchair, if that's your plan for getting around? Honestly, I wouldn't even TRY to drive in Amsterdam but that's me.
Thanks everyone for the great information and tips. I guess we will just manage our time in Amsterdam as best we can.
I do agree with the comments made above regarding the chaotic nature of downtown Amsterdam, similar to Times Square in New York. I do not know if that is what you are looking for?
Depending on what you are looking for in your holiday, smaller cities may have a similar vibe with less chaos and more room to manoeuvre. In the Netherlands, cities are not for apart. You can usually be in the next city with a 20 - 30 minutes drive. Also, trains operated by NS are generally accessible. The "sprinter" trains (more frequent stops) pretty much all have level boarding. For intercity trains, there is a service that will bring a ramp, but you need to make a reservation for it.
I would recommend checking out other cities before you make the final choice. Note that you will be flying on the Amsterdam airport in any case, so this does not impact your flights.
If you are looking for the red light district vibe, I would recommend cities that have a significant student population and thus a more vibrant life:
* Leiden
* Utrecht
* Groningen
* Maastricht
* Delft
* Nijmegen
* Zwolle