How many days in Amsterdam

Four full days allow a non-rushed visit including the major sites and also some other interesting activities/places most people skip out of being in a hurry.

We spent 5 nights in Amsterdam last month staying in a B&B. We saw everything that we wanted to see plus had some "do nothing" time to just relax.

Thank you , we thought one day we would take the train to Rotterdam for a day trip , any other suggestions ,Brussels , Bruges ?

If you want to see Brussels or Bruges (or anywhere else in Belgium), it's easiest to do that in between Paris and Amsterdam, not as a daytrip from those cities.

If you've already bought your Thalys ticket from Paris to Amsterdam (and for the sake of your budget, I hope you have), it's better to plan to take daytrips from Amsterdam to places within the Netherlands, as these will be cheaper, faster, and easier. Rick's book has all the logistical details for a large variety of them, from villages to cities.

I found Rotterdam fascinating, in that it is completely different from other Dutch cities. If you're interested in architecture, definitely go, and get the free architecture walking tour brochure from the tourist office; this also doubles as a free map, since they charge for a regular one. Be sure to pay to go inside the Cube Houses.

On the other hand, if what you want is to see more typically "Dutch" places, don't go to Rotterdam, but to other places. And with four days, you may find enough to do in Amsterdam itself, particularly if you want to spend time at its many worthwhile museums. Since the prices don't change, you don't need to buy tickets for domestic Dutch trains ahead of time, so you can decide on the fly if you want to take day trips or not.

I am in Amsterdam now. The first time (in 2010) I spent five days, this time, three weeks in an apartment. I really enjoyed Den Haag. In 2010, I went for the day. This year, I spent four and a half days there, including a Saturday market day in Delft. I love the Mauritshuis Museum (Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "View of Delft", Carel Fabritus's "Gold Finch", and fine Rembrandts. If you are there on a weekday, the beach is grand. It is really crowded on a nice weekend day. Also, the Peace Palace is there. Sometimes you can sign up (ahead of time) for a Sunday tour (when the World Court is not in session). The information center and park are good.
Another side trip, though an over night one, is Otterlo and the huge Hoge Veluwe National Park. I recommend the Hotel Grand Cafe Kroller Muller. I just returned from there. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. There are free bikes in the park, or rent a better model. If you like museums, the Kroller Muller is wonderful.
Enjoy!

Will you have 4 full days in Amsterdam in addition to a day trip or two, or four full days total during which you want to take one or two day trips? I'd give Amsterdam at least 3 full days, if not four. There's so much to see, and it's lovely just to spend time walking along the canals. What do you want to see there - museums, historic sites, etc.?

We are going to spend 4 full days ,we like to stroll around town seeing museums, maybe a canal cruise , and enjoying the cafes and a glass of wine and people watching

The last time I was in Amsterdam I visited a couple different museums. One was the Resistance Museum. I thought it was fascinating.

I also really enjoyed the Museum van Loon. The rooms were fascinating and the garden in back such a surprise.

Pam

Four full days is great. The Dutch Resistance Museum is very good.

Thanks for all the suggestions , I think 4 days is going to work great into our schedule

When taking the train from paris to Amsterdam ,can you get off train in Brussels and spend time there then get back on later in the day to Amsterdam with the same ticket or do you need to get one with some sort of transfer

"When taking the train from paris to Amsterdam ,can you get off train in Brussels and spend time there then get back on later in the day to Amsterdam with the same ticket or do you need to get one with some sort of transfer "

If you are traveling on the Thalys, this is an all-reserved train. So, you cannot hop off and then hop on another train, without having specific tickets for the EXACT trains you will be taking. You would need two separate tickets, Paris to Brussels and Brussels to Amsterdam. And you will have to choose the times of the trains you are taking when you buy. Of course, you can buy a last minute ticket, but that can get very expensive (look at prices for today and tomorrow to see what I mean).

Whatever you do, don't buy a Paris to Amsterdam ticket, get off in Brussels, then get on a different train from Brussels to Amsterdam with that same ticket. You will not be holding a valid ticket for the Brussels to Amsterdam portion, and will get a heavy fine.

There are ways to get from Brussels to Amsterdam on local trains, and these would not need to be reserved, but will take longer.

Rick talks about seeing Brussels for a few hours on the Paris to Amsterdam route, and being spontaneous about it. But that was before all-reserved trains came to dominate the route; now it's harder.