Hello, we’re a family of three adults who are visiting Amsterdam for the first time and during Sail 2025 (I know to expect crowds, higher prices etc but is this really not the best idea for first time visitors?). We’re looking to stay in Amsterdam for one week. We want to see some of the Sail events such as first day parade but also see some museums (I know to prebook) and take a day trip to Den Hague/Delft. Any suggestions as to Amsterdam accommodation for three? Maximum 200 euros per night and as it’s our first visit think it best to stay in Amsterdam and not commute from other towns as is often suggested to reduce costs and enjoy more quiet places (that’s an idea for another trip…). I am thinking we likely are looking at an apartment type rental due to our price limit for three people and as we also want access to laundry and food preparation. I’m not sure if asking this is a violation of the rules so my apologies if it is. I appreciate any feedback as we know if we want to visit during Sail we will have to secure accommodation quite soon. I am also mindful of accommodation rules around AirBnB and certainly don’t want to violate those rules or risk booking something that could be cancelled at last minute or is fraudulent. All suggestions are appreciated. Thank you very much.
Posted by
Paris
9701 posts
What month would this visit be ?
Posted by
Lake District, England
6022 posts
It's oddly hard to find dates on their website, but 20 to 24 August 2025 are the dates.
Posted by
OP
26 posts
Yes Sail is August 20-24 in 2025. We’re planning to stay in Amsterdam around the 19th through the 26th.
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
18158 posts
Sometimes being someplace during an event can create a once in a lifetime experience.... up to you if the cost and the additional people on the streets will offset that.
Posted by
London
654 posts
I was in Amsterdam at the same time as this maybe 20+ years ago. I was staying at the Vliegenbos campsite in north Amsterdam. Much of the festivities were centred around the north bank of the IJ. It really was something to see.
You might try looking in the neighbourhoods in north Amsterdam for a deal. It's not as popular as the canal belt or other parts of central Amsterdam. It's still easy to get to central Amsterdam via the free ferries. If the sailing festival is laid out like it was years ago, the live music and beer were centred around that area.
Posted by
Lake District, England
6022 posts
£200 a night sounds like quite a low budget for a big event in August. Booking.com isn't open that far ahead yet, but looking in July 2025 there are a group of houseboats on one of the inland lakes in south Amsterdam. a 10 minute walk from the closest metro station.
The motor yachts Amazone, Almaz and Flint.
I know nothing about them, but they fit your budget and it seems a cool idea, as you are attending a water based event.
It seems that they can be booked here- https://www.bookahouseboat.com/rentals/amsterdam-netherlands-808
The only obvious thing missing is laundry.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1348 posts
Local perspective here; the Sail events are centered around the river IJ, specifically the area near the central train station. If you stay in the southern part of the city, near the major museums like the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, you wouldn’t even know Sail was going on.
If you do want to be in the midst of the action, you should look for a hotel near the river IJ.
That being said, Amsterdam is relatively compact and easy to get around in on foot or by public transport. So you can stay pretty much anywhere and still be close to the Sail activities.
Posted by
Paris
9701 posts
200 euros a night in Amsterdam (for three people!) is going to be tough to come by, even more so a year (more than a year!) from now.), and even more so during a special event. There is a reason people stay in Haarlem or Leiden etc to make their lodging money go further.
Posted by
London
654 posts
Pitch a tent at Vliegenbos lol It's vibes. I stayed there several times when I was younger and it's a cool campsite, more geared towards the youth though.
Posted by
OP
26 posts
Thanks for the great information everyone. We actually prefer to be a bit closer to the museums area as we want to see Rijks, Van Gogh, FOAM (will prebook tickets).
On the Sail website they mention that they have zones (‘oceans’ they call them?) to partake in Sail festivities around Amsterdam too though I’m not sure how that relates to the tall ships or maybe they’re more like concerts outside of the harbour. We are essentially planning to see Sail for only a day or two out of our week trip but hopefully that will give us an intro…
We did just find a short term apartment rental near Rijks that looks reasonable although a bit above budget (which admittedly was probably low for Amsterdam in high season). It’s not AirBnB but is on Booking so appears to be legit as far as I can tell but I guess there’s always some risk when you book so far out… we had tried to come in 2020 but Covid shut down everything then so here’s hoping next year is clear sailing so to speak! Thx for great feedback everyone.
Posted by
OP
26 posts
And to add we are a bit past the camping scene ourselves but that would have been awesome a few decades ago!