Amsterdam

We spent four days last Fall in Amsterdam. You can easily do what you want to do in that time frame. You should get a timed reservation for the Frank's house. Easy over the internet. And the museum card was well worth it.

Plenty of time for that and more. I strongly second what Fran said about the Anne Frank House -make that reservation over the internet - without it lines can be up to 4 hours.

Delft is an easy and frequent train trip from Amsterdam. We walked all over Delft inclduing to the/a Delft factory.

Best time to visit Amsterdam is in april-may when the tulips are in bloom at the Kerkenhof gardens. Once you know the dates you are in Amsterdam get you Anne Frank, Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum tickets in advance via the internet which will save you a lot of time. Another must in Amsterdam is eating at one of the many Indonesian rice tables. Amsterdam is an easy city to visit as you can walk to many places along with a decent transit system.

We just got back from Amsterday 4 days ago. I agree that all those things you mentioned are do-able. Amsterdam is easy to get around in, either on the trams or by walking. I would recommend getting an IAmsterdam card, which we bought when we arrived at the central train station. It lets you use trams and the metro all you want. In addition, it lets you in (once) to many museums, etc., such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, etc. It also gives you one free canal cruise. Plus, it gives you discounts on other attractions. It's 48 euros for 48-hours (runs on number of hours, not calendar days, which is nice). Finally, as for an hotel, we stayed at the Hotel Aalders, which I highly recommend. It is one block from the Rijksmuseum tram stop(Hobbestraat) for trams 2 and 5. It's also one block from both the Rijks and the VG museum. And it's a block from Same Sebo restaurant, which is recommended, and one medium walk or short tram stop from the Leidesplein tram stop, that has a lot of shops and restaurants. And, I would strongly recommend the Dutch Resistance Museum, which we thought was absolutely great. Have a good time!

Agree with day trip to Delft and also Haarlem, Haarlem is a small city with a lovely huge square to sit in by the cathedral to sit and enjoy scenery/people. Only about half hour by train from Amsterdam. Has windmills and very worth trip to the Ten Boom Museum a half block from the square. Just be aware that it closes early, I think 3pm. Look up the history on internet if you are going there. We loved Amsterdam. There is a great cafe at the Van Gogh to just relax in and enjoy the pastries.

We are in our early 70's. Visited Amsterdam this year for the first time - loved it. Three/four full days will be great. Be sure to include one canal cruise. As suggested, advance reservations are a very good idea. They save you time and are essential for the Anne Frank House which is a must see.

We took the canal taxi from the Anne Frank's house to the Rijksmuseum and after walked to the Van Gogh museum. Loved the canal ride.

Colleen, your plans sound very great. Another attraction you may enjoy is the Our Lord in the Attic (Amstelkring Museum). I always enjoy going to the Albert Culp Market to grab something to eat.

I've stayed at Hotel Alexander and it was fantastic. The staff were great and best of all it has an elevator.

Another hotel I can recommend is Hampshire Inn Prinsengracht. It has a great staff, the rooms were clean and modern and it has an elevator too. It's located in the southern canal belt in a very nice neighborhood about equal distance to Rembrandtplein and the Rijksmuseum. The Amstel river is down the street, trams 16-24-25 are about a minute away and all head to the city center and Centraal Station.