Looking at hotels on Expedia. Any thoughts on which district is best to stay in... Dam Square/Centraal Station, Canal Loop or Museum Quarter? Ideally the hotel would be within walking distance to sights, shops/restaurants and public transport. Plan to explore city mostly on foot.
Posted by
West Sacramento, California, USA
281 posts
David:
I always stay at and recommend the Owl Hotel as a quiet well located hotel. It has a terrific breakfast, helpful staff, and is easy to navigate the city from.
Kevin
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"The three places you mentioned are all within walking distance of each other."
That's a pretty long walk between Amsterdam Centraal and the Museum Quarter.
The tram system easily links most of the old city together, so I would base where to stay more on what kind of neighborhood you want than on proximity to anything (and there's restaurants, cafes and shops everywhere). In general, the area between Dam Plein and Centraal Station is the most bustling, and unless you really want a lot of nightlife, I wouldn't stay around here. Pretty close to the Red Light district as well. Walk a little farther away from this central axis in any direction (well, except north, that will put you in the IJ river) and things become a little more serene.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
All three districts are fine. The Museum Quarter is the quietest of the bunch. Dam/central Station is busier but you are closer a lot of restaurants and night life. The one area to avoid is the area around the Convention Center; there is a metro stop here but the area is very sterile. Some travel sites like to lump this area in with the Museum Quarter, so check Google Maps before booking.
For Amsterdam I like to use this site:
http://www.booking.com