Amsterdam in February trip report

I loved walking the city and didn’t have any issues with bicycles once I got the hang of the system. I was a little nervous about that after reading some peoples experiences but it was really ok. There definitely were fellow travelers wherever I walked but it was a very manageable level and all but the 2 big museums, Van Gogh and the Rijks, felt very open without many people at all. It was colder than my time in Paris, temps ranged from 30s to 50. Mostly cloudy, some rain but most of the time if it rained it was at night. The weather never slowed me down, I was always warm enough walking the cities I was visiting.

I haven’t been there since 2009 so a lot was different and a lot to see again. I bought a year pass for the Rijksmuseum, 60€, and a Museumkaart, 70 or 75€, I can’t remember which, that gives you entrance to 5 museums in their lineup. I bought it at the Rembrandt house and used it 3 times at the Van Gogh museum and once at, I think, the Frans Hals museum in Haarlem.

You have to make a timed reservation at the Van Gogh to get in but it’s very easy to do online and you just indicate you have the Museumkaart and you don’t pay anything. When you arrive you just get scanned in on the entry time email they sent and then they scan the Museumkaart.

Again because it was February I didn’t make any prior reservations until I got to the city and just figured how I wanted things to flow. I went to the Rijksmuseum 4 times, including a cool special exhibit I lucked into, the Van Gogh 3 times, also saw a special exhibit there. I went to Mauritius in The Hague, Grote Kerk in Haarlem, also a super special exhibition at the Frans Hals Museum. I saw the Stedelijk Museum, Lord in the Attic museum, and walked the so peaceful Begijnhof area.

I also went to the National Holocaust Museum and the Resistance Museum on the same day. It was a very thought provoking day but I definitely recommend both places. I also recommend doing the Holocaust museum first to contrast the differing perspectives about the end of the war before you go to the Resistance Museum and read about the same experience.

I went to Sunday Mass at a very cold church, Obrechtkerk, in the museum quarter. I almost never miss going to mass when I travel because it’s almost like a tourist event in itself and a needed reminder of the connection to the good part of common humanity that I need these days.

I had good meals at The Pantry, Stamppot, for traditional Dutch food. Also liked Blushing right near my hotel; I ate in museum cafes and snagged sandwiches and small cut up fruit and salad portions from the Albert Heijn grocery. I stopped by different bakeries for breakfast goodies too.

I want to add how friendly and relaxed I found being a tourist in Amsterdam. Besides the fact everyone speaks English, everyone was so nice and welcoming, quick to smile and add a personal comment. I was very, very impressed with the Dutch! I wonder, do they score high on the happiest people scale you read about sometimes? Or maybe it’s way too early for them to be sick of tourists in the year and they won’t be so happy in August?

There was a lot I didn’t get to in Amsterdam but I came into this trip with thoughts of relaxing and enjoying and not try to fit one more thing into the day. I can always come back. Through the years I have figured out that 3 weeks is about my sweet spot, more than that I have found leads to sensory overload, I start really missing my husband and come home sort of frazzled. I can do it but I’ve finally figured out that for me, less is more, if you know what I mean.

The only hiccup in the trip was an issue with my departure. I was scheduled to leave on Feb 22 but the big snow dump in the northeast canceled my flight the night before. I had chosen a flight that went through Philadelphia. So 2 hours + of dealing with AA online got me out on the 23rd flying on British Airways.

Continued….Luckily the hotel extended me an extra day and I didn’t even have to change rooms. And I was able to get the last aisle seat left on the flight from Heathrow to DFW! Whew.

If you are still here after this overlong info dump, please ask any questions you have…… Lynda

What a nice trip! I will be in Amsterdam for the first time next month. For some reason it hasn’t been high on my list but maybe I will find I am also enchanted (and have to come back). And I am inching toward those longer stays in one place. (So far my average stay is 3-5 nights.)

Thanks for the info but also for sharing the vibe!

What an excellent trip report! I prefer solo travel as well and like to stay several nights in one city. I know what you mean about finding that sweet spot for the length of your travel. Mine is 12-14 days but I want to work up to 30 days at some point. Amsterdam is on my short list of next places to go so thanks for the good info.

Lyndash, thanks for your Amsterdam report. It seems you caught a break with the weather--when I visited there in December 2024, it was in the 20s the entire time. I am not sure whether you had been to Amsterdam previously, but you did not mention the Anne Frank House. And I also enjoyed the Dutch Resistance Museum in the city.

What a lovely pair of trip reports ... I remember you saying you wanted a tea towel from Haarlem as a souvenir for someone. Did you in fact find one in the end?

Lavandula

Thank you for sharing! And thanks for the recommendations. I will try to make it to the Holocaust museum. We did visit the Holocaust memorial museum in DC last May. And now I'm questioning my decision to not buy a museum pass (and I've already purchased Van Gogh museum tickets). So glad you could do this and the off season weather didn't hamper your trip too much except at the end. I was thinking of everyone traveling when we had the big storms.

Do you have another adventure planned for later this year?

Thanks so much for this TR as well! I love that you were going for a "relaxed" trip and managed to get to the Rijksmuseum 4 times, hahaha! I love their app, especially the feature that will show you how to get from where you are to a different gallery or painting! The Louvre definitely needs this!

Did you find the AH underneath the MuseumPlein? It's a pretty good one!

Thanks so much for spending the time to write up and post your Trip Reports! You had such a good time.

Lyndash, thanks for sharing your trip report. I've been thinking of Amsterdam in the fall. Interesting to hear that the Museumkaart allowed multiple entries to the same location. It definitely sounds like a worthwhile pass. Your Paris and Amsterdam trips sound perfect!

TexasTravelMom and anyone else who is debating about Amsterdam or the Netherlands I’d say: go! I thought several times it would be a great entry to European travel for newbies.

RJ, I’ve been to the Anne Frank house before and will go again next time. I went to a lot of repeat museums but only the Rembrandt house seemed very familiar. Most of them have been ‘upgraded’ or had additions.

lavandula, I did find the exact tea towel I saw in Haarlem! I had a last minute brainstorm and went to the Amsterdam Tulip Museum and they had it. I didn’t do the museum part but they had a great gift shop.

pbscd, I do have more travel on the agenda. My husband, who has gone on 2 of my previous 12 RS tours, Greece and London, picked out the Best of Germany tour and we are going in October. I’m in the process of trying to pin him down as to what, if anything he wants to do before and after. Back in the 80s we were in Germany for 4 years when he was in the Air Force. We loved it.

Completely different travel, this summer we are driving up to Fairbanks AK from Arlington TX, pulling a travel trailer and bringing Bailey our Lab along. Daughter, son in law and 2 wonderful granddaughters live there. We’ve done the drive 3 times since 2013 last time in 2022. Many, many miles.

Pam, you get me. 😉. If it’s an art museum, I’m in and I loved the Rijksmuseum. I covered all of it before I was finished and of course every time I went I would swing by the Vermeers again. I was able to see 5 Vermeers this trip since I visited the 2 in The Hague. And of course the Rembrandts. Sigh. And they also had a choice special exhibit, called Metamorphosis and Stephen Fry did the English commentary, very nice.

As much as I love the Louvre, the Rijks was soooo easy.

I did go to the AH right by the Stedelijk and Van Gogh. There was an escalator down to get in, I never thought about it being under the Museumplein but I guess you’re right, it was! The nice folks at the hotel gave me a map with that location and the good restaurants I went to.