What to do in Amsterdam for a day
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) is near the top of a lengthy list of European airports that make it easy to land, get into the city swiftly via cheap and efficient public transportation, and make the most of a prolonged layover.
Because it is KLM's major hub, it is also one of the world's busiest international airports.
So, if you're planning a trip to a European city anytime soon, a Schiphol layover is likely to be on your itinerary.
This mid year, particularly, as carriers keep on inclining up their flight timetables and course organizations, a few people could carve out they have more opportunity in excess during a delay than during past excursions.
Hence, we've assembled the best features for a 24-hour stay in the Dutch capital. When you get past customs and get your pack, book a 4.70 euro ($5) inferior train ticket online quite a bit early (any other way you could pay 5.70 euros, or more than $6) from the train terminal just inside the air terminal to Amsterdam Central, the city's focal station (the ride requires under 20 minutes), and prepare to capitalize on a short yet sweet stay in one of Europe's most thrilling urban communities.
Keep your distance from the train station as short as possible.
The 274-room Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam, which is full of art and cool communal spaces and offers free bikes and daily social hours in the lobby with complimentary wine for guests, is hard to beat for a hotel with a real sense of place that's just a five-minute walk out the main door of the central train station.
Even if your accommodation isn't ready when you arrive, leave your luggage here and get set to explore the sights within easy walking (or bike) distance.
Rates start at roughly $270 per night, or 51,000 IHG points, for the next few months.
In Amsterdam, grab a cup of coffee in the morning.
There are several so-called coffee shops in Amsterdam.
However, if you're looking for caffeine in its purest form, you'll want to go to a café.
People rush to outdoor terraces in the Netherlands when the weather is sunny (it doesn't even have to be warm) to get their Vitamin D fix while sipping something and watching the world go by.
Cafe 't Small offers a picturesque terrace overlooking the Egelantiersgracht (canal) and is a great site to watch passing boats and bicycles in the Jordaan neighborhood near the Anne Frank House.
If you're hungry, the kitchen also serves breakfast omelets, tostis (grilled sandwiches), and other munchies.
Another local favorite is Brasserie Nel in Amstelveld park, which has a lovely terrace and a petanque court.
The Anne Frank House should be visited.
If you want to visit the Anne Frank House, you'll need to plan ahead because tickets are only available online and places fill up quickly.
The reservations calendar resets on the first Tuesday of every month for the following month's dates, so book as far in advance as possible for the best availability.
There are two ticket kinds available, one of which only includes a visit to the house and museum (14 euros, or about $15 per adult), depending on how much time you have.
The other option is an interactive English-language discussion with one of the museum's docents (21 euros or $22.50 per adult) about World War II history and Anne Frank's tale, whose book "The Diary of Anne Frank" was published posthumously in 1947 and has since been translated into 70 languages.
Prepare yourself for a harrowing encounter that includes photographs and statements from Anne Frank and the other persons who lived in this house and were in hiding with her during the Nazi takeover of the Netherlands.
Circumnavigate the Jordaan
The Jordaan, just a few blocks southwest of the central railway station, steals the show with its iconic bruin cafés (atmospheric pubs, also known as brown cafes) and canal-lined alleys, where bicycles whiz by and party boats sail the waterways when the weather even hints at a beautiful day.
Rent a classic and unassuming black Dutch bike from Bike City in the Jordaan and pedal into the two-wheeled flow to explore the boutique-filled streets along the Brouwersgracht, Prinsengracht, Lijnbaansgracht, and Leidsegracht to blend in with the locals.
Stop by Heertje Friet on the Herengracht for a traditional Dutch pleasure — patat met, or French fries with mayonnaise — where the line typically extends out the door for a paper cone loaded with fries and gourmet toppings like truffle mayo (believe us, you won't be disappointed).
Foodhallen is a good place to eat lunch.
It'll take you under 10 minutes by bicycle from the Jordaan (or approximately 25 charming minutes by walking) to arrive at Foodhallen for a jovial lunch with decisions from a confounding exhibit of worldwide choices that incorporate crab-filled bao buns and connoisseur turns on the exemplary Dutch bar nibble, bitterballen. There are cheddar and charcuterie platters and Mediterranean mezze dishes, as well.
There are 21 food slows down here on the whole, so it's smart to take a lap around to peruse every one of the choices prior to committing.
Spend some time at the Van Gogh Museum.
Get lost for a while amid Vincent Van Gogh's hues, whorls, grief, and fantasy.
The largest collection of his works in the world is housed in this museum.
Tickets must be purchased online and include free entrance to both the permanent collection and rotating exhibitions (adults 18 and older pay 19 euros, or about $20.40).
The majority of the exhibitions may be seen in an hour or two, but you may like to remain longer to read all of the accompanying documentation about the artist's tumultuous life.
Visit the Canal Museum.
A museum dedicated to canals may not immediately pique your curiosity, but this one does.
The exhibits are housed in a beautifully restored row house right along the Herengracht, one of the city's most beautiful canals (one of a total of 165 in Amsterdam), and provide fascinating interactive looks into the history and formation of Amsterdam's ring of canals, which were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.
Here, 400 years of history come to life, giving you a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how this unique city grew, as well as the almost 60 miles of canals that give it its distinct character.
A gorgeous canal trip is a must-do.
There are more journey vendors coaxing you to move on board a vessel for a watery perspective on Amsterdam than you can wave a Dutch friet at. However, when the weather conditions is great, and especially throughout the spring and mid year months, when a party-on-the-water vibe wins, book a drawn out visit that leaves from the Jordaan, right close to the Anne Frank House, with Flagship on board its armada of all-electric trench boats.
As the boats skim unobtrusively through the shiny waterways, guides share fascinating anecdotes about the authentic occupants of marvelous line houses as you pass by and dish on Amsterdam's regulations with respect to things that are unlawful in most different nations during chitchat style visits that are nowhere near exhausting. There's likewise a bar in the boat where a team part stirs up mojitos and proffers cold lagers as you journey along. Different advantages: covers you can cuddle under assuming it's cold and umbrellas on reserve for unexpected episodes of that extremely Dutch downpour.
Get some cocktails on the roof.
During the summer, the sun sets late, but the golden glow begins early and lasts a long time.
So, when it feels like it's 5 p.m. someplace (hello, jet lag), head to W Lounge on the sixth floor of the W hotel's Exchange building (a former telephone company office) for rooftop cocktails with 360-degree city views.
La Dilettante, which opened in October 2021 in the bohemian De Pijp neighbourhood and sells wines by the glass or bottle, as well as cheese platters and other bar nibbles to accompany them, is one of the city's newest bars dedicated to the city's natural wine craze.
Dinner should be Dutch
Dutch If you're looking for a large array of wonderful Indonesian foods, try the rijstafel (literally "rice table") at Restaurant Blauw near the Vondelpark, or go to Rijsel, a Flemish-inspired favourite with affordable three-course prix-fixe meals of comfort food presented classically.
There's also a more than 70-year-old candle-lit restaurant, Piet de Leeuw, that serves steaks and shellfish (as well as some traditional horse meat dishes) and is popular with locals (coziness).
For something more upscale, café Jansz in the Pulitzer Hotel is a #1 for current Dutch cooking and occasional menus that could highlight North Sea crab toast, steak frites and connoisseur burgers.
At the point when you're prepared to get your flight the following day, it's simply a five-minute walk around the Kimpton De Witt back to the train station and under 20 minutes forward to show up at Schiphol
What to do in Schiphol Airport for a few hours
If you only have a few hours to kill at Schiphol and don't have a full day in Amsterdam, there's still enough to do.
Take the footbridge from Departures Hall 1 to the Panorama Terrace, an open-air observation deck with close-up views of the tarmac, to do some jet watching in the fresh air.
Just past passport control, you can get your taste of Dutch masterpieces at Rijksmuseum Schiphol, an outpost of the Rijksmuseum where changing exhibitions usually feature eight to ten paintings that would be at home in Amsterdam's flagship museum.
The exhibit is open 24 hours a day and is free.
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