Travel Guide: Amsterdam

{Get There/Get Around}
Central Amsterdam is incredibly walkable, but the tram and train system is intuitive and easy to navigate as well for further afield destinations. Buy a reloadable OV-chipkaart at any train station and you can get on any train or tram. Just don’t forget to tap in and out when you exit a tram or train. We took a hop over to the north part of the city one afternoon and perhaps unsurprisingly given the efficiency of the whole city, there are free ferries that depart from the central station every few minutes. Just be mindful of the bike lanes on the ferry!

Bikes are an indelible part of the city and the culture, not just in Amsterdam, but across the Netherlands. Don’t be surprised to see parents with several kids strapped to their bike racing along the narrow streets. If you’re up for a bit of a challenge there are numerous places to rent bikes across the city but the city does not have an official bike share program.

Hotels in Amsterdam have enjoyed a bit of a Renaissance in the past few years. On a previous trip we stayed at the quirky Andaz and this go-around as we had to disconnected nights to play with opted for a night at the Pulitzer and used points for a night at the Kimpton DeWitt. The Pulitzer was, as predicted, delightful from start to finish. Made up of 35 connected row houses in a buzzy yet, manageable part of the city, this spot delivered across the board. The Kimpton is in a great location if you need to be close to the central train station, as we did to get to the airport to head home, but it is in a very touristy and slightly grungy spot. The hotel and rooms themselves were fine, (though whoever designed the in-room lighting clearly never tested it out!) but there is some construction going on that makes the logistics a bit complicated.

{See & Do}
Having done most of the famous sites on previous trips this time around we opted for long meandering walks along the canals, shopping in the nine streets district (de 9 Straatjes), a visit at the Moco museum to see the Banksy exhibit, a trip to Amsterdam north to poke around (check out Pllek)

{Eat & Drink}
Pulitzer’s Bar
Seafood Bar
Libertine Cafe
Cold Pressed Juicery

Ace and Tate
Love Stories
Filippa K
Anthenaeum Boekhandel
Marqt

{What to Pack}
Here is a peek at what I packed for a quick trip to Amsterdam/Germany.