Getting to Amsterdam

Amsterdam has a great international airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), with direct flights from many large American cities. Airlines flying directly from NYC are KLM, Delta, and United. Somewhat cheaper flights with a stop over can often be found on Iceland Air (via Reykjavik), and Aer Lingus (via Dublin). Skip cheaper airlines like Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines, as they more than double your flight time.

Once landed, there are many ways of getting into the city. The train station is right below the arrivals hall and takes you into the heart of the city (Centraal Station) in less than 25 minutes. Buy your train ticket at one of the yellow machines, before you descend to the platform (choose English as a language; you pay by credit card, not with cash). Once in Amsterdam, you’ll find city cabs in front of Central Station.

An airport cab into town will cost about €45. (Cabs are right in front of the airport arrivals hall, simply follow the signs.)

Uber, widely available in and around Amsterdam, costs about the same as a regular cab. Service tends to be excellent. Do make sure your cell phone has internet access in the Netherlands before taking off.

Find a detailed list of options right here:
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/plan-your-trip/getting-around/arrival-departure/arrival-plane
Note that Uber is not listed, but just use your Uber app the same way you would in the US.

Where to stay

From grand hotels and designer inns to quaint B&Bs, private apartment rentals, canal boats, and affordable hostels, Amsterdam offers accommodation to fit any style or budget.

Our own place is just off of Prinsengracht, in a small, delightful neighborhood named the Jordaan. It’s part of the old city center, with it’s main canals Prinsengracht (the outer one), Keizersgracht, Herengracht, and Singel (the inner one of the belt). Gracht, by the way, means canal.

Airbnb.com offers quite some super cute short term rental apartment options in our area of Jordaan and surrounding canal belt. Zoom in on the map for many more options to pop up.

This selection of AirBnB listings focuses on the general center of Amsterdam. Again, zoom in on the map to see many more options pop up.

This selection and this selection of AirBnB listings focuses on the area just west of our place, on the outer edge of the city center.

Amsterdam Old South, also know as De Pijp (The Pipe) is a really charming and diverse neighborhood, on the other side of the outer center. Here’s an AirBnB selection for De Pijp.

Other apartment rentals can be found on this site.

The canals within the canal belt of Amsterdam’s city center are filled with house boats. Here’s a list of houseboat rentals: http://www.houseboat-rental-amsterdam.com/ And there is our downstairs neighbor Wendy’s houseboat ($$), which can be rented by the night, a two minute walk from our place.

Plenty of fancier hotels can be found in our area: the classic Pulitzer ($$$) and the trendy Albus ($$), both on Prinsengracht; the fab Dylan ($$$$) and the gaudy Toren Hotel ($$$), both on Keizersgracht.

Some cheaper hotels in our area are the Canal House Hotel ($$) on nearby Keizersgracht, Hotel Estherea ($$) on the Singel, NH Amsterdam City Centre ($$) between Singel and Spui, and the really affordable hostel Hotel van Onna ($) on Bloemgracht, right in the Jordaan.

Here’s another wide selection, via bookings.com, of hotels and apartments in the Jordaan area.

For a more edgy stay, check out Hotel Not Hotel ($$) in Amsterdam West, or the new Hallen Hotel ($$) in Amsterdam West, built in a former tram depot, surrounded by hip restaurants and an art movie center. Dutch design company Droog has its own 1 room hotel, Hotel Droog.

The three classical, high end hotels are all a little further away from us: the majestic Amstel Hotel ($$$$) just outside of the city center on the river Amstel, L’Europe ($$$$) in a rather noisy corner of the city center, and The Grand ($$$$), located in the old city, near the red light district, in Amsterdam’s old City Hall.

Getting around Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a compact city which is easily explored by foot or bicycle: there are bike rental outlets everywhere, and guided bicycle tours abound. Here‘s a good list of bike rental options.

There is a comprehensive tram and bus network; plan journeys with 9292.nl/en. The Dutch use one and the same chip card for all public transport (trains, buses, trams, subway, all through the country), but you can buy a slightly more expensive ticket in most trams and buses (cash only).

If you’re hitting a lot of museums, invest in an I Amsterdam Card. Valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours, the card includes a detailed city map, unlimited use of the public transport system, and free entrance to some of Amsterdams best museums and attractions.

Taxis are easily available, though in recent years taxi drivers have become pretty clueless of the Amsterdam street, relying mainly on their GPS. There are taxi stands all through the city. In general, taxis can’t be hailed: space in the city centre is limited, and taxis cannot stop anywhere they like. Here’s a map of fixed taxi ranks. The main number to order a cab by phone is +31-20-777-7777.

Forget about renting a car within Amsterdam. Parking is expensive and complicated, and getting around is frustrating with bikes and pedestrians blocking you everywhere – bikes beat cars, both in speed, and convenience.

Other practical information

Money: Many shops and restaurants in Amsterdam accept credit cards, but not all. Most supermarkets only accept European debit cards, so it’s smart to have a sufficient amount of Euro cash on you. Notify your bank of your Dutch trip, to prevent your card from being blocked through fraud protection programs.

Phones: The international access code to call abroad from the Netherlands is 00, plus the country code. While most international SIM cards can operate on Dutch networks, it is also possible to purchase a prepaid SIM card from carriers like Vodafone, T-Mobile, Hi, and Lebara. Also note that some US mobile phones do not operate on frequencies used in Europe. If using your US carrier, make sure you’ve set your plan to some international roaming option.

Tipping: Service is always included, but unless your server really messes up, it’s customary to tip in restaurants, bars and when paying for taxis. As a general rule tipping between 5 and 10% is acceptable.

Apps: These free apps for your iPhone, iPad or Android phone make it easier than ever to explore the city, use public transport and get off the beaten track.

• I AMsterdam City Guide – free city guide with interactive maps, all available offline. Download: iPhone | Android
• 9292ov – free app helps you find your way on all major public transport operators in Amsterdam and beyond. Download: iPhone | Android
• Amsterdam The Map – free 100% offline detailed map with GPS locator and 130+ places of interest, clearly categorized. Download: iPhone | Android
• Iens Restaurant Review – Iens is a free Zagat-like app with thousands of restaurant reviews, many in English. Download: iPhone | Android | Windows

Weather: The Netherlands, with its long North Sea coast, has a typically moderate marine climate. There is always sufficient moisture in the air for a shower, and so the weather can be unpredictable and quickly changing. May is tulip season. It’s often the sunniest month of the year, with on average up to 15 hours of sunshine a day. However, May also tends to have as many cold days as it has warm days. After sundown temperatures cool off rapidly. Average May highs are 60°F, average lows are 50°F.

Language: Dutch is spoken by 16 million people in the Netherlands, and about sixty percent of the populations of Belgium and Suriname. Dutch also holds official status in Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. No worries, pretty much everyone speaks English. But watch how fluent you will be after your next visit:
Yes: Ja (Yah)
No: Nee (Nay)
Thanks: Bedankt (B’dunked)
Please: Graag (hkrahk)
Sorry: Sorry (sorry, with rolled r)
Excuse me: Pardon (parDON).