Provincie Noord-Holland Travel Forum

Hi all,

I am a first timer to Europe. Am landing in Amsterdam in Nov for a business cum sightseeing trip that would take me to Cologne as well. I intend to spend 4 days each in Cologne and Amsterdam. Grateful if any one could offer some advise on the following :-

1. How do I get to the main train station in Amsterdam that connects to Cologne from the airport ( in shortest time & cost effective) ? I intend to take the "ICE" BaHN train. PLS also advise the name of the train station that I need to quote in case I need to ask around.

2. Would the price for the train ticket similar or slighty higher if I would to purchase at the train station Vs on the net ?

2. Names of hotels in Amsterdam that are near shopping places and pubs. Approx budget is around 100-120USD ( 70-90 Euro )

3. Since I have 4 days on sightseeing in Amsterdam,appreciate if anyone can advise of some places of interest? I am interested in natural scenery.

AS time is running out on myside, I would be extremely grateful if I could secure the advise ASAP.

Thank you.

2

Am planning a trip back to Amsterdam after not having been to your beautiful city for 20 years. I am a smoker (please no lectures). Can anyone shed some light on what the smoking policies are in hotel rooms now? Also, am planning a side trip to Budapest then back to Amsterdam for my flight back to California. Any suggestions for a fairly low cost airline for this side trip to Budapest? Thanks for any information you can offer on either or both of these questions.

Hi, we will be travelling between Cologne and Amsterdam around Ascension Day next year which is on Thursday May 13.
My question is should we expect museums ect. to be restricted or not operating at all in Amsterdam and Cologne?
Our plan was to have spent our second day, May 13 in Cologne, meeting up with friends but if we are to be fairly restricted with restaurants,traffic and the like then maybe we should make that our day to drive to Amsterdam. If everything is closed then it may be the day to return our car and familiarise ourselves our surroundings.
Can anyone advise us on what to expect. Many thanks, A&K

I would like to ask for the calling card information. I have to buy a SIM card preferred to have the following items.
1) free incoming call as my friends and family would call via PC
2) dial to Asia cheaply probably using the call back technology.
3) more or less same rates when I went to Belgium.

Currently I searched from the internet that there are some SIM cards like this. But it would be very expensive to ship it. So i would like to know whether I can purchase the SIM card locally in Amsterdam. Please share the name of the SIM cards I can purchase and then I can make a search online for the rate.

Appreciated if you would help. Thanks.

Hi there,

Does anyone have any advice/experience to share regarding lounges at Schiphol airport? I've booked flights from Cardiff to Singapore on KLM for a family of four. The children are aged two and four. They're flying Economy class, so are not entitled to access KLM's lounge. They are looking to pay to access a lounge that is family friendly.

Many thanks in advance!

Hayley

Just heard this from a Dutch colleague .
He said that the Dutch or Amsterdam police can stop you at any time and demand your ID /papers.
If say you didn't have a form of ID on you , it can get awkward..
First of all if a Police guy stopped me and asked me for anything , i would'nt have a clue what he s saying as i don't speak a word of Dutch ?
I would much rather not have to carry my Passport on me around Amsterdam in case of loss/theft e.t.c
Have any body had this happen in recent times.?
Going end of October

Hi All,

I will be going to Amsterdam in two weeks for a weekend trip. Can you give me an idea of what the weather is like there at the minute?

Also, I am trying to find a hotel that allows smoking as I lot of hotels I checked are non smoking. I was looking at the NH Caransa. Is that a decent hotel or can anyone recommend another nice smoking friendly hotel?

Thanks for all your help :)

This is really a question for Americans who have previously visited Amsterdam....
My husband and I are considering a trip to the city next year and we must be two of the few who have no interest in the coffee shops. It's not a moral issue at all - it's just that random US workplace testing and the questionable wisdom of befuddling one's brain in unfamiliar surroundings will have us pursing other forms of recreation. We DO, however, drink coffee - and lots of it.

So, my question is: have any of you (users or not) had any issues with the customs process once back in the states? Our last experience, after returning from Italy via Amsterdam, was a nightmare of questions, searches and being thoroughly sniffed over by drug-searching canines with very sensitive noses. I'm concerned about a suitcase full of clothing that could likely smell faintly of cannabis if we'd been in the shops for nothing more than a cuppa joe! What about bars (we'd do a few of those too) - is smoking legal there? Let's just say that I'd like to do whatever possible to avoid a potentially longer, even more painful customs process than we had last time! They even gave me heck for not declaring the remainder of a package of Lifesavers I'd bought, at our local airport, BEFORE we left! Unbelievable.

An acquaintance is going to NL to attend a conference. She'll be arriving at AMS Schiphol and would immediately proceed to Zeist. She'll spend a day in Zeist and has to be in Noordwijkerhout the next day. She'll fly out of NL via AMS again. Hope you could help with the following:

1. From Schiphol, is there a direct train to Zeist or does she have to go to Central first and take the train from there? Whichever is the case, what train must she take?

2. From Zeist, is there a night train to Noordwijkerhout? How long is the travel time?

3. From Noordwijkerhout, is there a direct train to AMS? If none, what should be her route? How long is the travel time?

4. For train travels, can she purchase tickets online? From what website?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Hey,

Does anybody know of any stores/supermarkets near Prinsenstraat street (that's where we are staying) where I can buy beer? I still plan to go to bars, but why pay higher prices for certain brands when I can buy them in supermarkets. I like trying different beers and that could get expensive after a while. So since I'll be in Amsterdam I'd like to try as many beers as I can, expecially the ones that are not available in United States.

P.S. I hope Amstel is available. In US we only have Amstel Light

Thanks

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to be starting my vacation in Amsterdam, and will be landing there on X-mas day. Is there anything open on X-mas day, or does the city pretty much shut down?

Thanks for your help...

Jim

Hi.
I am going to spend the whole day tomorrow 5.october in Amsterdam. Any tips on what to do? I have already done the "obvious" sights like Anne Frank and Rijksmuseum.

I have a business-meeting that with a bit of luck will only take half an hour, but with some bad luck will take 12 hours... (In Telecity 2, Amsterdam South-East)

Arriving by train from Brussels to Centraal station. Need a B&B or similarly inexpensive hotel for one night. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Bedankt
Rolf

Will be in Amsterdam Oct 2nd thru 4th and not sure where best area to search for a hotel to max sightseeing in that short time. Usually just walk the city and want to see as much as I can. Can anyone help?

hello all

I am heading to Amsterdam in early October for a little over a week and currently in search of a short term sublet or rent of an apartment or apart-hotel.

Please any info or references would be appreciated.

ciao

as the title suggest my mate and I have a 12 hour layover in Amsterdam starting at 10pm, leaving at 10am.. This will start new years day, that night.

I personally would like to dump my stuff off somewhere, go straight to town and party as long as I can and then back to the airport and sleep all the way home!!

1) can anyone give me an exact location to go to? I would like some booze and I would like to get as high as I can.
2) is the airport going to give me grief coming back through customs?? And how much time should I allow for this??

Thanks

I am trying to find information on how to use the luggage lockers located in Central Station. I have used them in the past but they are no longer accepting coins but rather some sort of a "credit card" or pin card. Can someone explain how a person obtains one of these cards so they can make use of the lockers.

i read somewere that it will be ban on tourist bying soft drugs in cofee shops.how true is it and if it is when is it going to be inforced.

Hi everyone, I'll be in Amsterdam from Friday Sept 11 till 13, and I'm having trouble finding acommodation...any advice/suggestion, besides the hostels websites I've been using? Thanks a lot

Roco MX

Hi all,

I'm going to be flying into Schipol Airport around 1030am and have a flight out of the same airport at 730pm. Do you think this is enough time to take the train into the city to see the Anne Frank House? Their website says the train takes about 20 minutes to get to the nearest station. If so, is there anything else in the area that we would be able to check out while we were in the area. If not, is there enough time to see anything in the city during that time?

Thanks for your help.

Hi everyone,

I have another quick question, i was wondering is there another big city or country outside of Holland which i can take for a day trip which is
3-4 hours away?

Other than Belgium are there other cities or countries outside of Holland which I can do for day.

Thanks to all

Hello Ppl,

I am visiting Europe over two weeks starting with 2 days in Amsterdam on Sept 12. Although I have been visited Sin City earlier alone, this time I have my wife. Need some help/suggestions with these

1. I guess Keukenhof closed way back.. but is there a way to catch tulip garden(not in the flower market)in Amsterdam or close by?
2. Whats th best way to see a wind mill in Amsterdam.. I will be having the GVB pass so kindly suggest places which the pass can allow me to travel and save some cash
3. I will be there on Saturday and Sunday.. any absolutely must see which is closed on Sundays and I should plan it for the first day itself?
4. I guess Jordaan festivaal is on 3rd weekend :( ... but anything special we can watch out for in the second weekend?
5. Which one is better Erotic Museum or Sex Museum? lol
6. As of now my plans to catch these over two days..Anne Frank Huis, Vondelpark, the markets-- Waterloopein/Albert Cyup, Leidesplein, Flower Mkt, Museumplein, Skinny Bridge besides canal walks..skipping canal cruise as I will be doing a gondola ride in Venice..I am skipping museums this time as I hv been to Van Gogh museum last time and anywaz headed for Louvre in two weeks.. Any other suggestions .. I am not into churches..lol..
7. Any idea how do ppl sell fruits in Amsterdam.. by the dozen/weight.. I plan to munch fruits for bfast and need to budget for it.. Also has anyone eaten at any of the Indian restaurants?.. Are the main dishes enuf for two ppl?(I know this is subjective but still....)
8. Any trams which can lead us to outskirts with great views of the city?

Tks..

Hi there,

I'm coming from Toronto Canada and will arriving in Amsterdam in Mid-October, and i was planning to spend 5 days in Netherlands. This will be my first visit there. And I just have a few questions i'm hoping fellow locals or fellow VTs can help me out with.

1) How many days will i need to really see Amsterdam since it's a pretty small and dense city? I'm not into museums but more of a nature scenery person.

2) If i were to take a day trip out of the city, which city or cities should it be for me to see something totally different from Amsterdam, just for the scenery and less of the city feel? Rotterdam? The Hague? Utrecht? Eindhoven or some other city? This is for Oct 13-18

Thanks everyone for your help

v r visiting amsterdam tomm at night 12 clock..can any one tells is any bus or tram is avilable .v have to go IBIS airport hotel.v r planning to visit den haag beach ,madurodum ,madame tussand and amsterdam windmills molen van sloten.pls tell us which tickets, train ,r to catch and which zones

does anybody know if there is waterpark in amsterdam?thank you

Going to Ireland and Amsterdam in a couple weeks from the US. We would like to know what we need to have (or do) to charge the batteries (computer, cell phone, cameras etc.) without burning anything us. All we have heard is horror stories. Does anyone have any suggestions?? Thanks in advance!!!

from red light district to leidsepleing area about 3:00 nigth time what transportation is available besides taking a taxi?or would it be possible to walk or bike?

Just as I always being asked by the Christmas Dinner Boys - Is there a particular place where I would see the Street Organs & Christmas Markets during the month of December (The group will be arriving on the 11/12/09 - Christmas should be in full swing)

Does anybody know of a good Cigar Shop (not on the Rokin) I would really like to find a cigar shop that provides cigars/tobacco from the Antilles as these were extremely good cigars (last time I had them).

Any help greatly appreciated.


Stuart

Hello Again! This should be our last question. We leave on Wednesday 8/26 for Europe! Is the I Amsterdam card available for trains to & from Haarlem. I don't think so but......Thankyou.