Trip planning and tips
Itineraries, first-time advice, money, the language and embassies.
10 Days in the Netherlands Itinerary
Small in size, but large in character, The Netherlands is one of those places where good things come in small packages.
Why You Should Add Amsterdam to Your RTW Trip
Amsterdam is one of the highlights of any trip to Europe. It's a city with a boatload of history and is certainly one of a kind.
Top 10 Dutch Phrases to Know
Amsterdam is famous for being one of those places where learning the local language isn't really required - the Dutch often speak English better than we do, and all the signs are in English as well.
Amsterdam: A Multi-Faceted City
While Amsterdam is a perfectly wonderful choice for a single-destination vacation, it's also incredibly popular with people who are backpacking with a Eurail pass on more long-term trips through…
Perfect Time for a Quick Getaway to Amsterdam
The middle of January isn't necessarily the time when most people think about a getaway trip to Amsterdam - the city isn't exactly known for being warm in winter, after all.
Gay Tourist Information Center now open in Amsterdam
With the possible exception of San Francisco, Amsterdam was already probably the most gay-friendly city on earth, and now they are just piling it on as they’ve recently opened an official information…
Amsterdam first-time visitor guide
This site is a detailed and frequently updated guide to one of the finest cities on the planet.
Cheap Amsterdam guide - All the best cheapskate tips in one place
On this site we cover everything we can to help the most visitors possible, but to be honest with you, I’m a bit of a cheapskate myself.
Things you should know about Amsterdam
You’ve probably heard many stories about Amsterdam, and almost all of them are probably true.
Get Amsterdam advice from locals
When most people come to Amsterdam, they have their hands more than full just seeing the main attractions and sights that they’ve heard so much about.
Amsterdam city tour for cheapskates, including free audio commentary
In spite of its outsized fame, Amsterdam is actually a fairly compact city, at least when considering the town center that contains pretty much everything you’ve ever heard of or would want to see on…
Weekend in Amsterdam: Itinerary ideas
One thing about Amsterdam that is slightly unusual compared to most other great European cities, is that you can have a meaningful visit in only two days.
Learn to speak Dutch in under 2 minutes
People who’ve traveled extensively before arriving in Amsterdam are well aware that learning at least a few phrases in the local language is at the very least the polite thing to do, and in many…
Money-saving tips for Europe in 2008
Over at BootsnAll they’ve just published an article full of money-saving tips for Europe travel , which should come in especially handy for Americans since our currency keeps edging toward being…
This might be a good year to visit the Americas
If you’ve been keeping an eye on currency exchange rates in the last year or so you already know that the US Dollar has been getting clobbered lately.
Free Amsterdam travel guide
Researching a city online is really valuable and can be very inspiring, but once you get to the destination it really helps to have something physical to hold in your hands.
Tipping and service in Amsterdam
If you are from Europe these will all be things you are well aware of, but for North Americans visiting Amsterdam for the first time, especially if you haven’t traveled extensively elsewhere in…
Amsterdam recommendations for a first-time visitor
I recently got an e-mail question from someone wondering a few things to prepare for their first trip to Amsterdam. One question was to name my top 3 things to see on a first visit to Amsterdam.
ATMs in Amsterdam
This became much more obvious when I was living in Amsterdam, but if you get unlucky you might notice quickly that there are actually very few automatic teller machines in the city.
Four days in Amsterdam: Itinerary suggestions
On a recent morning when I was admiring the panoramic view from the private rooftop lounge/day-spa above the penthouse in the Amsterdamlogue Building, one of the newer gals from the Amsterdamlogue…
Australian Embassy in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, but most countries - including Australia - have their official embassies in The Hague (Den Haag).
Canadian Embassy in Amsterdam
In spite of Amsterdam being the capital of the Netherlands, most of the mind-numbing government work is done in the The Hague (Den Haag). This includes the Canadian Embassy, unfortunately.
British Embassy & Consulates in Amsterdam
Even though Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, most of the paperwork for the country is done in The Hague (Den Haag), which is about 50 minutes away by train.
US Embassy & Consulates in Amsterdam
While Amsterdam is officially the capital of the Netherlands, much of the paper-pushing and office stuff is located down in the Hague (Den Haag).
December in Amsterdam – Events, weather, and travel tips
Being a mostly indoor city, Amsterdam pretty much carries on the same as ever during December.