This was cool to take a ferry across the river from the Central Station to NDSM. They run every 4…read moreminutes and was super convenient with nice views over the water. I took an Uber on the way back and that was a bad idea and took longer.

What a cool place. I was visiting my college friend who now lives in Amsterdam and she made sure…read moreto take me across on the ferry to NDSM. Who knew ship yards and shipping containers could be such a cool place.

The buses & trams run frequently, they are clean & efficient. Each stop has a map & identifies how…read moremany minutes until the next vehicle is arriving. Many begin & end at the central station. Once in a car we tapped our phone or credit card on and off. Posted were the next stops. The mass transit system in Amsterdam was easy to figure out & use..

We took the tram 2 - 3 times while we were in Amsterdam. The lines seem quite convenient at least…read moreto some of the major tourist sites (museums, Anne Frank House). You can check various websites to get the routes. While you are riding, they are good about posting upcoming stops (mostly on LED signs). We did not pre-purchase tickets. Rather, we just used tap-to-pay credit cards. You just tap when you get on and again when you exit. This seemed to work well much of the time, but sometimes it would encounter a card that it could not read. In one case, I had to tap the same card twice (once for me and once for my daughter, whose card failed). It posted some message about using the same card, probably in case you tapped twice by mistake for one person. I was hoping it would not mis-charge us. It seemed confused again at the end when I had to do the same thing again. The fees were reasonable - 2 - 3 Euros per ride, I think. While it is great to just walk around Amsterdam, at some point you may get tired and want to take an easier way back to the hotel. In that case, check these out.

They have an office at central station that sells merchandise and more. I Amsterdam has a card for…read moreusing the city public transportation and admission to many museums and other places. You can buy the card when you get there or buy it online through your smartphone and the app. The app has great tools for planning and finding places for the card. The problem is that if you have trouble with reception or the app, it won't work. There were several times that I couldn't load up the QR code and one person couldn't load it at all and had to go get a paper one. The staff were very friendly and helpful with this. Overall I don't know if it's worth getting you have to plan your travel to see if it would work for you. I didn't have to wait in lines and it is easy to tap and pay everywhere including on public transportation. Overall it's a good idea and they have good service but there needs to be a way to download it onto google or Apple wallet to improve the system.

I was going to attend a Gallery opening and needed a gift suitable for a conceptual artist. I spent…read morea week wracking my brains and finally decided to check out this store and Yee-haw! Found just the perfect gift in the artsy plastic recycled vases they sell, which are a Dutch design & innovation, but made in Mumbai by women and children escaping prostitution and giving them a working wage. Shout-out to a staffer by the name of Giovanni who was super helpful. When at check-out I mentioned it was a gift, he offered me free gift-wrapping which I totally took him up on. He also mentioned that if the gift wasn't to the recipient's taste, if they had the receipt, he could exchange for up to 7 days, which I thought was very useful info & good of him to mention. I didn't really get to browse thru the store much, as had to catch my train to get to the Art Show, but this was a fantastic shopping experience with excellent service rendered, so plan to come back for a longer browse thru all their shelves when have more time. If you too find yourself at Centraal and looking for a gift, think beyond the flower shop or the chocolates/ stroop waffles at Albert Heijn and come and check out this store instead! PS - The artist very much liked his gift and the concept behind it! Yelp 58/ 2019

Great location at the ferry dock, easy access to open country, canals, fields north of Amsterdam…read more One bike we rented was in very poor condition.

Very friendly and very affordable. Get the insurance! I had a mishap in Edam which the insurance…read morecovered. I only wish they had e-bikes.

With several Amsterdam Museum passes available, how do you choose? Look for the activities that…read moreappeal to your travel partners. Definitely was able to maximize our experience with the I Amsterdam Card. Download the app and map out what you would like to explore. We planned our trip in regions. Day 1- Ferry and Canal Tour Picked up a physical card from the central train station location. Although our internet worked well, I had some concerns about the app working after reading reviews. A small booklet is also provided at the Visitor Center. Took the free ferry across the river to This is Holland, The A'DAM Tower Lookout and the Eye Filmmuseum. Definitely do the swing if you are an adrenaline junkie. The restaurant at the Eye Filmmuseum was amazing. Would skip the Eye Filmmuseum if you are short on time. Back across via ferry and hopped on a Lover's Canal Cruise before heading to Tujah Maret for an Indonesian Rice Table. Day 2- Museums, Lunch and More Museums My friend wasn't sure if we could max value this pass, so this was a busy, busy museum day. Rembrandhuis, Portuguese Synagogue, Joods/Jewish Museum, Holocaust Memorial, Museum On's Lieve Heer Ops Solder with a complete church hidden in the attic, Huis Willet-Holthuysen and the Tulip Museum. Took a lunch break at the Joods Museum. The fish sandwich on challah with salad was delicious. Loved the biscuits that came with the tea and lattes. Bought separate tickets for the Anne Frank House six weeks in advance as they sell out. Day 3- Windmills and More Museums. Spent the morning in Zaanse Schans and the afternoon in Museumplein. Used an I Amsterdam Card discount to get to Zaanse Schans on the Hop On Hop Off Tour, then used the card to gain access to the Zaanse Schans Museum and Windmills. Cheese, sheep, oversized clogs, Claude Monet and Peter the Great. Use the Zaanse Museum ticket to even go to a very clean bathroom before you head back to Amsterdam. Spent the afternoon in Museumplein exploring the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and Design, and the Moco Museum. Love Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and "The Jewish Bride," Van Gogh's Self Portraits and Wheat Fields and Marc Chagall's Muse. Could have used the pass for the morning on Day 4 but headed to The Hague and Rotterdam instead. For €90 for a 72-hour pass (not three day), this was a great value. We never felt rushed and were able to sample so many parts of Amsterdam for about € 5-6 per venue. Even the public transits are included. Make sure to make reservations for the Rijksmuseum, the Rembrandthuis, and the Holocaust Memorial as they get booked. The perfect way to explore Amsterdam.

We haven't even arrived yet and they have been so helpful and friendly. We are prepared, thanks to…read morethem, to begin our adventures and save money as soon as we arrive.

Towards the end of our stay in Amsterdam, my wife asked me if there is anything that I want to do…read morethat we haven't done already. Without any doubt in my mind I said, "biking!" My intelligent and resourceful wife immediately located and booked a three hour bike tour for the next day. Excited to feel like a local for the day, I highly anticipated our adventure on wheels. Upon arriving at the tour meeting location of We Bike Amsterdam, we checked in with our tour guide and were instructed to obtain our bicycles from the shop. The friendly employee at the shop warmly greeted us and gestured to another employee to issue us both a bicycle. Although these bikes weren't unique, one thing that stood out to me was the distinctive bike lock. Unlike most bike locks that attach the bike to an object (e.g., gate, light pole), this bike lock was attached to the body of the bike and utilized a locking mechanism that prevented the wheels from moving when engaged. Overall, we enjoyed the bike tour that provided us with historical information pertaining to various monuments and locations within Amsterdam. Also, I highly recommend doing a guided bike tour vs. trying to navigate yourself. Having a tour guide added a level of confidence as we navigated the town and tried our hardest not to be a nuisance to the locals (apparently there are some folks that visit Amsterdam and are opposed to respecting & sharing the roads with the locals. Thank you We Bike Amsterdam!

We did a private city bike tour for 7 of us, including 6 adults and 1 child. We all loved it! My…read moreson is 4 and can bike on his own, but certainly not well enough for Amsterdam, so we opted for an adult/child tandem bike. My son LOVED the experience, and says this was one of his favorite parts of the trip, but my husband, who was on the tandem with him, said he had a harder time enjoying it since the bike is harder to navigate than a traditional bike, and he was concentrating mainly on my son. So hubby would have preferred the child seat on the back of his bike, but kiddo was thrilled to be pedaling and fully part of the experience. Our guide was fantastic. Would definitely recommend We Bike Amsterdam!

The Afiyet Eet Cafe is a friendly place along Van der Pekstraat…read more They have a variety of items on the menu, but their Turkish Pizza is a favorite of mine. Big on taste and a great value (Amazingly, it is only €1,50 ), it is made prepared fresh with all the accompaniments and rolled up for eat-in or take out. See picture. It's a regular stop on the walk to or from the Ferry.