Not much to review except to tell you that:…read more A) It stops at Ajax Arena, B) Starbucks location at the station sucks and it is tucked discretely on left corner of the station, C) And as usual, there is a nice, small and clean grocery store at this station with decent selections of sandwiches and daily essentials, D) The fast food option is "Burger King" :( E) Three ticket vending machines to buy your train/bus tickets: Two machines inside of the station and one outside and none of those ticket vending machines at station worked with my Visa or MasterCard. However I was able to purchase the train ticket with cash and my ATM. I did not have this issue with the vending machine at the Amsterdam central station. F) Expect a long lines to purchase ticket on weekend or when game is going on at Ajax ArenA. It took me five minutes to buy tickets on weekdays and 18 minutes on Sunday. Once you step outside of the station, you have few decent choices of eatery which are more than decent.

Station Bijlmer ArenA is a railway station in Amsterdam, it is located close to the Amsterdam…read moreArena, hope to Amsterdam Ajax Football Club, one of the most successful teams in The Netherlands, who are currently in the UEFA Champions League. For Railway Stations, this station is pretty new opening in the early 1970's, compared to most stations in the UK this is probably around 100 years younger, if not more. The ArenA name of the station comes from the Amsterdam ArenA stadium which it is located near, with the station being in ArenA Boulevard. The signing as you go out of the station is pretty confusing and unhelpful especially for a first time visitor, which could effect away fans visiting the stadium (although I presume this station is heavily staffed on a matchday for the national team or Ajax) The station in terms of facilities is pretty basic, there is a Starbucks tucked into the corner of the station, which also isn't well sign-posted and a little hard to find, as with most Starbucks in Amsterdam especially those inside public transport areas (Train stations, airports) it is pretty expensive. Trains run from here to the likes of Zuid, Schipol Airport and Ulretch, and there's the GVB metro to go alongside the Sprinter and Intercity line trains. Basic train station in a good location, with the added benefit of having a Starbucks (albeit it is a poor, expensive branch hidden in the station), a two-star rating mainly for location in proxmity to the Amsterdam ArenA is warranted here.

So, yeah, it's a station. In fact it could be called a suburban station, though the way that the…read moreDutch rail system works, suburban stations are pretty much all over the country. Anyway, it is one station out from Utrecht, so a lot of trains run through here express, yet it doesn't take all that long for a train to arrive to take you there so that you can then catch another train, for me that was to Amsterdam. Oh, and there is also a tram stop here as well, which is pretty cool.

At the Taste of Amsterdam Event was talking to Flippie about sailing and we then decided to go…read moresailing one in June. That day was today and while at the beginning of the week the weather did not look super promising yet, after arriving at Winkeloord the weather was just super! We had plenty of sun and also quite a nice breeze for sailing! The place itself turned out a little bit tricky to find for me: it is super helpful that on their website they already are aware that their address is not working correctly in most satnav systems and therefore they provide already the alternatives that should work on most systems. From the A2 highway, you take a very small narrow road and finally make sure that you go straight after the little bridge (I read a sign for the Jachthaven and turned right, which made us end up in the wrong location at first). When renting a Valk sailing boat, you get a small water-tight container for your valuables and everything else that could be needed on the water. The only thing you will have to take care of yourself is having some drinks and some food to enjoy :) Boats appeared to be in very good condition and I think the price (70 euros for the whole day) is very reasonable. Note that you will not get an outboard engine with this. They have a limited amount of these and if you do want to have one, you will have to rent it separately (and be on time with your reservation) The sailing itself was just a blast: Great weather and getting some sailing lessons from Flippie herself :)

I was in Bilthoven and at the station to meet up with a friend of my mother's whose son is a…read moreConceptual Artist, and she was going to pick me up from the station and then we were going to drive to an art gallery where his work was being shown. Bilthoven seems to be a fairly quiet village, part of the Utrecht municipality, and so it was a very small but busy railway station with only two platforms. I was there on a weekend, and the shop+cafe on the train station was closed. There were toilets, but they seemed to be locked. Entrance to the station was only thru one side, but there was a good number of turnstiles to enter/ exit. With only two platforms, it was easy to figure out which side your train was going to be coming on, so no complaints from my side on my experience using this train station! Yelp 60/ 2019

When a hotel is locate next to the Ziggo dome, you are more or less obliged to do something with…read morethe theme music and showbizz. They executed this in an excellent manner with a nice twist of humor here and there. This is without compromising the quality. Excellent beds, Nespresso coffee, powerful shower both rain and hand shower, large smart tv and a sound system. Prices are reasonable for what is offered. We paid extra for breakfast. It is worth the money. The omelette-man is kind and prepares on order really tasteful omelets. Parking can be done in the cellar for 24€ per day, not really cheap given your are in an office area 5 km from the city center. Amsterdam is unfortunately well known for its outrageous parking prices. One only needs to find the right entrance. That can be challenging given the large number of parking garages in the neighborhood. All in all an excellent stay, this is how hotel should be. Professional with a twist. 5 out of 5.

We stayed here for six nights. This property is probably 7-8 years old and the hotel is directly…read moreacross from the Ajax ArenA, right next to the Ziggo Dome, within walking distance of the AFAS Live and five minutes walk to the train station. The building is hip and modern and about fifteen minutes from central Amsterdam, located in south of Amsterdam. South Amsterdam hotels are more modern and cleaner than central Amsterdam hotels. The downside is lack of dining options when you stay in south side of the Amsterdam. Some other nearby hotels are Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. If you don't want to stay in old and 200 years old hotel in central Amsterdam, I suggest that you take a 15 minutes train ride and stay in south Amsterdam. This hotel offers: * Option for paid breakfast in your booking and the breakfast bar is definitely above average. And I definitely recommend getting a room plan that includes the daily breakfast buffet. It's worth the extra 13.75 euros and the Jaz buffet offer live omelette station. My favorite was dutch pancake for the breakfast. The breakfast also offers fresh fruit, juices, milk and variety of cold cut meats, variety of breads and jelly and made-to-order omelettes. * Very small gym with nice view of the arena. The euipempents are minimal and inadequate. * Yoga room with great view. * Sauna facility (small and it is mixed for men and women) * No ice vending machine, * No water in the room or vending machine to buy water: you have to walk to train station for five minutes to buy water * Price is very reasonable. * Rooms are spacious * Shower is big * the towel in shower room does not smell fresh and smell like it is only washed with water and no detergent. * The rooms at Jaz are comfortable and spacious in size but not very clean. The sheets and towels have funky smell to them. I really doubt that the hotel uses detergent to wash the towels (don't tell me that I did not tell you about this issue :-) ). The hotel is OK in term of cleanliness; Staff is a HIT and MISS and the restaurant at hotel (Rhythm Bar) is very good. Overall, this is a decent boutique hotel but I would hesitate to stay here again as there is a new Holiday Inn and Courtyard by Marriott very close to the Ajax ArenA.

The Arnhem train station enjoys a new look, and a cool, modern feel to go with it. Spanning two or…read morethree city blocks with exits and entrances on the city's center (or "centrum" as it is called in Dutch, the shopping side) and the Sonsbeek side (the car side where frequently people are dropped off or picked up), it reflects the large hub Arnhem is becoming. Since the extensive remodeling, the upper staircase which joins the different railroad tracks now has all glass elevators-nice- and wide staircases leading up and down. There are 'kiosks' located where you can purchase coffee and snacks. Check-in or -out poles are located on the waiting areas and near the exits and entrances. When you go down the staircase located on the tracks which leads downward, you find the information booth and more shops, think bookstore and small grocery. This area also enables you to exit on the other side of Arnhem, the Center side, and another separate area allows you to purchase international tickets or request refunds. Free wifi is available.

Fantastic architecture! This station is easy to maneuver and…read moreit has escalators to get up to the train platforms, and they all work!