<p>Just for fun I am thinking about going to Amsterdam next summer to see Pearl Jam. 
If I went, I would be taking my 22 year old, who has expressed an interest in going back ( when she was in high school, she had a long layover in Amsterdam before their flight to Ghana)</p>
<p>Say I would be staying just a week & would be on a bare bone budget- what to go see, where to eat & sleep?</p>
<p>We spent 4 days in Amsterdam a couple of summers ago, and I loved this city. Such a great place to walk around. There’s so much more to Amsterdam than the red light district and the coffee shops. There were a number of great restaurants, be sure to try the Indonesian rijsttafel; the Dutch pancakes were fun (Pancake Bakery right down the street from the Anne Frank museum is great for lunch). You can buy tickets online for a specific day/time for the Anne Frank museum - highly recommended to avoid a long line. You can also get tickets online for the Van Gogh museum - less of a line here but still convenient to have tix in advance. We took the train out to Haarlem to see a windmill and have lunch - a nice half day trip. And it is touristy but we enjoyed the Heineken factory tour (they give you a coupon for quite a bit of free beer/more than I could drink!)</p>
<p>I imagine there are bikes to rent to ride around on?
I noticed several passes to get discounts on museums & such.
Don’t know if I will actually go, but I would love to go to Europe once & I am not getting any younger :). It also would be a good time if I was taking D with me- ( although she may have an internship)
And weather is good? In Seattle late June is often still coldish.</p>
<p>Any time you are going to spend at least a week in a European capitol, it is generally less expensive to rent a small apartment. Nice to have a kitchen! And frequently they have bikes available for you to use. Here’s a great example:
[A</a> Place 2 Stay, Flowermarket - Amsterdam Vacation Rentals - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d1737351-A_Place_2_Stay_Flowermarket-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html]A”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d1737351-A_Place_2_Stay_Flowermarket-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d1725249-Intermezzo_Apartment_in_Amsterdam-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html[/url]”>www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d1725249-Intermezzo_Apartment_in_Amsterdam-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html</a></p>
<p>and this looks super-cool:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d2296960-Stylish_houseboat_apartment_with_amazing_view-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html[/url]”>www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d2296960-Stylish_houseboat_apartment_with_amazing_view-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d1732762-Apartment_in_the_Most_Buzzing_part_of_Town-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html[/url]”>www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g188590-d1732762-Apartment_in_the_Most_Buzzing_part_of_Town-Amsterdam_Noord_Holland.html</a></p>
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<p>You can buy the tickets across the street (well catty corner) at the information center. There was a huge line at the museum but none at that place. </p>
<p>Amsterdam is not exactly a cheap place to visit. A barebone budget means a lot of sandwiches and the ubiquitous kroketten. </p>
<p>[kroket</a> - typical dutch food - at dutchgrub](<a href=“http://www.dutchgrub.com/2009/10/10/the-kroket-hollands-glory/]kroket”>The Kroket - Holland's Glory - dutchgrub)</p>
<p>Typical dutch food:</p>
<p><a href=“http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9qIas131rFY/S0AiodQ8k1I/AAAAAAAAC7M/cxTPqEWwh5s/s400/febo.jpg[/url]”>http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9qIas131rFY/S0AiodQ8k1I/AAAAAAAAC7M/cxTPqEWwh5s/s400/febo.jpg</a></p>
<p>Vending machine cuisine? that is pretty interesting xiggi.</p>
<p>I am also wondering if I can get my sister to go with me. She has researched our family back to the 1400’s with quite a few Dutch ancestors, including Vermeer!
( it helps that they had huge families so it isn’t hard to have famous aunts/uncles or cousins)</p>
<p>However I don’t suppose she would go with me to the coffeehouses, as a Mormon she doesn’t drink coffee. ( let alone the coffee shops! She * does do* pastry however 
)</p>
<p>Definitely get your Anne Frank tickets ahead of time. We were able to purchase ours through our hotel. Another must is the canal boat ride. Since you will be there for a week, I would suggest googling “Amsterdam day trips”</p>
<p>I just got back from a business trip to Europe yesterday which included a couple of days in Amsterdam. My DD came along on the trip and did this:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.phototoursofamsterdam.com%5B/url%5D”>http://www.phototoursofamsterdam.com</a></p>
<p>It was an excellent way to see the city from a different perspective…</p>
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<p>There was some sarcasm in bringing up the vending machines. On the other hand, those food establishments are part of the Dutch landscape. And, I am pretty sure that the food from those machines can be tasty. I do like the street food in general. And, fwiw, the hot dog stand next to the Van Gogh museum served some of the best I ever had. </p>
<p>If you try to develop a budget, here are a few numbers that are helpful. </p>
<p>[Prices</a> Amsterdam 2011 | What’s up with Amsterdam](<a href=“http://www.whatsupwithamsterdam.com/2011/03/17/prices-in-amsterdam/]Prices”>http://www.whatsupwithamsterdam.com/2011/03/17/prices-in-amsterdam/)</p>
<p>Regarding the “coffeehouses” that are not exactly Starbucks clones …</p>
<p>[Holland</a> bans foreigners from cannabis coffee shops | Mail Online](<a href=“Holland bans foreigners from cannabis coffee shops | Daily Mail Online”>Holland bans foreigners from cannabis coffee shops | Daily Mail Online)</p>
<p>[Amsterdam</a> Coffee Shop News 2011 | Amsterdam.info](<a href=“http://www.amsterdam.info/coffee-shop-news/]Amsterdam”>Amsterdam Coffee Shop News | Amsterdam.info)</p>
<p>From what I remember, Amsterdam always has cooler weather, even in summer. I have been there a few times at different times of the year.</p>
<p>The Anne Frank museum is a must. I walked in without having to purchase tickets ahead of time. One fun thing we did was take a barge tour along the canals. </p>
<p>One thing I remember about Amsterdam was getting my wallet stolen. I was in a restaurant not too far from the main square (a few blocks away from the museum) and had my purse on the floor by my chair (silly me, I know). Without me even knowing it, someone came and pulled my wallet out. Luckily my passport was in another area and so all I lost were my credit cards and drivers license. I was with a business group so I was able to survive until a new credit card could be overnighted to me.</p>
<p>The interesting thing is that many, many months later, I received an envelope and inside was my driver’s license! Someone had found it on the street, and mailed it back to me.</p>
<p>I work for a Dutch company and am in Amsterdam several times/year (actually just flew back today!). There are plenty of places to rent bikes. If you need them for a few days, I would check ahead of time for a good deal. Make sure you have a good lock, as bike theft is common. </p>
<p>I would also suggest heading to The Hague (Den Haag) and the nearby beaches. We had a few off-sites there this year and it is quite beautiful.</p>
<p>If you are there in June, be prepared for very long days. It will still be light at 11pm and the sun rises again at 3am. </p>
<p>Amsterdam is actually a small town that you can see in 2 days (1 day for museums, another for Anne Frank & Canals). It is quite walkable, but a bike will get you around quicker.</p>
<p>Took the train (fairly brief, cheap ride), and went to the Mauritshuis in Den Haag. Small, intimate museum within walking distance of the train, had a number of Vermeers. It was magical. The daughter of the owner of the small hotel we stayed at in Amsterdam recommended this place and it was the highlight of my trip. Went there solo while DH was in Basel for business, and kicks himself that he didn’t get to go with me.</p>
<p>[Mauritshuis</a>, The Royal Picture Gallery](<a href=“Ontdek de collectie van het Mauritshuis | Mauritshuis”>Ontdek de collectie van het Mauritshuis | Mauritshuis)</p>
<p>One thing I regret not doing: making my own Delft tile. Got there and agonized over a design (yes, I thought about it before I left, too) – I just didn’t want to screw it up.
[De</a> Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles](<a href=“http://www.royaldelft.com/static.asp?myid=56&menu=3]De”>http://www.royaldelft.com/static.asp?myid=56&menu=3)
Did go to Delft, did sightseeing, visited the open air market, etc. Again, a short train ride from Amsterdam. </p>
<p>If you were there in the spring, I’d go to Keukenhof [Homepage</a> - Keukenhof - Lisse - Holland](<a href=“Welkom bij Keukenhof”>http://www.keukenhof.nl/)
I’m a photo nut and would shoot all day. Went there as a kid when we were stationed overseas. </p>
<p>I liked the Jewish Museum and old synagogue <a href=“Joods Museum - Joods Cultureel Kwartier”>Joods Museum - Joods Cultureel Kwartier; but found the Anne Frank Huis to be far too touristy. The pancake house nearby (someone else mentioned it upthread) is good. </p>
<p>Trains are not expensive and go everywhere.</p>
<p>just re-read your first post that you would be on a bare-bones budget. Beware of hostels, as many younger people head to Amsterdam primarily to visit the coffee shops, so they might not be quietest group. I suggest you look outside Amsterdam proper for a town on the train line, such as Leiden, Haarlen or Den Haag that is <30 minutes in Central Station.</p>
<p>Definitely go to the Van Gogh museum. It was my favourite part of Amsterdam!</p>
<p>I agree with nj2011mom. Amsterdam is VERY expensive and full of party people (and drunk Brits on stag parties) so hostel accommodation is likely to be pretty rowdy. Round central station is the worst. I have been to Amsterdam several times and always stayed around Leidesplein, which is busy but less popular with the party crowd (however, any innocent looking cafe in the daytime can suddenly sprout a sign with a neon glowing “appendage” shall we say after dark, with a new name and different clientelle. This is just what Amsterdam is like, You are never far from the seedy side).</p>
<p>Don’t got to Holland for the weather! It’s like England but wetter and flatter. </p>
<p>You can get discount cards like the I Amsterdam card but in my opinion it’s not worth it unless you do 4-5 sights a day, and in this case you would only be spending about 1 hour at each place or less, so you wouldn’t see much for rushing.</p>
<p>hmm perhaps if I go I will plan to budget more money-</p>
<p>I like the idea of finding a self-catered apartment. Restaurants are quite expensive and the service is quite slow in American terms (they typically only turn a table 1x/night). There are Albert Heijn grocery stores all over Amsterdam (even a nice big one downtown), where you can buy your own food at reasonable prices. (for example, this past week, I bought enough food for a dinner, including bottle of wine, 2 breakfasts and lunch/snacks for my trip home for Eu17).</p>
<p>I was in Amsterdam last October, first visit since the late 70’s. We were there for three nights before driving to Brugge. Another day or day or two would have been ideal. We did visit Den Haag en route back to the Amsterdam airport for a flight to Israel and that was a treat to visit the Mauritshaus. In the summer you will need to reserve your tickets in advance for the Anne Frank House, was not necessary in October. Hotels in Amsterdam really pricey, we did like our little Owl Hotel-even though was probably the smallest room I have ever stayed in, great location, easy to reach by bus from the airport, walking distance really everywhere, very clean and breakfast included with in summer would be nice outdoor area to sit. We did not reserve tickets in advance for the Van Gogh as we originally did not plan to go, having seen a major Van Gogh exhibit three years prior at the Albertina in Vienna, but we did have one day of rain and so added Van Gogh in the afternoon after visiting the abbeviated Rijks in the morning. The Jewish Museum and the Spanish and Portuguese synagogue highly recommended, and was disappointed not to get to the Musuem of the Dutch Resistance. In the summer you can easily walk and walk and enjoy Vondelpark. In addition to Den Haag and Haarlem, another outstanding day trip if interested in art, is the Kroller-Mueller Museum in Otterlo, a national park.</p>
<p>Leiden is a university town and on the train line. it might have cheap accommodations.</p>
![http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9qIas131rFY/S0AiodQ8k1I/AAAAAAAAC7M/cxTPqEWwh5s/s400/febo.jpg[/url]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9qIas131rFY/S0AiodQ8k1I/AAAAAAAAC7M/cxTPqEWwh5s/s400/febo.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
