Netherland

Special characteristics

  • very rare rest places on highways
  • the kids have no headgear on very cold days in winter
  • no bakeries for breakfasts outside of city centrum (book breakfast in hotel or buy something in the evening for the next morning)

Places

Amersfoort

  • Bastion Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not that expansive hotel (new building)
  • Zoo Dierenpark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Exotic animals with great activities for kids with a huge dino park
  • Playground Randenbroek, great park
  • La base pizza (italian pizza)

Utrecht

  • Rent a bike at William street bike BV
  • Ride a tour till the botanical garden over the favorite rainbow path
  • take a city boat tour
  • climb the dom and enjoy the pubs around
  • Ramen brothers utrecht (delicious!)

Texel

Take a winter jacket including hood outside the summer months.

Some point-of-interests for kids:

Harleem

Amsterdam

Recommendations from Amanda Perino

Practical tips

  • Earplugs are always a good idea, no matter where you are staying. Amsterdam is an old city, and very compact. This means insulation is often poor, and the streets are loud. 
  • Don’t walk in the bike lane. For the love of all that is holy, do not walk on or cross the bike lanes without looking at least two or three times, both ways. 
  • If you rent a bike, treat the bike bell like a car horn, not like a fun toy. Use only when needed.
  • Tipping in Amsterdam is becoming more popular, but is not required. It is customary to round a bill up if you do want to leave a tip. For instance, if your bill for food and drink comes to 65 euro, you might leave 70 euro. It is not usual to tip on just a drink order at a bar.

Eat

Booking ahead is always recommended!

Casual/mid-range:

  • The Lobby Nesplein- nice for lunch or dinner. Cozy, intimate, and classy. Close to Dam Square and the Rails World venue.
  • Vessel- set in a beautiful hotel (Boat & Co) overlooking the harbor in the West. Note from Amanda: I go here to co-work pretty often, just because I like the space.
  • Wilde Zwijnen- cozy, chef’s menu, seasonal
  • Foodhallen- Very popular hipster food hall, but lots of variety at the many stalls. But good luck finding a table! (and keeping it). (No need to book ahead here.)
  • Maydanoz turkish restaurant

When you want to spend a little more on the experience:

  • Choux- Amanda’s personal favorite. They put a lot of care into their dishes and it shows. Heavy on the fish/seafood/vegetables.
  • Wolf Atelier - when you’re thinking ‘I could really go for 15 courses right about now…’

For those who brunch:

  • Cut Throat- because you can get brunch and a haircut at the same time (but I just love the space itself).
  • Dignita- There are 3 in the city, so take your pick.

Drink: coffee

Amsterdam looooooooves coffee so there are a ton of great coffee places in the city, and you never have to go far to find the good stuff. Here are a few options depending on where you are in the city.

Drink: alcohol

If you like natural wines and slightly more intimate vibes:

If you don’t mind a (younger) crowd and ordering at the bar:

If you like beer:

  • Brouwerij t’Ij- local brewery with tasting room right under a windmill. Can’t get more Dutch than that.
  • Gollem- there are a couple in the city, and all have a massive selection of beers from the NL and Belgium and further abroad.

Proeflokaal:

  • Try genever at one of the fun old proeflokalen in the city. Wynand Fockink is by Dam Square and can be crowded and touristy, but also very fun.

Bruin cafes:

See/Do

  • Noordermarkt (market) - a fun Saturday market in the Jordaan to browse food, antiques, and people. From 9am to 3pm.
  • Boating on the canals- Amsterdam by water is the very best. Three options:
    1. Big boat tours. They leave from Central Station, but are impersonal and touristy.
    1. Do it yourself. Grab some friends (max 6), rent a boat, and drive the canals yourself. Remember to stick to the right! Lots of options on where to rent them: mokumboat or boaty are just two.
    1. If you don’t want to drive or want more people onboard and are willing to pay more for someone else to drive, try: boatnow Don’t forget to invite your good pal Amanda P.
  • Kuuma sauna- private sauna for you and friends, with a fun view overlooking the old ship in Marrineterrein. (Amsterdam location should be available to book again in October.) Tip: No hot showers on site, so plan to head to your hotel after before going elsewhere.
  • Mooie Boules- whether you call it petanque or boules, this is a fun bar with boules fields inside. Best to book your field ahead.
  • TonTon Club - a barcade in Westerpark with pub food, drinks, and an upstairs with lots of fun games.
  • Duke of Tokyo- karaoke bar with private rooms set up like a narrow alley in Tokyo. Fun vibes. It’s popular, so booking ahead is advised.

Museums

  • Rijksmuseum- go for the masterpieces, stay for the building/architecture, and make sure to catch the detailed paintings of the ships at sea mid-battle (Amanda’s personal favorite).

  • Het Scheepsvaartmuseum & VOC Schip Amsterdam- Note from Amanda: The National Maritime Museum probably isn’t high on many people’s lists, but with the architecture of the building itself, the amazing collection of ship battle scenes, and the reproduction of the wooden ship outside, it hits all the right notes for me (nerd alert!). I think it’s pretty cool and very Dutch.

  • Straat- street art museum in a huge old warehouse.

Last change: 2024-10-28, commit: 311a7e8