24 Hours in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Short List

How to Get Around

• Tram

• Train
• Amsterdam Central
• Schipol Airport

Where to Stay

• The Flying Pig Hostel

What to See

• Prix d'Ami
• The Noon
• The Bulldog
• Red Light District
• Vondel Park
• Sex Museum
• Van Gogh Museum
• Anne Frank House

Shopping

• Magna Plaza
• Negen Straatjes (9 Streets)

Where to Eat

• Nutella Ice Bakery
• Urban Burger
• FEBO
• Various Carts

 

On a whim, we decided to fly out to Amsterdam.  We had to leave Chicago O'hare early Friday morning for a 5am flight, got to Philly International at about 7am, (and hit the city) before our 7pm flight to Amsterdam.  I was tired before we began!

How to get around:

When you land at Schipol Airport and exit baggage, find the ticket counter and ask what the best bet is for your travel needs to a human vs using the yellow travel kiosks that are scattered around the station.  We got two 2-day travel passes that were valid for the train to Amsterdam Central and also back to Schipol Airport, and use of the tram and bus system that connects all of Amsterdam. 

The trams run until about 12:30am and after this, the buses pick up the slack.  You CAN take a cab, but the cost and time it would take to get around isn't worth it.  The "best" transportation mode is by bike, depending on your weather tolerance.   A lot of the hotels and hostels offer bike rentals, and you will see storefronts offering these services as well!   

When exiting Amsterdam Central, DON'T ALMOST GET HIT BY A TRAM.  As I mentioned, there is a TON more tram and bike traffic than cars themselves. 

Additionally,  DON'T ALMOST GET HIT BY A BIKE (or 5 they run in packs).  There is an extra bike lane past the crossing that doesn't seem to fully adhere to foot pedestrian laws. 

In all seriousness, don't be the guy/gal on your phone so that your'e oblivious to life and cause an accident.  Bike traffic is serious here, and I'm sure it can be QUITE annoying trying to get to work and a doggone tourist makes you flip your bike.

Where to stay:

Since this was last minute, we didn't immediately have a place to stay.  We checked the Bulldog, world famous "Coffeeshop" and Hostel; no luck for the very next day.  We the tried the HotelsTonight app, but the options coming up here were like "nah son", or "HELL nah son", depending on either price or distance to where we needed/wanted to be. 

Couchsurfing is an option that many may not be familiar with,  but there were THOUSANDS of hosts in Amsterdam. With some vetting, this could be a viable option for last minute travelers.  Or the cheap ones... Notice I did say vetting...

We ended up booking a private room, the last available, at The Flying Pig Hostel - Uptown.

The Flying Pig runs parallel to the famed VondelPark.  Its pretty cool inside, but nothing fancy, as it is a backpackers hostel.  We first ran into a vending machine filled with chips, candy, and stroopwaffles before walking forward to reception.  She gave us the ropes as well as a map, gave us the hours for the bar that was right behind her, and details about use of the smokers room and checkout.  They do ask for a deposit for the key card of 1 Euro that is either returned to you or donated with your approval.  There are a ton of stairs, so if you have any restrictions, you will NOT want to stay here. 

Had it gone the true "hostel" way (not the horror movie, geez), we would have ended up with our own bunk in a shared room with strangers.  For a night, and more, really a place to rest our stuff and heads, this would have worked, at about 20 Euro per person with locker rental available. 

The private room we had was more "hotel" style; The room was not large, just a full size bed, sink, small TV, and enough space for a bag or 2.  There were 2 sets of fresh sheets and towels, orange scented bar soap, lotion, and shampoo, but not much more.  There is no closet, just 2 hooks for a jacket and a very colorful ceiling.  The bathrooms, showers, and other hostel amenities are shared with other boarders.  **Be sure to bring shower shoes**.  This is an individual "communal" shower room, and you realllllly want to do your best to not be barefoot, though it was clean. 

It came out to about 125 Euro for two, checking in at 2pm, and out at 10:30am the next day. 

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What to See:

We had some time to kill before we could check into the The Flying Pig, so our first stop was Prix d'Ami, an Amsterdam Coffee Shop.  It was about a 10 minute walk from the Amsterdam Centraal Station with bike and pedestrian traffic.  If you asked someone from the station, I'm sure they could direct you there, as it is one of the largest coffee shops in Amsterdam. 

After removing any head gear and handing over your passport for a look-over, you enter and see couches and a line for purchase of "coffee", coffee, tea and "coffee" accessories like grinders.  After purchase, you can go up the stairs to one of the 3 floors, each floor having 2 sides with more couches and hella people toking in various forms.  This place is cash only so be sure you grabbed some Euro from the currency exchange on the corner, if you hadn't already converted some USD to Euro.  

There is a purchase required if parking yourself in one of their restaurant lounges to partake.  Try a Loosa, just a bottled nectar-like juice, or a Mogi Mogi- something I had in Korea, which is juice with "gummy" bits.  They also have smoothies, bottled POP (European style so less bright colors and less sugar/artificial flavors then here in the states), coffee and cappuccino, and a food list with quick things like nachos and panini.  The waitresses will come around after you find a seat at any of the communal tables and couches to get your order.  Pretty cool to look around and see all types of people from ALL countries interacting, and good music playing so its not just the hum or multiple conversations. 

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We floated out of the coffee shop with a new view on life and a lightness in our step.  Everything is beautiful, and even if you don't enjoy architecture and antiquity (i.e. Marlon), most will be appreciative of the sights and sounds.  Amsterdam is a visual mix of old meets new; trams traversing over intertwined tracks through the century old buildings.

A green "walk sign" made humanity begin bee-lining into a building, and since we didn't have a plan, we followed.  Magna Plaza Shopping Centre has the same old-meets-new aesthetic of Amsterdam; new retail shops embed into the high ceilings, the columns and bricks, the glass and carvings of the malls structure.  Walking out of the indoor mall and down some streets, we ended up on BLOCKS of outdoor shopping called Negen Straatjes, or 9 Streets, similar to those in Barcelona; some high end places and some simple mom and pop style stores.  

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On foot, the brick patterned stones turned to cobblestone style as we neared Dam Square and the National Monument.  There were DROVES of people here; it was National Tulip Day 2018.  Hundreds of people braved the longest line that wasn't for a new coaster or an iPhone i have ever seen, waiting for their turn to get into the center and have their pick of sprung tulips with bulbs attached.  

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Near the Dam stop and the National Monument, we following traffic and a new route, ending up at the IAMsterdam sign around dusk.  We took some pictures and watched people skate at seasonal ice skaiting park before heading through the tunnel under Rijks Museum.  The city has a different feel after the sun sets, and the lights cast cool shadows on the ancient buildings, giving a whole new vibe for the night.

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The imagined plan was to go to into the Van Gogh Museum and also the Anne Frank House, but you needed "pre-sale" tickets and there were no more online.  The Sex Museum, which was very entertaining to say the least, did not require advanced sale, so in true tourist form, we saw a few cringe-worthy things (they gave warnings) but also tons of funny stuff and information.

The Red Light District has the "red light booths" it is known for, but also tons of bars and restaurants as you casually wander past women putting their most seductive foot forward (or women throwing a bottle of water at some guy who must have broken some rule). 

We ended up grabbing a beer at one of the bars, and the DJ was giving her soul, segueing seamlessly between genres and languages.  They have a smoking room in the back, and also a charging locker for most phones that was 1 Euro until you opened the locker and removed your phone.  By the time we left, around 11:30p, the place was getting packed.

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Where to Eat:

Amsterdam is pretty much known for various cheeses and stroopwaffles.  Its a snacky kind of place and has lots of quick pick ups and on the go foods and burgers.  While there are some really "good" places, this trip wasn't intended to be a foodie trip. 

Nutella Ice Bakery changed the game.  You HAVE TO get a waffle, warmed and topped with Nutella.  I also got 4 macrons totalling 10 Euro.  There are multiple locations, and we absolutely ended up at another one in the morning prior to departure, this time adding some extra fatness and berries to the waffles, an order of mini-donut-churro bites stuffed with Nutella, and two espresso macchiatos

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Urban Grill popped up on a later walk so we stopped in for a burger and fries.  The Dutch have the cheat code on fries.  I mean this.  The crunchy-while-still-soft-salty potato chunks are so special they give you mini-forks to eat them.  Ok, this isn't why, but I'm rolling with it. 

Fries with Joppie Sauce and  two burgers ran about 24 Euro.  Joppie sauce is a Dutch specialty, a concoction of secrets and lies with curry sauce and onion.  Its sweet and salty, savory and delicious.  Try it if you never have; you can get it on the side instead if you are not the most adventurous. 

I know how folks feel about mayo (I am not one of them) but TRY the mayo and ketchup mix on your fries; it is one of the other ways fries are served in Amsterdam, and gives a tart, creamy sweetness.

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For late night snacks or even meals, There were a lot of quick places with entrees like chicken shawarma plates and also FEBO chains, where you can grab fast foods like croquettes and other fried snacks from little windows for coins.    

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The Summary:

For a quick trip, this has been one of my favorites.  The ease of transportation makes it one of the better cities to see with a limited amount of time and for a low cost.  Depending on HOW you choose to see the city and what you plan to do, it could get costly, but Amsterdam can definitely be done on a budget by renting a bike, staying at a hostel, and partaking in the snack culture of Amsterdam and doing sight-seeing more than attraction visiting.  In 24 hours, you could def hit all of the Short List with ease.

The museums run about 18 euro, so while not expensive, if vising multiples, it can add up in no time.   If shopping is on your agenda, this WILL make it a less budget friendly trip as well.  Some of the real restauants can get pricey, but remember if you go further away from the center of the city, things did get a slight bit cheaper.  I cant wait to come back, maybe in warmer weather so that we can fully indulge in what Amsterdam has to offer.