# Amsterdam



## pgnewarkboy (May 31, 2009)

The wife and I are thinking of a quick getaway to Amsterdam this summer if possible.  I hear you don't need a car in Amsterdam but how about travel to some "outlying" areas"?  Is rail travel good enough to dispense with a car altogether.  We expect to spend most of our time in Amsterdam.


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## sml2181 (May 31, 2009)

You really don't want to have a car IN Amsterdam. Public transportation will suffice, and parking can get very expensive. 
I grew up in Amsterdam and only got my driver's licence when I moved out of town. 

Depending on where you want to travel outside Amsterdam, it may be more comfortable to have a car.
Did you have any specific area/town in mind?


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## Conan (May 31, 2009)

You seriously don't need or want a car in Amsterdam.  The center city is hub-shaped and bounded by canals.





Train service will take you out of town.  In town you'll just walk.


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## pgnewarkboy (May 31, 2009)

sml2181 said:


> You really don't want to have a car IN Amsterdam. Public transportation will suffice, and parking can get very expensive.
> I grew up in Amsterdam and only got my driver's licence when I moved out of town.
> 
> Depending on where you want to travel outside Amsterdam, it may be more comfortable to have a car.
> Did you have any specific area/town in mind?





Thanks.  We are not sure where we would want to go.  Any good suggestions where we would not need a car?  I would like to avoid the expense if possible.


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## sml2181 (May 31, 2009)

Well, I guess you will then stick with the touristic sites...most of these can be easily reached with public transport.

Here are some places which are very popular and easy to reach by train/bus:

The Hague (This is where our government is located, lots of museums Mauritshuis is only one of them, very pretty and is called the Royal Cabinet for paintings), Panorama Mesdag, Scheveningen beach, Paleis Noordeinde (queen's work palace), Paleis Huis ten Bosch (where our queen resides), Binnenhof, Knigh's Hall, lots and lots of Dutch historic sites.)
Leiden (Rembrandt was born here, it has the Pieterskerk (Peters Church), the historic weigh house, tulips were first cultivated here 400 years ago and it has A LOT of Dutch history) Actually you could do both Leiden and The Hague in one day - some trains to The Hague stop in Leiden)
Delft (Delftware and a lot more) Can be visited easily with The Hague
Utrecht (Dom Tower - and again a lot of history
Alkmaar (cheese) Train
Volendam/Edam/Monnikendam (THE typical old Dutch small villages - you know, with the wooden shoes and such. Also famous for their yacht builders.) Easy by bus from Amsterdam Central Station.
Haarlem (you can see a windmill here - very nice town from 1245 with lots of Dutch history. Here are the Teylers Museum which is the oldest museum in Holland, Frans Hals Museum and while you're there, you can visit the surrounding villages like Bloemendaal (has a beach), Aerdenhout, Zandvoort (has a beach)) Train

Amsterdam:
Take a canal boat tour. Very touristic, I know, but you will really see some very interesting places and views which you will miss otherwise. Really. Most likely you will see the Weigh House, the Munt (= coin) Tower which is next to the Flower Market, the "Gentlemen's Canal" with its famous Golden Bend, or the Emperor's Canal with the House with the Heads, lots and lots of very pretty house gables, lots of nice views. You will most probably cross the place from where Peter Stuyvesant left Holland, the "Weeping Tower" , the Maritime Museum, former Rembrandt Home, depending on the route you will see the Western Church where our queen got married, the Anne Frank House and lots more. 
In summer, take an evening tour for the views - and lights. (when I was a child, we always made fun of these tours, but - I worked as a guide on these tours during the last years of high school - and it really is interesting despite of the fact that some of these tours are in 4 languages. 
How controversial this may be, visit the former Red Light neighbourhood. It is the oldest part of the town and has some homes from before 1300, including the historic and famous gables. This area should not be the typical RLD anymore anyway. And just in case, when you go in the am, you won't really see anything anyway. Here are also the old pawn shop, the historic town hall, which is now the Grand Hotel, part of the University of Amsterdam and last but not least the Old Church.
And of course the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk museum.
Shopping: PC Hooftstraat, Kalverstraat, 7 Straatjes, Dam Square and surroundings.

I am not sure what would be interesting to you - so these are just some general suggestions. If you have specific interests, I would be happy to help you.


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## ScoopKona (May 31, 2009)

Do what the locals do, ride a bicycle everywhere. I dislike driving in Europe. Mainly because I'm always the one stuck driving. I'd rather take the train and be able to look out the window, too.

(Why isn't this in the Europe section???)


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## Jimster (May 31, 2009)

*train*

Yes by all means use the train.  You can do anything you want using public transporation and you avoid all the problems of parking, etc.  I always shake my head at Americans that just can't break the habit of using a car.  You are in Europe- not the USA.  The public transportation system is different there.  Not every place in the world is like LA where a car is the only real means of transportation.


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