Help Me Plan My Trip

drayman86 · Post by **drayman86** » Sun 10th Jan 2010 01:13 pm

Here's the original list:

Ganja Tours bike tour. This will happen on the first or second day.
Anne Frank
Van Gough
Rijkmuseum
Nemo
Day trip to Haarlem
Canal boat tour (need help with a specific tour company on this one)

Thanks to the reponses, I've added:

Botanical Gardens
Walking tour from the Flying Pig hostel
The Normal
St. Nicholas Boat Club for a canal boat tour
(Already planing day trips to Alkmaar and Haarlem, Kingdoc, so will leave Germany by ICE for next time.)

Keep 'em comin', please.

Cheers!

mrdcotor · Post by **mrdcotor** » Sun 10th Jan 2010 02:29 pm

Edam! A lovely town very close to A'dam and you only need to take one of the many bus wich go there all of them starting from central station

drayman86 · Post by **drayman86** » Sun 10th Jan 2010 02:38 pm

mrdcotor wrote:Edam! A lovely town very close to A'dam and you only need to take one of the many bus wich go there all of them starting from central station

Thanks! I'll check out Edam. I'll be in town for two weeks and would like to make one day trip each week. On the day-trip list possibilities now are:

Edam
Alkmaar
Haarlem

Still cold and snowy here in the Great White North, so I'll stay warm and dry inside today reading up on each one of these cities.

Cheers!

Willjay · Post by **Willjay** » Sun 10th Jan 2010 04:26 pm

Have a Great time.

The Netherlands has a Museum pass, about 39 euros, good in alot of museums in the whole country and is good for a year. Sorry the Ann Frank house as well as the Hash and Marijuana are not included.

The Dutch rail use to offer a three day unlimited rides train pass, great way to explore the Dutch country.

drayman86 · Post by **drayman86** » Tue 19th Jan 2010 12:52 am

Willjay wrote:Have a Great time.

The Netherlands has a Museum pass, about 39 euros, good in alot of museums in the whole country and is good for a year. Sorry the Ann Frank house as well as the Hash and Marijuana are not included.

The Dutch rail use to offer a three day unlimited rides train pass, great way to explore the Dutch country.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check out the GVB website for their deals on multi-day passes.

OK, the day-trip list is shaping up something like this:

Haarlem. According to my reading, it's remained virtually unchanged since medieval times. Also has the Frans Hals Museum of portraiture.

Alkmaar: There's that really cool cheese market that takes place in the town center each Friday as well as some nice surrounding countryside for bike riding (stoned, of course).

Arnhem: For history, a lot of WWII battles took place in and around this town (which was totally destroyed). There's also a great museum of art on a nature preserve/estate, and a nearby open-air museum that is a snapshot recreation of Dutch life for the past 200 years or so.

Anyone know if you can take your bike onto the trains?

hulldj · Post by **hulldj** » Mon 25th Jan 2010 02:42 am

Kingdoc wrote:2 hours by ICE,Around 50 euors return! ie squares/museums/city tours & bar street ,You can go to the top of the space needle or take a river tour! & if your going with your other half its great for shopping & eating out,Oh just 1 last thing! the last trein back to amsterdam is about 21.00 hours,Dag.

Does anyone know if the ICE leaves from Central Station? I am having trouble locating fares and destinations for a collegue who is train mad and fancied jumping on the ICE to see where it would take him... It would be nice to give him a heads up if anyone knows?

Cheers

drayman86 · Post by **drayman86** » Mon 25th Jan 2010 02:49 am

hulldj wrote:
Kingdoc wrote:2 hours by ICE,Around 50 euors return! ie squares/museums/city tours & bar street ,You can go to the top of the space needle or take a river tour! & if your going with your other half its great for shopping & eating out,Oh just 1 last thing! the last trein back to amsterdam is about 21.00 hours,Dag.
Does anyone know if the ICE leaves from Central Station? I am having trouble locating fares and destinations for a collegue who is train mad and fancied jumping on the ICE to see where it would take him... It would be nice to give him a heads up if anyone knows?

Cheers

Here's a start:

http://europeforvisitors.com/germany/tr ... passes.htm

Hammy · Post by **Hammy** » Mon 25th Jan 2010 12:15 pm

For crude entertainment you could check out the VERY touristy Sex Museum on Damrak... a 30 minute or so laugh really, €3 or €4 I think. Maybe a sex show if you're felling brave... dunno what floats your boat tbh. Could try out a red light tour, but I imagine these are hugely touristy as well.

The obvious things such as Marijuana museum and cannabis college are probably worth a quick visit.

Botanical gardens seconded, very good really. Not massive, but worth a trip. Heineken brouwery also recommended, if a bit pricy.

A comedy show at Boom chicago on the leidseplein? Heard a few good reports depending on the show.

hulldj · Post by **hulldj** » Mon 25th Jan 2010 01:20 pm

Thanks Drayman.. appreciated

drayman86 · Post by **drayman86** » Tue 26th Jan 2010 12:58 am

Thanks, Hammy. Wouldn't be a trip to Amsterdam w/o just a bit of sex tourism, no? My appetite for such may a tad larger than my budget, tho.

TheGinSoakedGirl · Post by **TheGinSoakedGirl** » Wed 27th Jan 2010 10:55 pm

Maybe a bit esoteric and not on the tourist circuit but the Archieef/Archive in the old ABN Amro building on Vijelstraat (sp) is interesting. They've got some historic banking exhibitions in the cellar vaults of the old bank, and the tour is interesting.

Cafe isn't bad either.

http://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Wed 27th Jan 2010 10:56 pm

darkglobe wrote:The Botanical gardens...if you're into plants...make sure you go in the greenhouse with the Butterflies...

Great picture that.

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Wed 27th Jan 2010 10:58 pm

drayman86 wrote:
Willjay wrote:Have a Great time.

The Netherlands has a Museum pass, about 39 euros, good in alot of museums in the whole country and is good for a year. Sorry the Ann Frank house as well as the Hash and Marijuana are not included.

The Dutch rail use to offer a three day unlimited rides train pass, great way to explore the Dutch country.
Thanks for the tip. I'll check out the GVB website for their deals on multi-day passes.

OK, the day-trip list is shaping up something like this:

Haarlem. According to my reading, it's remained virtually unchanged since medieval times. Also has the Frans Hals Museum of portraiture.

Alkmaar: There's that really cool cheese market that takes place in the town center each Friday as well as some nice surrounding countryside for bike riding (stoned, of course).

Arnhem: For history, a lot of WWII battles took place in and around this town (which was totally destroyed). There's also a great museum of art on a nature preserve/estate, and a nearby open-air museum that is a snapshot recreation of Dutch life for the past 200 years or so.

Anyone know if you can take your bike onto the trains?

Congrats on going to haarlem! its a lovely little place,Ps Here is the coneXXions buss company that could help you out also.Dag.

www.connexxion.nl

drayman86 · Post by **drayman86** » Thu 28th Jan 2010 01:13 pm

TheGinSoakedGirl wrote:Maybe a bit esoteric and not on the tourist circuit but the Archieef/Archive in the old ABN Amro building on Vijelstraat (sp) is interesting. They've got some historic banking exhibitions in the cellar vaults of the old bank, and the tour is interesting.

Cafe isn't bad either.

http://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/

Cheers for that. I'll add it to the growing list.

And KingDoc, thanks for the bus link.

angry pirate · Post by **angry pirate** » Fri 29th Jan 2010 12:53 am

if you've a spare hour down the museum 1/4, i'd recommend house of bols. it seemed a bit more personal than heineken as far as interaction. nice drink waitin for you at the end too. I've got some pics i'll post up soon, lazy get that i am.