# Amsterdam

17th-century canals, the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and the Anne Frank House, all on foot or by tram. And less than an hour away by train, windmills and fishing villages.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/amsterdam · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Amsterdam is the gateway to the Netherlands for anyone travelling from Spain: direct flights from almost every city, a train that drops you in the centre in a quarter of an hour and a compact city you can cover on foot. In three days you see the canals, the three museums almost everyone wants to see and a couple of quiet neighbourhoods. With one or two more days, you can take the train to the windmills of the Zaanse Schans, to Haarlem or to Delft and come back to sleep.

## How do I get from the airport?

By train. The station is beneath Schiphol Plaza, the arrivals hall, and the journey to Amsterdam Centraal takes between 14 and 17 minutes, with several trains an hour by day and night trains in the small hours. You do not need a ticket: tap your contactless card or phone on the reader when you enter the platform and when you leave, always using the same one. If you are staying near the Museumplein or the Vondelpark, bus 397 takes you there directly, every fifteen minutes.

Better not to come by car: parking in the centre is very expensive, many streets beside the canals are one-way and you will not need one even for day trips.

## Which tickets should I buy in advance?

The three big visits require booking, and one of them weeks ahead:

Anne Frank House. Sold only online on the official website, every Tuesday at 10:00 for visits six weeks later. There is no ticket office, tickets are named and non-refundable. It costs €16.50 (€17 from 2027). If you are going on a long weekend or in summer, buy on the first possible Tuesday.

Van Gogh Museum. Online only, with a time slot. €25 (€26 from January 2027), free up to age 18. On Fridays it is open until 21:00.

Rijksmuseum. A time slot is compulsory for everyone; the ticket office only sells if there is space left. €25 (€26.50 from 2027), free up to age 18. Open every day from 9:00 to 17:00.

The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh are on the same square, five minutes from each other, but two big museums on the same day is very tiring: better one in the morning of each day.

## How do I organise three days?

Day 1, canals and the Jordaan. Walk around the 17th-century canal ring to the Begijnhof, the Anne Frank House at your booked time and the afternoon in the Jordaan and the Nine Streets. At nightfall, a canal cruise: with the houses and bridges lit up is when it looks its best.

Day 2, Museumplein. The Rijksmuseum first thing, lunch at the Albert Cuyp Market, a while in the Vondelpark and, if it is a Friday, the Van Gogh Museum in the evening.

Day 3, the north and the bike. The free ferry behind Central Station to the A'DAM Lookout and, in the afternoon, a bike ride around the city or a route through the Waterland countryside.

## Which day trips can you make from here?

The Netherlands is small and trains are frequent, so almost all the classics are less than an hour from Amsterdam Centraal:

Zaanse Schans, the windmills and green wooden houses, less than twenty minutes by train.

Volendam and Marken, the fishing village and the former island, linked by boat, half an hour away by bus.

Haarlem, a quieter canal city, a quarter of an hour by train; in spring, a base for the tulip fields and Keukenhof.

Delft, the city of Vermeer and blue pottery, an hour away by train.

Giethoorn, the village with canals instead of streets, about two hours away: best with a night there.

## When to go?

April, May, June and September are the best months: long days, mild temperatures and, in April and May, the bulb fields in bloom between Haarlem and Leiden. July and August are pleasant but crowded. From November to March it is cold and damp and gets dark early, although that is when the illuminated canals are at their prettiest and hotels are cheapest. Avoid King's Day (27 April) if you do not want a city in orange party mode with no hotels free.

## Where to sleep?

Inside the canal ring or next to the Museumplein, so you can do everything on foot. Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark has private rooms at hostel prices beside the park; the Hotel Estheréa is a family-run four-star on the Singel, and the Pulitzer is the treat, in canal houses. Amsterdam is expensive: book early and allow for the tourist tax, which is charged separately.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Zaanse Schans (a 12.4 km), Muiden and Naarden (a 16.4 km), Haarlem (a 17.5 km), Volendam and Marken (a 17.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Rijksmuseum, The Night Watch and the Gallery of Honour** (2 h 30 · All ages; free up to age 18 · €25 adults (€26.50 from 2027) · under-18s free): The national museum of the Netherlands occupies a brick palace of 1885 between the canals and the Museumplein. What almost everyone comes to see is on the main floor: Rembrandt's The Night Watch, Vermeer's The Milkmaid and the portraits by Frans Hals, in a long gallery with side rooms. Around them are eight hundred years of the country's history: ship models, 17th-century dolls' houses, Delft porcelain and four Van Gogh paintings, including his self-portrait.
How to organise your visit
Book a time on the official website: the entry slot is compulsory for everyone, even with a museum card, and the ticket office only sells if there is room. With two and a half hours you see the Gallery of Honour without hurrying and one or two more floors. The museum's app has hundreds of free audio tracks; download it beforehand and bring headphones. Go first thing or after 15:00, when the groups leave.
Under-18s enter free, so with teenagers it is the cheapest visit on the Museumplein. With small children, go straight to the ships and the dolls' houses and leave the Gallery of Honour for the end.
- **Van Gogh Museum, the painter's biggest collection** (2 h · All ages; free up to age 18 · €25 adults (€26 from 2027) · under-18s free): The museum holds the biggest Van Gogh collection in the world: more than two hundred paintings, drawings and letters, arranged by stages of his life. You will see Sunflowers, The Bedroom, The Potato Eaters, the almond blossom and a wall of self-portraits. The permanent collection occupies the Rietveld building; the temporary exhibitions, the elliptical wing, and the ticket includes them all.
Tickets and opening hours
There is no sale at the ticket office: buy online on the museum's website or from its official resellers, which the museum itself lists; other platforms may sell fake tickets. Choose a time, because entry is by slots. It costs €25 (€26 from January 2027) and under-18s enter free. It opens at 9:00 every day; closes at 17:00 or 18:00 depending on the month, and on Fridays at 21:00, with music and activities in the Vincent on Friday programme.
How to get there
It is at Museumplein 6, next to the Rijksmuseum. From Central Station, trams 2, 5 or 24 to the Museumplein stop. Under the square is a Q-Park car park, although in Amsterdam it is not worth going by car.
- **Anne Frank House and the Secret Annex** (1 h · From age 10, because of the content · €16.50 adults (€17 from 2027) · €7 for ages 10 to 17 · €1 up to age 9): In the back of this warehouse at Prinsengracht 263, Anne Frank, her family and four other people hid between 1942 and 1944, until they were arrested and deported. You climb the staircase hidden behind a revolving bookcase and walk through the empty rooms, just as her father, Otto Frank, wanted them to be preserved. At the end you see the original diary. The visit is silent and moving: allow an hour.
How to get a ticket
It is the museum in Amsterdam with the strictest rules, and it is worth knowing them before you travel:

Online only and only on the official website, annefrank.org. No tickets are sold at the door.
Every Tuesday at 10:00 (Central European time, the same as mainland Spain) all tickets go on sale for visits six weeks later. The good time slots sell out that same day: set an alarm.
Each ticket is for one day and one time, is named and cannot be changed or refunded.
Prices: €16.50 adults (€17 from 2027), €7 for ages 10 to 17 and €1 for ages 0 to 9, always with €1 booking fee included. With a Museumkaart you pay €1; the I amsterdam City Card gives no discount.
Card payment only. Open every day from 9:00 to 22:00, with special hours on some days (1 January, King's Day, 4 May).

You can choose the simple visit or one with an introductory programme beforehand. The house is not designed for under-10s: the spaces are narrow and the story is harsh.
- **Canal cruise on the Grachtengordel** (1 h 15 · All ages · From €26 adults (Blue Boat Company)): The canals of the Grachtengordel, the 17th-century ring around the centre, are a World Heritage Site and are best understood from the water: the tall, narrow houses, the hooks on the façades for hoisting furniture, the houseboats and the bridges lit up at night. A boat trip is the first thing almost everyone does in Amsterdam, and with children it is the most rewarding.
Two ways to do it

Large covered boat, with audio. Blue Boat Company leaves from the Stadhouderskade, beside the Rijksmuseum, and its City Canal Cruise lasts 75 minutes, from €26 per adult and €13.50 per child. It also has a 90-minute evening trip and one designed for children. It runs in rain and in winter.
Small open boat, with a skipper. Those Dam Boat Guys takes groups of ten at most in open boats (with a canopy if it rains) from Keizersgracht 100, in the Jordaan. It lasts 90 minutes or a little more, for €36.50 (€31.50 for children and students), and you can bring your own food and drink. The tone is informal and the language adult: bear that in mind with children.

There are many more operators on the quay by Central Station and on the Damrak; the large boats are very similar to one another.
- **Cycling around Amsterdam and the Waterland countryside** (2 h · Adults and teenagers who can ride in traffic · Hire from €5.85 · guided ride from €27.29): In Amsterdam there are more bikes than inhabitants and the city is made for them: separate lanes, their own traffic lights and enormous parking areas. Cycling is the quickest way to get around the centre, but it is not a relaxed ride: locals go fast and the rush-hour bike traffic is intimidating.
Hire or guided ride
MacBike, with more than thirty years in the city and five shops in the centre (one next to Central Station), hires out city bikes from €5.85, with child seats, parent-and-child tandems, cargo bikes and electric bikes. If it is your first time, its guided City Amsterdam Highlights ride (2 hours, from €27.29) teaches you the rules as you go. With half a day, the e-bike route through Waterland crosses the IJ by ferry and heads out into the countryside of polders and dykes as far as Monnickendam (5 hours, from €39.88).
Rules you should know
Always ride in the cycle lane, red or marked, and on the right. Signal with your arm before turning. Watch out for the tram tracks: cross them at right angles so your wheel does not get caught. Always lock the bike to something fixed with the two locks you are given. At night, lights on.
- **A'DAM Lookout, the viewing platform and swing over the IJ** (1 h · All ages; swing from 1.20 m tall · €16.50 adults online · €10.50 ages 4 to 12): The A'DAM tower stands on the north bank of the IJ, directly opposite Central Station. At the top, about 100 metres up, the viewing platform is partly covered and partly open-air and shows you the canals, the port and, on a clear day, the polders. What made it famous is the Over the Edge swing, which swings you out over the edge of the roof.
How to get there and how much it costs
Behind Central Station leaves the free ferry to Buiksloterweg, which crosses in about four minutes and drops you almost at the door. Admission costs €16.50 bought online (€2 less than at the ticket office) and €10.50 for ages 4 to 12, with family packs. The swing and the virtual roller coaster are paid separately (€7.50 each) and require a height of 1.20 m. Card payments only.
Go up at sunset: it is open until 19:00 from Monday to Thursday and until 21:00 from Friday to Sunday, with last entry an hour before closing.
- **A walk through the Jordaan and the Nine Streets** (2 h · 4 km · All ages · Free): The Jordaan was the working-class district of the west, on the other side of the Prinsengracht, and today it is the most pleasant for walking without a plan: narrow canals such as the Bloemgracht and the Egelantiersgracht, low houses, dark-wood brown cafés and neighbourhood markets. To the south, the Nine Streets (Negen Straatjes) cross the three great canals with small, design and second-hand shops.
A two-hour route
Start at the Westerkerk, next to the Anne Frank House, and go up the Prinsengracht to the Papeneiland café, on the corner with the Brouwersgracht, the most photographed canal. Turn into the Egelantiersgracht and the Bloemgracht, go down the Westerstraat (there is a market on Mondays) and head back south, crossing to the Nine Streets, between the Prinsengracht and the Singel. It is about four flat kilometres, easy with a pushchair.
Respect the residents: do not sit on the steps of houses or take photos through windows, and walk on the pavement, not in the cycle lane.
- **Vondelpark, Amsterdam's park** (1 h 30 · All ages · Free): The city's great park is five minutes from the Museumplein and is where Amsterdammers go to run, picnic and cycle as soon as the sun comes out. It has ponds, lawns, an open-air theatre that programmes free shows in summer, and several playgrounds. It is the best place to build confidence on a bike before heading into the traffic of the centre, and the natural break between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh if you are with children.
Enter from the Stadhouderskade, next to the Leidseplein, and walk through it westwards. The paths are wide and flat, ideal for pushchairs; respect the bike lanes, as bikes go fast.
- **Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp** (1 h · All ages · Free): Some two hundred stalls along the Albert Cuypstraat, in the De Pijp district, ten minutes on foot from the Museumplein. It is a real neighbourhood market, with cheap clothes and fruit, but also the place to try what is eaten on the street in the Netherlands: freshly made stroopwafels, herring with onion, croquettes, wedges of cheese and chips with mayonnaise. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 17:00; Sunday is closed. Metro line 52 stops at De Pijp, just around the corner.
- **Begijnhof, the hidden courtyard beside the Spui** (20 min · All ages · Free): Behind an unassuming door on the Spui opens a green courtyard surrounded by tall houses where the beguines lived, Catholic women who led a religious life without vows. Women still live here today, which is why you enter quietly and in small groups. At number 34 is the Houten Huys, one of the two wooden houses left in the centre, and in the middle, the English church. It is a twenty-minute stop between Dam Square and the flower market; enter only by day and without making noise.

## Dónde comer
- **The Pancake Bakery** (Restaurant, Amsterdam, €€). Qué pedir: a savoury bacon and cheese pannenkoek to share and a sweet apple one.
- **Moeders** (Restaurant, Amsterdam, €€). Qué pedir: the stamppot, mashed potato with vegetables and smoked sausage, the winter dish of Dutch homes.
- **Foodhallen** (Market, Amsterdam, €€). Qué pedir: some bitterballen to nibble on and then everyone off to their own stall.

## By plane: Direct flight to Schiphol and a train to the centre in 15 minutes
Amsterdam Schiphol has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities, taking about two and a half hours. It is one of the best-connected airports in Europe with its city: the station is beneath the terminal and the train drops you at Amsterdam Centraal in a quarter of an hour. You do not need a car either in the city or for the day trips.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark** (Hostel): The place
A large, modern hostel on the edge of the Vondelpark, beside its main entrance, with shared dormitories and private rooms, all with their own bathroom. Downstairs there is a bar and restaurant with breakfast, spacious common areas and a launderette. Backpackers use it, but so do many families: one in four bookings, according to the hostel itself.
Why here
The location is hard to beat for the price: three minutes on foot from Leidseplein, ten from the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh, and the park at the door for the children to run around. From Schiphol you arrive without changing: bus 397 leaves every fifteen minutes to Leidseplein.
What you should know
Under-18s can only sleep in private rooms, and under-16s with an adult. Pets are not allowed, cash is not accepted and the maximum stay is seven nights. Towels are hired separately.
- **Hotel Estheréa** (Hotel): The place
Several 17th-century canal houses joined together on the Singel, the first canal of the ring, turned into a four-star hotel by the same family, who started with a twelve-room guesthouse more than eighty years ago. Today it has 91 rooms and two suites, no two alike: patterned fabrics, chandeliers, strong colours. There is a library, a bar open 24 hours and a lounge overlooking the canal.
The rooms
As the building is historic, sizes vary a lot: the Classic rooms start at 13 m² and the Luxury ones are about 20 m². All have air conditioning and are reached by lift, something quite unusual in canal houses. If you are travelling as a family, ask about the suites.
How to get there and park
It is five minutes on foot from Dam Square and fifteen from Central Station. If you come by car, it has its own underground car park for €55 a day, with the entrance at Spuistraat 258.
- **Pulitzer Amsterdam** (Hotel): The place
The Pulitzer joins twenty-five canal houses of the 17th and 18th centuries between the Prinsengracht and the Keizersgracht, connected by corridors, stairs and inner gardens. It is the hotel for a treat in Amsterdam: varied rooms and suites, a small spa, a well-known cocktail bar and the restaurant Jansz., which serves breakfast looking onto the canal.
Where it is
In the heart of the canal ring, five minutes on foot from the Anne Frank House and the Nine Streets and fifteen from the Museumplein. It has family rooms and suites and a programme for children.
### Servicios
- **Train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal**: About 15 minutes from the station beneath the Schiphol terminal, several trains an hour by day; pay with a contactless card.
- **Bus 397 from Schiphol to Leidseplein and Museumplein**: A direct bus every 15 minutes from Schiphol to Leidseplein, stopping at the Museumplein: the most convenient if you are sleeping in the south of the centre.

## Car-free: Amsterdam on foot, by tram and by bike
Amsterdam is a city to visit without a car: parking is very expensive, the centre is small and the tram, bike and ferries reach everywhere. From Central Station also leave the trains and buses for all the day trips. The budget per person per day includes a bed in a mid-range double room, food and getting around on public transport.
Presupuesto orientativo: 120–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark** (Hostel): The place
A large, modern hostel on the edge of the Vondelpark, beside its main entrance, with shared dormitories and private rooms, all with their own bathroom. Downstairs there is a bar and restaurant with breakfast, spacious common areas and a launderette. Backpackers use it, but so do many families: one in four bookings, according to the hostel itself.
Why here
The location is hard to beat for the price: three minutes on foot from Leidseplein, ten from the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh, and the park at the door for the children to run around. From Schiphol you arrive without changing: bus 397 leaves every fifteen minutes to Leidseplein.
What you should know
Under-18s can only sleep in private rooms, and under-16s with an adult. Pets are not allowed, cash is not accepted and the maximum stay is seven nights. Towels are hired separately.
- **Hotel Estheréa** (Hotel): The place
Several 17th-century canal houses joined together on the Singel, the first canal of the ring, turned into a four-star hotel by the same family, who started with a twelve-room guesthouse more than eighty years ago. Today it has 91 rooms and two suites, no two alike: patterned fabrics, chandeliers, strong colours. There is a library, a bar open 24 hours and a lounge overlooking the canal.
The rooms
As the building is historic, sizes vary a lot: the Classic rooms start at 13 m² and the Luxury ones are about 20 m². All have air conditioning and are reached by lift, something quite unusual in canal houses. If you are travelling as a family, ask about the suites.
How to get there and park
It is five minutes on foot from Dam Square and fifteen from Central Station. If you come by car, it has its own underground car park for €55 a day, with the entrance at Spuistraat 258.
- **Pulitzer Amsterdam** (Hotel): The place
The Pulitzer joins twenty-five canal houses of the 17th and 18th centuries between the Prinsengracht and the Keizersgracht, connected by corridors, stairs and inner gardens. It is the hotel for a treat in Amsterdam: varied rooms and suites, a small spa, a well-known cocktail bar and the restaurant Jansz., which serves breakfast looking onto the canal.
Where it is
In the heart of the canal ring, five minutes on foot from the Anne Frank House and the Nine Streets and fifteen from the Museumplein. It has family rooms and suites and a programme for children.

## Luxury: Amsterdam in five-star canal houses
The 17th-century canal houses turned into hotels are the prettiest way to sleep in Amsterdam. Choose one on the canal ring, book an unhurried dinner and let the boat and the museums be the plan for the day. The budget per person per day includes a room in a four- or five-star hotel, meals and a private boat trip.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €350 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Hotel Estheréa** (Hotel): The place
Several 17th-century canal houses joined together on the Singel, the first canal of the ring, turned into a four-star hotel by the same family, who started with a twelve-room guesthouse more than eighty years ago. Today it has 91 rooms and two suites, no two alike: patterned fabrics, chandeliers, strong colours. There is a library, a bar open 24 hours and a lounge overlooking the canal.
The rooms
As the building is historic, sizes vary a lot: the Classic rooms start at 13 m² and the Luxury ones are about 20 m². All have air conditioning and are reached by lift, something quite unusual in canal houses. If you are travelling as a family, ask about the suites.
How to get there and park
It is five minutes on foot from Dam Square and fifteen from Central Station. If you come by car, it has its own underground car park for €55 a day, with the entrance at Spuistraat 258.
- **Pulitzer Amsterdam** (Hotel): The place
The Pulitzer joins twenty-five canal houses of the 17th and 18th centuries between the Prinsengracht and the Keizersgracht, connected by corridors, stairs and inner gardens. It is the hotel for a treat in Amsterdam: varied rooms and suites, a small spa, a well-known cocktail bar and the restaurant Jansz., which serves breakfast looking onto the canal.
Where it is
In the heart of the canal ring, five minutes on foot from the Anne Frank House and the Nine Streets and fifteen from the Museumplein. It has family rooms and suites and a programme for children.

## As a family: Amsterdam with the family

Amsterdam works very well with children of any age: it is flat, the big museums are free for under-18s and the canal boat pleases everyone. The difficult part is the bike traffic: teach them not to step on the red lane before anything else.

### What works best
A canal boat, with audio for children at Blue Boat Company

The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh, free for under-18s

The A'DAM Lookout, with the swing for anyone 1.20 m tall

An afternoon in the Vondelpark and a stroopwafel at the Albert Cuyp market

### Where to sleep
Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark, with private family rooms

Hotel Estheréa, with a lift and suites

### Where to eat
The Pancake Bakery, open all day

Foodhallen, so everyone can choose

### Bear in mind
The Anne Frank House is not designed for under-10s

The museums require an entry time: book before you travel

### Qué hacer as a family
- Rijksmuseum, The Night Watch and the Gallery of Honour
- Van Gogh Museum, the painter's biggest collection
- Canal cruise on the Grachtengordel
- Cycling around Amsterdam and the Waterland countryside
- A'DAM Lookout, the viewing platform and swing over the IJ
- A walk through the Jordaan and the Nine Streets
- Vondelpark, Amsterdam's park
- Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp
- Begijnhof, the hidden courtyard beside the Spui

## With young children: Amsterdam with small children

With children up to six years old, Amsterdam is easier than it seems: everything is flat, there are playgrounds in every district and trams accept pushchairs. Plan one museum a day at most and leave the rest for the water and the parks.

### What works best
A covered canal boat, 75 minutes

Vondelpark, with ponds and playgrounds

A walk through the Jordaan with a stop for a pannenkoek

### Where to sleep
Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark, with cots on request

Hotel Estheréa, with a lift to all rooms

### Where to eat
The Pancake Bakery, from 9:00

Foodhallen, at midday on weekdays

### Bear in mind
The pavements beside the canals are narrow and have no railing: always hold a hand

Canal houses have steep stairs; ask for a lift when you book

### Qué hacer with young children
- Canal cruise on the Grachtengordel
- A walk through the Jordaan and the Nine Streets
- Vondelpark, Amsterdam's park

## With teenagers: Amsterdam with teenagers

From age twelve, Amsterdam gives them plenty to do: cycling around the city like the locals, the A'DAM Lookout swing, Van Gogh and the Anne Frank House, which at this age really makes an impression. Give them some free time in the Nine Streets or at Foodhallen.

### What works best
The Anne Frank House, with a ticket bought six weeks ahead

A two-hour guided bike ride with MacBike

The A'DAM Lookout and its swing over the edge

The Van Gogh Museum on a Friday evening

### Where to sleep
Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark, in a private room

Hotel Estheréa, central

### Where to eat
Foodhallen, everyone at their own stall

Moeders, to try stamppot

### Bear in mind
The coffeeshops and the Red Light District are the side of the city you will have to talk about beforehand

Under-18s do not pay at the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Rijksmuseum, The Night Watch and the Gallery of Honour
- Van Gogh Museum, the painter's biggest collection
- Anne Frank House and the Secret Annex
- Canal cruise on the Grachtengordel
- Cycling around Amsterdam and the Waterland countryside
- A'DAM Lookout, the viewing platform and swing over the IJ
- A walk through the Jordaan and the Nine Streets
- Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp

## With friends: Amsterdam with friends: bikes, canals and a market for the hungry

Amsterdam is best enjoyed at water level and on two wheels, and both plans are easy to share in a group. There is little to organise: hire a bike, book a boat, eat at a market and leave the museum for a morning with a fixed time slot. What does take time is the night, so spread the museums over the hours before noon.

### What works best
Canal cruise: 75 to 90 minutes from €26 on a large boat or €36.50 on an open ten-seat boat, which works out best when the group fills the boat.

Cycling Amsterdam and Waterland: bike hire from €5.85 or a two-hour guided ride from €27.29; on an e-bike you reach the Waterland countryside.

Albert Cuyp Market: Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 17:00, with hot stroopwafels, herring and cheese. Free, and closed on Sundays.

A'DAM Lookout: 360 degrees at 100 m, €16.50 online, and a swing sold separately, opposite Central Station.

Jordaan and the Nine Streets: two free hours among quiet canals and small shops.

Van Gogh Museum: €25 with an online, timed ticket only, open until 21:00 on Fridays.

### Where to stay
Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark: a large hostel next to Vondelpark, three minutes from Leidseplein, with en-suite private rooms and a direct bus from Schiphol.

Hotel Estheréa: a four-star hotel across several houses on the Singel, run by the same family for more than 80 years.

### Where to eat
Foodhallen: 19 stalls and three bars in former tram sheds, every day from 12:00 to 23:00 with no reservations; everyone chooses their own and you sit together.

The Pancake Bakery: savoury and sweet pancakes to share in a 17th-century warehouse.

Moeders: home-style Dutch cooking in the Jordaan, with dinners from 17:00.

### Good to know
In a group, ride in single file in the cycle lane and do not stop in it.

Museums sell only timed online tickets; buy for everyone at the same time.

The open boat holds ten: if there are eight or ten of you, the boat is yours.

### Qué hacer with friends
- Van Gogh Museum, the painter's biggest collection
- Canal cruise on the Grachtengordel
- Cycling around Amsterdam and the Waterland countryside
- A'DAM Lookout, the viewing platform and swing over the IJ
- A walk through the Jordaan and the Nine Streets
- Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp

## Consejos

### Set an alarm for Tuesday at 10:00
That is when Anne Frank House tickets go on sale for six weeks later.

### Use the same card to tap in and out
On trains, trams and buses, tap the same contactless card or the same phone when you get on and off.

### Watch out for the cycle lane
It is red and runs right alongside the pavement. Do not walk along it or stop on it to take photos.

### Bring a rain cape
The wind makes an umbrella useless.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need for Amsterdam?
Three days for the city at a relaxed pace; four or five if you want to make day trips to the Zaanse Schans, Haarlem or Delft.

### How do you get from Schiphol to central Amsterdam?
By train, 14 to 17 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal, paying with a contactless card. Bus 397 goes to the Museumplein and Leidseplein.

### How do you buy tickets for the Anne Frank House?
Only online at annefrank.org, every Tuesday at 10:00 for visits six weeks later. There are no sales at the door.

### Can you visit the windmills from Amsterdam in a day?
Yes. The Zaanse Schans is less than twenty minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal, plus a quarter-hour walk.

### Do I need an ID card or a passport?
A valid ID card is enough: the Netherlands is in the European Union and the Schengen area.

### Is it worth hiring a bike?
Yes, if you are comfortable in traffic. If not, start with the Vondelpark or a two-hour guided route.