hotel check-in time, Amsterdam

[bslund]

We are scheduled to arrive in Amsterdam at 9:30 AM after a flight from Chicago. We have two days and nights in Amsterdam before we get on the boat. My question is, if we get in at 9:30 AM and normal check-in time is 3:00 PM, what do our jet lagged bodies do for 6 hours? Do hotels understand this and let you check in early or do you just sleep in the airport? What might be some other alternatives?

[Stratheden]

Email the hotel and let them know that you will be arriving around 10.30am after a long flight and can they please let you know the earliest that you can check in.

 

We did this a month ago, we arrived in Heathrow at 7.30am and by the time we got to our hotel in London our room was ready.

 

It never hurts to ask.

[Ozjohnno]

Email the hotel and let them know that you will be arriving around 10.30am after a long flight and can they please let you know the earliest that you can check in.

 

We did this a month ago, we arrived in Heathrow at 7.30am and by the time we got to our hotel in London our room was ready.

 

It never hurts to ask.

 

Great advice. We too had an early arrival into Edinburgh before our tour and I had previously emailed the hotel a couple of weeks in advance to advise them of this and when we arrived our room was ready.

[whatnot]

And if it is not ready, they will hold your luggage for you until it is ready. I never take a nap after a over night trip to Europe although being able to shower and change clothes is wonderful. We usually try to get some exercise, check out the area we are staying in, and find a restaurant for dinner. After an early dinner, we go to bed around 9 or so. That way we are up at a normal time and ready to be on the schedule of the European country we are in.

[Ozjohnno]

And if it is not ready, they will hold your luggage for you until it is ready. I never take a nap after a over night trip to Europe although being able to shower and change clothes is wonderful. We usually try to get some exercise, check out the area we are staying in, and find a restaurant for dinner. After an early dinner, we go to bed around 9 or so. That way we are up at a normal time and ready to be on the schedule of the European country we are in.

 

I think all the answers to your questions can be supplied by the Hotel. Just send them an email and you'll find out easily and quickly. Ask them about early check-in, ask them if they can hold your luggage if the room is not ready, ask them if they have a place you can shower and freshen up. Like the punch line from a famous insurance commercial down here - Simplez!

[sammiedawg]

Whether the room is ready or not we keep busy that first day. We will leave the luggage at the hotel and put valuables including passports in the front desk safe. Then we go out for 3-4 hours. Keeping busy and not napping right away helps with the time zone issues.

We love guided walking tours and plan one late morning early afternoon. Then have a late lunch before checking in. We've learned to push through the fatigue that first day.

Some people ride the hop on hop off bus for half a day.

In any event have plans made for something that interests you.

[cruiseryyc]

Drop your bags at the hotel then start walking. Amsterdam is a great walking city, or catch one of the hop on hop off canal boats. Whatever you do don't lie down and sleep, your body needs to get used to the new time zone so stay awake as long as you can that day.

[amd1234]

We arrived at our Hotel about 9:30 our room was ready and was upgraded to a Jr. suite. Do not nap go for a walk stop have lunch keep yourself busy. Have an early dinner and we went to bed about 8:30..

 

Also post scrip how to be overwhelmed and tired! We had a post cruise two days in Lucerne with Uniworld. We were bused to Lucerne(early about 10 am)and informed we would be checking in to Hotel at 5 0'oclock.we were taken on a walking tour two hrs and it was so warm walkng in the heat not fun. An hour would be enough. We had a brief lunch and another hour for a cruise on the lake... On our survey to Uniworld we informed it was too much planned for transition day.

[banditoo]

I agree with all the comments about staying up and active for the day to better adjust to any time change or long flight. Some hotels might allow a prearranged early check in for a fee, others might just happen to have your room ready early. All hotels would have some mechanism for storing your luggage until your room is ready. Some larger hotels might have pool or gym areas where you could shower and freshen up before going out and about. Amsterdam airport has a lovely shower facility (for a fee). I have used this facility when in Amsterdam in transit or even after arriving on an international flight as I really need a shower after an overnight flight to help me feel human and ready to face the day. Showering gives me the pick up I need to stay awake and have energy to head out site seeing.

[sunsetbeachgal]

If the hotel is full the night before you arrive, doubtful if you can get in early, even if you send request. My experience the last few trips is that I plan on the room not being available until afternoon. When we arrived in Amsterdam this trip, we left our luggage at the hotel and walked to the Rejksmuseum. They have a lovely cafe so we had a light bite then toured and then after that came back to the hotel and room was ready.

 

I would assume the room will not be ready, and have a backup plan.

[cb222]

If your flight gets in very early and you can afford it, you could reserve the room for the previous day.

 

We got to the hotel at 10 am and had to spend 5 hours. It was a killer.

cb

[warm47]

You'll find you don't even want to nap that soon after arrival. The hotel will secure your bags. If you are joining a river cruise as we did on Tauck the company will have already requested early check-in but that these hotels are very busy. Walking a few blocks to sight see will get the kinks out from flying and you will be more ready for rest when the room is ready. Check out the hotel's dinning rooms and see if they have anything special on for that evening or the concierge will be happy to send you to a nice restaurant. I'm still missing our time in Amsterdam from early September. We only had a few hours there, but saw a lot. Enjoy your days and all that will follow. Just watch out for the bicycles. You will soon understand if you're not already aware!

[warm47]

Just watch out for the bicycles. You will soon understand if you're not already aware!

 

I thought that I should explain a little more about the bicycle warning in case this is something that you are not already aware of in Amsterdam. They use a lot of bicycles for transportation and even have a 3 or 4 story parking garage for the bikes. But many are out on the streets all the time. There are bike lanes between the pedestrian walkway, but the two are so close together that in places it is extremely easy to get in the way of the bikes. Thing is that the bikes have the Right Of Way. I makes sense that the bikes can't stop fast enough if something or someone is in the way. They do go pretty fast. So it is just a matter of being careful. Knowing about the custom ahead should do the trick. Amsterdam was at end of our river cruise, so our directors had plenty of time to let us know what to expect. There is certainly a lot to see. Others who went there first have reported using the Amsterdam Pass for fast entry to places. Another person took a side trip to a town near by to the house where Corry Ten Boom lived. Everyone will advise getting tickets to the Anne Frank House before you go to save time in line, if that is one of your interest. Again, have a wonderful trip!