Help needed in Amsterdam for touring on your own

[stipmom]

I want to start off at the Anne Frank house and then do other highlights, Can someone suggest a tour from the Anne Frank house? Should I take a canal tour?Also, how do I get from the pier to the Anne Frank house?Thanks.

[Ine]

Absolutely make a canaltour, the best way to see the city. On several points in the city you can make a tour, leaving a.o. from central station and also from Spui/Rokin. It is walkable, but you can also opt to take a tram.

The area near Ann Frank house (Jordaan) is a nice area to walk around.

Is you like museums, visit Rijksmuseum(Rembrandt) and/or Van Goghmuseum. Both close together in the southern part of the city.

Public transport is good and easy.

 

Check those maps (B4 and B5) to see the areas.

Much info can be found on:

http://www.vvvamsterdam.nl/

and

http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/sights.htm

 

Let me know if you need more help.

[H2Otstr]

We will be arriving from the USA at 7:00 am on May 6th for a 5 pm river cruise. Is the hop-on hop-off canal ticket worth purchasing? We will have a full day in Amsterdam before we depart on our cruise and want to make the most of our free time.

[Ine]

We will be arriving from the USA at 7:00 am on May 6th for a 5 pm river cruise. Is the hop-on hop-off canal ticket worth purchasing? We will have a full day in Amsterdam before we depart on our cruise and want to make the most of our free time.

 

It depends what you want to do and see. If it is just a canaltour, better make that one and visit the places you want to on your own. (either walk or take a tram).

If you intend to hop-on/off to visit museums etc. you better take it.

Just curious what do you do with your luggage? You cannot take it along on those tours.

[H2Otstr]

Uniworld will pick us up at the airport and take us to the river boat. There we can store our luggage and then take off on our own for the rest of the day. We have been to Amsterdam one other time on a Trafalgar bus tour, but that was all escorted. This time we are free to go and do what we want.

[Ine]

Uniworld will pick us up at the airport and take us to the river boat. There we can store our luggage and then take off on our own for the rest of the day. We have been to Amsterdam one other time on a Trafalgar bus tour, but that was all escorted. This time we are free to go and do what we want.

 

Most riverboats (but not all - depending how many there will be in port -) dock just east of Centraal Station, which is very close to city centre.

It is walking distance, but also tramcoonections are availbale.

Opposite Centraal Station leaves the hop-on/off as well some of the canaltourboats.

If you arenot sure what to do, maybe wait and see what the weather is like.

[H2Otstr]

Thanks, INe. I have a good tourbook of Amsterdam and plan on going to the Travel Bureau inside Central Station.

[Ine]

Thanks, INe. I have a good tourbook of Amsterdam and plan on going to the Travel Bureau inside Central Station.

 

Th Amsterdam Tourist office is also in the white wooden building in front of Centraal Station.

[Ine]

Thanks, INe. I have a good tourbook of Amsterdam and plan on going to the Travel Bureau inside Central Station.

 

Th Amsterdam Tourist office is also in the white wooden building in front of Centraal Station.

[stipmom]

Thanks for your help, Ine. If I am only in port for 8 hours would it pay to get an Amsterdam card?

[Ine]

Thanks for your help, Ine. If I am only in port for 8 hours would it pay to get an Amsterdam card?

 

Check what value to card will have for you. What do you plan to do that day. Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk e.g. are incl. but Ann Franks house is not. Public transport is again incl. as is a canalboattour.

Also discount is given in certain restaurants.

Eur. 33.- for 24 hours is really not bad.

If you just want to walk around and maybe visit just Ann Frank house, you are better off not buying the card.

[Ine]

Thanks for your help, Ine. If I am only in port for 8 hours would it pay to get an Amsterdam card?

 

Check what value to card will have for you. What do you plan to do that day. Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk e.g. are incl. but Ann Franks house is not. Public transport is again incl. as is a canalboattour.

Also discount is given in certain restaurants.

Eur. 33.- for 24 hours is really not bad.

If you just want to walk around and maybe visit just Ann Frank house, you are better off not buying the card.

[ggo85]

The Heineken brewery tour is a lot of fun, whether you drink or not. It's very close to the Rijksmuseum. Go to the floating flower market -- beautiful any time of year and you can pick up very cheap flowers to put in your cabin.

 

If you go to the Anne Frank house, try late in the day (or as late as you can). People line up early but by 3 or 4 in the afternoon, lines are shorter. There are steep, narrow stairs -- it is not a place for those who have trouble walking or climbing.

 

I would take a canal tour. You can also take the trolley/tram around town. You can get a strip card that will probably be more than you need in a day. I think it would be easier to do that than a hop on/hop off canal tour.

[sailaway5]

We will be in Amsterdam for 3 days before our Baltic Cruise in July on the Prinsendam. Can the Amsterdam Card be ordered prior to arriving? Do they send the card to you in the U.S. along with a booklet? We have ordered cards from Copenhagen & Stockholm and received them already. We are not sure how the Amsterdam Card works. Is it best to preorder or buy it when we get there? Any info, things to see, hints, etc. would be appreciated by all.

[SelectSys]

I would recommend Van Gogh museum over Rijksmuseum - but I am a really big Van Gogh fan. It is just a bit past the Riksmuesem. Ann Franke tour is interesting and worth the visit, but the line can be long.

[ine2]

We will be in Amsterdam for 3 days before our Baltic Cruise in July on the Prinsendam. Can the Amsterdam Card be ordered prior to arriving? Do they send the card to you in the U.S. along with a booklet? We have ordered cards from Copenhagen & Stockholm and received them already. We are not sure how the Amsterdam Card works. Is it best to preorder or buy it when we get there? Any info, things to see, hints, etc. would be appreciated by all.

You can pre-order it and it will be sent to your home address, but take enough time for this.

You can also buy it localy in the white wooden building opposite Centraal Station at the tourist office. I am sure you will find more info about this on the site of the tourist office.

Since I am in Mexico at the moment, I donot have details with me, but if needed I can let you know by the end of march.

[stipmom]

What would be the best way to get to the Anne Frank house from the pier? How long would it take to get there? Thanks

[ine2]

What would be the best way to get to the Anne Frank house from the pier? How long would it take to get there? Thanks

 

From the pier take tramnr. 25 to Centraal Station and change to nr. 14 (?! not sure since I am in Mexico at the moment) to Westermarkt. From there 5 minutes walk. Tramtime wil be around 10/15 minutes at the most.

[giggster11]

If anybody is in Amsterdam for an extended period Mike's Bike Tours is a fun way to see the city and learn about it's history. We took it last year and had a blast! About 4 hours long meeting at 11am. How better to get into the local scene than by taking the locals' form of transport? Plus you go out to the countryside and see a Rembrandt windmill as well as check out a cheese farm and clog factory.

[Ine]

From the pier take tramnr. 25 to Centraal Station and change to nr. 14 (?! not sure since I am in Mexico at the moment) to Westermarkt. From there 5 minutes walk. Tramtime wil be around 10/15 minutes at the most.

 

Back home again and must say that it is tramnr 13 runs from Centraal Station to Westerkerk (and beyond) to see An Frank house.

Total traveltime will be (depending on tranfers) about 10/15 minutes.

[stipmom]

Ine, I got the reserved tickets to the Ann Frank House for the afternoon so I'd like to start at Dam Square. Is there a tram from the cruise ship terminal that takes me there directly? Thanks!

[Ine]

Ine, I got the reserved tickets to the Ann Frank House for the afternoon so I'd like to start at Dam Square. Is there a tram from the cruise ship terminal that takes me there directly? Thanks!

Yes, tram nr. 25 starts at the cruise-terminal. Dam Square is 1 stop after Centraal Station.

 

http://www.gvb.nl/english/travellers/maps/lijnenkaart.html