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Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital city of Holland, or The Netherlands. Its close proximity and short journey times from the UK, as well as its reputation as a carefree city with relaxed people and an anything-goes attitude, mean that it's a top destination for hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Amsterdam is a year round destination with lots of special events for different seasons. Summer is best for outdoor cafés, cycling and canal trips but it's also more crowded. October to March can be wet and cold, but there are lots of indoor attractions to keep you occupied and it's easier to find flight and room discounts. Winters, when the temperature is cold enough to freeze the canals, are pure magic.

What will it cost?

Three night package deals including flights and accommodation start around £200 for a basic hotel, while more luxurious accommodation costs closer to £350. Prices for packages don't vary hugely between seasons, you might save as little as £10 by going at the least popular times of year. Look out for three nights for the price of two deals. If you're flying from anywhere but London, regional flight supplements can be up to £70.

If you're on a budget and happy to camp or stay in a hostel, you can spend three nights in Amsterdam and still have change from £100. Easy Jet offers a return fare of £35 from a range of airports, but you need to book well in advance. At the last minute they're not such a bargain with the price rising to over £100. KLM have weekday and weekend sales with return fares from a number of regional airports starting around £79. Their low cost airline Buzz does returns from £42 but only from London Stansted. British Midland's bargains start from around £54 return and British Airways go as low as £65. It's worth looking out for promotional offers on airline sites and taking advantage of online booking discounts.

DFDS Seaways run mini cruises from Newcastle. These include a day in Amsterdam and two nights on the ship. Prices range from around £81 to £108. Eurolines operate a daily non smoking coach service from Victoria which takes around 10 hours, return fares from £38.

Amsterdam

Money & Accommodation

Holland's currency is the Euro, one of which is worth roughly 64p. As cities go, Amsterdam is relatively easy on the pocket, however, if you've got cash to spare there are plenty of places to spend it.

Luxury hotels can cost anything from €125 to €500 a night without breakfast. Economy hotels start from around €40 a night. Budget hotels and hostels go down to €20 a night in the low season. The Vliegenbos campsite, six minutes by bus from the centre of Amsterdam, charges €7.20 for pitching a tent and a hot shower. Hikers' cabins that sleep four cost €45 a night. If you're going in the summer it's wise to book ahead. Accommodation approved by the tourist office can be booked online.

Food and Drink

Prices for food and drink are similar to those in the UK. A cup of coffee costs around €1.35 and a pint of beer €2.75. The Dutch make good pancakes and the apple pie with cream is not to be missed. Other specialities to try are raw herring, stamppot met worst (a filling dish of mashed potatoes, vegetables and sausage) and the famous pea soup, erwtensoep. Spanish tapas and Japanese sushi are very popular in the city too.

Getting Around & Safety

Flights arrive at Schipol, one of Europe's nicest airports - it even has a small art gallery.

The easiest and cheapest way to travel from there into the city centre is by train. They run regularly, with the journey taking 20 minutes and costing just under €3. Stay close to your bags, it's a favourite route for pickpockets and bag snatchers. Buy a single rather than a return as tickets are valid for just one day.

KLM Road Transport operates a shuttle bus between the airport and major city hotels. Anyone can use the bus, which takes approximately 30 minutes and costs €10 one-way. A taxi costs around €35, which is a lot more expensive but a good option if there are a few of you sharing.

The historical centre of Amsterdam is so compact you can walk around all of it comfortably. If you're feeling lazy, the number 20 tram from outside the Central Station does a circular tour past most of the museums and sights. Public transport is inexpensive if you buy a day ticket; an 8 strip strippenkaart costs €5.60 and entitles you to unlimited travel in the city. For two cards you can tour the whole country by bus for a day.

Bikes are a great way of getting around with lots of places to hire them from, including Centraal Station. The cost is normally €9 a day. Pedalos can be hired for biking on the canals, but it's hard work. An easier option is the Canalbus which has day tickets that allow you to get on and off as you please.

Amsterdam is a safe city, but pickpockets and bike thieves are common. Always lock your bike and keep money out of finger reach. The UK has reciprocal health agreements with The Netherlands so be sure to take your E111 form.

The national emergency phone number is 112.

Cannabis is technically illegal, but possession of small amounts for personal use is officially tolerated. However, smoking it just anywhere isn't. The safest place to buy and indulge is one of the city's 300 koffieshops; places that specialise in coffee and cakes are known as koffiehuis. Don't be tempted to take koffieshop products out of Holland. Customs officers in less tolerant European countries often take a particular interest in those arriving from Amsterdam.

Ordinary smoking is common in restaurants, bars and cafés, in fact it's difficult to escape from it.

Entertainment

Cafés
What the locals call a café we would call a bar, they're places where you can drink, eat, read an English paper and watch the world go by. The traditional brown cafes are everywhere with their smoky interiors and sawdust floors. Ones to look out for are Het Papeneiland and De Prins on Prinsengrach, Die Pieper near Leidesplein and De Tuin in the centre of Jordaan. For something a little more sophisticated spend time in one of the grand cafés; Café Americain, Luxembourg and Café Schiller are worth saving your Euros for. A more recent addition are the internet cafes: Easy Everything has 650 terminals but much more charming is In de Waag in Nieuwmarkt Square. It gets busy as internet access is free if you buy a drink.

A traditional Dutch drink is flavoured gin known as Jenever. The best place to try some is an old proeflokaal or tasting house. Once they gave free samples but now you have to pay. If you're passing De Drei Fleschjes and De Ooievaar nip in for a quick one. A beer with a Jenever chaser is known as Kopstoot - literally headbanging.

You can buy beer and wine from the age of 16, but have to be over 18 to buy spirits, ID is often asked for. Driving or cycling under the influence is a criminal offence.

Clubbing
Many clubs only open Thursday to Sunday. Entry prices start at €6 and can be as high as €30, although some are free. Door policies can be quite strict, you won't get in if you look scruffy, or if you're obviously drunk or stoned. Paradiso near Leidseplein claims to have the best acoustics in the city. This former church is renowned for its techno and speed garage nights. Sinners in Heaven on Wagenstraat has three floors playing different music - disco, house and hip-hop. Escape on Rembrandtplein hosts up to 2,000. Saturdays are packed, Thursdays are easier to get in and on Wednesdays you need roller-skates. Odeon, a 17th century canal house has three dance floors and is popular with students.

Music
Amsterdam is the live music city. Many bands start their European tours here, usually at the Arena Stadium. Jazz enthusiasts should head for Bimhuis and Café Alto. The old dairy, Melkweg has a bit of everything and if you fancy a concert in a gas holder look out for what's on at the Westergasfabriek. Details of what's on are in Time Out Amsterdam and in the widely available free magazine Uitkrant. Tickets can be bought from the Uit Buro on Leidesplein which also has details of all major events.

Gay and Lesbian
Amsterdam has the biggest and liveliest gay scene in Europe. The easiest way to find out what's going on is by contacting the Gay & Lesbian Switchboard. One of the best known gay venues is iT on a Saturday night, other nights are mixed. The Cockring is exclusively male, Exit attracts the trendy and beautiful. COC has a women only night on Saturdays. The lesbian scene is more low-key, places to head for include Saarein on Elandsstraat, Vandenberg on Lindengracht and Vive-La-Vie on Amstelstraat. Amsterdam Gay Pride in August has the world's most outrageous canal parade and Leather Pride draws the crowds in October.

Sights & Activities

If you're going to spend time in the city's museums get yourself an Amsterdam Pass from the local tourist information office, the V.V.V. It includes free public transport, admission to 20 museums, a canal tour and discounts on some meals and attractions. It costs €26 for one day, €36 for two days and €46 for three.

The Rijksmuseum is the most popular museum in the Netherlands, famous for its collection of 17th century Dutch Masters. It has thousands of exhibits and an amazing garden with fragments of historic buildings from different parts of the country. The house in which Anne Frank hid and kept her diary is now a museum. The Stedelijk Museum is the place for modern art and the Amsterdam Historical Museum traces the city's development from small fishing village to the place it is today. Art lovers won't want to miss the Van Gogh Musuem or Rembrandt House. For an insight into life on a canal boat head for the Woonbootsmusueum. If you fancy a 'voyage of discovery between fantasy and reality' without the aid of a coffee shop, head for the NEMO Science and Technology Centre on Amsterdam's Eastern Dock where you can play with interactive exhibits. The Amstelkring Museum provides an excuse to visit the red light district.

If you've ever wondered how it feels to be a bottle of beer you can satisfy your curiosity and thirst at the Heineken Experience. The highlight is the Bottle Ride, where you start as an empty and go through all the stages it takes to become ready to drink.

Spend some time exploring the Vondelpark, with its bike paths, concerts, outdoor cafés and film museum. You can hire rollerblades at the Amstelveenseweg entrance to the park and join up to 3,000 others for the Friday Night Skate. If that lacks excitement you could try a bungee jump from the crane over the river at the Silo-stretchdam.

One of the best views of the city is from the top of the Weterkerk whose 186 steps are guaranteed to take your breath away. Prinsengracht is one of the nicest areas to wander about for a feel of ground level Amsterdam, with its canal houses, houseboats, cafés and quirky shops.

The main shopping streets are Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat with large department stores that are good for clothes and shoes. The Jordaan district has lots of unusual small shops, interesting second hand stores and markets. The market at Waterlooplein is a fascinating mix of junk, treasure and quirky clothes. Amsterdam has some great second hand clothes shops. Try Wini's on Haarlemmerstraat for original retro stuff. The city's smallest shop, Palette just behind Dam Square, specialises in silk and satin shoes.

If shopping puts you in a bad mood you can always wind down with a visit to The Magic Mushroom Gallery on Spuistraat or Conscious Dreams on Kerkstraat. Also known as a smart drug shops (places that sells legal drugs), these venues are now as much part of the Amsterdam scene as places selling clogs, cheeses or the pretty blue and white delftware.

Lingo

You can get by just speaking English, but here's a few Dutch phrases to impress with:

What a lovely tram!
Dat is een mooie tram!

Did you have a good time?
Heb je het leuk gehad?

How is the trip?
Hoe is de reis?

I love you very much
Ik hou erg veel van je

I hope to see you again
Ik hoop je gauw weer te zien

I have had too much to drink
Ik heb te drinken teveel gehad

Shall we go skating
Zullen we gaan schaatsen (ice-skating) or skeeleren (skating)

What is your name?
Hoe heet je?

How much does this cost?
Wat kost dit?

I'll buy it
Ik koop het

Cheers
Proost

This music sounds really great
Deze muziek klinkt echt super goed

Echt niet! Daar is geen sprake van
No way! That's out of the question

Don't talk rubbish
Raaskal toch niet

How did you do that?
Hoe heb je dat geflikt?

Which coffee shop is the best?
Welke koffieshop is het beste?

A (hand-rolled) joint
Toeter

Can I use these mushrooms in an omelette?
Kun je deze champignons gebruiken in een omelet?

How strong is this?
Hoe sterk is dit?

Goodness gracious! This is powerful stuff
Verfijnde goedheid! Dit is krachtig materiaal

I've forgotten where I left my bike
Ik ben vergeten waar ik mijn fiets heb gezet.

I have forgotten my name
Ik heb mijn naam vergeten

Where am I?
Waar ben I?

What time do you close?
Hoe laat gaat u dicht?

Your boat or mine?
Jouw boot of de mijne?

I can't stop laughing and now I have the munchies
Ik kan niet ophouden lachend en nu heb ik munchies

Leave me alone, I need to lie down
Alleen verlaat me, ik moet neer liggen

No, I don't eat raw fish. I just want a nice cup of tea
Nr, eet ik geen ruwe vissen. Ik wil enkel een aardige kop van thee

Are these genuine clogs?
Zijn dit echte klompen?

Do you have a no smoking area?
Heeft u een non-smoking ruimte?

Further Information

GENERAL
Here are some websites which will give you more on the attractions of Amsterdam as well as info on visiting or staying in the city.

The official Amsterdam site which includes accommodation search and reservation facilities:
Website: www.visitamsterdam.nl

Tourist info about the rest of the country:
Website: www2.holland.com/uk

For a virtual tour of the city:
Website: www.channels.nl

WHEN TO GO & GETTING THERE
British Airways
Website: www.britishairways.com

British Midland
Website: www.iflybritishmidland.com

Buzz
Website: www.buzzaway.com

DFDS Seaways
Website: www.dfdsseaways.co.uk

Easy Jet
Website: www.easyjet.com

Eurolines
Website: www.gobycoach.com

KLM
Website: www.klmuk.com

GETTING AROUND & SAFETY
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (AVR-NS)
Information site for Dutch railways. Plan your rail journey around the country:
Website: www.ns.nl

ENTERTAINMENT & NIGHTLIFE
Amsterdam Hot Spots
Website: www.amsterdamhotspots.nl

Timeout Amsterdam
Website: www.timeout.com/amsterdam

GAY & LESBIAN
Gay Amsterdam
Website: www.gayamsterdam.com

The Gay & Lesbian Switchboard
Tel: +31 20-623 6565