Amsterdam truly blew me away when I visited for the first time. Amsterdam checked all of those boxes and more! Including where to eat, which bars to visit, the best things to see and do in Amsterdam, where to stay, and practical tips about the city.
This is a no fuss document, with all of the research I had done before visiting the city. You can easily reach Amsterdam by both train and by air. When searching for train options, I prefer to use Omio! I prefer to use Skyscanner when searching for flights. And if you want a private driver to be waiting for you upon arrival into Amsterdam, you can book that here. Being so far north, The Netherlands weather can be quite drab and dreary.
For decent weather and fewer crowds, your best chance is in May or September. I traveled to Amsterdam in May and half the week it was freezing and raining and the other half of the week it was beautiful.
By the way, did you know that Netherlands has the most cyclists per capita?! If you want to take public transport, the city has made it easy to do so. If you want to take private transport, you can hail a taxi, or use Uber which operates in Amsterdam. Instead, there are designated taxi stops throughout the city. As far as bike rentals go, your hotel will more than likely provide bike rentals during your stay. If not, you can rent a bike from Rent a Bike.
In my opinion, the coolest area to stay in Amsterdam is in the west of the city near the Jordaan district or close by. However, I chose to stay in the southeast part of Amsterdam at Hotel Arena , and absolutely loved the hotel and the area.
