We have been heading over to Amsterdam for almost 20 years now and each time we do, we always end up discovering a little trick to save time and money, so we have put together our top ten tips to help you do just that
Tip 1. Get The Train To & From The Centre
When you arrive in Amsterdam get the train to the centre and save money!
The trains run every few minutes from the airport and takes around 15 minutes direct to central station and is about €6pp, a standard 4 seater taxi is about €40 – €50 so you are saving quite a bit! Its also quicker than getting a taxi direct to central station so its win win really!
Tip 2. Take The Tram To Explore The City
With so much to do and see in Amsterdam it’s really is worth getting a tram ticket! So much cheaper than getting cabs and saves alot of walking time! They are so quick and easy to use, its a no brainer!
You can get a 24 hours tickets for €8, 48 hours for €13.50 72 hours for €19 or 96 hours for €24! You can buy them from the tram (Card payments only on the trams in Amsterdam) They are also valid on the busses and metro which is handy for the night busses if you stay out late! Remember you need to check in and out each time you get on or off!
Tip 3. Grab A Febo
Febo is a godsend when you are walking from coffeeshop to coffeeshop just stick your euros in and out pops a burger!
They dont just do burgers they do tons of other stuff too, it’s cheap and there is loads dotted about the city! A really handy snack when exploring! Only downside is they are so nice you can end up spending a small fortune on wall burgers haha,but even Neil over on twitter agrees they are a godsend
Tip 4. Store Your Luggage, Dont Carry It Around All Day
Store your Luggage at Central Station
If you arrive well before your hotels check in time or your flight home on the last day is later on you should consider this!It’s around €7-€10 for 24 hours and can get a large suitcase in or squeeze 2 hand luggage bags in!
It saves you dragging your cases around the city and into the shops ect if your hotel doesn’t have a luggage room!There is a couple of luggage storage places but we tend to use the one at central station as we have to go there to get the train to the airport! Debit or credit card only, no cash! If you want to pay cash try Drop n Go just over the road from Central Station.
Tip 5. Grab Some Chips/Fries
Manneken pis verse vlaamse friet are my favourite and they are amazing when walking from coffeeshop to coffeeshop!
They have loads of different toppings and sauces to choose from and they were voted Hollands No.1 Fries!
There are loads of different places to get some fries from dotted all over the city and they are a really cheap and easy way to keep you fuelled while you explore the day away!
Tip 6. Book Attractions In Advance & Save Money
There are so many things to see and do in Amsterdam, and you would be hard pushed to get everything into one trip! There are loads of places all over the city selling tickets to attractions, but you can save a copuple of euros each time by booking online beofre you go!
Doest seem a massive saving but if you are doing a few attractions then the saving soon mounts up, even saving 20 euro means some extra smokes in the coffeeshops ha
Some of the main attractions you can book online are….
- Ann Frank House – £10
- Heineken Experience – £16
- Ice Bar – £18
- Canal Cruises – £13
- The Amsterdam Dungeon – £18
- Amsterdam Lookout – £12
- All Inclusive Beer Cruises – £18
- Van Gough Musuem – £19
We tend to use Viator for booking our attractions and experiences, they have really good prices and have never been let down by them, they also have a few things on there which are unique to them, so its worth a little look.
Tip 7. Stay Just Outside The Centre & Save Money
If you are on a budget and cant find a decent hotel in the centre think about staying a little further out of the centre!
You can get some amazing hotels in areas such Westerpark, Sloterdijk, Amsterdam Noord, Zanndam, Oude West and all easy reach to the centre by tram or train! You can save a fortune on your hotel so it outweighs buying a tram pass which you would probably get anyway! We stayed in XO Park West at Christmas took us 15 mins on the tram saved us about £200 on the hotel so was well worth it!
Tip 8. Hire A Bike
Great way to get around the city and explore at your own pace and cheaply too! You can hire a bike for around €10 a day!
We always hire bikes even if it’s only for one day, can cover loads of the city! They come with all the security chains and locks ect and you really can park them anywhere lol
Doesn’t take long until you are feeling like a local and whizzing past people ringing the bell and watching them jump out thier skin haha
Tip 9. Visit A Brown Bar For Some Dutch Culture
If you are looking for a great place to have a drink and relax and experience Dutch culture then you really should give a “Brown Bar” a go!
Basically a brown bar is an older style bar filled with brown wood furniture, lamps and they have a really good atmosphere!
Tip 10. Grab A IAmsterdam City Card
These city cards are well worth the money, they get in you in to tons of the museums and attractions, discounts in some shops, includes public transport and a canal cruise
Includes the world famous Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Artis Royal Zoo and much more Order them in advance before you go and are available for 1 to 4 days. We saved a fortune with this card
So they are our top ten tips to save time and money when heading over to the best city in the world, which is Amsterdam in case you didnt realise ha
However one more little tip for our followers….
Know the difference between Coffeeshop & Coffee Shop.
Coffee shop / Café : A shop that sells your delicious coffee. The coffees in Amsterdam are amazing.
Cafe: A cafe in Amstersam is also a bar serving you amazing Dutch beers and other alcoholic drinks, look out for the traditional brown cafe’s
Coffeeshop : No space in the name. A shop that sells marijuana. Some of these shops are really only counters where you can purchase marijuana for consumption later, but you will come across some that have a small room in the back for smoking. Coffeeshops display green and white stickers in the windows also.
Don’t be that person asking for weed in a shop that only sells coffee haha
Follow us on Facebook for hints, tips and amazing Amsterdam deals
