Flights to Amsterdam
The Medieval architecture in the Old Town is particularly impressive. Take the time to soak it all in, by popping into one of the many coffee bars, in between savoring the many shopping opportunities.Amsterdam is one of the centres of the diamond trade so there may be many sparkling gems in the windows.
The Canal Ring, a Unesco World Heritage site, was built in the 17th century and is the trendiest place to live. Here you can find some of the city's buzzing nightlife spots on the Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein.
The gentrified Jordaan area offers hip and bohemian galleries boutiques and restaurants, while the 19th century Plantage district offers the Jewish Historical Museum, the Hermitage Amsterdam, and the botanic gardens. All within walking distance from the Artis Zoo, the Tropenmuseum (Museum of the Tropics) and the spectacular Scheepvaartmuseum.
And the Van Gogh Museum. The smell of the fresh flowers at the Bloemenmarket will fill your day with joy.
Local specialties include Dutch Cheese made from Sheep and Goats milk, as well as fried meatballs, and oliebollen, which are round blobs of sweet fried dough embedded with raisins (sultanas) and dusted with powdered sugar. A traditional herring sandwich served with onion and pickle, from numerous street fish stalls, could entice the taste buds !.Dutch beer is especially good and At Herengracht 90 you'll find Proeflokaal Arendsnest, serving a large collection of local beers, including those from Amsterdam.
Getting around:
Amsterdam (like most of the Netherlands) is flat, and the center is small, so walking around is easy. Alternatively, many locals cycle round the city, in true Dutch fashion (there is one bike for all 800,000 people in the City). There is also a cheap, reliable, Metro and bus system.
But, in this City of Canals, why not go by boat. There are several free ferry services, plus Canal Cruises, open boat tours or evening cruises, taking in a variety of locations.
Getting there:
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is 15km southwest of the city, and is among the top 25 airports worldwide, for passenger volume, (serving 55 million passengers per year).A variety of buses and taxi's serve the airport which is about 35 minutes from the City.
KLM is the largest airline at the airport, offering flights to many major cities around the world.
British Airways provides 15 flights per day to 3 London Airports; Heathrow, Gatwick and London City.
Easyjet offers several flights a day from Gatwick, Luton, and Southend.
Transavia, Jet2.com, TUIfly, and other low-cost carriers serve Schiphol, providing services to many cities in Europe. WOWAir offers a budget service to Reykjavik, with onward journeys to the United States (New York, Newark). Tap Portugal offers cheap flights via Lisbon to JFK or Newark.
Try www.paylessflights.com for the best fare deals.
Free WiFi is available at the airport.