Planning for Amsterdam

Today I'm going to talk about some research and planning that I've been doing.  My next European trip happens in October; I am visiting Amsterdam and then it's on to Ireland.  While most of the bigger things have been set for a while (plane tickets, hotels, current passport, etc.), the smaller bits and pieces are slowly getting done.  Here is an example of things that I recently researched for my time in Amsterdam.

Centraal Station

How long does it take to get from the airport to Centraal Station?  I chose a long layover (about 10 hours, which means only 7-8 hours of free time) in Amsterdam so that I'd have some time to explore the city before I head over to Ireland.  With only that time to work with, I wanted to be sure that I went about my sight-seeing in an efficient manner.  I can't really afford to get lost, but I still want to get a good taste of the city's architecture, culture, and overall vibe.  I usually use whatever tools are easily available to me; by quickly checking GoogleMaps, I found out that it is, on average, 22 minutes via the Sprinter train from the airport to Centraal Station.  I then will walk less than a block to pick up my ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus.  This will take me to all of the major tourist spots within Amsterdam; it is a pre-set route, so there's no chance of getting lost, which is just what I need.  Normally, I wouldn't spend the money to only use this type of bus for 7 hours, but it is worth it to me this time since it'll be my first time in Amsterdam.

Van Gogh Museum

How much is admission to the Van Gogh Museum and what are the hours?  As this is the #1 thing I want to do/see while in Amsterdam (besides the general architecture of the city), this info was critical.  From the museum's web site, I can see that the hours will work out just fine for when I'm there, so that was a huge relief.  I also found out that I could buy a combo pass via the hop-on-hop-off bus company; it gets me the transportation I need, but it also gets me an admission ticket ahead of time for the museum, so no standing in line.  Score!  I have already made my purchase.

Anne Frank House  (photo courtesy of TravelDigg.com)

I'll also have some time in Amsterdam on my way back, after Ireland, but I know I can probably only fit in one sight-seeing item.  I decided on the Anne Frank House & Museum.  I found out on the website that if someone wants to visit before 3:30 p.m., a ticket must be purchased ahead of time, and ticket sales are opened up 60 days in advance.  So, when that date came, I went in to see my options.  I thought I was pretty quick on the draw, but there were already some time slots that were sold out; if you are ever planning to visit the Anne Frank House, absolutely keep track of the date and time of when your tickets go on sale!  Luckily, the time range that I needed still had tickets available, so I was able to purchase one that fit with my itinerary.  Done!  Since I won't be doing the bus on this day, I wondered if walking from Centraal Station was an option.  It turns out that it's a little too far (about 1.6 miles) to walk it, given the time I have, so the next option is taking a tram. I can either transfer at a station along the way (new experience) and pick up a second tram, or I can go to Centraal Station and transfer from there.  I don't think I'll make that decision until I'm actually there.


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