i'm just curious about basic info on taking a trip to amsterdam from toronot canda.things like air fare ,hotels ,etc.
hotels range from 40 euro p.p.p.n. (one star) to 500 euro p.p.p.n (5 star) apartments can be had for 50-100 euro p.p.p.n. dormitories cost 10-30 euro p.p.p.n. i'll sum up SOME of the central areas..... the red light district is in the center of the north end of the city and is capped by central station. this area has lots of tourist attractions, hotels and a small bit of a crime element. (junkies, pick pockets). dam square divides the redlight district from the western canal belt. moving west you find yourself along the western canal belt (singel, herengracht, keizergracht, prinsengracht) which is a charming area that i love. west of their is the jordaan which has excellent dutch restaurants. to the east of central station is a great square called nieuwmarkt square with hotels. further east of here though is the older section of town. i do not recommend staying east of say the gelderskadde canal because there is not much going on in that area and no tram cars. on a positive note there is not much crime, its quiet, and you see more authentic dutch culture over there imho. this sums up the "immediate northern part of the city" moving south to the "central part" spui is a lovely area that leads further south to a a great square called the leidseplein. here you will find many touristy bars, restaurants, night clubs, a movie theater, etc. to the east of this square are two more decent sized ones .....rembrantsplein (nightclubs) and muntplein. many museums are in this area. further south is an area known as de pijp which is an ethnic center of the city. public transportation is available but much more sparse then the north end. food is cheaper down here and more exotic. beyond this area is the business district. i like apartments myself but a hotel would probably be better for your first trip. areas like the western canal belt, damsquare, nieuwmarkt, and leidseplein, are preferred. a good tip is to get the exact street address of any hotel or apartment you think of renting. look in up on www.maporama.com to make sure its in the area's described. p.s. amsterdam isn't too big. you can walk from central station to leidseplein in 20-30 minutes depending on your pace. cheers, koopa
which area is the best to stay (hotel) if its my first time and want to be near some of the better coffee shops and bars?
It Well it all depends...... First off...... How much you lookin to spend? The best coffee shops are spread all over. Besides as Koopa said A-dam isnt really all that big. From a hotel just about anywhere in city limits you can get to any great CS in a 30 min or less walk and what a beautiful walk it is. Just know that 9/10ths of the hotel rooms you will be getting are about 1/2 the size of hotel rooms you are used to.
