23101NET
Morning city sightseeing with local guide
- Check your voucher for rendezvous time with guide. Call the guide in advance to confirm and to go over the content of the tour
- Entrances to the Rijksmuseum are paid by voucher. The museum is fully open after extensive renovations and the tour often ends here. Guided visits by local guides are not now normally permitted, audioguides are available.
- Check your vouchers for departure time and place of your boat ride and reconfirm. The trip lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes. The timings/dates can be altered to suite the group but you must contact the boat company well ahead of time if you want to change the booking.
- Warn the group to be careful of bicycles and trams appearing from nowhere when they cross the road!
- There are now a very limited number of places that the bus can pick-up and drop-off in central Amsterdam. Make sure you are plan your day carefully.
Sightseeing includes:
- Rijksmuseum inside visit (normally without guide)
- Drive/walk around major sites of interest which should include Dam Square, the Begijnhof, Floating Flower Market and the Westerkerk/ Anne Frank House area (discuss details with guide)
- Photostop at the windmill near the Amstelpark (discuss details with guide)
- FACTS AND FREE TIME SUGGESTIONS
TRANSPORTATION
Metro, buses and trams run until midnight, after which there is a limited night bus service. Purchase tickets from tram and bus drivers/conductors or at tourist information centres. Amsterdam is divided into 11 zones. You will probably only use the Centrum zone.
The only form of ticket is now the OV-chipkaart, which is a disposable version of the London Oyster card. They are available for journeys of one hour (€3.20), day cards (€8.50), multiple day cards (e.g 2 days €13.50) or rechargeable versions (suitable for residents only). You can buy one-hour tickets and day cards from drivers or conductors on trams or buses, but this is not practical if you have a large group. In such a case use one of the offices below, the ticket machines in the metro, or sometimes a hotel concierge will have them.
It is important to always check in and out with the OV-chipkaart on every journey on a card reader found either in the metro stations or on the buses or trams.
Pick up a leaflet covering the public transport network, which gives full details of how it all works.
Transportation cards are available at: the airport at the Tourist Information Desk located in arrivals 2 (but the card is not valid for train transportation between airport and the city. You still need to buy a train ticket), the GVB desk (is the name of the transport company) located opposite the Central Railroad station (white wooden building) Ticket Shop at Leidseplein, called “Uitbureau”. This is located in the city centre where you can also book last-minutes theatre & concert tickets
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Local Publications
TIME OUT Amsterdam in English is widely available and very useful.
“What’s On” available at the tourist office and most hotels. Your hotel will probably provide rudimentary maps for the group. If you don’t know Amsterdam you should buy yourself a map from the tourist office in Central Station.
The iamsterdam.com site also gives you latest cultural events from museums to music.
Main Post Office
At Singel 250-sous, on the corner with Raadhuisstraat, open Monday to Friday 07.30 – 18.30 and Saturday 07.30 – 17.00.
Currency Exchange
Numerous bureaux de change including Check Point (open until 23.00 and a rip-off!), in addition to banks and the tourist office. Beware of wide variations in commission charges. Good supply of ATMs, which are the best value.
THINGS TO DO
General Remarks
Groups may have preconceptions about Amsterdam. The famous red light district is OK for a visit by daytime if you stay as a group, but be cautious about suggesting this, as the teachers may not be ready for it. Remind the group about general safety issues. Photographs should only be taken with discretion, and never of women working behind the window fronts.
You should be aware that soft drugs are available in ‘coffee shops’, often indicated by a cannabis leaf graphic on the window or the door. Although they are not on display, there is a price list and it is all quite open. Later in the evening, drug dealing (not just cannabis!) can be quite open even on the fringes of the red light district. It is, therefore, best to avoid the Red District by evening unless from the distance of a canal boat cruise.
- Orientation
Amsterdam is a delightful town for strolling. The central area is very small and easily explored. The Jordaan is a picturesque neighbourhood, situated between the Prinsengracht and the Lijnbaansgracht, and between the Westerkerk and the Noorderkerk. There are lots of small shops, which sell jewellery, new and second hand clothes etc.
- Markets
There are lots of markets. These are some of the central ones: the floating flower market on the Singel canal (Monday to Saturday, 09.30 – 17.30; Sunday 11.20 – 17.30), the antique market on Elandsgracht 109, (Mon & Weds-Fri 11.00 – 18.00; Weekends 10.00 – 17.00) and the flea market on Waterlooplein (Monday to Friday 09.00 – 17.30; Saturday 8.30 – 17.30).
Shopping
The best shopping areas are around the Dam square (Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat) and for exclusive shopping, P C Hoofstraat (near the Rijksmuseum). The former Central Post Office has been turned into the Magna Plaza shopping mall, also open on Sundays, to be found behind the Royal Palace. This is a popular, contained area that is ideal for groups to explore. Shops are generally open from 9am – 6pm (until 9pm on Thursdays) and from 12am – 7pm on Sundays.
ACTIVITIES
Bike and canal bike rentals are available everywhere (bike rental costs from €7.50 per day and a deposit is normally payable).
Take a look at the Begijnhof, a secluded enclosed square of “almshouses” founded in 1346, if it was not included on the city tour. Entrance on Spui.
The group might also want to visit the excellent “Our Dear Lord in the Attic” (Museum Amstelkring: Ons Lieve Heer op Solder) a secret Catholic church hidden in the upper floors of two town houses. On Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40 (tel. 624-66-04). You should register a group of more than 10 people in advance.
Heineken Brewery. Stadhoudersgade 78. Tel 52 39 239 Tours Sun – Thurs 10.30 – 17.15 (last entry); Fri/Sat 10-30 – 18.45 (last entry). BOOK IN ADVANCE!
You can also set up a visit to one of Amsterdam’s Diamond Factories, (Gassan, Coster, Amstel and the Amsterdam Diamond Center offer free tours), but call in advance if you’re taking a group. Most are open 10am – 5pm.
Canal Tour – may be included, if not there are several on offer.
MUSEUMS
Anne Frank’s House, Very moving and popular with groups. Pinsengracht 263.
NB Can be very busy at peak times. GROUPS MUST BOOK IN ADVANCE!
The Van Gogh Museum The world’s largest Vincent collection,
Paulus Potterstraat 7 – close to the Rijksmuseum.
Rembrandt’s House Where he lived for twenty years, with 250 etchings on
permanent display, Jodenbreestraat 4-6.
Amsterdam Historical Museum An interesting overview of the history of
the city, Kalverstraat 92.
NEMO Museum: Very impressive interactive science museum on the grand canal near the train station – target visitors: 6 – 16 yrs. Oosterdok 2
HAARLEM: regular trains serve this picturesque Dutch town 20 KMS from Amsterdam