Amsterdam Vacation Guide & Travel Information

About Amsterdam

The cosmopolitan city of Amsterdam is ranked as Europe's fourth most important tourist center and is visited each year by over four million people. Although the majority of visitors come to Amsterdam to enjoy its architectural beauty and outstanding tourist sights, monuments, museums and art galleries, the city is also an important venue for business conferences and conventions, and is at the center of the recently formed European Union. Amsterdam is just 9.5 miles from Schiphol Airport, the fourth largest airport in Europe, is also close to the continental motorway network, and is a major port used by ocean-going liners.

Amsterdam's amazing energy, vitality and vibrancy extend throughout. Dam Square is the real heart of the city. The markets and streets are full of organists, peddlers, vendors, and performers of all kinds. Many important buildings overlook this vast and bustling open space, including the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk and the War Memorial. Primary uses of the square include ceremonies for the royal family, political demonstrations, street performers, remembrance day celebrations, and social gatherings.

As one might guess, the nightlife in Amsterdam is truly amazing! The Red Light District is world-famous. Clubs everywhere are open until the wee hours of the morning, as are many coffee houses and bars. The Holland Casino Amsterdam, one of Europe's largest casinos, provides entertainment to guests 18 and over.

We constantly update Amsterdam vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for Europe. There are great last minute Amsterdam vacations or if you just need a hotel, check out our discount hotels in Amsterdam. You can also book popular sightseeing tours in Amsterdam and save your vacation time.

Schiphol International Airport, 17 km (11 mi) southwest of Amsterdam, is one of the biggest in the world, has connections and services galore. Amsterdam has one of the finest and most reliable transportation networks in Europe; one of the reasons that makes it a popular location for industry. Fast and frequent trains and buses run throughout the Netherlands and are an excellent way to travel from Amsterdam to other parts of the country. Both rail and bus provide efficient links to Centraal Station and Schiphol International Airport.

The Netherlands has one of the best road systems in Europe and as a result is very accessible. Toll-free, multi-lane expressways link all the major towns and cities, but even the picturesque country routes are very usable.


Amsterdam has a full-fledged subway system, the metro, but travelers will usually find trams and buses more convenient for getting around, as most metro stops are geared for city residents traveling to the outer suburbs. However, the Amsterdam metro can get you from Centraal Station (at the northern harbor edge of the city) to Amstel Station (a train station at the southeastern area of the city, with connections to many buses and trams) much faster than a tram, which makes many stops along the way. Amsterdam Metro Map | Network Map

Once in the city, the local public transport system in Amsterdam is cheap and a good way of getting around. Tickets covering bus, tram and metro journeys can be bought from automatic dispensers on the metro, bus and tram drivers and news-stands. The layout of the city makes sightseeing on foot quite easy, with most of the museums situated close together. Canal cruises provide a relaxing and unique view of the old town and its impressive buildings whilst the 'Museum Boat' offers a shuttle service linking 20 museums and sightseeing attractions.

Amsterdam is full of attractions for all ages. Below is a list of some suggested things to do in Amsterdam. You can also book some of these attractions online and save your vacation time.

Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum includes a magnificent collection of works by Dutch artists, including one of the most famous works, The Night Watch, by Rembrandt. A great feature for visitors is the museum's touch-screen interactive information center. The new system provides visitors with information on over 700 of the museum's exhibits.

Van Gogh Museum
Van Gogh's paintings were defined by seven distinct periods, and this is the way the museum is laid out. The Van Gogh collection, which consists of more than 200 pieces, is arranged in chronological order, allowing visitors to glimpse the 10-year career of this great artist.

Anne Frank's House
This is the house in which Anne Frank wrote her famous diary, recording her experiences as a member of a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in World War II. This fascinating and historic address is now open daily to the public.

Bloemenmarkt
Located on the Singel Canal, Amsterdam's impressive, world-famous floating flower market is a unique shopping experience not to be missed. A Mecca for anyone in search of trees, plants, shrubs, herbs or flowers, the market is open for business six days a week.

Madame Tussaud's Amsterdam
The glory of the Netherlands's Golden Age is the focus of this unique wax museum. Moving wax figures depict a historical journey through the Netherlands. The special effects help to create a vivid impression of life in Holland.

Holland Casino Amsterdam
Holland Casino Amsterdam is in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands and is open 1:30pm - 3am daily, closed May 4th and Dec. 31. The 92,664 square foot casino features 576 slots and fifty-five table games. The property has one restaurant.

Canal Bikes
Canal Bikes provide a challenge to brave the waters and create your own tour through Amsterdam's canals. Canal bikes can be rented from most locations, and they allow visitors to choose their own route of travel, as well as provide a unique experience of riding over the water.

Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam
The Museum of the Resistance includes collections of artifacts and interactive displays that represent the resistance movement within Amsterdam. The museum focuses attention on such themes as sabotage, espionage and the February Deportation to Birkenau. An interesting feature within the museum is that visitors can hear authentic replicas of wartime broadcasts as they examine the space designed to replicate a wartime family hideout.

Amsterdam's Historisch Museum
The museum is located within what was a former convent and orphanage dating back to the sixteenth century. Various sections of the museum, however, date back to the thirteenth century, a time when the city development was booming. The exhibits portray the sequence of events in Amsterdam's history from early times to the present day.

Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art
Amsterdam's contemporary art museum showcases the works of not only modern Dutch painters such as Karel Appel, Willem de Kooning, and Piet Mondrian, but the museum also has a section to illustrate the works of French artists: Chagall, Cézanne, Picasso, Renoir, Monet, and Manet.

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