Amsterdam travel guide
Amsterdam Tourism | Amsterdam Guide
You're Going to Love Amsterdam
With 872.680 inhabitants, Amsterdam is the most populous city in the Netherlands. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. Amsterdam deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Where to Eat in Amsterdam
Centrum is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Amsterdam. These include popular favourites such as Singel 101 Restaurant (Singel 101), Jottum (Eerste Anjeliersdwarsstraat 17) and Denc, Dik & Cunningham (Kerkstraat 377). If you’re looking for affordable options, Cecconi’s Amsterdam (Spuistraat 210) and Hard Rock Cafe - Amsterdam (Max Euweplein 57-61) are great picks.
When to visit Amsterdam
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Amsterdam in July, when the average temperature is 16 °C, and the highest can go up to 20 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is February, when it can get as cold as 0 °C, with an average temperature of 2 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 100 mm. In contrast, April is usually the driest month of the year in Amsterdam, with an average rainfall of 30 mm.
How to Get to Amsterdam
Plane
When flying to Amsterdam, you’ll arrive at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), which is located 11 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Ireland to Amsterdam include American Airlines, JetBlue and Delta. The shortest flight to Amsterdam from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 1h 35m.
Train
Eurostar is the most popular train carrier serving Amsterdam, followed by Train. The train journey from Amsterdam to Brussels takes 1h 33m and costs around €36 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Groningen, expect to pay about €32 for a 1h 58m trip. Located 0.7 km from the city centre, Amsterdam Centraal is the busiest station in Amsterdam. Another popular train station is Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA, located 8 km from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Amsterdam is to pick up a car hire from Eindhoven, which is about 111 km from Amsterdam. You’ll find branches of Sixt and Alamo, among others, in Eindhoven.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Amsterdam, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and Union Ivkoni. From Eindhoven, the bus ride to Amsterdam takes 137 km and will cost you around €23. From Antwerp, the ticket costs about €14 for a journey of 185 km. The most popular bus station is Amsterdam Sloterdijk, located 4 km from the city centre of Amsterdam. Amsterdam Bijlmer is also a commonly used station, and is 8 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Amsterdam
Where to stay in Amsterdam
From 5-star hotels such as the De L'Europe Amsterdam to great affordable options like the Apple Inn Hotel, Amsterdam offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around €147 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €451 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Budget Hotel Neutraal and La Boheme. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Amsterdam, with prices from €38 to €486 per night. Centrum is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Amsterdam are about 40% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Centrum - In Amsterdam’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Art'otel Amsterdam and Hotel Notting Hill.
Amsterdam-Noord - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as NH Amsterdam Noord, Sir Adam Hotel, part of Sircle Collection and Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Amsterdam - Ndsm Wharf. The average nightly price for a double room in Amsterdam-Noord is €56.
Amsterdam-Zuid - Xo Hotel Inner, Conscious Hotel Museum Square and Apollofirst Boutique Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Amsterdam-Zuid will cost you about €75 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Amsterdam
Most booked hotels in Amsterdam
Hiring a car in Amsterdam
Hiring a car in Amsterdam costs €55 per day, on average, or €110 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Avis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Europcar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Amsterdam is the Hertz branch at Aankomstpassage, Schiphol, which is 11 km from the city centre.
You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 4% more expensive than at Amsterdam Schiphol.
Expect to pay €2.07 per litre in Amsterdam (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €24.80 and €33.07. The most frequently booked car type in Amsterdam is Economy (Hyundai i20 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Volkswagen up! or similar) is, on average, 65% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.