Amsterdam

Welcome to Amsterdam! OVERVIEW

I am sharing a bit of info from several of my travel agent sites. You'll enjoy that the Dutch speak excellent English, so it's a perfect place to recover from jet-lag and ease into a new culture. You flew all night on Wednesday, so now it is Thursday, 6 hours later than the eastern USA.


Full of history and charm, the Netherlands offers much to travelers, including many museums and cultural sites. Art and history lovers will enjoy the many opportunities to see European art at its finest, including many masterpieces from Dutch and other painters. Worth seeing (and buying tickets online before departing) is the Anne Frank House. Click here for Anne Frank House website I'd recommend touring this and other museums on Friday after dropping off your luggage to our cruise ship Avalon Impression.  For Thursday, try staying outside in the natural light.

Fight jet-lag: Arrive from the Schiphol Airport (pronounced SKIP-hole) to Amsterdam only 9 miles via the train to Central Station.  You'll find escaltors to take you to the lower level of the airport to catch the train. Plan to drop off your luggage at our hotel, Doubletree Central Station. Exit the train station in Amsterdam, turn left and walk next door to our hotel. Take in the crisp air and sunshine among the hustle of this busy pedestrian (and cyclist) city. Perhaps first thing after arrival, visit the morning Aalsmeer Flower Market and get a feel for the Netherlands' lucrative and vibrant flower business. Staying outside and active might be difficult, but you will sleep better your first few nights if you don't sleep until dark. Don't walk on bike paths, and be sure to watch for cyclists when crossing streets (you'll even see short stop-lights just for bikes).

Shop for diamonds, licorice, cheese, decorative tiles and wooden shoes. You can spend hours shopping for Delftware. (Royal Delftware is identified by a hallmark, a small pot with a crossed J below it and the word "Delft" written with the D like a backward C.) Other coveted items include antiquarian prints and antiques.

Feeling thirsty? Do be aware that "coffee shops" are cafes where soft drugs can be sold and consumed.
If you need a quick sandwich, go to a shop offering broodjes. In many places, french fries are sold on street corners. The best are called vlaamse frites (Flemish fries), made from cut potatoes rather than potato pulp pressed into the shape of a french fry. Don't forget Dutch pancakes (pannenkoeken), usually eaten for lunch or for dessert. They're much larger (though thinner) than their North American counterparts. If you're looking for a snack and a cup of coffee, go to a cafe or eetcafe.  I'll be giving you some suggestions on another posting.

Don't call the Netherlands "Holland," since that term specifically refers to only two of the 12 provinces that make up the country.

 

The official currency of the Netherlands is the euro.  Now is a great time to purchase Euros in anticipation of your trip.  I use Bank of America and make my purchase online via their website which then arrives to my home overnight by FedEx.  If you are not a BofA customer, go to a branch and place your order, which will take a few days and you will pick up your currency from that branch.  Call ahead to ensure this is still available to non-account holders.

By now we are all used to having a credit card with a "chip."  But some merchants may ask for your PIN to be input, so do ask your issuing company for a pin if you don't have one yet.  Best to use a card offering "no foreign transaction fees."  A restaurant or cafe will ALWAYS bring the portable transaction machine to you. Never give your card to anyone who is not processing it right in front of you.

Here's a chart showing TODAY's exchange rate 11 January 2017.  I use the XE app on my phone for live updates.  These are BANK rates, so expect to pay a consumer price for your Euros.

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  Pocket Guide

  United States Dollar to Euro Calculated using an exchange rate of 0.9477 correct on 2017-01-11

  $5.00	€4.74
  $10.00	€9.48
  $50.00	€47.39
  $100.00	€94.77
  $250.00	€236.93
  $500.00	€473.85
  $1,000.00	€947.70
  $5,000.00	€4,738.50
  $10,000.00	€9,477.00
  $25,000.00	€23,692.50

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  Pocket Guide

  Euro to United States Dollar Calculated using an exchange rate of 1.0552 correct on 2017-01-11

  €1.00	$1.06
  €5.00	$5.28
  €10.00	$10.55
  €50.00	$52.76
  €100.00	$105.52
  €250.00	$263.80
  €500.00	$527.60
  €1,000.00	$1,055.20
  €5,000.00	$5,276.00
  €10,000.00	$10,552.00