Fall in love with the Netherlands' cool, cultural capital on city breaks to Amsterdam, where houseboats bob on peaceful canals near relaxed coffee shops.
Tall, narrow houses lean gently over Amsterdam's web of canals, criss-crossed with mini humped bridges. At the heart of it all is Central Station, neatly ringed by canals and the shiny tracks of the city's clanging trams. Nearby, Amsterdam's oldest church, Oude Kerk, watches over the cobbled streets and glowing windows of the famous Red Light District, De Wallen. The city's top museums conveniently converge on grassy Museumplein, where the Van Gogh Museum showcases the artist's colourful daubs and swirls.
Best of Amsterdam city breaks for...
- Families: There's no better way for kids to learn about the Second World War than through the eyes of a child. The Anne Frank House tells the sad story of the brave little girl who wrote her famous diary in a secret hiding place behind a hinged bookcase.
- Active types: Canal cruise seem too tame? Swap the boat for a Canal Bike and go for a self-propelled jaunt or join the Mystery Tour of Amsterdam's Canal District. Keep your eyes peeled for Amsterdam's narrowest house, at Singel 7. At only one metre wide, blink and you'll miss it!
- Shopping: Browse vintage and designer clothing in the boutique shops of super-swanky Nine Streets. The picturesque 17th-century streets are filled with unique shops to thrill bargain hunters and label lovers alike.
- Romance: Inject some old-school glamour into your love life with a private box in the Tuschinski cinema, where you'll spend as much time ogling the 1920s Art Deco interior as each other!
- Free & cheap: Head to Vondelpark, Amsterdam's biggest city park, and picnic on patat oorlog, French fries smothered in a hotchpotch of onions, ketchup, mayonnaise and satay sauce.
Getting into Amsterdam from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
- Buses take under 30 minutes to reach Amsterdam city centre while direct trains whisk you there in just 15 minutes.
- Some hotels provide free shuttle buses for guests while taxis can be booked in advance or hailed on arrival.
Getting around on weekend breaks in Amsterdam
- Bicycle: Hire a bike on short breaks in Amsterdam and join the locals in the city's ultra-convenient cycle lanes.
- Public transport: Trams, ferries and the Metro serve all central destinations and the suburbs. Use buses to get around after midnight.
