Antics in Amsterdam

30 - 1 September

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DAY 1

On the 29th of August my boyfriend and I packed up our suitcases (yes, we did take suitcases instead of traveller rucksacks because so many people said it was easier and I have to say it was the best advice we were given) and spent our last night in England for the next three weeks. By 10AM the following morning we were having croissants and coffee in St.Pancras before boarding a five hour train to Amsterdam (I had also managed to pull the handle off my suitcase and we hadn't even left the country yet but it was all part of the fun!) We had ticket reservations for this journey so we slid into our seats and spent the next five hours anticipating what lay ahead of us.

One thing to note is that when inter-railing, you do have to reserve some journeys at extra cost to the inter-rail pass (we had three extra reservations in total.) This applies to almost all the night trains and our reservations ranged from £9 up to £50, so it is worth taking this into account. Anyway, enough of prices and onto the trip itself.

We decided to do Airbnb’s as it worked out cheaper than hotels. Amsterdam was the trickiest as it was notably more expensive than the other countries we were venturing to, but we eventually found something a little further out and wow was it worth the train journey in each day. We were quite literally staying in a floating apartment, situated on a beautiful canal. It also had a little balcony where we watched riverboats float by as the sun set, lighting up the sky with red and orange twirls which melted into darkness.

Airbnb is fab for booking quirky accommodation

As we arrived early evening, we had a quick turn around and then wandered the picturesque streets separated by canals. It would have been rude to have gone to Amsterdam and not seen the Red Light District, so this was our main entertainment for the first evening. I had actually been to Amsterdam before (I love European cities) so it was priceless seeing my boyfriends reaction. It really is window after window of attractive, among some questionable, looking women with red lights illuminating what they have to offer. If you’re lucky you’ll see a sheepish looking man knock on the door, exchange a few words, and then scamper on inside. It’s safe to say neither of us fancied that but we were intrigued by a Peep Show. It’s fairly self explanatory, for €2 you get a to peer into a booth for a two minute show, but this is the Red Light District after all so I’ll let you work out what kind of show we were subjected to. It’s a good laugh if you have spare change and don’t get embarrassed easily but I wouldn’t say it’s one for the family!

DAY 2

We only had one full day in Amsterdam so we booked in to see Anne Frank’s House. When I initially visited with University friends we hadn’t got in because it was so popular and the queue had been over 2 hours long; I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. With our tickets in hand, we entered the building which had history ingrained in every brick. It is so chilling walking along the same floorboards that homed eight people for over 2 years and I was really struck by how terrifying it must have been when they were finally captured and taken to concentration camps. Whether you have an interest in history or not, it is so worth a visit (there’s a reason people queue so long to get in!)

Following this we thought we’d go to the Vondelpark. I had been sceptical of going to Amsterdam in September as I feared the weather would have turned, but somehow we chanced upon a heatwave. So with 28 degree heat blanketing us, we popped the speakers on and stretched out on a grassy patch, watching people stroll by. It’s such a vast area of greenery, buskers, and a generally lovely atmosphere as families have BBQs and friends crack open bottles of wine. We then walked round the canals some more (we would have got bikes but the blistering heat made that a pretty grim prospect!) Instead, we settled down in a fab bar called Van Zuylen which had outside seating on the arc of a canal bridge. I’d highly recommend their Spanish Board which we watered down with G&Ts and Beers. As we had an early start the next day, we decided to make our way back. Less than 48 hours and we felt like we’d done a lot . . . bring on Prague.

Top Tips

- Anne Frank House

- Red Light District (it just has to be done)

- Vondelpark

Favourite Place To Eat & Drink: Van Zuylen

Other Top Tips: We didn't get a chance to do everything, but having been already I know that Bakers & Roasters is a hotspot for brunch in Amsterdam and if you have time to fit in a boat tour round the canals it is interesting. Oh, and if you aren't too afraid of heights give the A'DAM lookout a try (it's a huge swing that propels you over a building in Amsterdam)!