Travel on a Budget: Amsterdam

If you’re looking for some helpful tips for traveling to one of northern Europe’s most gorgeous cities, Amsterdam, this blog is sure to help. Traveling and staying within a certain budget can be especially difficult, but we will provide some helpful tips for getting you around this gorgeous city without destroying your budget.

Amsterdam has a way of making it easy for you to spend more than your budget allows, so don’t be fooled. You can still enjoy the beautiful city without breaking the bank.

When to Visit

Amsterdam has a maritime climate so summers are usually warm, and sometimes rainy. The winter can be cold and it may snow. Many visitors go in the late spring or early fall. Summer is the busiest season so avoid summer visits if crowds are bothersome to you.

What to Eat

Street vendors offer a variety of foods that make it easy for visitors to try all types of different foods. Some Dutch foods that we suggest you try are stroopwafels. Stroopwafels are sweet waffle cookies made from two layers of batter stuck together with a syrup filling. Originally they were only sold locally in one town, but have evolved into being available in packages at stores or freshly made in street stands as a go-to snack at festivals and street markets. In Amsterdam, go to the Albert Cuyp market in De Pijp to get one of these delicious snacks!

Where to Stay

Hotels are everywhere in Amsterdam, and the city is known around Europe for providing inexpensive stays to tourists. Book well in advance if you plan to go in the tourist season.

Getting Around

If you think New York traffic is hard to manage, you’ll feel the same about Amsterdam. If you’re not used to this traffic atmosphere, it’s best to take public transportation in the city, including floating vehicles on many of the canals. Car rentals are available but we recommend them only for trips outside the city.

In addition to the above tips, make Amsterdam your “home base.” The relatively cheap accommodations in the city make it possible to base yourself here and explore more expensive territories nearby. Rail connections are generally excellent. Follow this tip and the ones above and you’re guaranteed to have a memorable and exciting Dutch vacation!