Amsterdam City Guide

Amsterdam Overview

History, art, a head of beer and a roll-your-own.

Amsterdam is one of the world's best hangouts, a canny blend of old and new: radical squatter art installations hang off 17th-century eaves; BMWs give way to bicycles; and triple-strength monk-made beer is drunk in gleaming, minimalist cafes.

The city seems to thrive on its mix and, despite hordes of tourists, still manages to feel quintessentially Dutch. The old crooked houses, the cobbled streets, the tree-lined canals and the generous parks all contribute to the atmosphere.

Amsterdam Photo Gallery

Photographs of Amsterdam

Entire city is built on wooden or concrete piles driven into sand and clay

Neo-Renaissance facade of the Stadsschouwburg (City Theatre)

Queen's Day amusements, near Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace), Dam Square

Amsterdam Fast Facts

Facts about Amsterdam

Currency in Amsterdam

Preferred Form of Payment in Amsterdam

Credit cards like Visa and MasterCard/Eurocard are widely accepted, as well as cash cards that access the Cirrus network. This will be the preferred method for most big purchases. Otherwise keep at least US$50 on you; ATMs can be found outside most banks, at airports and most train stations.

Changing Your Money in Amsterdam

Changing money in the Netherlands is a breeze. Banks generally offer good exchange rates, but the service can be slow. Cash-dispensing ATMs are all over the place and can be the quickest and cheapest way to exchange your money from home - but check with your home bank for service charges before leaving. Travellers cheques (including eurocheques) are on the way out in the Netherlands - you'll be hard pressed to find a bank who will exchange them. Some moneychangers (such as the nationwide GWK) still exchange cheques however.

Money Tips

Although Amsterdam casualties will tell you it's possible to scrape by on only one stolen bike a day, the Netherlands is not really a budget buy. If you're happy eating chips, sleeping in hostels and walking around, it's possible to hang in Holland for around 35.00 EUR a day. There are a lot of free activities to stretch your budget, especially in Amsterdam in summer. Those who prefer a couple of solid meals a day, a comfortable bed with private facilities and travelling by public transport are looking at 80.00 EUR as a starting point. Money-saving ideas include getting hold of a museum pass if you're an avid museum-goer, and getting hold of a bicycle so you can travel for only the price of body fuel.

Using a Telephone in Amsterdam

Most of Amsterdam's telephone booths are the pert green models operated by telecoms giant KPN, and tend to take phone and credit cards rather than coins. Located in and around railway stations, Telfort's orange-grey booths take coins as well as phonecards. The minimum charge is 0.10 EUR. Post offices, GWK exchange offices and tobacco shops sell phonecards of both companies.

All calls are time-based. On weekdays, from a private phone, calls cost from 0.029 EUR per minute but from public phones, the tab jumps to 0.30 EUR/min. Charges drop after 7pm.

For local directory information, call 0900 80 08. This service knocks you back 1.15 EUR from a private phone but is free from a public phone.

Using a Mobile Phone in Amsterdam

The Netherlands uses the GSM cellular phone system. Compatible phones include those sold in the UK, Australia and most of Asia, but not those of Japan or North America.

Check with your service provider before you leave home that it has a roaming agreement with a local counterpart.

Doing Business in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a popular place for trade fairs and conferences, hosting hundreds of international and national events every year. Amsterdam's luxury hotels, as well as Schipol airport, all offer business services; some house complete business centres. If you're doing business on a budget, Kinko's is now operating in Europe and can provide some facilities.

For meetings, the major hotels, such as the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, the NH Barbizon Palace or the Okura Hotel can accomodate groups of 25 to 2000 people. Amsterdam RAI, the largest exhibition centre in the country, has 21 conference rooms, and the World Trade Centre also has meeting rooms and a full range of business facilities and support services.

Amsterdam's healthy conference scene is centred around the World Trade Center and the Rai Exhibition Centre, both located in the south, quite close to Schipol airport.

Media in Amsterdam

The major Dutch newspapers are fairly conservative. European editions of English newspapers are available at most newsstands. Dutch radio offers an eclectic mix and can be very rewarding. Dutch television, on the other hand, is generally a great cure for insomnia.

Periodicals in Amsterdam

Radio Stations in Amsterdam

Books in Amsterdam

Factoids

Ah, gezellig!

One of the best reasons to visit Amsterdam is for the gezelligheid, a term variously translated as friendliness, or informality. You can feel gezellig just about anywhere - in a cosy cafe or bar definitely, but even a supermarket queue to a rush-hour train will do.