Some time ago we sat on our couch and thought about where to go on our next trip. There are, as you know, a wide variety of approaches to travel planning: either you are thinking about what you have always wanted to see. Or you take a look at your bank account and decide what you can afford.
So we were looking at the usual web sites with cheap offers and comparing prices until we found a flight to Amsterdam for €70 each (back and forth). After a short research of hotel prices it became apparent: We didn’t want to pay for a hotel.
That’s when it was clear that we were going to Amsterdam for just a day! We’d be arriving in the morning and be back home by midnight.
Our Flight
Our flight was great! It departed at 7am from Hamburg and we went back home at 8pm. So we had a whole day to experience Amsterdam and be back at night to sleep in our own beds.
Our goal was to see as much as possible from Amsterdam without spending a lot of money.
By the way, Amsterdam is worth a stopover, too! Add an additional day to your itinerary, explore the city and come home relaxed.
What Did We Do in for One Day in Amsterdam?
Canal Cruise
Before our departure to Amsterdam we bought tickets for a hop-on hop-off canal cruise. That was the best decision! Right at the beginning (at 10 o’clock) we could sit ourselves down in a boat and explore the city quite relaxed on the waterway. So early in the day the ships are quite empty, too.
The canal tour takes you to many sights. During this cruise, the guide tells you about the history of the city and individual monuments.
The boat stops at the following stations:
- Heineken Experience
- Rijksmuseum
- Van Gogh Museum
- Nemo Science Center
- Maritime Museum
- Anne Frank House
- Jordaan
- City Hall
- Central Station
- A’dam Lookout
You can leave the boat at every station and board a later boat, if you want to continue your journey by water. Search the sights from the list, which are important to you and let the ship take you there.
We were lucky with the weather. But if things had gotten tough, we’d always have had a rain-shelter on our boat. Not bad at all. We also liked the fact that we could sit and relax from time to time. 😉
Our plan for Amsterdam was to wind down and enjoy some fresh air. This is why we didn’t visit the museums. A more cultural program would have been possible without a problem. In bad weather, museums or the Heineken Experience would have been a good choice.
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-version=”7″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”> <div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”> <div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BJLe2rsgQD6/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank”>Ein Beitrag geteilt von Highlights of the World (@jenny.na)</a> am <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2016-08-16T18:20:03+00:00″>16. Aug 2016 um 11:20 Uhr</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Floating Flower Market
For the flower market, we left our comfortable ship. Just a little walk later we were in the middle of it. Here the flowers are sold on houseboats (that’s why it’s called Floating Flower Market). Souvenirs, food, drink and – of course – flowers and plants are abundant here.
Cheese tasting
The Netherlands are not only famous for their flowers – especially their tulips – but also for cheese. There are many cheese shops in Amsterdam. It is worth to try the different sorts of cheese. From the famous Gouda to the specially smoked goat’s cheese, there’s nothing left to be desired. Any cheese you buy can also be flown back home in your hand luggage.
Our Packing List for One Day in Amsterdam
For one day we took a backpack full of food, an umbrella, headphones for the flight, money, spoon and fork.
Since we flew there, we could not take drinks from home. So we bought our drinks locally. You can also take an empty water bottle and fill it with tap water once you’re through airport security.
We’ve started to take cutlery with us on short trips in case we want to buy a yogurt or salad in the supermarket (We don’t always eat out on trips like these). Without cutlery it’s really hard to eat this kind of things. But I guess, you could just as easily find a restaurant and eat there. You’d even avoid prepacking your lunch and would get to know the local cuisine. 😉
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-version=”7″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”> <div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”> <div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BJDhfu9g_kx/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank”>Ein Beitrag geteilt von Highlights of the World (@jenny.na)</a> am <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2016-08-13T16:09:12+00:00″>13. Aug 2016 um 9:09 Uhr</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Costs For One Day in Amsterdam
€70/each – Flight with Eurowings from Hamburg to Amsterdam Schiphol
€6.2 €/each – Train ticket from the airport to the city and back
€19/each – Canal cruise (valid all day / incl. Onlinediscount) www.canal.nl
€3/each – Drinks
€98.2/person
This is still too expensive for a day trip, you say? Have a look at our post “A Day in Brussels”. 🙂
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-version=”7″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”> <div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”> <div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BJF6yjagPdX/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank”>Ein Beitrag geteilt von Highlights of the World (@jenny.na)</a> am <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2016-08-14T14:28:43+00:00″>14. Aug 2016 um 7:28 Uhr</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Do These Tips also Help With a Weekend Trip?
Of course! Ideally you live close to the airport for these one-day-trips. If there is no airport in the vicinity, then just book a weekend trip to Amsterdam. The hotels are not generally expensive. Since we booked flight on short notice, the hotel prices were just very high. Planning in advance will get you good deals with flights AND hotels.
Have you ever spent “one day in …”? I look forward to your stories in the comments!
Yours
Jenny & Marco
PS. This entry belongs to the series “A Day in …”. Find more posts like this one.