Whit in Amsterdam
I booked a somewhat spontaneous solo trip to Amsterdam over the Thanksgiving holiday in November, 2019. I will be honest—I didn’t have high hopes for Amsterdam and booked it only because the flight was reasonable. I have no idea why; I think I imagined the city being overrun with tourists and lacking that quaintness and charm I was craving. I couldn’t have been further off base. I ended up loving Amsterdam MUCH more than I thought and was disappointed I hadn’t allocated more time to spend there (next stop: London.) There are certainly tourist traps and heavily trafficked areas, but to me, the beauty of the city is that you can escape the hubbub in a matter of minutes. The architecture is stunning, the canals are dreamy, the city is walkable (and bikeable) and easy to explore. It truly is a postcard come to life in all the best ways.
Getting there and getting around:
It will come as no surprise I stayed Oneworld loyal and flew British Airways out of BWI. I booked a multi-city trip from BWI to Amsterdam, then London back to BWI. I booked my one-way flight from Amsterdam to London separately, but still on BA. This was much cheaper than booking a three-leg journey through BA. Once again, easy and breezy with tons of flight options.
From Schipol Airport in Amsterdam I took the train directly to Amsterdam Central. I purchased the 3-Day Amsterdam Travel Ticket ahead of time and printed it out at the ticket machine in the airport. This ticket is GOLD, for €28 you get train travel to and from the airport and unlimited metro and tram use. Simply print (or purchase) your travel ticket at the airport, follow the signs to find the train, and you’ll be in the city center (Amsterdam-Centrum) in just 20 minutes. From here you can walk to your final destination or take the metro/tram.
The metro and tram are shamelessly easy to use (TIP: Download the Citymapper app, this is my favorite map app abroad). I walked, trammed, and metroed everywhere and took an Uber once or twice when it was late and public transportation was slow.
Amsterdam-Centrum:
The majority of my time was spent in Amsterdam-Centrum, the innermost borough of Amsterdam and historic center where the famous canal rings are located. Airbnbs were limited when I was looking, so I ended up staying smack in the middle of the tourist area of De Wallen (the red light district, to be exact). I figured, best to stay close to everything rather than risk being too far away. My Airbnb ended up being cozy, cute, and the perfect central location despite being surrounded by touristy gimmicks. It actually was nice to know no matter how late I returned home, there would always be at least a handful of people milling about.
Amsterdam-Centrum is a smattering of pocket neighborhoods and it’s everything you would imagine it to be. It’s also small, so you can easily criss-cross the area in a day. Charming brown bars (cozy, authentic Dutch bars) and cute cafes litter the area, bicycles crowd the streets, and everywhere you look feels like a snapshot from a movie. You never know what’s around the corner or down the next cobblestone street. While I was in town just before the Christmas markets got going, the lights were going up and the outdoor skating rinks were open which created the dreamiest holiday feeling.
De Pijp:
Pronounced "de PIPE,” this is Amsterdam’s hip new neighborhood just south of Amsterdam-Centrum. This is where you’ll find the well-known “Wake Me Up When I’m Famous” mural, a bevy of brunch spots, and a bunch of young people. It’s clear this is a neighborhood where people live and work, as opposed to the slightly more historic feel of Amsterdam-Centrum.
Shopping:
O My Bag (this store specializes in eco-friedly and fairly made leather bags; each and every one is DIVINE)
LikeStationery (charming little stationery shop)
Tally-Ho (this chic store has the cutest clothes and accessories, you’re welcome in advance)
It’s a Present! (a cooler, much hipper Hallmark)
Noordermarkt (farmers market by Saturday, flea market by Monday)
Heinen Delfts Blauw (you can’t leave without a piece of delft blue pottery)
Cafes, Breakfast, and Sweets:
*Very important, cafe=coffee and coffee shop=marijuana
Screaming Beans (sat in the window here, sipped a latte and read for hours)
Coffee and Coconuts (lofty ceilings, cool vibes, nice spot for coffee or lunch)
Piqniq (great for a cozy, sit-down breakfast)
Toastable (toasties are life—basically fancy grilled cheeses)
Croissanterie Egstorf (make sure you pick up some stroopwafel here)
Brown Bars:
*These cozy, old-school bars are great to sit, read, and people watch in. I also highly recommend checking out Karen’s list of Brown Bars!
*Don’t forget to order some bitterballen with your beer; these small, deep-fried meaty snacks are delicious
Bruincafé 't Centrum (came here the afternoon I landed and the nicest group of middle-aged men from the ‘burbs in town for a game bought me my first drink!)
Drinks:
The Hoxton Hotel (stop in for Jazz on Sunday evenings; this place was hopping, I couldn’t even find a seat!)
Rosalia’s Menagerie (hands down, absolute favorite cocktail bar I’ve ever been to and also a six-room inn)
Filmtheater Kriterion (a super hip student-operated cinema and bar, originally founded by anti-Nazi students in the 1940s)
To eat:
*To say I survived on bitterballen, toasties, and sweets alone, would not be an understatement…I wish I’d tapped more into the food scene!
SOTTO Pizza (super cozy pizza joint on the outskirts of Amsterdam-Centrum)
Brothers Hartering (didn’t make it here, but this cozy neighborhood restaurant looked wonderful and has great reviews)
To do:
Something I’ve recently become fond of is starting a trip off with an excursion or activity. You get to meet people and get the lay of the land. The night I arrived I did this pub crawl—don’t let the name fool you, this is not the loud obnoxious pub crawl you’re imagining! It’s hosted by Rachael, a Singapore transplant who moved to Amsterdam for, what else, love! She and her girlfriend run this tour and take you and a small group of people to a handful of warm and cozy bars. You’ll try beers and some snacks and have a lot of laughs with people from around the world.
Something else I’ve become fond of while traveling is finding a local fitness class. Rocycle, Amsterdam’s very own indoor cycling studio, did NOT disappoint and was easy to book through ClassPass. The facilities are sleek, the instructors are awesome, and the workout was fire. Workout classes feel like such a great way to ground yourself in the local rhythm of a city—10/10 would recommend.
I didn’t visit any museums (this will be shocking to absolutely no one who knows me), but you definitely have your pick when it comes to museums and galleries. I do, however, wish I’d snuck in a canal tour. If you go around Christmas, I recommend doing a canal tour at night of the Christmas lights!
There is so much more of the Netherlands to see, but Amsterdam was the perfect entrée. This is absolutely a city that caters to solo travelers, but could also be perfect for a family or romantic getaway so put it at the top of your list!
