Amsterdam

Getting There

Fly into Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), one of Europe's best connected airports with direct routes from virtually everywhere. Trains run from the airport to Centraal Station every 15 minutes and take under 20 minutes. The city is compact and almost entirely navigable by bike or on foot.

Getting Around

Hire a bike. This isn't a tourist activity — it's how the city functions. Every hotel and many supermarkets rent them. The cycling infrastructure is the best in the world and the city makes immediate sense once you're on a bicycle rather than on foot or in a taxi. IC cards work on trams and buses for when it rains.

The Museums

The Rijksmuseum houses the finest collection of Dutch Golden Age painting in existence — Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer, Hals. Budget at least three hours. Book online to skip the entrance queue. The Van Gogh Museum is worth half a day. The Anne Frank House requires advance booking months ahead; the experience is powerful and the queues without a booking are prohibitive.

The less visited but equally rewarding: Stedelijk (modern and contemporary art), Het Scheepvaartmuseum (maritime history in a magnificent 17th-century naval building), FOAM (photography).

The Canals

The ring of 17th-century canals — Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht — is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk or cycle along any of the four main canals in the early morning before the tourist boats start. The Western Canal Ring (Jordaan neighbourhood) is the most photogenic and has the best independent cafes and shops.

What to Eat

The Dutch food itself is modest but the city's international food scene is excellent. Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table — a spread of a dozen or more dishes) reflects the colonial relationship with Indonesia and is done extremely well here. De Kas (in a converted greenhouse) is the benchmark for seasonal Dutch produce. Raw herring from a street stand with onions is not optional.