Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [104]
The cheapest dorms you’ll find are in the “Shelter” Christian-run hostels, at €17–23 per person per night; the average elsewhere is closer to €25. A few otherwise good-value places have a policy of charging more at weekends than during the week – a price hike of as much as €5 that can come as an unpleasant surprise. Note that you can pay the same rate for a bed in a sixteen-person dorm as you’d pay to be in a four-person dorm elsewhere, and that any place which won’t allow you to see where you’ll be sleeping before you pay is worth avoiding. If you want a little extra privacy, many hostels also offer triples, doubles and singles for much less than you’d pay in a regular hotel – though the quality and size of rooms can leave a lot to be desired.
Accommodation | Hostels |
Old Centre
Bob’s Youth Hostel Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 92 020/623 0063, www.bobshostel.nl. Ten-minute walk from CS. An old favourite with backpackers, Bob’s is a lively place with small, basic dorm beds for €18–25 per person, including breakfast in the coffeeshop on the ground floor. They also let four apartments (€70 for two people, €90 for three). However, they kick everyone out at 10.30am to clean, which is not so good if you want a lie-in. Walk-in policy only.
Bulldog Low-Budget Hotel Oudezijds Voorburgwal 220 020/620 3822, www.bulldoghotel.com. Tram #4, #9, #16 or #24 from CS to Dam Square, then a three-minute walk. Part of the Bulldog coffeeshop chain, with a bar and DVD lounge downstairs complete with leather couches and soft lighting. Dorm beds with shower range between €24 and €32, a bit more at weekends, including breakfast, and there are also double rooms from €105 to €120, as well as fully equipped apartments from €150 – all with bathrooms and TVs. Great terrace in summer.
Flying Pig Downtown Nieuwendijk 100 020/420 6822, www.flyingpig.nl. Five-minute walk from CS. Clean, large and well run by ex-travellers familiar with the needs of backpackers. Free use of kitchen facilities, no curfew, and the hostel bar is open all night. It’s justifiably popular, and a very good deal, with mixed dorm beds from about €25 depending on the size of the dorm; queen-size bunks sleeping two also available. During the peak season you’ll need to book well in advance. See also "Flying Pig Uptown" for further details.
The Globe Oudezijds Voorburgwal 3 020/421 7424, www.hostel-theglobe.nl. Tram #4, #9, #16 or #24 to Dam Square. A popular hostel that’s a favourite with those on all-day drinking binges, partly due to its 24-hour sports bar with screen. It’s not a palace by anyone’s standards, but may do the trick if you’re not in Amsterdam to sleep much. Spartan but clean dorm beds from €18 (weekends €35), twins for a steep €80–135. €5 key deposit. Breakfast is an extra €6.
Meeting Point Warmoesstraat 14 020/627 7499, www.hostel-meetingpoint.nl. Ten-minute walk from CS. Warm and cosy central hostel with space in eight- to eighteen-bed dorms. Private bar with pool table for guests is open 24 hours. Cash payment only. Breakfast €2.50. Prices range between €18 and €30.
Shelter City Barndesteeg 21 020/625 3230, www.shelter.nl. Metro Nieuwmarkt. A non-evangelical Christian youth hostel smack in the middle of the Red Light District. Beds in large dorms from €22.50, including a sizeable breakfast, which makes this one of the city’s best deals (from €24.50 for a bed in a smaller dorm). Dorms are single-sex; lockers require a €5 deposit and there’s a curfew (2am). You might be handed a booklet on Jesus when you check in, but you’ll get a quiet night’s sleep and the sheets are clean. See also "The Shelter Jordan".
Stay Okay Stadsdoelen Kloveniersburgwal 97 020/624 6832, www.stayokay.com/stadsdoelen. Metro Nieuwmarkt or Waterlooplein, or tram #4, #9, #16, #24 or #25 from CS to Muntplein. The closest to Centraal Station of the three official