Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [94]
Finally, note that all directions given in the listings, including trams, are from Centraal Station (usually abbreviated as “CS”), unless otherwise indicated.
Accommodation |
Where to stay
To help you choose a place to stay, the listings in this section are divided by area, using the same headings as in the guide content. All of the hostels, hotels and B&Bs are marked on the colour maps at the end of the section. For gay accommodation listings, see "Gay and lesbian Amsterdam".
If you choose to stay in the Old Centre, you’ll never have to search for nightlife. Cheap hotels abound in the Red Light District and this is the first place to start looking if money is tight, although women travellers may find it more than a little intimidating. The rest of the Old Centre chips in with many more hotels and all are within easy walking distance of the main sights and principal shopping areas.
Grachtengordel west is only a few minutes’ walk from the bustle of Dam Square, but it has a number of quiet canalside hotels, though the least expensive places are concentrated along Raadhuisstraat, one of the city’s busiest streets. Grachtengordel south is not as appealing a district as its neighbour, but it is ideally positioned for the plethora of nightclubs, bars and restaurants on and around Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. There are plenty of hotels for all budgets here, including a number of very appealing – and occasionally stylish – options along the surrounding canals.
Staying in the Jordaan puts you in among the locals, well away from the prime tourist zones. There’s no shortage of bars and restaurants here either, as well as some of the city’s prettiest canals, but you’ll be at least fifteen minutes’ walk from the bright lights. Be aware when looking for a place to stay that Marnixstraat and Rozengracht are busy traffic streets.
Very few tourists stay in the Old Jewish Quarter; the streets and canals off the main traffic arteries of Weesperstraat and Plantage Middenlaan are largely residential, with very few bars or restaurants. Consequently, although you’re pretty much guaranteed a quiet night’s sleep here, you’ll be a tram ride away from any of the leading sights.
The main reason for staying out of the centre in the Museum Quarter is to be close to the city’s two premier museums – the Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum – although the nightlife around Leidseplein is also within easy striking distance. There are no canals in the area, and two of the main drags, Overtoom and 1e Constantijn Huygensstraat, constantly rumble with traffic, but there are several particularly good hotels on quiet, leafy side streets, as well as two of the city’s best hostels on the edge of the leafy Vondelpark.
There’s not too much reason to venture out into the city’s far-flung suburbs, but the outer districts do possess two noteworthy hotels (see "The outer districts").
Accommodation | Where to stay |
Touts
If, like most visitors, you arrive at Amsterdam’s Centraal Station, you may well be approached outside – or even inside – by touts offering rooms or beds in hostels and cheap hotels. Usually they walk you to the place and claim a fee from the management. Despite the fact that most of them are genuine enough, it’s best to steer clear. Although the possibility of encountering