City Rating: Amsterdam

Population: 850’000

Date of visit: November 2017

Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 5/5
Low budget factor: 2/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5

The city in a nutshell:

Canals, coffee shops and a large red-light district. Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe, and also the most liberal one in Europe (together with Berlin).

Where to stay:

Hotel prices have increased in recent years. For this reason, the best value for money options are the hotels that are not within canals but still close to the center. Near Rijksmuseum or the railway station for example.

The Good:

Amsterdam is a fun city with less strict rules than other cities in Europe. The people are nice, the restaurants have excellent quality and it is very easy to get from one point to another.

There are a lot of sights and attractions in the city, most of them are museums such as the Anne Frank house. As I am not into museums, I see the the city itself as the best attraction. The area around the canals is definitely picturesque, and a good place for having a beer or coffee.

The Bad & The Ugly:

Nightlife is overrated and many bars or pubs in the center are rip offs. I have spent four nights in Amsterdam and almost all of them were disappointing. From what I heard, most of the locals avoid the city centre like the plague and head outside for a good night out.

In addition, Amsterdam is not a bargain, so expect to pay a lot for hotels especially. If you are near the canals, then almost everything is expensive.

Don’t do the Grachtenfahrt! It’s a matter of taste, but it is a waste of time in my opinion. You don’t see a lot on the boat and it gets boring very fast. Personally, I consider it as one of the most boring tourist attractions in Europe.

 

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