From clogs to bikes in Amsterdam

From boat rides along the canals and riding bikes through city streets to learning how clogs are made, Amsterdam has always held a certain intrigue for us. Sadly, we haven’t made it there yet, but my niece Zara has, so we picked her brains for all the best bits for this edition of You’ve Been Where. 

And now we’re moving it up our bucket list. 

We love hearing about the travel experiences of our friends, family and readers of AllAbroad. We pick up so many tips and find out new places to travel. We thought you might like to hear about their adventures too. So in this section we turn the website over to you, our travel family.

Read on for travel tips from the people that help inspire our adventures.

Who are you and what do you do for a living? 

Hi I’m Zara! I work within primary schools as a teacher’s aide. 

Where is home? 

While my home will always be Melbourne, Australia, I’m currently living in the Midlands region of England. 

Where have you been? When did you go? 

My latest holiday was to Amsterdam, Netherlands. I travelled there in May. 

Who did you travel with?

I travelled with my partner. We are fortunate enough to have friends living in Amsterdam, so we had our own personal tour guides. Also, my partner’s sister and her fiancé flew over from Italy to spend a few days with us. 

What was the highlight of your trip?

It’s very hard to find just one highlight of the trip. However, one that stands out was a boat trip along the canals. 

On Sunday evening we decided to hire our own boat to explore the canals. It had been raining for most of the afternoon so there was no one else along the water. However, the rain stopped just as we got onto the boat which made the experience perfect. The canals connect all parts of the city. We loved seeing all the houses slanted, the bars and restaurants along the water, the bikes parked up and the house boats. My partner’s sister also got engaged along this boat ride which made it even more special. 

What did you like least about your trip?

Unfortunately, the weather was miserable for most of the time. It was either raining or windy. It didn’t stop us from exploring though! 

Do you have any funny stories from your trip?

Bikes are a huge part of Amsterdam. Most of us hadn’t ridden a bike for a while, so watching each of us try to fit in was pretty funny. We weren’t brave enough to join in with the locals on the road though. 

What were the locals like? 

For the most part, everyone was lovely! Within the restaurants and other customer service jobs everyone was really helpful, and enjoyed having a chat. However, bikes are the number one priority within the city. It’s also important to remember that Europeans are on the other side of the road to Australia, so if you get confused or step out in front of the bikes they won’t slow down and aren’t very impressed if they have to move out of a pedestrian’s way. 

What was the food like? 

If you love hot chips, this is the place to go! The food was incredible. There are also some incredible bakeries. I thought being vegetarian with food intolerances I might struggle to find food I was able to eat, however there were lots of options. Within the markets there are lots of food stalls, and of course the waffles are delicious. They have restaurants of all cuisines, so you’ll definitely be able to find anything you’re looking for. 

Did you learn anything about yourself or the world on this trip?

I learnt that it’s important to look out of the city. We spent a day going out to look at the windmills, seeing how clogs were made and visiting a fishing village. The Netherlands is a beautiful country and worth exploring. 

Would you recommend others travel here? Why/Why not?

Yes, absolutely! There is something for every type of traveller, if you’re wanting a city break, to explore history, visit museums, enjoy the food, relaxing days in the park, you can do it all. 

Do you have any tips for people thinking of travelling here?

If you want to see any of the main tourist attractions or visit museums – book ahead! Tickets sell out really quickly so you need to be on top of it. If you’re lucky you might be able to get resale tickets, but don’t count on that if you really want to see something. 

Been somewhere interesting lately? Drop us a line, we’d love to share your tips.

Read more reader adventures in our  You’ve Been Where? series here.

Want more European adventures? Read about our travels in Europe here.

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