We arrived in Amsterdam on time at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Immigration was quick and baggage arrived quickly. While waiting for the luggage to show up, went to a nearby ING bank ATM and tried both my debit cards. Both worked. However, in retrospect, I should have asked my banks to up my daily withdrawal limit. Noticed vending machine for train tickets was available within the luggage collection area but the line for the ticket machine was long.
After collecting our luggage, went outside and purchased train tickets from the multitudes of ticket machines available. Credit card went through fine. Down the escalator to the platform. A Thalys high speed train showed up. We hopped on that instead of waiting for the yellow Dutch trains that usually one takes. Nobody caught us. 20 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal.
At AC, we left our luggage at the left luggage facility. Hopped on tram17 for the Anne Frank museum. Tram 13 also takes you there. Got there around 11:00 a.m. and the line was massive. Gave up and took a canal tour instead. Got off at the Albert Cuyps market and hung out there for a while. Bought a couple of truly horrible egg rolls from a Vietnamese lady. Also had frites (what we call French fries). Wife thought that McDonalds fries were better. Then back on the boat and back to the train station.
Albert Cuyps market is a pretty interesting place with all kinds of stuff for sale.
Cured ham for sale.
Boat houses
After collecting our luggage, took the tram to our apartment which we could check in only after 4 p.m. After freshening up, went to Leidseplein square for dinner at an Indonesian restaurant. The square is one big tourist trap and I guess that's why our dinner was not up to par.
After collecting our luggage, went outside and purchased train tickets from the multitudes of ticket machines available. Credit card went through fine. Down the escalator to the platform. A Thalys high speed train showed up. We hopped on that instead of waiting for the yellow Dutch trains that usually one takes. Nobody caught us. 20 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal.
At AC, we left our luggage at the left luggage facility. Hopped on tram17 for the Anne Frank museum. Tram 13 also takes you there. Got there around 11:00 a.m. and the line was massive. Gave up and took a canal tour instead. Got off at the Albert Cuyps market and hung out there for a while. Bought a couple of truly horrible egg rolls from a Vietnamese lady. Also had frites (what we call French fries). Wife thought that McDonalds fries were better. Then back on the boat and back to the train station.
After collecting our luggage, took the tram to our apartment which we could check in only after 4 p.m. After freshening up, went to Leidseplein square for dinner at an Indonesian restaurant. The square is one big tourist trap and I guess that's why our dinner was not up to par.
