I remember watching Oceans 12 for the first time, seeing Amsterdam and thinking "Omg I would love to visit that place"...little did I know I would visit 4 times in 3 years. Every year I would attend a huge conference for work in Amsterdam and once I went on a whim with some friends from London which was the funnest and craziest thing we had done. Amsterdam's transportation system is genius and you can hop on the train or tram and get to any part of the city quickly and efficiently (huge plus). I also rented a car once to get around Amsterdam and that wasn't bad either (I'm pretty experienced with driving in Europe and I was also coming from Belgium, I only recommend this if you feel comfortable driving in another country). Riding a bike is one of the most popular things to do here so that is also an option if you want to feel like a true Amsterdammer (I made that word up). Keep in mind if you do this you must be well versed in cycling because they ride like cars and you will get trampled if you're just taking a leisurely stroll. The food here is pretty average nothing to distinct stood out in the meals I had with the exception of (Members only content location) which happen to be my favorite meal in all my 4 times visiting. Their most popular food is bitterballen (fried meat and cheese in a ball) but the real winner in this country are the Stroopwafels (see below for photo). These are the desserts of choice and extremely popular here so make sure you grab one, my favorite place to pick them up is (Members only content location) which is right in the heart of the Dam Square. The Red Light District is just as sexy and scandalous as they advertise it to be so make sure you visit here without the kiddos. The Old Bell was a really nice bar/pub that we went to each year so I would highly recommend visiting here if you are the pub type. I do regret not doing the other biggest thing you can do here which is visiting the Tulip gardens. Every year I have been to Amsterdam it has been about 30 to 40 deg c so the gardens haven't really been open or ideal during this weather but if you are visiting in spring or summer this is an activity you must experience.
General Consensus: Amsterdam is one of those heart of the European experience cities so not visiting would do you a great injustice. I would make this a side trip from London or Belgium as it may not be the best stand alone trip. This country really takes a special kind of visitor to enjoy but highly caters to work and business type travelers.
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