Weekend City Breaks: Amsterdam

Weekend City Breaks:

• AMSTERDAM
• Barcelona
• Berlin
• Copenhagen
• Istanbul
• Lisbon
• Madrid
• Paris
• Rome
• Venice

How to get there from Prague:
Flights: EasyJet, which is currently advertising October and November specials, will fly you direct to Amsterdam. When I did a search for flights for two people in October – leaving on a Friday/returning on a Sunday – the price (including a 270 CZK administration fee) was approximately 8,500 CZK. If you can leave on a Thursday, you’ll save around 300 CZK. A Friday through Sunday booking in November was 5,376 CZK. KLM will get two people there for around 10,000 CZK.

The journey to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport takes about an hour and a half. Once you’ve arrived, the easiest and most economical way to get into the city is via the train. Conveniently, the station is located directly below the airport. Purchase your ticket (one way is 3.80 EUR) at the ticket counter or the yellow ticket machines in Schipol Plaza. You’ll be in Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 minutes.

Where to stay:
Because of Amsterdam’s compactness, no matter where you choose to stay you’re never too far. Two areas I recommend staying are Jordaan and Plantage. Both are just off the canal ring (where some of the city’s most expensive hotels are located), but on opposite ends. Jordaan, a former working class neighborhood, is quiet and quintessentially Amsterdam, with canal-lined streets and quirky shops, cafes and galleries. Leafy Plantage is home to the botanical gardens and Artis Zoo.

Autumn Events: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (Nov 14-25), Amsterdam Dance Event (Oct 17-21), Cannabis Cup (Nov 18-22), Museum Night (Nov 3)

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