When visiting Amsterdam you can't miss out on visiting the Van Gogh museum. Opened in 1973 and is the home of one of the worlds greatest ever artists, Van Gough was born way back in 1853 in a Dutch town called Zundert. He had a good a education but left school abruptly in 1868 and a year later he managed to get an apprentice at the Goupil & Cie, An international art dealers which had headquarters in Paris. He moved to England in 1873 where his love for Art took a nose dive and he starts to lose interest and turns to the church and not so long after that he becomes a clergyman after being let go by his employers, through the years he gets more interest from helping others than anything else and does some work in Amsterdam helping the poor before moving to Belgium where he starts to give away his possessions so he can help the poor old mine workers who that time lived in appalling conditions, Aged 27 he decides he can still help the church wile learning to paint and in the Van Gough museum you can see that great collection of one of the greatest artists who has ever graced this earth. You can see and learn a whole lot more if you visit the van gough museum in Amsterdam.

As we have previously mentioned, Amsterdam offers an extremely rich travel experience. In fact, there is so much to do that it can be a little overwhelming for visitors. Luckily for you we have compiled this list on what are the not-to-be-missed atractions when visiting Amsterdam.

- Walking tour of Amsterdam

Walking around Amsterdam offers hours of sightseeing fun. Its a great option if you are on a budget as you can pick up a map at one of the Amsterdam Tourist Offices and go ahead and explore. Try strolling around Jordaan (trendy), the Central Canal Ring; Oude Zijde (historic area); or the Eastern Canal Ring and stately mansions. These areas are all very picturesque.

- Visit Van Gogh Museum

There are many superb museums in Amsterdam. However, the Van Gogh Museum is one of the best. The largest collection of Van Gogh’s work, the museum itself has undergone a refurbishment and this has improved the visitor experience immensley. There is also an option for an English language self guided tour.

- Sample the Dutch masters at the Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands largest national museum, the Rijksmuseum offers the finest collection of 17th-century Dutch works of art in just one wing of its massive Neo-Gothic structure (architecturally worth seeing itself). “The Masterpieces” exhibition is a must see, featuring works by Dutch masters Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals.

- Amsterdam Canal Cruise

Travelling along the canals is the only way to get a truly experience the uniqueness of Amsterdam. Infact, if you only have a short period of time in the city, we would recommend a canal cruise above all else. You can jump into an open-top canal boat or do-it-yourself on a canal bike. You can cruise doen the canals and soak in the atmosphere, viewing 17th-century mansions, tree-lined neighborhoods and stunning architecture, both ancient and modern. A night or sunset cruise is probabaly the best time to take a cruise.

- Visit The Anne Frank House

In a profound and moving experience, where Anne Frank penned her world-reknowned diaries during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in World War 2. Visiting this museum is a profound experience. Avoid the queues by visiting early or late in the day, or by purchasing tickets in advance. The museum is situated in Westermark, central Amsterdam.

- Sample the cafe culture

Of course, no trip to Amsterdam would be complete without taking in the unique and laid back atmosphere of the many cafes that pepper the city.

These are just a few of our favourite attractions in Amsterdam. If you have any recommendations for Amsterdam essentials please let us know.

You can get a ferry to Amsterdam daily from the UK, our favourite way to travel.

Ferries, Planes, Cars or Trains?

Luckily when travelling to Amsterdam from the UK there are a few options. We are based in Glasgow, Scotland.

Ferry - If like us, you want to take your time and relax, ensuring that you get into 'Amsterdam-mode' before you arrive - we would choose to travel from Newcastle to Amsterdam on a cheap ferry with DFDS Seaways. A far more chilled out experience than running about in airports or being stuck in traffic jams - these ferries have fantastic facilities on board, Restaurants & Cafés, Entertainment, Bars, Shops and Lounges ensures that there is something for everyone.



Car - According to Google Maps, driving the 746 miles from Glasgow to Amsterdam would take 12 hours and 27 minutes. Obviously, this doesnt allow for external factors ie time of day and traffic jams etc (the centre of Amsterdam is ver congested.) If travelling by car it is advisable to park outside the city centre and get a train or a tram, the Amsterdam public transport system is excellent.


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Plane - For those that just cannot wait any longer to get to Amsterdam, there are numerous airlines that fly from the UK. A quick search on cheapflights.co.uk reveals the cheapest of these to be from BMI Airlines at £133 return. A flight usually takes around 1 hour, 15 minutes from Glasgow Airport.

Train - Not so convenient for us in Glasgow as most of the Trains to Amsterdam depart from London and head through the chunnel (some even go via Brussels). Check out Rail Europe for more info.

In summary, if you have plenty of time on your hands and want a relaxing journey, we would choose the ferry to travel to Amsterdam every time. Obviously flying will get you there quicker, car travel can be problematic and the train is a last resort. However you get there though, there is a fantastic city waiting for you.

Amsterdam is one of our favourite cities on Earth. Being from the UK we love the open, relaxed atmosphere that permeates throughout the city. There is so much to do, whether it be enjoying an afternoon coffee in one of the myriad of cafes and bars, to enhancing our cultural standing by visiting one of the many superb museums. Infact, there is so much to do in Amsterdam that we have decided to blog about it. We are hoping to provide insight into the best destinations in Amsterdam, including those little gems that you might not find in mainstream travel guides and blogs. This will be an informal blog, written in a humorous manner. In the style of our favourite city we are hoping to have some great fun along the way. All contributions are welcome, whether you are a native of Amsterdam itself who can point us in the right direction or whether, like us, you are/were a tourist that found something of interest in Amsterdam. Dont be shy to comment or get in touch with us! We will have our first real post ready soon, detailing the best ways to travel to Amsterdam from the UK - by Ferry, Plane, Car or Train. Cheers!