There was some great news for Amsterdam (and European travelers in general yesterday) when the new high speed train linking to Brussels took its first journey. The train travels at speeds of 300kph, and cuts the journey time from Brussels to Amsterdam to 1hr and 53mins (50 mins quicker than previously) - Amsterdam to Cologne is cut in half to approx 1hr and 47mins. Amazing stuff we think you'll agree - Amsterdam now makes an even more appealing base for your European Travels!

Read more about the new trains on this article.

For booking information, check out the Thalys trains website.

There are an increasing number of people based in the UK choosing to spend the festive period abroad, and naturally Amsterdam is one of the most popular destinations. The city generates a superb atmosphere over the Christmas period - it's unique architecture, great shops, ice rink and Christmas market all combine to make it an obvious choice for a festive short break.

Here are some great shots of an atmosheric Amsterdam at Christmas time:

Pretty impressive we think you'll agree!


Ferry company DFDS Seaways offer a number of specially tailored festive breaks to Amsterdam, amongst other cheap European ferry bookings.

Just a quick note to point you in the direction of a great article over at The Independent on the Van Gogh Museum. As we have mentioned before it is a must visit for any trip to Amsterdam - this article will hopefully give you another spurt of inspiration to visit ASAP.

The footballing gods have once again paired the two mighty nations of Holland and Scotland together in a vital football match. No doubt the thousands of Dutch heading over to Scotland will ensure a superb atmosphere - and we would make a plea to the Dutch masters to be a little lenient towards us Scots (not that we're desperate or anything) - they've won the group at a canter and have nothing to play for so why not just let us go through to the Play-Offs?

**UPDATE**

By a massive stroke of good luck i managed to get to the game on Wednesday night - it was a fantastic night despite the result. The atmosphere was amazing and im sure the Dutch supporters enjoyed themselves, hopefully Scotland will get some better luck in the next campaign.

One of the best ways to travel to the Netherlands is by ferry from England to Holland. Holland has so much to offer and we are not just talking about Amsterdam, in this we are going to shift our attention to a different Amsterdam – a miniature one.

The world famous city of Madurodam is an hour’s drive away is from Amsterdam, the 1:25 scaled city is a work of art and a must visit if you are in Holland. It has all the Dutch landmarks in the finest detail and a great way to familiarize yourself with popular landmarks and buildings of interest, from Schiphol Airport to the famous cheese market, The Hague to Dam Square, turning windmills to planes landing at the airport, This is a great day out for all the family and one that will be remembered for life.

AFC Ajax where founded in 1900, after joining the Dutch League in 1901 they struggled in the second division for ten years before winning promotion to the Dutch first division in 1911 season, the fairytale story of Ajax did not start here as they were demoted back to the second division three years later, this was the first and last time they would ever leave the Dutch top flight in their 109 year history. Hard to believe that they came from the second division in the first place!

Since they won the first ever Dutch National Championship way back in 1918 – Ajax have dominated the top end of the Dutch league whilst producing some fine world class players along the way. It was their legendary trainer Jack Reynolds that set the foundations of the now world renowned Ajax youth training camp.

The Amsterdam outfit has now won a staggering 29 league titles. In 1961 they had their first taste of European experience by playing in the Cup Winners’ Cup, ten years later they had their hands on the trophy and failed to give it back for an astonishing three seasons as the romped to glory in Holland, Europe and the World as most of the players in the team tasted world cup success in 1972 along with the legendary Johan Cruijff.

AFC Ajax has produced some of the best players in the world dating back to the 1930’s. With every passing decade there is another list of legendary players that have taken the football world by storm. Ajax amongst other big clubs from smaller countries now find themselves in a precarious position - knowing they can’t compete financially against the other big clubs from the major European Leagues, Ajax must be the best prepared club outside the major leagues in Europe knowing that they can produce world class players to play on their pitch whilst selling one or two every year if need be to balance the books.

Time Out has always been a valuable source of information for travellers across the world. They have achieved their ubuiqity thanks to their concise and well written guide books to the worlds main tourist attractions.

Thankfully they now have a section dedicated to Amsterdam, and amongst the myriad of information available on the site, they have published an excellent list of "20 great things to do in Amsterdam" - here are the main pints, for more on each you can read the full article here....

1. Delve into Amsterdam's colourful past
2. Step into the postcard city
3. Lose yourself in a maze of canals
4. Picnic with the locals
5. Get on your bike
6. Eat a raw herring
7. Take a sneaky peek in the Red Light district
8. Gaze at the Old Masters of the Rijksmuseum
9. Skate like a dream in Amsterdam
10. Mix with Moderns at the Stedelijk Museum
11. Have a good rummage at flea markets
12. Hit the streets to see cutting-edge art
13. Spice things up with an Indonesian
14. Unlock the city's secret garden
15. Visit the home of the diarist Anne Frank
16. Drink as the Dutch do
17. Jam up the volume
18. Move with the music
19. Discover the art of worship
20. Take a snapshot of the art scene in Jordaan

We couldn't have done much better ourself!

You can get a daily ferry to Amsterdam from Newcastle in the UK. We would highly recommend you visit!

Amsterdam Celebrations

If you are looking to go to Amsterdam and want to join in some local calibrations then you have to go on Queens’s day, the Dutch celebrate the birthday of the Queen mother but in reality they use it as an excuse to party hard, any old excuse.

The best cities to stay at whilst celebrating Queens day is the Hague, Rotterdam and off course Amsterdam, although the hole of the Netherlands celebrate this occasion these cities have a special atmosphere during this spectacular party.

In particular Amsterdam has something special going with an estimated ¾ of million people coming into the city to party, many of whom wisely travel in by train. In the city centre hot spots like Leidseplein, Spui, Rembrandtplein, Damrak, Rokin and Dam you will find a great atmosphere with everybody dressed and partying in orange.

Also on Queens’s day you will find that all the street trade is unregulated so it makes it a good day for some second hand shopping, and in Vondelpark all the kids’ show of their business expertise by offering a wide variety of attractions.

As well as having a diverse range of museums, coffee shops, restaurants and bars - Amsterdam is also a fantastic shopping destination. Indeed many people take trips to the city purely to go shopping - and who can blame them. Almost every concievable type of store available can be found in Amsterdam, from major retail chains to the trendiest designers in the world and thrifty open air markets and stalls, Amsterdam shopping has something for everyone.

Rather than post a long list of our own, which would be far too detailed (although Kalverstraat is a must obviously) - we felt that we would link to some of the best posts on the web about shopping in Amsterdam. Hopefully, you will find some valuable information on shopping in Amsterdam.

• Top 10 Amsterdam Shopping Areas - from About.com: Great guide from About. Includes ten districts with reasons why you should go to each to find shopping heaven.
• 10 best - Amsterdam Shopping: 10 best is an interesting site which lists the 'Ten Best' (funnily enough) in a number of different categories. The Amsterdam Shoppping guide is great as it includes a break down of each area as well as user reviews and opinions of people who have actually been there.
• Tripwolf - list of Amsterdam shops: Tripwolf compiles a list of shops with som einformation on where they can be found - great if youre looking for something in particular.
• Amsterdam Info - Shopping Streets: Great post on the main shopping streets in Amsterdam - quite general but well worth a read.

Thanks for reading - if anyone has any shops they feel must be visited during a trip to Amsterdam, let us know.

Just a quick heads up for anyone thinking of traveling to Amsterdam soon - as part of Ferry Fortnight, DFDS Seaways are currently offering two for one on their 2 night mini cruise breaks to Amsterdam, and you can take your car over for free as well, making it a total of £65 for two people and a car (a saving of £64) - ideal for these credit crunching times! - See the DFDS Seaways Ferry Fortnight page for more information.

Ferry fortnight is an initiative set up by the Passenger Shipping Association to encourage more ferry travel from the UK, most of the major operators are offering special deals during this period.

Amsterdam city is a vibrant place to be with hundreds of quality and historic attractions to visit.

Right in the middle of the centre of Amsterdam is the Dam square; it has a lot of culture and includes the National Monument Commemorating the fallen Dutch soldiers of WWII, there is the wonderful Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) that is flanked by the Royal Palace.

If you go by the Kalverstraat all the way to the Spui, then take a right and follow along until you come to the Begijnhof, There is a lovely traditional although small chapel that is defiantly worth a visit if religion or history is your kind of thing, the courtyard shelter next to the Chapel that is surrounded by the enclosing homes along the edge is home to single religious women who devote their time to their religion.

Beyond is the rest of the fabulous city that is surrounded by monuments and churches that are punctuated by the canals that are used for navigation through the city. The Largest and most distinctive building in the city has to be the Westerkerk (West Church) that can be recognized by its large blue crown. Neighboring the Homomonument is the popular tourist attraction Ann Frank House. Walking along down towards the Haarlemmerstraat by the Prinsengracht you will come across boutiques, restaurants that disperse in either direction. Just by the Haarlemmerstraat towards central train station and you will come across the multi storey bicycle park rthat is used by thousands every day, cycling is regarded as one of the easiest ways to travel around Amsterdam as it is almost completely flat.

Amsterdam is easy to get to, especilay by ferry, there is ferries arriving and going from Amsterdam ferry port in IJmuidennoon day and night from varouse european countrys.

Just a quick note on a nice little article posted on the Times Online website yesterday. Authored by the Rough Guide to Happiness guru Dr Nick Baylis is a great list of The ten happiest places to holiday - and our beloved Amsterdam males it into the list! According to Dr Baylis:

Amsterdam: saving our souls from the over-use of technology

In old Amsterdam, cars come a clear second to bikes, (in both legal precedence and practical terms), proving that we really can do it - rather like we’ve proved smoking can be stopped in public places. Chattering couples ferry each other around the canal-sides on big curvaceous bicycles with sit-up-and-beg handle-bars and two-tone bells. In fact, I own just such a beauty, with the unlikely name of The Sparta Granny.

It seems odd to agree with him on the 'saving us from technology' point while we are sitting here writing a blog, but we know where he is coming from! - We have made these points in numerous posts on this website.......

Bavarian style "lager" beer was growing popular way back in 1870; this is the year that the 2 year old son of C.A de Pester (Ernest de Pester) laid the first brick for the Amstel brewery.

There was already 559 brewery’s up and running across Holland at that time but there was only 2 brewing Bavarian style lager.

With the fast growing popularity of lager, 2 businessmen (J.H. van Marwijk Kooy and De Pester) caught on fast to the demand of the lager and started planning the build of the Amstel Brewery.

Amstel hails its name from the river that runs through Amsterdam in Holland and now produces ten different types of lager that sell in over 75 countries worldwide with Amstel Lager being the first produced, the most famous and most popular lager of them all, a true classic beer.

A vast and vibrant city such as Amsterdam is never far from the news. Also, let's be honest, Amsterdam is one of the more liberal cities in the world which means that it tends to attract a rather eclectic mix of people. There is no shortage of weird and wonderful events taking place in Amsterdam on an almost daily basis, this constant churn of activity is part of what gives the city its unique character - lets hope that it doesnt lose this anytime soon.

Here are a few of our favourite Amsterdam stories of recent times:

• This picture was seen on a drawbridge in Amsterdam, witty, subtle and disturbing all at the same time!:

• Detailed and informative Time Magazine report on the efforts of the Amsterdam authorities to 'clean up' the city.
• Some great photos of cyclists around Amsterdam! - three on a bike at once is not uncommon.

• A greetings card from Anne Frank discovered outside Amsterdam - incredible find.
• Amsterdam is so busy that these architects have proposed an underwater city!
• This Google Map of Amsterdam shows a glowing star, where is this divine venue?

View Larger Map

• Amsterdam Airport has flies etched into the urinals - studies reveal that most men aim for them!

These are but a few of our favourite Amsterdam stories, do you have any to share?, please let us know!

As a native Scotsman there are few things that stir the passions as much as football - and it just so happens that my team is taking on the Dutch masters at the Amsterdam ArenA on the 28th of March. This puts me in a rather awkward position as the match features my two favourite countries, but of course - i am fully behind Scotland.

Historically, the Scot's have has their moments against Holland - in 1978 Archie Gemmill scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history, although Scotland won the match 3-2, they still went out the tournament - yet another glorious failure.



In 2003, Scotland played Holland in the playoffs for the 2004 World Cup - Scotland won the first match 1-0 at Hampden, only to fall to a 6-0 thrashing in the return leg. The Tartan Army being a resolute buch however, ensures that we enter the next couple of fixtures with a degree of confidence, with Holland not perhaps the force they once were. One thing is guaranteed - the Tartan Army will be there in force - they have already booked almost an entire DFDS ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

Good luck Scotland!

As we have mentioned several times, Amsterdam is a wonderful city to visit at any time of year. However, we thought that it would be useful to post some videos to try and convey the character of Amsterdam and some of its tourist attractions. This is a selection of some of the best that we have come across, including general tourist guides, the Rijksmuseum, Cycling around Amsterdam and the Anne Frank Museum and the ferry to Amsterdam.

Lonely Planet Travel Guide to Amsterdam



Cycling around Amsterdam



Rijksmuseum State Museum Tour



Anne Frank Museum



Amsterdam in Spring Part 1



Amsterdam in Spring Part 2



There we go! - Hopefully these videos have given you a feel for the atmosphere around Amsterdam, as you can see it is a vibrant and exciting city - try and get there ASAP.

Amsterdam Ferry Port Information

Amsterdam Ferries Port by car

If you traveling to the ferry port by car from Amsterdam - the ferry port is only 18 miles from the city centre, if you head for Dan Haag along the A9 and exit at Ijmuiden/Beverwijk and join the A22, once you come to the town of Ijmuiden drive along the Noordzeecanal then just follow the signs to the terminal. If you are looking for the best deals on cheap ferries there are plenty of internet sites out there that offer some worthy discounts.

Amsterdam Ferry Port by Rail

DFDS seaways provide a connecting bus service from Central Station in Amsterdam to the terminal in Ijmuiden in connection with a local bus company. The coach leaves Central Station 1½ hours before the ferry departs at 18:00 hours.

Ferry Port Parking

While Parking is available at the terminal in Ijmuiden is at the owners own risk as there is no security.

Amsterdam City Bike Tour

If you are looking for a different way to explore Amsterdam then why not try out one of the bike tours on offer.
City Tour

This is off course the best tour and one of the best ways to explore Amsterdam. To start with there will be an historic introduction that will go through some of the fine sights that you will see while biking through the city, After that the tour heads of towards the town centre while cycling over wooden bridges, houseboats towards the royal palace at Dam square, once we have reached there we head off to the war monument before going to the Old church in the red light district where off course you will see the working girls in their windows, after that exhausting trip we head down to the fashion district where you can get a glimpse of all the latest fashion designs and names in Holland, The trip lasts about 3 hours and is one of the best ways to travel the city, there is no other way to see so much so fast in Amsterdam.

Countryside Bike Tour

If you would prefer to have a more relaxing cycling tour then why not try the countryside bike tour where you will visit the likes windmills, clog factories and cheese farms in the fantastic scenery of the Dutch countryside, this tour will last for about 4 hours if you decide to do this tour.

Brown café or bar

Have you ever wondered why the Dutch word ‘gezelligheid’ (cosy) is so popular in Holland and have you ever wondered what it really means, Then you must visit an authentic Dutch Pub called the ‘brown café’. It is pretty obvious why these charming café-style pubs are brown: nicotine. The decor includes wooden tables with carpets (on them!) with the interior a little faded and a friendly barmaid who has been there since it opened.

Once you arrive in Holland by an Amsterdam ferry you will be able to find the best brown cafe's roundabout central station, in the Jordaan district and along the Utrechtsestraat. The other popular areas are Rambrandtplein and Leidseplein.

Like travelling to any city your'e not familiar with, it can be difficult to save cash, mainly because you sn unsure of where to go to purchase day-to-day goods at a reasonable price (as opposed to over-inflated tourist levels). This issue has become much more pointed in 2009, with the pound weakening against the Euro.

There are however, some steps that can be taken in Amsterdam to save some moolah:

1. Getting around - Bicycle or tram (Strippenkaart)

A great method of travel around Amsterdam is to hire a bike. There are numerous bike hire points throughout the city. See this site for more info (http://www.amsterdam.info/transport/bike-rentals/) If cycling is a little energetic for you then travelling by tram is by far the best way to get around Amsterdam. If you plan to use the tram, its a good idea to invest in a Strippenkaart. This enables travel around Amsterdam transport zones for just a set price. They can be purchased throughout the city.

2. Try and buy groceries from a supermarket

You can save some cash buying your food (and drink!) from a supermarket. Many offer substantial discounts on multipack deals.

3. Do your research if you plan to eat out

Planning to eat out? We weould advise that you shop around and compare prices. Those areas that are most popular with tourists (i.e.Damrak,Dam Sq,Damstraat) contain establishments that aren't afraid to charge!. Try venturing down some of the smaller streets - there are bargains to be had in these areas.

4. Museumkaart - A must for Art Afficionados

These are probably best value for those who regularly travel to Amsterdam or Holland. A Museumkaart lasts a yaer and entitles you to free entry to around 400 museums accross Holland (many of which are in and around Amsterdam).

5. Use your hotel

If your hotel offers any meals inclusive then try and take advantage of it. In particular, breakfast is 'the most important meal of the day' and will set you up for a hard days tourism! You could use this time to plan the day ahead and perhaps converse with the staff as to what they would do if they could, their local knowledge could be invaluable.

6. Save money getting to Amsterdam!

There are many operators offering a cheap ferry crossing to Amsterdam, as well as reasonable air travel tariffs. Do your research and you might save some Euros.

Holland is a hugely populated area where up to 60% of the residents stay in the coastal area's of the country. Holland is bordered by Belgium, Germany and the mighty North Sea. The low lying area of the Dutch coastal zone makes it vulnerable to natural defense erosion which can cause flooding during storms and with the effects of global warming see levels are rising, The Dutch have tackled the problem and have built the biggest and most extensive coastal defense systems in the world in which dams, and dikes protect nearly one half of the 451 kilometers (280miles) of the coastline. If you ever travel by ferry crossing to Holland you can see the extent the Dutch have went to protect there land against the ever violent North Sea.