6 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Amsterdam

For someone who used to make a living planning detailed travel itineraries and elaborate events, I sometimes surprise myself by ending up on a trip with nothing but a wing and a prayer to guide me. While there’s a lot of fun to be had in a spontaneity, there are always a few things that merit some advance planning. Here are six Amsterdam tips I wish I’d known ahead of time.

1: Pre-Buy Museum Tickets

If a museum in Amsterdam is on your list of things to do – specifically the Anne Frank House or the Van Gogh Museum – you will need to purchase these ahead of time. Tickets are limited and regularly sell out, way in advance. The Anne Frank House opens ticket sales every Tuesday at 10am for the next 6 weeks. When you find an available day and time, you’ll have to really commit, as tickets are non-changeable and non-refundable.

The Van Gogh Museum is slightly less competitive but I still had to book mine a full week out. The tickets are non-refundable although they are changeable if you ask them with advance notice. You’ll not only pick a day to visit the museum but you’ll choose a specific time frame to arrive in. This is to manage crowds, which is nice because the Van Gogh Museum was pretty crowded and I can’t imagine what it would have been like if they didn’t regulate the flow of visitors.

2: Don’t Bother Changing Your Money for Euros

You can use a credit card everywhere! There were no places at all that I went that were cash only (except 50 centimes for the bathroom at the Vondelpark café – but you can go in for free if you are eating or drinking there). In fact, people looked at me a bit strangely when I asked if I could pay in cash. It was possible, but much less convenient for everyone.

You may want to make sure you have a credit card that doesn’t have international transaction fees. Many travel credit cards waive these. United’s Mileage Plus card is one of them, and it’s what I used while I was there. Most places in Amsterdam take apple pay and tap to pay, even the trams and metros allow payment by card. Which leads me to my next tip…

3: How to Ride the Trams and Metro

Amsterdam is an extremely walkable city and renting a bike and pedaling around the canals is a quintessential part of experiencing life here. But sometimes you may want to go further afield than your two feet or two wheels will take you. The Amsterdam tram and metro system is not as comprehensive as some cities but it will definitely get you close enough to where you want to go. The cool thing about both the tram and the metro is that you don’t have to buy a special card and make sure it is loaded with enough fare. When you get on the tram or metro, simply tap your credit card, smart watch, or iphone at the entry point and again when you get off at your stop. You’ll be charged according to the distance you rode, with a maximum charge of 10 euros per day. I wish every city would upgrade to this system! Now, back to bikes…

4: Watch Out for Bikes!

You’ll quickly notice that Amsterdam’s streets are a spaghetti noodle agglomeration of streets with cars, crisscrossed by tram tracks, and often paralleled by a smaller lane for bicycles (that you’ll also see cars driving in). The sidewalks are pretty much the only safe place for pedestrians. Walking in the street or bike lane will not only get you shouted at, but there is a real chance you’ll just get clobbered as bikes are silent and come up way faster than you’d think.

Oh and also, they’re EVERYWHERE. When crossing the street pay special attention to watching for bikes as well as cars and unless there is a clear crosswalk, assume they have the right of way. Look both ways even on a one-way street – there’s always that one crazy cyclist trying to take a shortcut!

5: How to Get Out of the Grocery Store

Weird tip, but necessary! If you dip into a grocery store to buy a snack or a drink, you’ll need your receipt in order to exit. After you check out you’ll get a receipt with a barcode on it and at the exit point are small gates that open only after you scan the barcode at the scanner just before the gates. Could you figure that out on your own? Yes. Is it nicer to know in advance and feel like you’re pulling one over on all the locals who now think you’re one of them? Also yes.

6: How to Mail a Postcard

Here is yet another head scratcher. Like, how hard is it to mail something? Well first, let me tell you – the Netherlands doesn’t have post offices. So there’s obstacle number one: you try to google for post offices and it keeps giving you weird stuff – DHL stores, mail drop boxes, a residential house (that I walked kind of out of my way for, thanks google). So if you are the type to purchase postcards and mail them from the city that you’re visiting, this is a good thing to know. Instead of clocking several unnecessary kilometers like I did, instead you can:

In Conclusion

Can you go to Amsterdam and not know these things? Yes, I am living proof of it!

Would it be better if you had these Amsterdam tips in your pocket before you went? Also, yes.

Have I missed an important tip? Tell me in the comments!