Two years ago I spent a weekend in Amsterdam, and while I enjoyed myself, I didn’t think it compared to many other cities I visited. I decided to give the city another chance on this vacation and spent 3 days there. I wish I had spent them in another city. While I do agree that Amsterdam is a beautiful city, I don’t think it’s the best place to spend your money when on a backpacker’s budget.
Vita Nova hostel, however, is one of the exceptions to this. I stayed in a private room with two other girls, and it averaged under 15 euros each per night. The boat is easily walkable from the red light district and has one of the most amazing breakfasts I’ve ever had at a hostel with different kinds of bread, cheese, meat, vegetables, yogurt and my personal favorite: bottomless coffee.
Unlike the owner of our hostel who was friendly and knowledgeable, the staff at the Centraal tourist office were rude and condescending. Maps aren’t free, so be sure to pick one up at your hotel or hostel. When I asked him about a museum discount card I had read about, he was dismissive and told me no such thing has ever existed. (False, it just doesn’t exist anymore)
Instead we walked to the Anne Frank house, passing the homomonument on the way (you can see part of it in the top left of the picture above). The entry fee was 9 euros and don’t bother asking for a student discount. Although the house was interesting and informative, I don’t think it was worth almost ten euros, especially when you’re trying to cap your spending at 30 euros a day. Afterwards we had dinner at Ristorante Pizzeria Firenze, which was entirely underwhelming but very cheap, especially for the area it’s in.
Two of the highlights of the trip for me were the restaurant we had dinner at on the 15th and the bar/café we went to after (and Erin and I spent the afternoon in on the 16th while waiting for our bus). We had dinner at Bird, a Thai restaurant that is supposed to be the most authentic in the city.
We started with some amazing spring rolls, and I had tofu with basil and peppers for 12,50. The food was amazing and came in huge portions. If you want to have approximately the same meal, but cheaper, check out Bird’s snackbar located across the street. For our beers after the dinner, we went to a cafe called ‘Skek, mostly because of its free wifi but it won us over with its charm. A pint of Grolsch costs under 4,50; nachos are the same; sodas and teas come in around 2 euros.
Our last day in Amsterdam was rainy and cold, but we decided to take advantage of our free bike rentals from Vita Nova and trek out to Museumplein and take the obligatory iAmsterdam pictures. Our bike rentals came from a company called Starbikes (copyright infringement?), which is located right behind Centraal station. One day’s bike rental costs 7 euros, or you can rent the bike for 24 hours for 9 euros. The staff was very friendly and they have options for tandem bikes and pre-packed picnic baskets.
Although Amsterdam is a charming city, its cost can be a prohibiting factor for many backpackers. If you decide you want to visit the city regardless, take advantage of its beauty and the joys of riding a bike by the many canals.
