Netherlands Vacation - April 2023 Jenny's Trello Site
April 10 - Schiphol Airport to Hotel Volendam
April 11 - Anne Frank House, Pancake Trail, Royal Palace, Van Gogh Museum, and Bols Museum - (Individual Admission Fees)
April 12 - Rijksmuseum, MOCO Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Diamond Museum, and New Church - (Iamsterdam Card)
April 13 - Maritime Museum, Micropia, Botanical Gardens, Willet House, Rembrandt House, & NEMO - (Iamsterdam Card)
April 14 - Muiderslot Castle and Fort Pampus Island - (Iamsterdam Card)
April 15 - Volendam and Marken - (Iamsterdam Card)
April 16 - Zaanferry Tour of Zaan River, Czar Peter's House, Amsterdam Canal Tour, and A'Dam Lookout - (Iamsterdam Card)
April 17 - Keukenhof Gardens and Keukenhof Castle Estate Grounds - (Individual Admission Fees)
April 18 - Zaanze Schrans and the Windmills - (Zaanse Schans Card)
April 19 - De Haar Castle and the Clock Museum - (Individual Admission Fees)
April 20 - Delft Plates Painting - (Individual Admission Fees)
NOTE: If a travel route doesn't display correctly, it's because the date has passed. Put in a future date.
Schiphol Airport to Hotel Volendam
Monday, April 10, 2023
Once at Schiphol Airport, get cash and OV Chipkaarts. Then it's the train up to Amsterdam Central Station to pick up the 5-Day Iamsterdam City Cards, followed by the bus ride to the Hotel Volendam for High Tea.
Ten unwritten social rules in the Netherlands
Be on time.
Hold the door when someone is walking behind you, even the door is really heavy!
Always greet the bus driver, be thankful!
Don't put your bag on the seat when it is busy on the train or bus.
Don't secretly look at someone's screen, on the train, for example.
Don't kiss the baby or children under 15!
If someone shows you a photo on the phone, it doesn't mean you can swipe to see all the pictures on the phone!
If you are with someone, don't be busy with your telephone.
Don't talk when you have a mouthful of food.
If someone buys you a drink, do the same.
More Rules
1. No one interrupts dinner!
2. When answering your phone, you must always announce to the caller who you are.
3. Always wave goodbye to your guests…furiously
4. Keep that eye contact: no shades
5. When in doubt, send a card
Schiphol Airport
After, during, or possibly before dealing with baggage and customs, withdraw some cash from an ATM.
Withdraw some cash from an ATM.
EURO to USD Exchange Rate Site
The ATM will automatically convert your dollars and give you Euros. It will be at the current exchange rate and all you have to pay extra for is the transaction fee. Remember that your account limit is in dollars but you are going to get euros. So, if you have a limit of $300, don’t ask for any more than €290 (guess at exchange rate).
Buy OV Chipkaart
Buy an Anonymous OV Chipkaart (one for each of you).
Load each card with credit of €140. €138 is my estimate for your train/tram/bus fares for this trip that are not covered by the Iamsterdam City Card.
Note: At the counters of public transportation companies, you can get your credit back easily for €30 or less so don’t load it up too much (above 30 it gets more difficult).
You need at least €20 credit loaded on this card to use it on the trains.
You can take care of getting your credit back at the airport on the day that you fly back.
Next you take the train to Amsterdam Central Station.
Amsterdam Central Station
Map of Amsterdam Central Station
and Another Map of Amsterdam Central Station
Use the OV-chipkaart for your train fare.
11:32 am – From Schiphol Airport platform 1-2, take Sprinter 4641 Train to Amsterdam Central Station to pick up your Iamsterdam City Cards.
Walk to Iamsterdam Store on the IJ side of the station.
The IJ is the canal north of the Amsterdam Central Station.
From the train platform, you’ll go down a level. There you can cross from the ticketed passage area to the IJ passage (leaving ticketed area).
NOTE: The IJ passage, running perpendicularly to the train tracks, allows for passage from the north-northeast side of the terminal to the south-southwest side of the terminal for people without tickets. AND it connects to the IJ Hall, which runs horizontally with the train tracks, the entire length of the station underneath the elevated bus terminal. The IJ hall and the IJ passage are home to a number of shops and food stops.
Architect of the IJ Passage and Hall
Once in the IJ passage, go north-northeast to the IJ Hall.
The Iamsterdam Store is just to the right in front of you as you exit the IJ passage.
Show the voucher (printed or on your phone) you got from your online purchase to a representative. They will issue you the Iamsterdam City Card.
NOTE: The Iamsterdam City Card can only be used once for an admission to an attraction. The GVB system travel feature of the card is good for all 5 days.
DO NOT use the Iamsterdam City Card today (or at least until later today). It's good for 120 hours from when it is first used (bus, tram, museum, whatever). It has to be valid on Sunday for the trip to Muiderslot and Fort Pampus Island. With this in mind, the card can't be used until around 3:00 pm today.
Bus 316 from Central Station to Hotel Volendam
12:11 pm – take EBS bus 316 to the Katwoude, Hotel Volendam bus stop.
12:33 pm – walk to the Hotel Volendam.
NOTE: Rules for pedestrians when dealing with bicycles.
You probably have not had to deal with meeting or being passed by any bicycles on your trip so far but you may on your walk to the hotel. Here are some rules for interacting with bicycles:
1. Bicycles have the right-of-way. Pedestrians have to make room for bicycles to pass when meeting them or when they approach from the rear.
2. Do not walk in the “red” bike lanes.
3. Walk to the right and allow room on the left. These are the same rules the bikers follow.
4. Both bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed to bike/walk on main roads. Not sure what constitutes “main” but try to stay off any road that have car traffic.
Check in time at the hotel is 2:00 pm
High Tea is available from 12:00 pm 5:00 pm. It's €25/person which is considered as part of our daily food budget.
Simonehoeve is just to the east of the Hotel Volendam and is only a 3-minute walk from the hotel. It’s a farm where they make thier own cheese. They also make, decorate, and sell wooden shoes. They have a number of workshops including one to paint your own wooden shoes (link above). I thought this might be a low stress outing from the hotel after your long day of travelling.
The €24.50 workshop cost is included in the trip cost worksheet as a separate line item.
Hours - 7 days a week throughout the year 08:30 - 18:00