First time traveling to Amsterdam.. and Europe for that matter.?

Question

My friends have talked me into going to Amsterdam in November of 2009.. I am curious as to how much money I should be bringing. I know the Euro is worth more then the USD so I've been taking that into consideration as well. We're planning to book a Hostel (is this a bad idea??)

I'd love/greatly appreciate any and all advice!

Thanks!

Zobelia

Answer 1

The train is super expensive (might not be worth it to take a day trip), and about 75 Euros a day should cover local transportation, souveniers, food and "entertainment". There is TONS of budget accomodation in Amsterdam, in July I paid 35 Euros for a bed in a hostel, but it should be a bit cheaper than that in November. If you want to do a day trip, it might make sense to hire a car and head out to the Hague or Rotterdam, the Dutch countryside is really beautiful, especially on the coast.  

Answer 2

I never wwent to Amsterdam myself (yet), but I would say that booking a hostel is a great idea. I love the atmosphere in hostels where you can meet people from everywhere! Don't ecpect a five star hotel though.

For the hostel, also consider the location. If it's close to the main attractions, you will save money on transportation. You also can check if there is a kitchen available so that you do not spend too much money on restaurants (going grocery shopping is a lot cheaper!).

As for the money, it depends on how long you are going and the type of traveller you are. Will you want to visit museums or only walk around the canals, will you want to buy gifts for your friends or not.

Trains in Europe are quite cheap, so you can also consider visiting other cities.  

Answer 3

and beware of amsterdam central station, home to many proffesion pickpockets!

Answer 4

A hostel and a "jeugdherberg" are definitely NOT the same thing. A "jeugdherberg" is a youth hostel and they are all (supposed to be) part of the International Youth Hostel Federation, nowadays known as Hihostels... a "hostel" that's not associated with Hihostels can be awesome but can also be a total dump. I've stayed in quite a few youth hostels when I was younger, in Europa and in the USA, and I always had a superb time, meeting many great people my own age.

A one day trip to Germany or France from Amsterdam is not a great idea because you'll spend most of the day getting there and going back. There's youth hostels there too though so why not go to either for a few days at least? It's nice to go by train but if you don't buy your tickets well in advance it's also quite expensive. You can get cheap air tickets too, sometimes cheaper than traintickets, but you should also get them in advance to get a good deal. A third option is taking a bus, slowest and least comfortable but also cheapest.

Answer 5

Expect to spend about 100 Euros per day for meals, local transportation, admission fees, and incidental expenses.  You MAY be able to include the cost of a hostel in the 100/day but don't count on it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency

Hostels cost less than hotels but they charge per-person. Two to four people  MAY be able to stay in a budget-priced hotel room for about the same as staying at a hostel.

Check travel guides for backpackers.  They have great advice even if you don't plan to backpack.

Hope you have a great time!

Answer 6

Very general - count on about 15 euro a day for food and drink, and add 5 a day for ' just in case ' . This is if you intend to use a supermarket etc. and not just go to restaurants.

If you do want to use a restaurant - add 15 a day for each day you think you`ll be eating out.

If you want to calculate for evening drinks etc.- add 20 per ' night out' .

For 8 days - 8x15 normal food/drink (€120)

Add 2 days of eating out (€30 extra)

4 nights ' out on the town' (€ 80)

If you want a trip to Germany or France - then it`s going to be tricky. Train tickets vary in price from season to season, and are also influenced by demand. For a trip to Cologne or Paris you could easily pay about 150 euro for a return trip.

Add one trip - €150 , and for a basic holiday be sure to have at least € 380 available . If you want to play it very safe - have €500 available.

Booking a hostel isn`t necesarily a bad idea - although i do not have much expirience with them. (in dutch they are also known as ' Jeugdherberg' - http://www.stayokay.com/ )

If you can, use ATMs for getting cash, and don`t carry much money / valuables around. Make two copies of your ID and other necesary travel documents - and keep one set safe at the place you stay - just in that case you lose your originals.

Credit cards are not too common in The Netherlands - some chain stores accept them, but most supermarkets don`t (yet).

Since you plan for November, pack some warm clothing as well as rainclothing (or get a silly tulip umbrella here) as November isn`t famous for warm weather over here.

If you want more info - let me know - you can contact me through my profile.