Top 10 Tips for Saving Money
Top 10 Ways to Save in the City of Sin
Amsterdam has all the goods you need for a great time but if you want to prolong your pleasure here are some top tips about how to pinch those pennies and minimise expenditure.
I spent three days and less than €100 doing everything a backpacker should and shouldn’t do in the land of tulips, temptation and Van Gogh.
Before I arrived I did a little research and came across a rather useful little discount device called the I Amsterdam card.
This amazing piece of plastic is the TK Max of the tourism industry. With it you get a canal boat load of freebies and discounts. Here are the top ten advantages to investing in one.
1. Free and Discount Transport
When you pick up your I Amsterdam package, take a look at the back page. Nestled in here, next to the actual card is a transport pass. This little grey ticket entitles you to free transport on all trams, buses and metros in and around the city. It’s definitely useful when you don’t fancy the 45 minute walk to the Van Gogh Museum from Dam Square.
You can even save a few pennies by flying into Eindhoven instead of Amsterdam. From the UK a return flight will cost you £20 (including tax) which is half the price of flying straight into Amsterdam. The train between the two cities is cheap, efficient and stress free. It takes an hour but you’ll have twenty whole extra pounds to play with when you jump off.
2. River Boat Cruise
Amsterdam isn’t the biggest city in the world but just like everywhere else, it’s not hard to get lost. A great way to prevent those back street blues is to take advantage of one of the free, I Amsterdam canal cruises. You can choose between the Holland International and the Rederij Noord-Zuid cruises. With the first choice you get a glimpse of the harbour, the stunning Nemo Science Centre, a tour in five different languages and a whole host of tourist attractions that you can read about below.
3. Anne Frank’s House
After you do as the Dutch do and find your way around the city, there are no excuses not to go to the Prinsengracht Canal - where you will find Anne Frankhuis. This is an incredibly moving memorial to Anne Frank, her family and the 100,000 Dutch Jews who died during World War Two. The rooms have been left as they were sixty years ago and the poignant memories are enhanced by video clips of the family and the holocaust. Your card won’t get you in for free here but overall it will save you more than enough to pay for this ticket - to something that no one should miss.
4. Pancake Time
A five minute walk up the same canal will take you to the intensely delicious Pancake Bakery. In the intimate surrounds of this basement restaurant you can choose from a tantalising, taste bud teasing choice of more than 100 sweet and savoury pancakes. Better yet, you can get a 25% discount with your little red card. My advice is skip the under-loaded Paris Hilton pancake and order a real life, calorie laden plate of International Pancake love.
5. Red Light Religion
It’s all fun and games when you’re roaming around the vice ridden windows that line Oudezijds Voorburgwal, but if you want a break from all that: “eye candy” then seek refuge in De Oude Kerk. This church is the oldest monument in the city, the card gets you in for free and the interior is a vast expanse of calm, contemporary art and Christ. This beautiful building is in a pretty central location and therefore is a great base to launch yourself into the tourist attractions that litter the area.
6. Rembrandt
The funny thing about people during the time of Rembrandt is that they were a lot shorter than their modern day counterparts. You can find this out for free as you take a turn around this great artist’s house with your I Amsterdam card. The bed boxes are positively tiny and when you get past this startling realisation there are a few paintings to look at too. The cone collection is very impressive and you can buy affordable replicas from the very friendly blonde lady, in the gift shop downstairs. Audio tours are also available but these cost a little extra.
7. Beer
Backpacking is thirsty work but do not fear. I'm have found a solution to this tourist nightmare. The I Amsterdam card bravely steps in to offer you some percentage related fun. On the very central Oudebrugsteeg you will find Brouwerij Stamhuis & Historisch Stadcafe Heffer. It’s a mouthful and impossible to say ten times fast but the beer is worth it. The card gets you twenty five percent off a glass of Veloosh Altbeer.
8. The Attic Church
When you’re back up to full strength and fully firing on your beer powered cylinders, walk five minutes from the pub to Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder on Oudezijds Voorburgwal. This catholic attic church will take your breath away because it manages to cram everything you would normally find in a cathedral, into the attics of three houses. There are lots of clever space saving tips, so even if you’re not of the religious persuasion it’s worth a look - just in case you buy a small house and want to maximise your space.
9. The Van Gogh Museum
Any trip to Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the fantastical Van Gogh Museum. It’s free to get in with the card and inside you will find the world’s largest collection of works by a certain Mr Vincent Van Gogh. There are 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters. Also if you head downstairs you can explore the deliciously dark world of Max Beckmann. There’s a lot of life, death, everything in between and it’s a hot spot for fellow backpackers.
10. Cheap Eats
Filling up is something you have to factor in no matter where you and your backpack end up. This essential encumbrance doesn’t have to break the bank. In Amsterdam you can take advantage of a chain of supermarkets called Albert Heyn. I checked out the one on Vijzel Straat and managed to pick up some apple juice, a sandwich, some crisps and a cheeky chocolate bar for less than €2. For more superfreak bargains and no more token tourist price tags, take a trip to the mile long market, held on Albert Cuyp – Straat. The North Market is full of food, flowers, fish, furniture and fun.
- Rob Savage
