Travel dates : 14 – 16 august

When you think of Amsterdam, your mind often drifts to the Red Light District, bike rides through the city, or even the fields of tulips and windmills in the flat countryside. Unfortunately, we would have liked to experience some of these things during our trip, but traveling in August proved to be quite a challenge. We’ve become so accustomed to traveling outside of the peak season that we quickly get overwhelmed when the tourists flood in. Yes, I know, we’re tourists too. However, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re not used to crowded places or situations where we can’t speak the native language. That being said, here’s how we spent our 48 hours in Amsterdam.

We took a train from London to Amsterdam, leaving our hotel in London at 3:30 in the morning. Expecting a night bus full of locals returning from a late night at the pub, we were surprised to find it filled with quiet, tired people heading off to the first shift at their jobs. We squeezed into a couple of seats, with our two pieces of luggage taking up way too much room, and quickly made our way to the Eurostar terminal. Unlike our previous train ride from Brussels to London, this time we were prepared. We arrived early enough to grab a double shot of espresso from a café and found a spot at the station where I sat and made makeshift oat lattes using a tiny jug of oat milk we’d been carrying with us (budget traveling at its finest).

Once on the train, I quickly dozed off to start the second half of my night’s sleep. However, just a couple of hours into the ride, right before reaching the first stop in Brussels, the train conductor announced that lightning had struck the rails leading to Amsterdam. All passengers were asked to disembark in Brussels. This was our nightmare. We had just spent a week in Belgium and weren’t eager to be stuck in the city again with no clear way out. Fortunately, thanks to our Eurail pass, we could travel for free all day, making it easy to hop from train to train. While everyone else lined up for instructions on the next steps, we hurried out of the station and caught the next train to Amsterdam—one that, for whatever reason, hadn’t been canceled.

Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. About an hour into our ride, we were asked to disembark again and await further instructions. The problem was that lightning had struck the only rail to Amsterdam, so no trains were coming or going in that direction.

Fortunately and thanks to our trusty Trainline app, a Eurostar train was scheduled to pass through this station in the middle of nowhere, so we quickly switched platforms and asked the staff if we could board it, given that we had tickets for the previous Eurostar. Luckily, they were aware of the situation, and since we had Eurostar tickets, we were given priority to board. However, about fifty other people without Eurostar tickets were also trying their luck, hoping to get on the same train. As the train pulled in, people started to push and cut in line as if their lives depended on it. Staff and security formed a barrier to prevent them from rushing the train. Our tickets were scanned, and we pushed our way through the crowd and boarded. I kid you not, people were screaming and shoving to get on until the doors finally slid shut and the train pulled out of the station. It was impressive. We were on our way again and would only be arriving about an hour later than planned.

When we arrived in Amsterdam, the sky was gray and a light rain fell, just as you might expect in the city. We made our way out of the train station and were immediately greeted by the quintessential Amsterdam scenery: houses lining the canals, coffee shops on every corner, and bikes weaving between tourists and cars. By this time, it was lunchtime, so we found a little Greek restaurant not far from the station and grabbed a bite to eat. Afterward, we set our GPS for the hotel and began our 20-minute walk.

To our surprise, our hotel was across the river. Right behind the train station, a little boat runs every five minutes, taking passengers to the other side of the river for free. Over there, there wasn’t a tourist in sight. The streets were calm, the neighborhood felt safe, and our hotel was just a short three-minute walk from the boat. We stayed at the ISIS Hotel, Ananda’s choice, and were delightfully surprised. The rooms were incredibly clean, the staff was friendly and attentive, and they even provided bikes for rent if you wanted to explore the city. Just two doors down was a charming café run by an Australian and her golden retriever, where they served the best iced coffee and natural wine on tap. Across the street was a large, serene park where you really felt cut off from the hustle and bustle of the city. Staying here was, without a doubt, the best choice we could have made for our trip.

After settling in, we decided to head back into the city to see the main attractions. We took the little boat back across the river and began wandering the tourist-filled streets that wind through Amsterdam. The architecture in the city is stunning, with flowers adorning the bridges and every corner. However, the closer you get to the Red Light District, the more it feels like you’ve stumbled into a bachelor party you didn’t know you were invited to. I know, that’s pretty much what you’d expect, but I didn’t realize just how extensive it would be. In my mind, the Red Light District was just a single street, but in reality, it’s an entire district, as advertised (I know, I sound naive). The entire neighborhood is packed with sex shops, live sex shows, the iconic red-lit windows, coffee shops, and bars. The streets were crowded with tourists (some visibly high) and locals trying to navigate through on their bikes.

I wouldn’t say I experienced culture shock, but I was definitely overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in one place. I guess I’ve gotten so used to being off the beaten path that being in the heart of the city felt different. We continued walking through the various red-lit streets—it is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime experience—but after a while, we decided we’d had enough and headed to the “gayborhood.” We strolled up the canal and found the rainbow crosswalks and a street lined with gay bars and restaurants. It was much calmer there, and we ended up having dinner at Verona Ristorante Italiano. We shared a pitcher of sangria, along with some carbonara and bruschetta. The service was great, and the food was exactly what we were craving, so we left feeling very satisfied. After our romantic date, we made our way back to the hotel and called it an early night.

In the NDSM space, you can find a warehouse with its doors wide open. Inside, 250 different artists have their studios where they create. Funny enough, as we walked through the space and admired the random art scattered throughout the building, Ananda mentioned feeling like she was in a squat, or a place where people live unlawfully. She wasn’t wrong—before the area was gentrified, it was indeed a squat. The warehouse is huge, and it takes time to explore every corner and see the art on display, but each artist truly shows their personality through their work. We wished we could have been there during a festival or party, as these rooms are open for events, and you can only imagine how the space comes alive during those times. We made our way out of the warehouse, grabbed our bikes again, and continued exploring the open spaces. We biked through a large parking lot, with walls made of shipping crates covered in street art and graffiti. A handful of people were creating new pieces, covering the old ones, or even making art on the concrete floor. The air smelled of paint, and the lot was so large that you could spend a long time biking in circles, checking out the different tableaux.

Behind all the art lies the STRAAT, or the Museum of Street Art. We parked our bikes once again and made our way inside. I’ll warn you—it’s 20 bucks to get in, but I swear it’s worth it. As you enter, you’re greeted by enormous pieces of art. Floor-to-ceiling artworks cover the entire space, showcasing over 170 artists, from Banksy to lesser-known names. What’s most impressive is that all the artwork is created directly onsite, which makes sense when you see the size of the pieces. Honestly, this is hands down one of my favorite museums I’ve ever been to. You can go upstairs to enjoy the view from above, people-watch the other visitors below, or even grab a coffee and a sweet treat from the café. We didn’t have time to stay too long, as Ananda had to get back to work, so we grabbed our bikes again and headed back to the hotel. Once there, she went straight to work, and I made my way to the café next door to try the natural wines on tap. I also got some puppy love from the golden retriever and enjoyed my drink on the terrace, taking in the pleasant weather.

For dinner that night, we went out for Chinese food at the restaurant FuLu, where we shared some gyozas and Chinese eggplant. We called it an early night once again, passing through the Red Light District on our way back to the hotel one last time. The next morning, we had just enough time to pack our bags, check out of the hotel, and grab some snacks from the train station. From Amsterdam, we had an 11-hour train ride back to Switzerland, where Ananda’s best friend and Grimes were waiting for us. It turned out to be a very long ride back, but I’ll maybe talk about that in another post. 🙂

Have you ever been to Amsterdam? I am curious to know what we missed in our quick trip, we would have liked to do so many other things, but two days is too short and August is too crazy.

All my love.

Budget breakdown :

Train : 77€ per person

Hotel : 166€ total for two nights

Bikes : 30€ total for two

Food : 150€ total for two

Total : 500€ total / 250€ per person