AMSTERDAM: MAKING THE MOST OF AN 8-HOUR LAYOVER
Is 8 hours Enough Time To Go Sightseeing?
Who wants to be stuck at the airport waiting for a connecting flight for 8 hours when you get can a brief taste of a city such as Amsterdam? I was asking the same thing when I was booking my plane ticket to Egypt. To save on cost, I decided to do a layover in another country.
As I was looking at the layover options, I saw Amsterdam which I was instantly excited about, but 8 hours? The first question I asked, “is 8 hours enough time to do some sightseeing and how easy is it?” Quite easy indeed.
The international airport you will fly into in the Netherlands is the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Upon arrival, you will clear customs and be on your way. Got luggage? No worries, there is a convenient luggage storage facility. There are many transportation options: direct trains, bus, and taxi service to the center of the city.
I decided to utilize the train from Schiphol International Airport to the Amsterdam Central Station as it was the fastest form of transportation to the city center as trains run every 10 minutes.
Amsterdam is a very walkable city as most sites are in or near the city center. You can rent a bicycle to get from place to place.
Before leaving the airport, be sure to stop over to the tourism desk, grab a couple of maps, buy a one day Amsterdam Card for unlimited travel on public transport and entry into Amsterdam museums and attractions.
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Some say to truly experience Amsterdam like a true Dutchie is by bike, but I decided to give my legs a bit of a stretch and enjoy the sites on foot. My agenda consisted of a canal cruise, sampling some food, and visiting the Van Gogh Museum.
Upon arrival to the city center, looking at my map, I realized how many attractions were within walking distance. I readjusted my sightseeing plan. This is what I came up with.
5 Hours Of Fun
Understand that you will need to set aside 2-3 hours at the Schiphol International Airport going through customs before checking in and going through security. That leaves you 5 hours of fun which was plenty for me. I started with a 75-minute Amsterdam City Canal Cruise in which we toured iconic canals and learned about Amsterdam’s heritage.
Viator offers a city sightseeing Amsterdam hop-on-hop-off tour with boat option. I like city cruises. It is a great way to see the city, great value for the money and a wonderful way to experience the city. Socializing with locals and tourists is great also. While on the cruise, we passed some Amsterdam landmarks and boathouses.
The Anne Frank House
One of the landmarks we passed, I added to my list of places to see was the Anne Frank House. Growing up, I watched movies on Anne Frank and learned of the story of how she went into hiding during WWII with seven others in an annex for two years to avoid Nazis.
I didn’t fully understand the life of Anne Frank until I toured the Anne Frank Museum. It was a truly touching visit and brought to the surface a reminder to practice compassion for humanity.
After the Anne Frank tour, I decided it was time for some Belgian beers, Dutch pub snacks, and raw herring. You can easily eat hop and eat what you know, but I highly recommend going on an Amsterdam food tour and eat like a local. Due to time constraints, my sightseeing choices became limited to one more site to visit.
Nothing would be complete without visiting Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District and see actual prostitutes in the windows. Out of respect and to avoid potentially having your camera flung in the canal, avoid taking photographs and filming.
I made it back just in time to check-in and walk around the airport and purchase some souvenirs without feeling rushed. While I got a brief taste of Amsterdam, I realized 8 hours was not enough.
I will definitely pick Amsterdam as a layover location but will stay for either a couple of days or just make an exclusive trip to Amsterdam and choose a layover somewhere else. Layover possibilities are endless.
My layover in Amsterdam ended up taking me to Alexandria, Egypt. Check out my blog post, Volunteer and See the World at the Same Time to learn how teaching English abroad can impact lives.
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