How To Travel To Amsterdam On a Budget

Travel to Europe generally is more expensive in the summer. Therefore if you want to take advantage of lower prices on airfare and hotels, as well as less crowds, stay away from summer month. Amsterdam is known as an airline hub and it is a quite easy to find good deals on airfare, particularly if you do it in advance. Don't forget that flights from Monday to Thursday are cheaper than weekend flights and whether your trip includes weekend or not is also affect the price. In terms of weather Amsterdam doesn't really have an off-season, however January and February could be cold and rainy. Also, some stores, restaurants and hotels are closed for winter month. Late March and April are probably the best time to go - the average temperature is 10-15 C, sometimes even up to 25 C. Amsterdam is the city of 165 canals and it is great to explore the city from a boat, and of course it is better to do it on a warm sunny day.

Schiphol Airport is well-connected by train with central Amsterdam. You don't have to take a taxi, train is fast, comfortable and cost only 3.60 euro one way. You don't have to rent a car to explore the city and surroundings also. Rail road system is very comfortable and convenient in Europe, and the best way to go around the city is public transportation - a tram or a bicycle (real Amsterdamers' choice), which you can rent in a lot of places. You'll find the best value in town - just 10 euro a day or 40 euro per week.

Amsterdam has a variety of small budget hotels and hostels. Staying in a hostel is the cheapest option for travelers on a budget and very popular one among youngsters. Amsterdam hostels are usually dorm style with bunk beds, mixed and same-sex rooms, common bathrooms and kitchen. Some of them have laundry, Internet, and other services, but some have lockout hours, curfews, or don't accept reservations. There are plenty of one-, two- stars hotels which are quite inexpensive, charming and very friendly, just pick a location.

In Amsterdam there are a variety of street vendors who serve tasty food and Dutch favorites, such as smoked herring, deep fried meatballs (Bitterballen) and waffles (Stroopwafels). Hundreds restaurants and cafes serve traditional Dutch dishes, which are relatively inexpensive and must be tried when in Amsterdam - Stamppot (mashing pot made from boiled potatoes with cabbage mashed up with fried bacon and served with smoked sausage) and Erwtensoep (thick pea soup with chunks of smoked sausage). Amsterdam has a lot of Indonesian restaurants, and Indonesian cuisine is even considered a part of the national cuisine, the Rijsttafel is a great example (literally 'rice table', a set up offering 20 or more Indonesian dishes) - perfect inexpensive fantastic dinner.

There are about 1,200 bars and pubs in Amsterdam. Beer and Genever (Dutch gin) are local favorites. The price range for beer is 1.60-5.50 euro. Bars located in the Leidseplein and Rembrandtsplein (city's main entertainment districts) have the highest prices. The best and the most traditional way to drink in Amsterdam is at one of the city's charming bruine kroegen ('brown cafes'), with basic but inexpensive and often quite good food.

Strolling or bicycling streets of Amsterdam is a great entertainment, perfect way to explore the city and absolutely free! Amsterdam has 7000 registered historical buildings along with charming bridges and beautiful parks. Walking around Red Light District is an experience in itself, quite shocking but definitely interesting. For those who want to visit Amsterdam's museums or take some tours there are discount passes available along with student discounts.