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Latest Amsterdam hotel reviews
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As in Strasbourg, an interesting rainy day activity in Amsterdam is to take a boat trip around the city.
I call it a rainy day activity because when the weather is nice you will obviously prefer to be out cycling rather than just sitting in a boat.
There are several companies that do canal boat tours, leaving from the piers at the street called Damrak near the central station. I took a tour by a company called Rederij Plas, which was fine but I have no way of knowing if it was better or worse than any of the other tours.
As in Strasbourg, I was the only person on the boat who had a map and was following along to keep track of where we were going. I am always amazed that nobody else does this, as one of the main purposes of such a tour is to start getting oriented and start learning your way around.
At thirty-five different places on the tour there were recorded commentaries in Dutch, German, French and English, which were fun because I could try to understand some of the Dutch (which I have never learned, but can sometimes figure out from German and English), and then use the other three languages to see if I was right.
Second photo: The Central Railway Station and Smits Koffiehuis, which is a fancy restaurant and not a "Coffee Shop".
Third photo: One of the Seven Bridges.
Fourth photo: The opera house in the rain, as seen from the tour boat.
Fifth photo: One of the tourist boats going past the opera house (not on the same day, obviously).
Written Jul 31, 2006
Website: http://www.rederijplas.nl/
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There is a real traffic in the chanals because there are many boats that show the city to tourists. I used it once from the place near of Rijskmuseum and Casino and paid EUR 9. I saw the big station near of the central railway station too. I am sure it is worth doing tip for Amsterdam.
Written Jul 17, 2006
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I quite enjoyed canal cruising in Amsterdam, especially on a crappy day. You still can go out even though it's wet & grey outside and get to see some sights. You can catch a canal boat from a few locations around Amsterdam e.g near Central and Leidseplein.
I boarded a one hour canal cruise for 6.50 euros and it was pretty good. The cruise route is usually passing the popular landmarks along the canals e.g Skinny Bridge, the narrowest house, so you get a duck's eye view of the city with no traffic jams
Updated Jul 9, 2006
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Here there is the culture of the canal. And it's a very nice one at that!
Just sitting back as the water gently laps against your boat, the sun is high in the sky and all is calm.
This is the stuff holiday are made of!
We did the Museumboot (Museum Boat) hop-on-hop-off tour, which gave us discounts into museums and galleries (although this didnt include the Van Gogh Museum, unbeknown to us!) It wasnt that expensive, and was enjoyable.
The weather was great and we didnt feel rushed in the least to meander around the museums and galleries.
It cost 14.25 euros for the day with stops at Central Station, Prinsengracht, Leidseplein, Herengracht, Muziektheater and the East Dock.
Updated Jun 6, 2006
Website: http://www.onlineamsterdamguide.com/
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8 EUR one per for an hour.
A great expenrience of exploring Amsterdam with your own feet.
You can rent a paddle boat and return it to any of the 6 stations in the city.
However, be careful of big motor boats
Written May 12, 2006
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A canalboat tour is a must!!!
No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without it!
There are several companies offering the boats which mostly fit about 40 persons and provide a guided tour in many foreign languages.
Written May 9, 2006
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There are about 165 canals in Amsterdam. Canal cruise is a must if you are in here as you can sit in the boat and enjoy the view and take as many photos as you like.
There are also dinner cruise but we took the cruise in the daytime. It was a wonderful experience.
Written Apr 25, 2006
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The canals are Amsterdams number 1 attraction and the Canal Bus is the perfect way to get around Amsterdam. The comfortable boats offer a hop on, hop off service along three different routes with 14 stops located near the major museums, shopping areas and attractions..
The Canal Bus (www.canal.nl) runs every 40 minutes from 9:50 until 7:25 with 14 stops along three different routes throughout the city. Day passes cost ?16 and are valid until 12:00 the next day. All of Amsterdam?s major attractions are on the route and historical commentary is provided along the way. The Museumboot (Museum Boat) is a similar concept for ?14.25 per day with stops at Central Station, Prinsengracht, Leidseplein, Herengracht, Muziektheater and the East Dock. Tickets includes half-price entry to most city museums.
Written Apr 19, 2006
Address: Rederij Lovers Amsterdam postbus 802 1000 AV
Phone: 020 5301090
Website: http://amsterdam.city-discovery.com/amsterdam_canal_tours/amsterdam_canal_bus_tours.html
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Besides the bad experience that i got with the ticket having a boat ride through amsterdam canals is a very beautiful (and much touristic) experience.The tour is guided by a recorded voice which speaks 3 or more languages.The seats are really comfy (although the view from there is limited). The worst thing in the tour is the crowd..Probably there are not enough boats to make the tour and people are oblidged to standin the middle.Sometimes the boats are way too crowded and i dont know if this is the safest situation for the tourists..
Written Mar 22, 2006
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It is a mass tourism attraction, but also an quick way to see and learn about Amsterdam and its history. From the water you'll have a good view on the canal houses and bridges. The story you'll hear is not very personal, but a good way to start off your trip in Amsterdam.
Besides the standard tourist tour, there is also the possibility to use the museum boat, where you can hop-on, hop-off and visit many museums.
Written Mar 7, 2006
Website: http://www.lovers.nl
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Canal Boat Tours tips and photos posted by real travelers and Amsterdam locals.
Write a ReviewIt is a mass tourism attraction, but also an quick way to see and learn about Amsterdam and its history. From the water you'll have a good view on the canal...
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