Canal boat, Amsterdam

With over 150 canals totaling over 100 kilometers in length, Amsterdam is an ideal city to explore by boat. The tours last about 90 minutes and take you around the city and the harbor. All the major attractions are described in Dutch, German, French and English. It’s a great way to be introduced to this great city.

There are several stops around the city, where one can hop on.

About $10 per person.

Canal cruises are a cheap way to see the city. You will learn some great facts that are not listed in your tour guide and when you're tired, it beats walking. We missed our 1st boat 'cause I was confused about the departure time, and thought we had time for a quick lunch. We made it back in time to take another boat with a group of Asian tourists. You have not truely toured Amsterdam until you go with an Asian tour guide and hear the descriptions of the sites in Mandarin. It was a hoot!

Transportation to and around Amsterdam is a piece of cake. Trams are the best method for getting around when you are tired of walking. The routes are simple to figure out. Maps for the tram service are easy to find.

Use trains to get from the airport to Centraal Station. All the signs include an English translation.

There are plenty of taxis everywhere, but we never found a need for them.

Bicycles are commonplace here but seemed a little too dangerous for us. You can rent a bike from several different places.

Many of Amsterdam's canals were filled in around the start of the 20th century, mainly for sanitary reasons. The remaining waterways are still pretty filthy, but there's nothing like seeing Amsterdam by boat - just keep your eyes up and don't trail your eating hand wistfully in the water. Amsterdam becomes even more picturesque from a duck's perspective: the houses look impossibly higgledy-piggedly, leaning, looming and jostling on both sides of the canal; bridges arch over the water, some of them opening for tall water traffic; and you get to spy on all those magnificent houseboats, ranging from restored barges overflowing with tomato plants and cats peeking from the portholes to sleek purpose-built 'arks' with feature windows and sundecks.

There are numerous tourist boats doing the rounds, and it's also possible to rent a pedal boat, if you're feeling energetic. Of course, if the canals freeze over in winter, the boats get stuck and there's skating to be had. Amsterdam frozen over is a wonderful place: the locals dust off their ice skates, children and dogs scramble around, and vendors sell hot chocolate, glühwein and soup. Watch out for thin spots in the ice, especially under bridges and at the edges: people die under the ice every year.

A canal cruise is a must. It's a fantastic way to get acquainted with Amsterdam. In a slow pace you float along through the city.
Some statistics:

Amsterdam has 165 canals, 1281 bridges, 8 wooden drawbridges and 2500 houseboats.

The public transportation system in Amsterdam is great. I recommend that you take a moment before you get to Amsterdam to spend some time and become familiar with it. From the airport you can catch a train into town. Once your at Central Station you walk right out the door and board a train going in your desired direction (that info is readily available on the net). Many natives get around town on bicycles so you have to to be careful not to step out in their path. There are many places to rent a bicycle in town but that could be kind of hectic if your not too familiar with the city. The traffic moves pretty rapidly and is well controlled. The canal boats are a nice way to float around and enjoy the marvelous architecture throughout the city. Many of the buildings are quite old and have been, or are in the process of being, refurbished. The beauty of Amsterdam and the engineering marvel it is, and was when first contructed, is incredible. As I walked around the city and ambled through the museums, I marveled at the creativity of the Dutch, which I contribute to their culture of openess and acceptance of ideas foreign to their own. These people have been inspired for centuries to be designers, architects, painters ,artists.

Canalboats arent the quickest mode of daily travel,but by all means, take at least one canal tour.The tourguide will point out places and tell you historical information you wont find on your own readily.Its not very expensive and i usually save it for a mid-day junket..part sit down/part tour after Ive hoofed around the city half the day.

No problem by every mean of tranportation.
The most exciting and relaxing is tour by water tram. Walking, public trams. Taxis are a little bit too expensive. The worst - car (you will be the luckiest man in the world if you find any long-term place for parking in or near the centre).

You should really take one of these, regardless of the naysayers. In a city that can be explored this way, take advantage!