Please check our Customer Service pages for online reservation help or call us: Phone : (+44 - 203 ) 291 23 39 Fax : (+44 - 203 ) 291 23
51
AMSTERDAM / NETHERLANDS
AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam is a city in the Netherlands with impressive architecture, lovely canals that criss-cross the city, great shopping, and friendly people who nearly all speak English well. There is something for every traveler's taste here, whether you prefer culture and history, serious partying, or just the relaxing charm of an old European city. Amsterdam has over a million inhabitants in the urban area, and is located in the Province of North-Holland. Although Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands
Districts
Visitors are attracted to Amsterdam for its reputation as a liberal city; its relaxed charm emphasised by elegant, narrow fronted merchant's houses and enchanting canals; and the reputation of its museums.
The major museums are the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Rembrandt House Museum, and the Van Gogh Museum, which houses the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. The Anne Frank House, a museum dedicated to the story of Anne Frank, is also a popular tourist attraction.
The liberal nature of Amsterdam is not only physically embodied in the layout of the city such as, the de Wallen area which contains the red-light district, and many coffeeshops
which sell cannabis but it is also embodied in the
well-rounded, prevailing attitudes of its residents,
government and businesses. Amsterdam's red-light
district is located in the centre of the city and is
clearly marked on maps. Window prostitution in the
Netherlands is legal at specific places.
Red light district
Main article:
The red light district De Wallen, also known as Walletjes or Rosse Buurt, is the largest and best-known red-light district in Amsterdam, a major tourist attraction. It is a network of alleys containing several hundred tiny one-room apartments rented by female prostitutes (and some ladyboys) who offer their services from behind a window or glass door, typically illuminated with red lights. The area also has a number of sex shops, sex theatres, peep shows, a sex museum, a cannabis museum, and a number of coffee shops offering various cannabis products.
Transportation
Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world and is a centre of bicycle culture with good provision for cyclists such as bike paths and bike racks, which are ubiquitous throughout the city. There are an estimated one million bicycles in the city. However, bike theft is common, so cyclists use large secure locks.
In the city centre, driving a car is discouraged. Parking fees are steep and a great number of streets are closed to cars or are one-way.
The local government sponsors carsharing and carpooling initiatives such as Autodelen and Meerijden.nu. Public transport in Amsterdam mainly consists of bus and tram lines, operated by Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, Connexxion and Arriva; however, there are four metro lines; with a fifth line, the North/South line, under construction. Two free ferries carry pedestrians and cyclists across the IJ to Amsterdam-Noord, and two fare charging ferries go east and west along the harbour.There are also water taxis and a water bus, in addition to the canal cruises, that transport people along Amsterdam's waterways.The A10 Ringroad surrounding the city connects Amsterdam with the Dutch national network of freeways. Interchanges on the A10 allow cars to enter the city by transferring to one of the eighteen city roads, numbered s101 through s118. These city roads are regional roads without grade separation, and sometimes without a central reservation. Most are accessible by cyclists. The s100 is called the centrumring, a smaller ringroad circumnavigating the city centre.
Amsterdam was intended in 1932 to be a major hub of
the highway system of the Netherlands with freeways numbered one through eight planned to originate from the city.However,
the outbreak of the Second World War and shifting
priorities led to the current situation, where only
roads A1, A2, and A4 originate from Amsterdam
according to the original plan.
This modern hotel comprises 402 rooms including 7 suites spread over 8 floors. It is fully air-conditioned and offers its guests a lobby area with a 24-hour reception service. The hotel also features a bar, a hairdressing salon, a magazine kiosk and an air-conditioned restaurant with non-smoking area. Additionally a business centre, a hotel car par...
The hotel was built in 1996 and consists of 317 rooms spread over 6 floors, of which 35 are single rooms, 200 are double rooms and 5 are suites. Various facilities are available to guests including a hairdresser, a cosy bar, a pub and an excellent air-conditioned à la carte restaurant with separate non-smoking area....
Housed in a building that dates back to 1971, this luxury hotel comprises 15 floors with a total of 611 rooms of which 600 are double rooms. Facilities include a 24-hour reception desk, a lift, a hairdresser's salon, a bar, an English pub and a restaurant. Those arriving by car may take advantage of the hotel car park....
The local government sponsors carsharing and carpooling initiatives such as Autodelen and Meerijden.nu. Public transport in Amsterdam mainly consists of bus and tram lines, operated by Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, Connexxion and Arriva; however, there are four metro lines; with a fifth line, the North/South line, under construction. Two free ferries carry pedestrians and cyclists across the IJ to Amsterdam-Noord, and two fare charging ferries go east and west along the harbour.There are also water taxis and a water bus, in addition to the canal cruises, that transport people along Amsterdam's waterways.The A10 Ringroad surrounding the city connects Amsterdam with the Dutch national network of freeways. Interchanges on the A10 allow cars to enter the city by transferring to one of the eighteen city roads, numbered s101 through s118. These city roads are regional roads without grade separation, and sometimes without a central reservation. Most are accessible by cyclists. The s100 is called the centrumring, a smaller ringroad circumnavigating the city centre.
