24 hrs in Amsterdam

As part of our ongoing reader challenge, every issue we send two enthusiastic travellers on an adventure to explore a bmibaby destination. Their mission: to see the sights in 24 hours! For this issue, soon-to-be married couple Kate and Spence took to the streets – and canals – of Amsterdam…

the adventurers:

KATE, an e-marketing executive for Birmingham’s canalside destination, Brindleyplace and SPENCE, a steel fabrications manager at his family business, Vittoria, were delighted to go on a jaunt for yeahbaby – deciding it was great practice for their honeymoon! They live in Bournville, Birmingham and have been together for about two years. On 8 November this year, the happy couple are tying the knot, and then heading off to the US for a road trip… down Route 66!

day 1

11:00 Anne Frank’s House

After dropping our bags off at the hotel, we headed straight to one of the most famous spots in Amsterdam, Anne Frank’s House. You can believe half a million people visit here every year – the queues are colossal! We later found out that you can book tickets online to beat the queues, which is a great tip to remember. The museum is well worth visiting as you’ll have the chance to see inside one of Anne Frank’s actual diaries, and walk through the secret annex where the Frank family hid for two years. It’s certainly a moving experience. Tel: +31 (0)20 556 7100, www.annefrank.nl

12:30 Red Light District

Next, we headed to the Red Light District, which has to be seen to be believed! It’s a bizarre sight: ladies of every shape, size and nationality “advertising” their wares from windows that do actually contain red lights! Beware – it’s forbidden to take photos of the girls or you risk having your camera destroyed. Luckily, I met a friendly Madame who let me have my photo taken in a window– just to see how it feels from the other side!

12:45 Old Church

We stumbled across the beautiful Oude Kerk, which means “Old Church”. There’s a €5 entry fee, but it’s worth it as the church is huge, with a beautifully restored interior, fantastic artworks on the ceiling and modern paintings throughout. Surprisingly, we found the floor the most interesting part, as it’s made up of around 2,500 tombstones! At weekends, you can also visit the church tower. www.oudekerk.nl

14:00 lunchtime

We had lunch at Centra, a busy Spanish restaurant down a side street in the Red Light District. It serves fantastic tapas (the chorizo is especially good), with tasty Spanish wines providing the perfect accompaniment. Lange Niezel 29; tel: +31 (0)20 622 3050

16:00 Dam Square

Next, we arrived at the thriving Dam Square, an atmospheric mix of tourists, locals and street entertainers. In the middle of the square is the imposing National Monument, and around the sides you can see the huge Royal Palace, Nieuwe Kerk (“New church”) and Madame Tussauds. Bars and restaurants are everywhere around the square, so you’ll never get caught short for a snack or a drink!

19:00 dinner at Leidseplein Square

After freshening up in our hotel, we took a tram to the buzzing Leidseplein Square for dinner. There are lots of seats outside, and the square is surrounded on all sides by bars, restaurants, cafés and coffee shops. We ate in the Three Sisters New York Steak House, on the third floor of a building that’s accessed only by lift, and has fantastic views of the square. After dinner, we had a nightcap at Café Graves, a funky bar/restaurant near our hotel. www.cafegraves.nl

Dutch dream

HOTEL DIE PORT VAN CLEVE is in a great central location in the heart of Amsterdam’s old town, just around the corner from Dam Square. We were able to walk there easily from Centraal Station, even with our bags. The hotel staff were really friendly, and exceptional at giving directions – they even hailed us a taxi from the street while we waited in reception! We especially liked the old-style lifts that took us to our sunlit room, which was bright and airy, with a huge plasma TV and contemporary décor. It also had a great view of the bustling streets nearby. The hotel restaurant and bar looked fantastic as we walked past them in the evening: next morning, breakfast was delicious and plentiful; there was a great selection, and the staff were again fantastic in responding to any requests. And a final note: beer fans will be interested to know that this hotel was formerly the location of the Heineken brewery!

Our writers stayed at the 19th-century four-star Hotel Die Port Van Cleve in Amsterdam. It’s available to book now from just £198 per night (bed & breakfast, based on two people sharing). To book, visit www.bmibaby.com where you can also search for hotels and apartments in all bmibaby destinations. Powered by online hotel booking specialists, Hotelopia.

day 2

11:00 Brewers’ Canal

After a delicious buffet breakfast at our hotel, we wandered to the Damrak, one of the main streets in Amsterdam, and then on to Brouwersgracht, better known as the Brewers’ Canal. It’s a stunning canal, and a stroll along its banks is an absolute must. With beautiful houses and tree-lined streets, the canal is romantic and very peaceful – the only sound you’ll hear is that of passing cyclists and boats.

13:00 beer & nuts

Next, we stopped for refreshments and sat outside the very traditional Café Papeneiland for warm cashew nuts and ice cold Heineken. The café was once an old house dating back to 1642, and the wooden benches provide an ideal spot to watch the world go by.

14:00 antique market

We then headed to the De Looier Indoor Antique Market, a hidden gem, crammed with stalls selling all types of treasures for every price range. Whether you buy anything or not, it’s definitely worth a visit to this place, just to see the amazing things on offer, and to mix with the locals. www.bridge-amsterdam.nl

15:00 Dutch cuisine

We finished our trip with a late lunch in Haesje Claes Restaurant (www.haesjeclaes.nl); the perfect place to sample Dutch cuisine in traditional surroundings. The food is reasonably priced and we both indulged in some stampot, a Dutch dish of mashed potato, vegetables, bacon and sausage. There were plenty of interesting dishes on offer that we weren’t brave enough to try – eel soup, anyone? It was a fantastic weekend and if you’re thinking about entering this competition – do it!

GOT A PASSPORT AND A DIGITAL CAMERA?

Want to be in an upcoming issue of yeahbaby? We’re looking for two people to take to the streets of a bmibaby destination for 24 hours – if you’re handy with a camera and happy to tell our readers what they should see and do, we want to hear from you!

ENTER NOW!

Email bmibaby.ed@ink-publishing.com with a photo of you and your travel buddy, and tell us where you live and why you’d like to be our next guest writer. Winners will receive return flights for two from your nearest bmibaby UK hub to one of our destinations (to be decided), one night’s accommodation and £100 towards transfers, meals etc. Good luck!