Amsterdam is often very high on the list of places to see in Europe. For me, I found it highly overrated. Maybe it was because I didn't experience the tulip fields in spring? Nonetheless, it felt like almost another other European city to me - except with a rebel undertone and more canals. Did I go wrong visiting for Christmas *shrug*? Here's my honest feedback of why I would not highly recommend this destination for families.
I didn't feel like I was getting value for money- paying high prices for basic things. Basic accomodation, basic food, basic attractions, overpriced products (poster child, the stroopwaffle above). I paid €15 for two of those things, when I could have gotten them elsewhere for €2.00 each! Man, did I feel cheated, despite how pretty one of them was. Shortage of deals also made me feel financially frustrated. I constantly felt like it was me against Amsterdam in a fight against my bank account. The average price to enter most attractions was €20-€25. Compare that to Berlin, for example, where some quality attractions are free (The Memorial to Jews) or cost much less, the DDR Musuem (€12.50).
2. Children pay for so much! First of all, in most cases, children 4 years and older have to pay for services. This is lower than the average age I've seen in any other European city. For example, on public transportation, kids 4 yrs and older need a ticket. In most other places, it's 6 years and older. To enter a number of kid-friendly attractions, kids pay full price, eg. NEMO Science Museum or the Zoo/Aquarium.
3. Very little to attract families- perhaps I'm spoiled by Berlin which I feel does an excellent job trying to make fun either free or subsidized for families. I was disappointed that none of the attractions I checked offered family tickets or discounts. So once again, you're paying so much to do something that would be way cheaper elsewhere.
4.Transportation can be stressful, especially for families. The trams. The trams! What a headache! First of all, most platforms are just too narrow. So it's a struggle to fit a stroller. Next, only one tram door opens for entry. This means there's an inefficient queue. Next, each passenger swipes his/her ticket one by one (not the norm in most EU countries, where there is a greater system of trust), which makes it less efficient. Then, you must find a slot for a stroller in a very constrained, insufficient amount of space. I felt too much space is reserved for the tram conductor who operates from an oversized counter at the entry point. This is also unusual, I've never seen it before in any country! Exiting is another mathematical calculation. From what I understood, you shouldn't exit where you enter. The other doors are available for exiting, but they are barred. One must swipe his/her card again open the barrier to exit. Again, this would need to be done multiple times for each member of a family. Can you say stressful? It was just too much to think about! I found trains to be much better, despite the fact that we had some stroller drama there too. But in general, they are more spacious.
5. That tourist card thing! Wow! There's an "I am Amsterdam" card that covers the cost of transportation and most attractions. They are available in 24 hrs, 48 hr, etc values. For one day, this costs €70. In Hamburg, Germany, for example, the tourist card costs €10. To be fair, in most other cities I've visited, a card only offers discounts, not free entry. However, let's considering buying this for a family. Let's say you're getting a day card for a family of 4, that's easily €210! And you definitely won't be able to see everything. Again, in this case children 4 and over pay full price and there's no family discount. Realistically speaking, with kids, it's less likely that you'll have the energy to see everything, or some may just not hold kids' limited attention, so it just may not be worth it. This model works well for solo travellers I believe who want to experience a lot in a short time. For families, it would be great if another package existed.
6.But there's a catch to the Tourist Card! Some of the attractions need to be booked 24 hours in advance eg. Rijsmuseum. So let's say, for example, this was high on your list. You saw the tourist card deal and decided to go for it because you want to visit this famous attraction and a couple other sites! You join the queue to enter the museum, to be told you needed to book a slot for entry 24 hours ago. This happened to my friend. Thankfully though, he hadn't invested in the card. The main reason this is undesirable is that many persons visit European cities for just a few days. Tourists to the continent, tend to try to fit in as many destinations into their itinerary as possible. So visiting an attraction to be told you needed to book one day in advance, can really affect your ability to experience it.
7. The weather- it literally rained on my parade! This was no fault of Amsterdam’s, but the fact that indoor options were so expensive, made it frustrating. We stayed for 5 days in the winter and it was under 10 degrees and rained each day. This made it difficult to do some of the typical and more affordable activities. Renting a clog bike would not have been practical. We tried to go ice skating, but the rink was covered with water. Thankfully we stayed long enough and studied the weather well enough, to go back at a better time. We tried seeing the Light Show by the canals, but it was way too cold, especially close to the water, to endure for very long.
Here ends my rant about the cons of my Christmas visit to Amsterdam with kids. I am aware that I was only a tourist with limited knowledge and probably didn't have enough information to understand how I could have gotten around certain things. Weeks of online research and itinerary planning can only teach you so much. If you are more knowledgeable than I am, or feel I misunderstood some things about Amsterdam, please, please comment and let me know! I'd love to learn and I'd love to help others enjoy this destination more than I did.
Stayed tuned for the pros!