Going Dutch: Time for a river cruise and walking tour in 24-hour Amsterdam break
Less than twenty four hours in Amsterdam allowed enough time for a brief visit on board a river cruiser, a walking tour of the city, and the chance to admire the facilities at Schipol airport.
IT’S hard to refuse a holiday, even if it only lasts a few short hours. Recently I was invited to Amsterdam to experience a taste of a luxury cruise ship and, although the adventure would last less than a day and involve a very early start, I couldn’t say no. And so, I hit the road before dawn to spend a few hours in a city I had never visited before.
The journey’s main purpose was to visit an AmaWaterways ship and discover the facilities of Schiphol Airport along the way. Of course, a quick tour of Amsterdam would be squeezed in too. A busy 18 hours lay ahead.
Amsterdam is a city many people love for various reasons, from the picturesque peaked roofed homes overlooking the canals to the rich cultural history of a city which has been home to a number of influential artists and writers through the years. It’s a place I always planned to visit, and now that I’ve had a taste I would happily go back for more.
While many people travel to the city for a weekend of fun or culture, we were there for one day of luxury and exploration.
AmaWaterways offers journeys on the highest rated river ships in Europe to discover the history, culture and stunning scenery of some of the world’s most beautiful rivers. Their cruises, they say, are more about the journey than the destination, travelling through, rather than to, their destinations.
The AmaPrima was docked in Amsterdam on the day we visited and, as it was constructed in the Netherlands in 2013, it was an appropriate place to explore the ship’s facilities, which include a leisure centre and a heated pool which features a ‘swim up’ bar.
While normally only guests can go on board, we were treated to a once-off lunch to experience the menu and indulge ourselves on board the five-star floating hotel. Seated at the Captain’s Table, we enjoyed a section of tasty dishes, including fresh food and delicious desserts. As we ate, the ship’s crew explained how guests can choose to spend their time on the cruise; included in the fares are shore excursions in each port of call, all dining on board, fine wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, internet access and Wi-Fi, and bicycles that you can use to explore on your own or join a guided bike tours.
In addition to this, AmaWaterways has added more curated itineraries, enhanced benefits for guests and a new state-of-the-art cruise ship, the AmaLea for 2018. The newest ship can carry 158 guests and will be sailing the Dutch and Belgian waterways in the spring, and it will sail the Danube throughout the rest of the year.
Our hearty lunch on board the AmaPrima was just what we needed to fuel us for a quick trip around the city with our guide.
Amsterdam itself is an easily navigable city. On our whirlwind tour, we took part in a walking tour with a knowledgeable local. The capital city of the Netherlands is unlike any capital or large city I’ve been to. I immediately noticed how clean the air is there, unsurprising when the main mode of transport is cycling and when there is greenery on every street. Groups of cyclists whizzed past us, sometimes almost colliding with tourists too distracted by the beauty of the canals to look both ways before crossing roads. I watched the packs of cyclists with envy as they sped past us — I am notoriously terrible at cycling, with my lack of balance posing a very credible threat for anyone unlucky enough to cross my path. Using two feet to explore Amsterdam was fine by me; two wheels would be another story.
Our guide shepherded us past groups of tourists along the main avenues and down side streets to see some of the lesser known secret spots of Amsterdam. We caught a glimpse into everyday life in the city, from children playing in hidden communal gardens to people enjoying a coffee in their local cafe.
If a trip to Amsterdam is on the cards before the end of the year, our guide recommended we visit the city’s festive Christmas markets and stroll along the streets, glühwein in hand.
I travelled to the airport for a flight home with a festive return on my mind, or perhaps a trip to the city in the summer months to explore some more.
As we were a little earlier than planned, I enjoyed spending some extra time at Schiphol Airport — a rare thing to say about any airport.
No one ever really wants their flight to be delayed or to have too much time to kill before a flight, but if it happens there are few better places to be stuck than Schiphol. The whole place is fully equipped to deal with your travelling needs; there are reclining seats to relax and recharge, a private area for children to be fed and have a nap away from the hustle and bustle of the busy airport, and entertainment aplenty, including a full museum to visit. In addition, there’s a great range of shops and restaurants to spend some time in before you board your flight.
Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the world as it is a major hub for connecting flights. KLM, which has been based at Schiphol for almost 100 years, offer the use of a lounge for its customers, who can enjoy refreshments away from the crowds while they wait for either a direct or connecting flight at the airport, a handy option for Irish passengers travelling further afield as the city is just a two hour flight away.
KLM now offers five daily flights between Dublin Airport and its award-winning hub at Amsterdam Schiphol. Timings of KLM’s departures from Dublin are designed to dovetail where possible with its intercontinental network and most long-haul or medium-haul passengers have an average transfer time of under two hours.
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