Amsterdam

[lukshen]

I would really appreciate any help you can offer. My son (25) and I purposefully booked a 14 hour layover in Amsterdam on a Sunday in mid September. We arrive @ 7am and our next flight leaves @ 9pm. We'll take the train to Central Station, I guess. We would like to see the Anne Frank House, a museum, the red light district and do a canal tour. We will only have time for breakast and a late lunch plus snacks, of course. We totally enjoy good chow and hate to waste time and calories eating mediocre food. I don't mean haut cuisine, just good food. I've read about great french fries, but don't have enough time getting lost looking for them So, I'm asking for a combo food and travel tour getting us back to the airport without scrambling. If anyone has some spare time and patience we would be eternally grateful.
Thank you

[linguafood]

This place is great for breakfast and lunch:

Singel 404 (located in the spui/9 streets area)

name is also the address. absolutely fantastic sandwiches.

[dutchgrub]

Hi lukshen!

Here are some suggestions for your personal food and sights combo:

Taking the train from Schiphol airport to Central Station is quick and easy. Trains leave frequently and it's only about a 10 minute ride. Just make sure you board a train to Central Station not all trains to Amsterdam actually stop at Central.

You might want to head to Anne Frank early on as it gets crowded and waiting lines will be very long. From there I would suggest you walk over to the Jordaan and walk around the little street around Noordermarkt.

There is a great lunch and sandwich place called Small World Catering on Binnen Oranjestraat: http://www.smallworldcatering.nl/ They have amazing snacks and sandwiches and great coffee and cakes. It's a very fun place run by a charming Aussie.

The red light district and boat tours are all close by Central Station also.

Around that area you could get lunch or an early dinner at the Thai Bird Snackbar on Zeedijk. The Zeedijk connects Central Station with the red light district and is full of Chinese stores and restaurants. At the Thai Bird Snackbar (not the restaurant with the same name across the street) you can sit behind the large window, have some quick but good Thai food and watch all the craziness passing by: http://www.thai-bird.nl/

There is a fun off-the-beaten-path museum around that area called Our Lord in the Attic: http://www.opsolder.nl/ It's a hidden church, tucked away in the attic of adjacent canal houses.

Vleminckx on Voetboogsteeg makes the best fries, but it's somewhat further away at the southern end of the center by the main shopping area of Amsterdam. You could take tram number 5, which then continues to the main museums.

Have fun in Amsterdam!

dutchgrub
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www.dutchgrub.com

[lukshen]

Thank you, Dutchgrub.

I checked out both Small World and Thai Bird, they seem perfect. I used to cook in a shop that is very similiar to Small World.

Is there a pancake restaurant on the way to the Anne Frank House? Or should we just pick up a croissant as we walk? We are scheduled to arrive at 7am. We plan on buying our tickets to Anne Frank online.

For our purposes, is one boat tour better than another?

Do we need to be at Schipol 2 hours before our 9pm flight? All these questions, I hope I haven't exhausted you.

Many thanks,
Lukshen

[dutchgrub]

No worries, Lukshen! Glad you find the information helpful.

I am not a big fan of pancake houses in general. People like going there because they are looking for authentic Dutch food and experiences. But mostly, the food is not great. Having said that, the Pancake house that I usually recommend is near the Anne Frank house, so it might be worth it. It's called Pancakes!, and it's in the Berenstraat, one of the “9 straatjes”: http://www.pancakesamsterdam.nl/

I have a similar issue with the boat tours. They are very touristy in general, mostly pre-recorded standard tours. But it's a good way of seeing most of the city within the limited time you have. Any of the tours will do.

Not sure when you need to be at the airport. Guess it depends on how busy it is, where you're going, and how much risk you are willing to take. Generally, Schiphol is efficient and well organized, so I wouldn't anticipate any problems.

dutchgrub
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www.dutchgrub.com

[lukshen]

Is Greenwoods anywhere near the Anne Frank House? I read your blog and can live without pancakes.
Generally I would plan on being at an airport 2 hours before an international flight. Do I need to be on a 6:30 train leaving Centraal Station? It is a Sunday night.

[dutchgrub]

Yes, Greenwood's is very close to the Anne Frank Huis. It's less than a 10 minute walk and on your way from Central Station to Anne Frank. It's a great place for breakfast! I didn't suggest it because you were looking for pancakes. Greenwood's serves traditional English breakfast - sausages, eggs and beans. It's well worth it!

Taking the 6:30 train from Central should be more than early enough. I don't want to get you in trouble at the airport, so I will refrain from suggesting when to leave...

dutchgrub
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www.dutchgrub.com

[lukshen]

Thank you for being my personal gastro-tour agent. If you ever come to the NYC area , hopefully I can return the favor.

[dutchgrub]

You're welcome! Hope you enjoy your day in Amsterdam!

NYC is unbeaten when it comes to food! Wish we had places like Sushi Samba, Fatty Crab, Spotted Pig, Dos Caminos, Stanton Social, ...

dutchgrub
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www.dutchgrub.com

[lukshen]

I hear you, Dutchgrub, I am very lucky indeed. One more question, if I may. Are there any produce or flower markets operating on a Sunday in my touring plan?. Here it is:
Greenwoods, Anne Frank Museum, walk through Jordaan with lunch @ Small World, canal tour, Reijkmuseum and then Thai Bird etc
Thank you,
Lukshen