Amsterdam is one of the easiest places to get to from the UK. You can here in just over an hour, which makes it perfect for a city break with kids, or even a weekend getaway. But there’s a lot to do in Amsterdam and you don’t want to miss anything. Start with our guide and don’t forget to stop for pancakes.
Direct daily flights from dozens of UK airports to Amsterdam take one hour.
Amsterdam is one of the greenest, cleanest cities in Europe. It even has an area for testing eco-initiatives in Centrum, known as Climate Street.
Beaches and forest less than 20 minutes from the city centre have excellent family camping and self-catering as an alternative to hotels in summer.
You can cycle anywhere in Amsterdam city centre and the famous tulip fields are less than an hour’s flat ride away in spring.
The historic cities of Delft, Utrecht and Haarlem are about 40 minutes by train from Amsterdam and Efteling theme park is an hour’s drive east.
Amsterdam hosts over 300 annual festivals and events, many of which are family friendly or completely kid-centred.
Accommodation in Amsterdam ranges from five star city centre hotels in traditional canal houses to eco-chalets in country parks, houseboats and unique one-to-five-star all-in-one hotels on the city centre’s riverfront.
Amsterdam city centre is compact and easy to walk around, almost all the major museums and family attractions are in Centrum or the ancient medieval quarter just to the east. It’s a famous city for cycling but, unless you’re very confident, save bikes for touring the countryside and parks with kids. Public transport is excellent and inexpensive and you can travel over Amsterdam by bus or train in about 30 minutes. There are fast, regular services to beaches and Amsterdam Bos and the ferry from Central Station to Amsterdam Noord is free and takes a few minutes.
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