A Guide To Amsterdam

Place: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hotel: Novotel Amsterdam City

Booked with: Crystal Travel

Price: £179 p/person including flights, hotel and breakfast

Spending money: €200 p/person (on average)

Amsterdam. Known for it's great history and beautiful canals, but more commonly known for it's herbs and explicit nightlife. We went for 4 days at the beginning of August with 6 friends and it may possibly be the best city break I've ever had. The scenery, the waffles, the atmosphere; need I say more? The only downside to the break (in my eyes) were the people; nearly every Dutch person I came across was rude! But hey, that might have just been me because everyone else didn't notice it! Anyway, without further ado, here are my tips for having an amazing Dam break!

• Visit the Museum Quarter- We only spent about an hour here, but I wish we allocated a little more time to actually go in the museums rather than just looking in from the outside. It is usually very busy around midday/early afternoon so I would suggest to go in the morning. Remember to take a picture of the famous I amsterdam sign!

• Eat loads of waffles!- Holland's patisseries certainly made our trip even better than we anticipated, the Dutch sweet stuff might even knock Paris' off my top stop! My favourite was a waffle topped with white chocolate, strawberries and cream. Heaven! The best one we found was just off Dam Square down the little road where NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky is situated. 

• Visit Anne Frank's House- We didn't get to go in, purely because we got there too late and the line was a 3 hour wait! If this is definitely something you want to do, make sure you go at least an hour before opening. 

• Go on the Lover's boat cruise- There are a few different ones, but we went on the one which took you right past all the main points of interest such as Anne Frank's House, Grand Central Station, the largest floating Chinese restaurant in Europe and the museum quarter. It is usually around €25 p/person but we got on at the last minute so got a discounted price of €18 p/person! Well worth the money!

• Have a drink at Wonderbar- The coffee shop which also sells herbal shisha. I'm sure there are many more but this one we particularly liked. The bar staff were nice, kept the tables clean and the lighting made the experience even more surreal. The only downside was the music...the music was strange. 

• Have a stroll through the Red Light District- Arguably the most famous attraction in Amsterdam. You'll find it awkward at first, but you'll soon get used to it! 

• Go to the Artis Royal Zoo!- One word: Banter. Pure banter. The zoo is a place we nearly always visit when we're away, but it's because there's so many amazing animals to see! And if you go with people who you enjoy being around, it just makes it all the more fun, humorous and... you guessed it, banterous (is that even a word?!)

A word of wisdom and warning: The hotel we stayed in was lovely and modern, but the booking agency, Crystal Travel, failed to mention to us (it was an over-the-phone booking) that we would have to put a €70 deposit p/room just in case we used the minibar/other facilities. This cut into our precious spending money and put a huge bummer on the beginning of the holiday. So #1, make sure you bring a little extra money and #2, make sure you read all the terms and conditions/make the agency read them out to you. Yes it's long, but it might just save you a huge shock.