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.

How To Save For A Trip

"I can't because I've got no money." 

How many of us have said that before? It's a sad fact that many people believe they can't go travelling, or even on a holiday, because they don't have a wad of spare cash lying about. Yes, travelling and holidaying can be expensive but if you really want to do it, you can. There's nothing stopping you except yourself! I'm not saying go and take out an overdraft or a credit card. No no, that's definitely not the way, I vowed to myself I'd never get into debt- bar my student loan, because that's enough in itself, isn't it?- especially to travel. 

So here are 9 ways people I know and myself have saved cash to go travelling:

• Get a Christmas temp job- When you first get to uni, a lot of stores would have already began hiring christmas temps. I applied really early, the end of August to be precise, and after around 30 applications, finally got an interview at John Lewis. Yes, it's time consuming and applications are long but THINK OF THE MONEY. Remember: Christmas is one of the easiest times to get a job because virtually everywhere need extra staff! I worked from November until January, around 16-20 hours a week (plus overtime) and earned between £6-7 per hour. A lot of people think they can't work and study at the same time, but if you're organised and determined to reach your goals, you can do anything.

• Tutor- If you're good at something, use it. I'm good at Maths, so in January I decided instead of applying for more jobs, I'd just tutor. I posted my profile on TutorHunt and an ad on Gumtree. I got so many responses! January is the prime time for tutors because people are thinking "crap, I need to work harder" so use it to your advantage. I have 8 students, work 12 hours a week and charge £15-20 an hour. In short, it worked out better for me than a normal retail job because I got higher wages and worked less hours.

• Alcohol? Bleugh- A lot of my friends ask me how I've saved enough money to go on so many holidays. Well, the truth of it is, I rarely go out. My party girl days are over (I can't believe I'm saying that at 18). Whilst the rest of my friends are spending their student loan on partying, alcohol and other substances which shall not be named, I'm jetting off somewhere! Go ahead, go out and enjoy yourself, but do it in moderation. A test: Take one month off from heavy drinking, partying and eating out. You'll be surprised to see how much you've saved! 

• Go on a study abroad/exchange- Every year the government offers a certain number of places for undergrads to study abroad, often during Easter. They pay for everything bar flights and visas, but you can always ask your Study Abroad office whether they can help with additional funding. On the other hand, most uni's also offer exchange programmes to countries all around the world. It usually varies depending on your department but if you do get accepted, you can also apply for a travel grant via Student Loan. Depending on your household income, the government may pay for up to 3 return flights from the UK and help with any additional fees such as vaccinations. Also, have a look at ERASMUS- I'm sure everyone would have heard of it before, even if you don't know what it actually is!

• Intern- There are HUNDREDS of internships abroad. If you're signed up to Prospects or TargetJobs you'll always get emails about them. The great thing about internships is that they're usually paid and some companies even offer accommodation for the duration of the intern. Best of all you have your weekends free to do what you want using the money you've earned!

• Get a TEFL qualification- If you're thinking about staying in one place for a month or more, I'd definitely suggest teaching English. A lot of countries, especially in Asia, want more English teachers so there's always vacancies. The course is often expensive and will require a few hours dedication a week but if you look on deal sites like kgbdeals, Groupon and WOWcher, you'll find them for a fraction of the cost. I got mine for £29 and it was originally £524- did someone say BARGAIN?!

• WWOOF!- If you don't mind some hard graft every now and again, you could try WWOOF-ing! It's essentially where you work on a farm and in exchange for 4-6 hours hard work, you get accommodation and food. Excellent for when you're strapped for cash! You can do this pretty much anywhere in the world and the time you spend there is negotiated with your host, so it's perfect if you're only somewhere for a short time. When Nile and I go on our year abroad, we will most definitely be doing this to save money!

• Leading on from WWOOF-ing, Volunteer. When I first started looking at volunteering I was shocked to see how much I would have to pay to volunteer. I mean isn't the whole point of volunteering so that it's virtually for nothing??? Anyway, a friend pointed me to Original Volunteers which is a LOT cheaper than most volunteering sites. STA travel also do packages which vary in price, but some are very unique and can't be found anywhere else. I've also found loads of wildlife centres in Africa who offer the whole package (accommodation, on-ground transport, food etc) for helping out at the centre. A must for animal lovers. Have a look around online, you'll definitely find something.

• Au Pair- If you're good with kids, this is definitely for you and NO it's not just for girls. There are loads of sites for Au Pairing internationally. The best way is to search for your host countries agencies, but you can also do it privately- just make sure you know the requirements to work in the country. Normally, your host family will provide accommodation, food and flights from your home country. Sometimes they even offer you a car and your own apartment! (But that's very rare). You also get a weekly wage which, since everything is pretty much paid for already, is just pocket money to you!