It’s true that Amsterdam isn’t the cheapest destination, but you can make some wise choices and have fun with less money. I hope I can help you plan your budget for a trip to Holland’s capital. I wrote about plane tickets, accommodation prices, museum entrances, bike rentals and more!
How to get to Amsterdam
You have to keep in mind that there are no low-cost flights from Romania to Amsterdam. The price for a round-trip ticket is about 150-200 Euros.Though if you’re not in a hurry, you can wait for a good offer. I got mine for 84 Euros. Not that bad, is it? So I recommend you follow my blog, I’ll let you know about the best deals around (you can find them in the „Oferte” category).
As an alternative, you could take a low cost flight to Eindhoven and then catch a train to Amsterdam (I got this tip from
Andreea, thank you!).
Accommodation
If you already booked your flight, it’s best to find accommodation as soon as possible. Just like in any other place, the closest it is to the city center, the more expensive it gets. I noticed it’s cheaper to get a hotel room than 2 beds in a shared dorm in a hostel (duh), so if you’re travelling with someone, this might be a better option for you.
The last time I went there, I chose the Amstel Botel and paid 111 Euros for 3 nights (including breakfast), so I’d say it was a pretty good deal!
Food & drinks
This one is up to you. I’ll give you some guidelines, but everyone can adapt their budget according to their own needs. A beer is somewhere between 2.5 and 7 Euros, even more, a glass of wine is about 3-4 Euros, a zuchinni soup 6 Euros, coffee for 2 Euros, and a big plate of french fries (the best we had in Amsterdam) for 5 Euros (a lot of fries, the 3 of us shared them but couldn’t finish).
If you go to the restaurants in the most touristic areas of the city, you will probably pay more. But not necessarily, for example there’s a sports bar in Leidseplein where we had all-you-can-eat pork ribs with fries and salad for 10 Euros. I’m not meat’s biggest fan, but they were delicious!
You could also pay a visit to one of many supermarkets and get all kinds of muffins, doughnuts and pastry products (which became our favorite snack between meals during our stay).
From the airport to the city
There’s a 20 minutes train ride which costs 9 Euros (return journey). The trains run every 15 minutes and have wi-fi. Don’t bother with any other options, trust me this is the best one.
Transport
I don’t see the point for bus tickets in Amsterdam, everything of interest is within walking distance. The last time I was there I had to take the ferry to get to my room (it’s free), so I got to see the less touristic areas of the city.
If you truly want to feel like a dutch person, you should rent a bike. I didn’t because many locals ride their bikes fairly fast and I’m not used to it (I don’t even have a bike, but I’m thinking of getting an electric scooter). Renting a bike costs about 10-15 Euros/day, and in some places you can pay for a theft insurance, which is 5-7 Euros.
Museums
If you’re going in a less crowded period and are willing to wait in line (sometimes for a long time), be ready to pay between 9 Euros (Anne Frank Museum) and 22.5 Euros (Madame Tussauds).
If your planning a trip that includes a lot of public transport rides and many museum entrances, I’m sure you’ll find the ”
I amsterdam city card.” very useful.
So you should have about 400 Euros ready for a 4 day Amsterdam adventure (including a tour of nearby towns and villages).
What do you think of this Amsterdam travel budget proposal? Expensive or not?
I like your photos very much, Simona. Indeed, Amsterdam is not the cheapest destination, but I think 100 Euro per day is not too bad. Thanks for the Eindhoven tip, I’m going to use it next year 🙂
Welcome! Glad to be able to help you!