Amsterdam City Guide

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Marvel at the Dutch Masters and take a step back in time in an elegant merchant's house. Join the late-night revellers in the Red Light District or cosy-up canalside in a brown café'. Get the low-down on Queen's Day and see the Royal Orchestra at the Concertgebouw. Elegant, history-steeped port; liberal, laid-back party town. Connect with your Amsterdam using this stylish and streetwise guide.

Comprehensive Listings—more than 250 reviews of the best restaurants, cafés, coffeeshops and clubs in town.

Expanded Architecture Chapter—get gable-gazing with our chapter dedicated to this remarkable city's characterful buildings.

Be Informed—in-depth analysis of current events gets you under the skin of the city.

Explore The City Your Way—tailor-made cycling and walking tours and recommended canal cruises.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.8 / 5.0, 21 votes)
5 stars
6(29%)
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21 reviews All reviews
April 17,2025
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L’ho letta tutta diligentemente e poi durante il viaggio non ho seguito uno solo dei consigli
April 17,2025
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I have spent quite a while in study for my forthcoming sojourn to the Netherlands, both using books and the internet. Hot off the press is 2012's 'Amsterdam' from 'lonely planet'. Written by Karla Zimmerman and Sarah Chandler, this guide is very comprehensive and well worth the time spent in perusal. The neighbourhoods of the city are split up into sections with adequate maps, main site recommendations and some very useful local knowledge tips. For the prospective tourist interested in art museums, historical and cultural information or the way to the cannabis college and the erotic museum this guide contains over three hundred factual pages of up to date advice. Not just a city guide, also included are a number of additional day trips from Amsterdam within a radius of thirty five miles to such locations as Haarlem, Leiden and Delft.
I will hit my local library in the next few days to renew this book and use it in Holland. Who better to saunter around Amsterdam with than someone called Zimmerman.
April 17,2025
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I still prefer a guide book to a trawl of the web, provided useful on the go information although I think these days fewer hotel where to eat recommendations and more itineraries etc would be a better use of the format
April 17,2025
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Who the fuck skaffar en resguide för att få ett sådant här råd: "... a light trench coat or jacket and a small travel umbrella will mean you're prepared for the weather but can still blend in with the crowd."

Styrkan hos Lonely Planet är annars living like a local-intentionen och understanding-sektionen, där man brukar få överblick över befolkningens värderingar och livsstil eller avgörande förändringar i infrastruktur och arkitektur och gärna med popkulturella referenser. När det är som bäst skrivet påminner en LP om podcasten Staden. Guiderna till Seattle, New England och Puglia & Basilicata är några favoriter.

Tillförde Amsterdamguiden något? Ja, passagen om Van Gogh är fin (suffering as an art form, morbid style, self-destruction...). Vid mitt återbesök förra helgen ville jag gärna utforska det nya Amsterdam. Glad över att denna LP gav mig idén att hoppa på en båt bakom Centraal Station ut till NDSM Werf, "post-apocalyptic vibe", "ubercool", "edgy arts community", "abandoned trams", "an old submarine"... etc.

Litteratursektionen är minst sagt measly. Kan vi i #boblmaf skicka in en komplettering?!
April 17,2025
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Lonely Planet's Amsterdam covers the bases when it comes to planning a trip. Personally, I am just a couple of months out from heading there myself, so while I cannot yet attest to how often and how useful it will come to be once I am there, I can say it has been pretty useful to get a handle on what I might be looking forward to. I used this book as a casual read whenever I found the time. The majority of the book goes through the top spots in each of Amsterdam's neighborhoods. This includes places to eat, sights to see, entertainment options, shopping experiences, and sometimes other activities. For any length of trip, there are endless references you can pick from in the book, and you will never run out of places to go eat. One of my favorite parts about the Neighborhood section is the "Neighborhood walk" that lays out a nice walk or bike around the neighborhood to visit the top spots. Throughout this section as well there are various pictures for you to get the vibe, but not enough to spoil anything.
Another section goes through the history of the Netherlands, and while I didn't particularly like this section the most myself, I can see how history buffs would be able to plow right through it and love it.
Additionally, I would want to point out that the authors make sure to include all logistical information as well. This would include trams routes, bike rentals, power outlet types, service fees, tipping amount, wifi, ticket costs, hotels, and even Language basics at the back of the book.
Overall I have enjoyed my read of this travel guide, and the only reason it doesn't get a 5 star is I haven't yet used it in Amsterdam yet. I may come back and update this if I find it exceptional.
April 17,2025
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Decent guidebook. Amsterdam seem like a place worth re-visit.
April 17,2025
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Without this book, I would have felt pretty helpless in Amsterdam. Good descriptions of attractions, handy maps, and interesting tidbits. Very useful!
April 17,2025
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Very useful when I lived in A'dam in the spring of 2006(two months plus).
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