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Jamie Mullard, a Travel Apprentice at our Bury St Edmunds travel agents, spent 36 hours in the lively city of Amsterdam. It was her first time in the Netherlands’ capital and she has plenty to share from her short trip.
Destination: Amsterdam
Operator/Host: JetSet
Accommodation
(Hotel names/Ship name): Amsterdam ID Aparthotel
Airline: KLM
Duration: 1 night
We flew out on Friday 5th October, having met at Norwich Airport at around 7:15am. Once we had all arrived, we checked in our bags and went through to the lounge area where teas, coffees and some snacks were available before boarding our KLM flight.
During the flight, we were all given a little bottle of water and a traditional Stroopwafel. We were lucky enough to be flying out on such a clear and sunny day so all the views were amazing (I had the window seat). The flight was only 35 minutes! This took the majority of people by surprise.
This was my first time flying with KLM and I must say it was an amazing first experience, everyone was so friendly and the service received was perfect. Everything flowed effortlessly and there was no hanging about! However, I was initially a little taken aback by the configuration of two seats and two aisles on this small aircraft, as I’ve only ever been used to larger planes.
When we arrived, it was a lovely 21 degrees. Once we collected our bags, we met up with our tour guide who took us on an hour and a half tour of the airport. I was just amazed at how big it was; so many places to eat, little hotels within the airport and an area where people with babies could separate themselves from the noise. There was a cot, seats for the parents and a curtain around each section for extra privacy. There was also a little kitchen and changing area for the parents to change their children (free of charge).
Once our tour was over, we sat down at a little restaurant to have a quick bite to eat and a drink before our transfer. After the journey into the city centre, it was a quick change and turn around to go to our next tour of the Heineken museum. Here, we learnt all about how the beer is made, who started the business and what makes it different.
Afterwards, we went to the town of De Waag where we had dinner at an amazing castle that was originally built in 1488. 300 candles illuminated the restaurant-café. I had nicely cut and perfectly cooked steak and chips. We decided to skip dessert so we had more time to explore Amsterdam.
That night, we stayed at the Amsterdam ID aparthotel – a hotel split into two apartments. The view from my room was lovely; I could see nearby trains going past and a tennis court and football pitch in the near distance. I had a good sleep with the beds being so comfortable.
The next morning, we cooked our own breakfast, checked out and headed straight to a tour of the five-star Pestana Amsterdam Riverside hotel via train. It was beautiful. We got an inside look at all the special rooms that included a living area and kitchen. Once our tour was over, we headed down to the restaurant to have a set menu lunch.
For starter, we had tuna steaks (that I personally didn’t like) and then, for main, we had steak slices with 3 small blobs of mash and a mango sauce and asparagus on the side. This, I did like. We decided to give dessert a miss again to head into town and find some churros. Before that, we went to the ice bar for a few drinks and chilled (literally) in the -10 degree temperature.
After a while, we found a spot to buy churros and waffles. Everyone had something and it was delicious!
After another walk around the town, we found a place to stop for a well-needed rest and for tea and coffee for those who wanted it. Once we finished, we headed back to the train station to go to the airport.
We arrived at the airport at around 7:20pm and checked our bags in via the self-service machines (which was super easy). Once we went through security, we split up into a couple of groups to do whatever we wanted – shopping, eating or resting. We took off at 9:40pm local time and landed back in Norwich airport at just after 9pm local time. We very quickly got our luggage through and all went our separate ways.
Overall, my first time in Amsterdam was an amazing experience, even with all the walking involved. That is one way to work off the churros!
I would love to say a big thank you to KLM and to Jetset for it all and to all the lovely ladies involved (Chloe, Rebecca, Faye, Paula, Vicky, Natalie, Heidi, Kirsty and Sarah). You all made the trip an experience to remember.
If you want to make the short hop across the Channel and enjoy an Amsterdam city break like Jamie, we can help you plan your trip. Our friendly team can offer some great recommendations and do all the hard work for you. Drop into your local Fred. Olsen Travel Agents for more information.
