- It is open daily from 10:00 to 18.00, except for Fridays, on which it is open from 10:00 to 22.00. Ticket office works daily from 10.00 to 17.30 (on Fridays to 21.30).

- Admission fee for adults is € 12.50, for 13-17 year-old children – € 2.50, children under 12 years old enter free of charge.

- There was a long queue at the admissions office, as this museum is very popular among tourists especially during the summer months. That is one more reason for me to obtain a Museum card, as Museum card holders gain immediate
entrance to the museum and do not need to wait in ticket lines.

- As a guide in the museum instructed, museum visitors should not come too close or touch works of art. It is prohibited to take photos, to film, or to make audio or video recordings. It is not allowed to take large bags and bottles into the museum – these items must be left in the cloakroom. There are also security checks with metal detection on entering the museum.

I found out that there is one more way to get a ticket to the Van Gogh Museum. As the Van Gogh Museum works with a
number of inexpensive Amsterdam hotels and Amsterdam’s youth hostels, you can purchase tickets for the museum at the front desk of your Amsterdam hotel. There are a lot of 2-5- star cheap hotels in Amsterdam participating, so it is advisable to check your Amsterdam accommodation.

There are two possible ways to get tickets for the Van Gogh Museum: you can buy them online at the official Van Gogh Museum website or get them in person at the museum. In case you have Amsterdam Museumboat ticket, the Amsterdam Museum Card or the I Amsterdam Card, you can get a good discount on tickets to the Van Gogh Museum and many other museums in Amsterdam. I am planning to buy one of these cards in the nearest future.

The Van Gogh Museum is in Amsterdam’s Oud Zuid (Old South) district, there are also three other cultural highlights which share the Museumplein with the Van Gogh Museum – these are the Rijksmuseum, the Concertgebouw, and the Stedelijk Museum. The hotel receptionist in Hotel Ibis Amsterdam City Stopera (by the way, very good budget Amsterdam hotel. I have stayed there and liked this budget Amsterdam accommodation) advised me to take bus 145 to the Museumplein stop, but I decided to get there by a bicycle instead. Riding a bicycle here is a real pleasure as Amsterdam is very flat. If you don’t have your own bicycle, there are numerous bicycle rental shops everywhere throughout the city.

I have to go now, so… to be continued later on…

Let me tell you more about the hotel Ibis Stopera Amsterdam where I’ve booked two nights. Had a nice refreshing 10 min. walk back to the hotel after a nice dinner and ordered a cappucino at the bar of the hotel. Had a nice view on the street, just observing what’s going on outside. Saw alot of people in jogging suits passing by, think they were going to the fitness school next to the hotel.

The staff of the hotel was very friendly and helpful. The room was ok, got a flat screen TV (with several english channels), lovely views over the canal and a the shower was excellent. One comment only, there was no tea and coffee making in the room.

Next to this hotel there was another hotel located called hotel falcon plaza centre Amsterdam, this was not a hotel chain. Tomorrow I’m going to take a quick look inside and ask for the rates. The Grand hotel Amrath Amsterdam was located nearby, but I don’t think it will be cheap. That’s all about this hotel in Amsterdam, next time I’ll tell you about my sightseeing in the south part of Amsterdam. See ya!

- If the hotel advertises its rooms with the sea view, then clarify beforehand the cost of this pleasure, as it may be more expensive. In the case of the same cost of both categories of the apartments, you can send your wish in writing to stay in the room with windows looking on to the sea through the travel operator. They are always of great demand, such rooms. Remember that.
- If the hotel can not give you a room you want when asked beforehand, try to ask about the desired category upon your arrival.
- The situation with the sea view concerns every requirements and details such as two next-door rooms, availability of the balcony, smoking/non-smoking room and etc.

Hotel’s location.
- You should pay special attention to this matter during the discussion of the hotel ort looking through the information about. Internet make wonders, so, it is quite easy to know if the proposed hotel is situated in a mile from the nearest beach, or in the noisy and/or dubious district. And remember, the description of the hotel’s location sometimes does not match the reality in full.
- In addition, get familiar with the map and structure of the hotel’s blocks and lines thoroughly. Maps are posted in Internet for almost every self-respecting hotel and resort.
- One more point: if you are not going to spend time on the beach but want to communicate with and mix with people then determine the nearest hotel to the place of parties and etc.

However the choice is yours and… be careful!

Part 1
If you have planned your travel in advance, then you must have made all preparations. Have you thought of a hotel, the best place to stay at?
Remember the main idea: the hotel is a place that must be as comfortable as possible. It is a must because it can happen that you will have to spend much time there. So, numerous negative comments should make think it over well and probably think better of it.

There are some important features in the process of choosing a hotel.
Confidence:
- Do not take the promises of travel agencies and advertisements words on trust: they can, and often do, conceal certain details so that everything will look splendid;
- Do not believe the comments of “experienced” tourists at hotel’s web-site, as they can be simply written by hotel’s marketing people.
Hotel’s web-site:
- If the hotel has no web-site, then you should be cautious: either these guys economize on everything and don’t bother to make one, or their star-category is being changed or something alike is going on.
- Hotel web-site is one thing, and hotel’s being listed in one of the wide-known online reservation systems is another thing. Check the latter as well, as online reservation saves a lot of time if you travel extensively.
- Have a thorough look at the hotel’s photos. They will illustrate a character of the exterior and interior of the building. Of course, you will never see minute details, but you will definitely have a general idea.
- What the hotel’s web-site usually does not lie about are hotel’s contacts: address, phones and e mail. E-mail is especially useful to send a message to request details you are interested in. Anyway, by the time their staff replies to your massage you can judge what their idea of customer care is. If the reply isn’t prompt, their room-service is most probably not brisk.
- At last, it is a usual practice to list room categories at the hotel web-site. If you cannot find the category you want, then do not try to find out its availability.

Well, these tips are not all for this topic, and I will continue my advices in the next post

The next day I checked out at the Park Plaza Hotel Victoria nearby the Central Station of Amsterdam. It was a pleasant stay in the hotel, but not really my thing. I went to the hotel that I’ve mentioned before and booked 3 nights at the hotel Ibis Amsterdam Stopera. The location of the hotel is great, a huge supermarket and Chinatown called ‘Nieuwmarkt’ are within walking distance where you can eat good oriental food for less! The hotel is modern, new and it has a nice restaurant with a bar.

I’ve stayed in a single Ibis room equiped with a bathroom, flatscreen and even a safe, the room was small but clean and tidy. I paid €70 a night at the hotel Ibis Amsterdam Stopera which is excellent value for Hotels in Amsterdam. The room is also equiped with the latest technology using a keycard to get access to your room and elevator. So my conclusion is that I’m very satisfied with this hotel, got to go now….I’m hungry for some Asian food!!

Next to visit is the ‘dappermarkt’, it’s a big market where you can buy almost everything. From food to shoes, so ladies this is a really nice spot to visit if you have a tight budget. It caught my attention when I was strolling down the market that there were alot of different cultures are living here together in this part of Amsterdam. Alot of small restaurants and cafes situated around the market where you can sit down and relax with a cup of coffee or tea.

I noticed during this trip that there weren’t many hotels located in this part of Amsterdam, just saw one Amsterdam hotel that’s located on the boarder of this district. Hotel Amsterdam Ibis Stopera is a 3-star hotel with more then 200 hotelrooms. Went inside to take a look at the restaurant and the lobby, I must say it was a very nice looking hotel. Think I’m going to stay 1 night in this hotel tomorrow, because I have booked 2 nights at the Victoria Hotel Amsterdam. It also has a central garden located inside the Hotel Ibis Amsterdam City Stopera.

Today I explored the city by bike, rented at ‘macbike’ for 1 day for just €8,50. Using a bike to transport yourself through the city is a common thing here in the Netherlands. Unbelieveble, I’ve never seen so much bikers before. Packed a map, drinks and some sandwiches that I picked up at the supermarket named ‘Albert Heijn’ and started my adventure.

I’ll report my adverture on the bike later on to you guys!

When asking my friends about difficulties in the strange city it is often to hear the answer which contains a mention of telephony and other kinds of communication.
And that is why I decided to tell you something about street phones in Amsterdam.

There are several kinds of them. For example, you can easily pay coins in coin-box telephones, but the best way is to buy a phone-card at the post-office or in the most of tobacco shops. The head post-office – postkantoor – is located at the corner Singel near the Dam square and works even on Saturdays. You can buy a 5-, 10- and 20 Euro phone-cards. The instruction for phone using will be there in both English and Dutch. And one more note: be careful with your luggage when speaking, especially at the Central Station.

Here are the phone numbers that may come handy when you are in Amsterdam:

The head post office: 5563311
Telegraph (Raadhuisstraat): 48-50
Taxi order: 6777777
Urgent help (paramedics, police, fire-fighters): 112, 555-5555
Central police station (Elandsgracht 117): 5599111
Central medical service: 0900-5032042
Enquiry service: 118, inside the country – 8008
International enquiry service: 0418
Representative office of airport of Amsterdam: 627-05-61
Extraordinary situations: 06/112
Police: 112 or 622-2222
Road service: 0888
Rescue service: 112 or 0900-8844

“I made a reservation at Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre, a 4-star hotel in Amsterdam, following the reviews posted on various sites. The hotel’s excellent location was the major point of our choice. Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre was close to the Central Station (a 10 minute walk from the station) and we were in a location that allowed us to sightsee on foot: museums, the Dam square, the Red Light District as well as tons of restaurants, shops and small grocery markets were within walking distance from Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre. We had no problems finding a place to eat or pick up odds and ends.

Possibly due to the reservation, check in at the hotel was very smooth. The staff at the reception desk, as well as throughout the hotel, were very polite and attentive. Moreover they were well-informed about the city sights. The rate was around €178 per night for a double room. Not the cheapest price for a 4-star Amsterdam hotel, I guess, but we still could afford it. Our room was big enough based on EU average. The bed was comfortable, and the minibar well stocked. However, minibar prices are unbelievable: a bottle of Coke cost 7 euros! It was the most expensive coke I’ve ever drank! The bathroom was a bit of a squeeze, but the shower pressure was fine. Overall the room felt a little tired, although it was spotlessly clean.

The first day we were at Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre the hotel was overcrowded because of the conference. Luckily, it ended the following day.

We liked the hotel and probably stay there again.”