The port of Amsterdam
Most cruise ships will dock on the IJ-river right behind Amsterdam Central Station at Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA). This is an unique location in the heart of the center of Amsterdam. From here it is about a 10 minute walk to the Central Station and 15 minutes to shopping streets and canals.
Facts & Figures
City: Amsterdam
Continent: Europe
Country: The Netherlands
Province: North Holland
Area: 219 sq. km (85 sq. mi.)
Population: 0.8 million (2012)
Currency: EURO (€)
Language: Dutch. English, German widely spoken
Average temperature: around 22 Celsius in summer, around 5 degrees in winter.
Country code: +31
Country URL extension: .nl
Electricity: 220V (standard European connectors)
Opening hours stores: Most shops are open from 9AM-6PM
Drinking age: 18 years
Smoking: generally prohibited in public areas. Some restaurants and bars have smoking areas.
Tourists: about 3.5 million/yr
Timezone: Central European Time (CET) - UTC +1
Weather
The weather in The Netherlands is mild. Spring and summer can be quite pleasant, autumn and winter usually wet but mild. The average high in the summer months is about 20-23 degrees Celcius (68-73 Farhenheit) with an average rainfall of about 7-8 cm a month. The winter months the averagre temperature is around 4-6 degrees Celcius (mid 40's Farhenheit) with an average rainfall of about 8-10 cm a month. Autumn and winter months are usually characterized by stronger winds and less hours of sunshine.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Schiphol airport is the Holland's main airport. It is one of Europe's largest airports serving most areas of the world. It is home base to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Holland's national airline. From Amsterdam there are direct flights to most major European cities. There are also numerous direct flights to most major US cities.
To the city center
Amsterdam Schiphol airport is located about 10-15km from the city center. It is about a 15 minute train ride. The train will take you directly from Schiphol airport to Amsterdam Central Station, the heart of the city. You can buy tickets either at a yellow ticket machine or at the NS counter. You must choose between one-way or same day round trip and 1st or 2nd class travel. A regular second class ticket will cost about 4 euro's (6.50€ first class). Behind the central station lies PTA, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. Most cruise ships visiting Amsterdam will dock here. This is about a 10 minute walk.
Taxi's are also available; it is about 20 minute ride and will cost about 40 euro's.
Schiphol is very close to the center of Amsterdam (source Google Maps)
Rental cars
All major car rental companies like Avis, National, Hertz, Sixt, Budget, Dollar and Alamo are present at Schiphol airport. These are located in Schiphol Plaza.
Website Amsterdam Airport: www.schiphol.nl
Website Dutch railway: www.ns.nl
Museums
Amsterdam has many museums, some of them world famous. The Van Gogh Museum, The Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum are all located on Museum Square. This square is about 45-60 minutes walking from the cruise terminal. Also located on this square is the Amsterdam Concert Hall (Concertgebouw) .
The Rijksmuseum posses a huge variety of classical Dutch art ranging from works of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Albert Cuyp and Vermeer. One of the most famous pieces, De Nachtwacht (The Night Watch) is also featured.
The Van Gogh Museum is situated in a modern buidling and show-casing a large part of his work. This is probably the most popular museum in Amsterdam.
Other museums in Amsterdam include The Rembrandt House, Amsterdam Musuem, Jewish Historical Museum and of course the Anne Frank House.
Things to do
The largest city park in Amsterdam, and the most famous park in the Netherlands is the Vondelpark. It welcomes about 5 millions visitors every year, and is a very popular destination for locals for jogging or just sitting on park bench enjoying the surroundings.
Links
Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) is located behind Amsterdam Central Station (10 minute walk). From the railway station trains depart on a regular basis towards most major cities in Holland. Every 10-15 minutes there is a train to Schiphol Airport.
Passenger Terminal Amsterdam: www.ptamsterdam.nl
Public transportation in and around Amsterdam and even in throughout the entire country is considered to be of high quality. In Amsterdam it is easy to travel by train, bus and tram to get to you desired destination.
For trains and schedules: www.ns.nl
Other useful links:
www.iamsterdam.com