Sunday, December 03, 2006

A day with Vincent

So, you find yourself with a couple of discount train tickets that are about to expire. There is a new exhibit at the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Hmmmmm. You suddenly realize, "Hey, I can make a day-trip to Amsterdam!"

And so we did. It is only a ~2.5/3 hr train ride into the heart of Amsterdam from Limburg, and we already know Amsterdam fairly well. We have talked about the concept of being able to do this, and it worked. A great Fall day to do it.

A co-worker asked how they could replicate such an efficient trip....well in case you only have a day to hit Amsterdam. Here you go:

Recommended Day-trip to Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum and Nemo; with dinner.

Preliminary work:
Buy the yearly “Discount Pass” for the train. It will pay for itself, mostly, for this trip if you have two adults.

Go online to the Van Gogh museum site and buy your tickets ahead of time and print them out to take with you. It will save you a lot of time – perhaps over an hour – because you won’t have to wait in line with the huddled masses. You have your own line right to the front (on the right as you head up the stairs).

The kids “rail-runner” pass for 2 Euros is good for the whole day, as are your tickets as long as you have round trips.

The trip:
Schedule: There are approximate times from Landgraaf, so your times should be less. The touch-screen ticket kiosks have an English option on the button left-hand corner. Remember your discount.

Depart ~08:50, one change at Sittard, and arrive ~11:30 at Amsterdam Central.
At Amsterdam Central guy “Strips” for the trolley if you do not have them already. Adult Blue, Child Red (discounted).

Take #2 or #5 trolley to “Museum Plein” on “Paulus Pollerstraat.” The Van Gogh museum is on the Southern side of the street.

After the Van Gogh museum experience, head NE towards Rijksmuseum. Go counter-clockwise around the museum and cross the bridge across the canal that is on the direct NE centreline on the other side of the building. It is the bridge where the Museum Boat starts.

Cross the bridge and on the right, wait for the #6,7, or 10 trolley (on Weteringschans) to take on a short SE ride to “Wetering Circuit.” Get off there and walk a few dozen meters to the trolley stop on Vijzelstraat. Take the #16, 24, or 25 trolley to Munt Plein. Munt Pleil is a madhouse, but look for the #9 or 14 trolley heading E/SE to “Mr. Visser Plein.” Get off there and walk NE up “Valkenburgestraat.” Where it “T-bones” at “Prins Hendrikkade,” across the street you will see “Nemo.” Your time is your own, but we closed it down at 1700. Just watch the “Teen” section at the very top floor. It is Rated “R” to “NC-17” in an American sense. The rest of the museum is standard issue kid friendly interactive science museum. The kids loved it.

Dinner: Time for a nice walk. When you leave Nemo, wald NW on “Prins Hendrikkade,” crossing to the south side of the street when you get a chance. Walk over the bridge over the ‘Oude Schans” canal and walk down the road on its NW bank until you get to the intersection of “Keizersstraat.” Take a right, heading NW until you get to “Nieuw Markt” square. You can walk around with a variety of options, but the Thai restaurant on the NW corner near was outstanding.

Back to the train: We left the restaurant ~1820 and walked up “Zeeduk” which dumps you off right across from Central Station; clear as day when you leave the street. We caught the 1858 train and made it back to Landgraaf ~2130 with only two train changes at Sittard and Heerlen.

One note on Amsterdam and the kiddies: Amsterdam has a reputation that is well deserved, but don’t let that make you think it isn’t a place that is kid friendly. It is very kid friendly, and the places you want to avoid so you don’t have to answer non-age-appropriate questions are easy to avoid, as they are more or less located together. This daytrip is totally safe from that perspective. Just when you are walking down “Zeeduk,” don’t head West.
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