Great trips to Haarlem start here.

Since I've been little, I've gone to the Netherlands on vacation every year. It is probably my favorite country in the world, with its beautiful architecture, quaint little towns, endless aesthetic shops, millions of bikes, and some of the best treats out there (looking at you Stroop waffles, Poffertjes, and Tony's Chocolate 🧡). This is a small guide to Amsterdam with some of my favorite places around the "Venice of the North", including: ☕️ Cafés & Bakeries 👩🏻‍🍳 Restaurants 🖼️ Museums & Culture 🚲 Activities (incl. food activities) 🏨 Hotel Recommendations 🚂 Tipps on Transportation

Amsterdam in spring. It’s a city that offers a variety of experiences and attractions for visitors. The Amsterdam itinerary includes exploring the De Wallen District, taking a boat tour through the city’s canals, visiting the Keukenhof Gardens and Haarlem, exploring the ARTIS ZOO, and taking a bike ride through Amsterdam to the Amsterdamse Bos in the spring, stopping by some great attractions and the best market in Amsterdam for some tasty traditional foods. Public transportation or a bicycle are the best ways to go around Amsterdam. Within the city and its surroundings, Amsterdam has excellent transportation options. You can purchase a variety of GVB (Amsterdam’s public transportation operator) tickets, although the drivers only accept cards. You can purchase hourly and one- or two-day tickets while traveling by tram or bus. These and other tickets can be purchased from GVB vending machines. Overall, this itinerary provides a great mix of history, culture, nature, and fun experiences for visitors to Amsterdam.

Oh, we're just getting started! Now that I have a travel buddy, my wanderlust has been awakened like never before. I didn't do all my travel with her, but with her finding cheap flights, I finally got to go places I never thought I'd get to and they were just so much more accessible. The vast majority of 2018 was spent doing weekend trips, which turned out to be our "thing". Don't let anyone tell you you need to spend more than a week traveling, even in Europe!