One day in Amsterdam

Questions. Are you set on Brussels? Are you more inclined to drink a sour vs. cellared vs. beer isn't your #1 priority?

From Amsterdam to Brussels it's about three hours. The first train from Amsterdam Central is at 6:46 and they run every hour. The last return train out of Brussels looks to be at 22:22.When you buy your tickets you can get a hard copy print out of the time schedules.

But I'd suggest staying over night in Belgium. I like the Ibis chain (suggested by UncleJimbo). Just remember that there are weekend and weekday schedules posted at the stations. Since it looks like you will be doing inter-region I don't think that there is a difference, but just be aware.

Also if you want to go from point A to point B with a transfer in a city that you want to site see in, buy that ticket with a "via" at the stop city. In other words if you are in Brugge and are going to Amsterdam you will transfer in Antwerp. If you want to stop over for a period of time in Antwerp then you buy your ticket as, Brugge to Amsterdam via Antwerp.

If you love sours then I'd do Brussels with stops at Moeder Lambic and Cantillion. You could add in other Brussels stops at will. Or go directly to Brugge and see the sites and drink some beer. Then head to Antwerp for a over-night stay. Time your Antwerp arrival to be after the Kulminator opens.

In Amsterdam Café 't Arendsnest is a must.

So there are a few Cliff Notes. I'm sure that you'll get more suggestions. Read them over and fine tune your wants. For instance if you're into Stouts a day trip to De Molen might be in order. The Netherlands seems to get over looked. You could spend a happy weekend there easy.

 

Antwerp is closer to Amsterdam - about 2 hours by train - and a much nicer and more manageably-sized city than Brussels. About the only thing Brussels has that Antwerp doesn't are the lambic places. However. Antwerp does have Kulminator which has ahuge range of beer, including lots of aged ones.

If you fancy trying Westvleteren, Gollem's Proeflokaal usually has it for around 14 euros:

Gollem's Proeflokaal
Overtoom 160-162,
1054 HP Amsterdam.
Tel: 020-6129444
Email: [email protected]
http://cafegollem.nl/

This is the city's main beer pub, with a great selection of Belgian, Dutch, German and British beer:

In De Wildeman
Kolksteeg 3,
1012 PT Amsterdam.
Tel: 020 - 638 2348
http://www.indewildeman.nl/

These are places with a smaller beer selection but great atmosphere:

De Pilsener Club
Begijnensteeg 4,
1012PN Amsterdam.
Tel: 020-623 1777

De Ooievaar
Sint Olofspoort 1,
1012 AJ Amsterdam.
Tel. 020-420 8004

In de Olofspoort
Nieuwebrugsteeg 13,
1012 AG Amsterdam.
Tel: 020 - 624 3918
Email: [email protected]
http://www.olofspoort.com/

Ooievaar is a tiny, friendly bustling pub with a good jenever selection. Olofspoort is just gorgeous with an interrior that looks like a Vermeer painting. It also has a good selection of jenever. Pilsner Club has an unusual interior with no bar counter. It sells van Vollenhoven's Stout, the classic Dutch Stout. If you're lucky, they'll have it on draught.

I've an extensive Amsterdam Pub Guide here:

http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/amsintr.htm

 

Having taken the train from Amsterdam south to Brussels a few times if I only had one day I would not go all the way to Brussels but stop in Antwerp. Besides the Lambic I am not a huge fan of Brussels. It's a big dirty run down city to be honest. Antwerp is much closer, friendlier, safer and nicer and you would be hard pressed to beat a 3-4 hour stop at the Kulminator.

 

If this is your first time in Amsterdam just stay in there very nice!!! and also make a trip to Bodegraven (de molen) and get a trade for some beers you like so you don't have to go to Brussel!!
Let me know where you are there !!!!! We can trade some beers@@@@@@@

 

I have done day-trips from Antwerp to Amsterdam by train several times. Brussels adds more train time. If money is no object, take the fast train (probably Thalys, requiring a reservation). People already suggested good places in Brussels. I would add a visit to Cantillon if you are in Brussels on a day they are open, and then a visit to Moeder Lambic Fontainas. Personally I like Antwerp very much -- Brussels has more beer cafes, and more lambic, but how many places do you need for a day visit? Antwerp would definitely fill up one day.

Cheers!

 

There is a cheaper option Jim and that is taking the Fyra train. From Antwerps you need to go to the city of Breda in the south of Holland. From there you can travel in one hour to the center of Amsterdam!

This is the site for the info:http://www.nshispeed.nl/en/travel-with-fyra/fyra-amsterdam-rotterdam

 

Interesting. And how fast can you get from Brussels to Breda?

 

" About the only thing Brussels has that Antwerp doesn't are the lambic places. "

And " manneke pis " !

 

Don't really know Jim. This train is about 35 minutes faster than the normal one between Breda and Amsterdam.

Thijs

 

If I recall correctly, the Thalys is twice as fast from Antwerp to Amsterdam as the fastest regular train.

 

Yeah, but you do cough up a lot for that hour. Plus, you have to reserve tickets in advance, no mean feat if you're travelling fairly last-minute.

 

Heh! When I was in Antwerp just under two years ago, I saw a stencil graffiti of mannekin pis on a wall. Underneath was written 'Now there's no need to visit Brussels'

 

Oooo . I'd love to see a picture of that

 

Looks to be about a third as fast. 6:19am>8:08am or 1hour 52 minutes (Brussels-Midi not Centraal.) and € 79.00. I'm can't remember what the regular rail ticket is. About € 35.00? I'm fairly certain that when you buy your Thalys ticket that you must state and meet your departure time, but I see that they are semi-flex tickets. But I have no idea what flexes.

http://www.thalys.com/be/en/?time=1289350212

For the site below use:

Amsterdam - filter: all types destination: Amsterdam Cs (nl)

Brussels - filter: station/stop SNCB only destination: Bru.-Centraal / Brux.-Central or Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi or Antwerpen-Centraal

http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

 

True. but you have to pay a supplement and there have been problems with the service such as running late or trains being cancelled.

 

OK, as I thought, you save more time relatively speaking from Antwerp to Amsterdam (1 hr 14 min vs 2 hr 14 min) compared to Brussels to Amsterdam (2 hr 2 min vs 2 hr 52 min). The Thalys must not be able to go full speed between Brussels and Antwerp.





Bahn.com <-- I prefer this website for schedules, though it won't show fares for many cases outside Germany.

 

That makes sense. And the more I think about it, if your destination is Centraal Station or most beer destinations besides Cantillon you'd probably waste most of the hour gained getting to central Brussels anyway.

Jim or anyone,

Do you need to buy the Thalys ticket far in advance? And how much in advance do you need to show up? I used Eurostar for a Brussels>London and while I got there early enough, I was surprised on how long to check-in process was.

 

The one time I rode Thalys I did not know the Thalys required a "reservation", and so even though I had an open ticket I had to disembark, go downstairs to the Thalys office, and get a reservation for the next train. So, at least in my case it was possible to get the reservation for the next available train, but I don't know if this is always the case.