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 Claudia Fenner is a writer, photographer and travel enthusiast from Dix Hills. She loves to plan her family’s vacations as well as help her relatives and friends with theirs. Have any travel questions you would like answered? Email her at travelingclaudia@gmail. com. Happy Travels! |
| Over the summer, two of Europe’s most fascinating and vibrant cities in just one week. Flying nonstop into Amsterdam and nonstop home from Berlin maximized our vacation time. We took the train between cities on day three, which made for a relaxing travel day in the middle of our trip. Delta operates multiple non-stops between JFK and AMS because of their code share with KLM. Flying time averages six and a half hours. There is an excellent rail connection between the airport and Amsterdam’s Central Station that costs 4.30 Euros/pp and takes only fifteen minutes. I chose the Doubletree Amsterdam Centraal for our stay, as it’s situated only a block away from the station and the fact you can use or earn Hilton Honors points. The location is perfect. If you want to earn or use Marriott Points, there is The Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel a few blocks away from the station, and offers family rooms that fit four and great for children. Amsterdam is a fantastic walking city. However, just be extra careful of bicycles and trams when you cross the street. If you are a Van Gogh fan, this is the city for you. The Van Gogh Museum and the equally famous Rijksmuseum, which features works by Rembrandt as well as other Dutch artists; are right next door to each other on the well named area called Museumplein. The famous “IAMSTERDAM” sign is there as well. Make time to bear witness to the attic where young Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during WWII. Located at Prinsengracht 263-267, it’s a twenty minute walk from the Central Station. Buy your tickets in advance at www.annfrank.org. Love Flea Markets? Visit the vast Waterlooplein that operates every day except Sunday. Be sure to order a “Stroopwafel” at one of the many food booths. It is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in the middle and delicious! Enjoy a traditional Rijsttafel (translated Rice Table) meal of ten to fifteen small Indonesian dishes. The Dutch colonized Indonesia and the influence remains. Our Rijsttafel meal at Aneka Rasa was awesome! It is well priced at around 20 Euros pp and offers a vegetarian option. See the menu at www.anekarasa.nl After two full days in Amsterdam we boarded our train to Berlin. Part two of “Europe: A to B” coming soon! |
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