Amsterdam Beta - Houseboats?

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Planning a trip through Amsterdam next spring, any mags stay in a houseboat while traveling through?

We prefer VRBOs while traveling but it looks like they've cracked down on them, and houseboats seem to be more readily available. Hotel rooms, while plentiful, look to be small, which is okay but wifey and I like a little bit more room for afternoon siestas/recharge before going back out in the evening.

Any intel?

[Jong Lafitte]

Sorry any intel I’ve got is old. That said, Do it!!!

I’d aim for one in Amsterdam proper or barely on the outskirts and on a canal with a nearby streetcar stop.

I’ve done it twice and it’s a rad way to take in the city. But do stay in the city if you can. Back in my day it was these websites that were like precursors to VRBO; rented some awesome little hotels, condos and houseboats. Rad city!!

I like the ones that look like actual boats but we stayed on one once that looked like a floating trailer and it was very nice.

I wouldn’t fear the small Indy hotel (used to list on the same sites) but what ya gonna do, small.

Houseboat!!!!

ETA: in case it isn’t obvious, unless otherwise stated, the quarters appointments like the head will function as if it were an apartment with no special care or knowledge needed based on it being a boat, city utilities in Amsterdam proper IME anyway.

Another advantage is of course the kitchen, but you’d get that with a condo also but yeah, nice kitchen, do some shopping, cook a little… oh man, I wish i was there right now!!

And try to bail on the ones where the owner/caretaker is living in the fucking pilot house full time. At least I did anyway.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[liv2ski]

My first recommendation is to stay like maybe 7-10 days. Then maybe split those days between 2 properties. We recently stayed at an Air B&B about a 8 minute walk from the main railway station which was super convenient and had very nice hosts that let us in at about 10pm. Pretty basic unit, but was priced right and easily walk-able to so much. Doing it again, I would stay there 2-3 nights and then move to a nicer unit in another part of town (maybe a houseboat) so I could explore that part of town. There is so much to see there, give yourself enough time to take it all in. Do some tours. My wife signed us up for this awesome looking evening boat cruise (booze cruise) that was a few hours long that we had to pass on due to being sick. We hope to make it back there in the next few years as it is a really fun town.

[m2711c]

Same thing, my info is probably way out of date. We did The houseboats twice and the apartments two or three times too. We used a company called the citymundo.com which was a precursor to an Airbnb type service. They were still in business a couple years ago but I can’t find any new links for them now.

Getting either an apartment or a houseboat is way fuckin’ better than getting a hotel. You’ll be able to save a ton of money by being able to cook your own breakfast and lunches and just shopping for food in the supermarkets there is a fucking trip on its own. Plus, any downtime that is needed either because of weather or because you’re just tired is a lot easier to enjoy in an apartment/boat with a comfortable living room then in a hotel room with just two beds and maybe a chair or two to sit on. Especially if you’re traveling with a group.


If you like alto saxophones and jazz music in in general, then you should definitely go to Jazz Cafe Alto. Live music every night all night.

http://www.jazz-cafe-alto.nl/home/

[m2711c]

Oh, and if you’re really set on staying on a house “boat “. Make sure that you look at the pictures closely. There’s a lot of houses that are built on barges which is not the same thing as a functional houseboat. The other thing about the houseboats, is to pay attention to where they’re moored. If they’re moored on a main river or on one of the main canals, then you should expect to have alot of wakes rocking the boat as the traffic passes by. Canal traffic on the main routes can be very heavy. And while it’s nice to have the boats to look at just remember that all the people on those boats are looking at you too. It’s kind of a two-way floating zoo.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Nice, love jazz.

Pretty much describes us, we like being able to eat in when we want to and have some space when needed.

We'll probably do 5 days in Amsterdam before taking the TGV to Paris for a week.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Oh, and if you’re really set on staying on a house “boat “. Make sure that you look at the pictures closely. There’s a lot of houses that are built on barges which is not the same thing as a functional houseboat. The other thing about the houseboats, is to pay attention to where they’re moored. If they’re moored on a main river or on one of the main canals, then you should expect to have alot of wakes rocking the boat as the traffic passes by. Canal traffic on the main routes can be very heavy. And while it’s nice to have the boats to look at just remember that all the people on those boats are looking at you too. It’s kind of a two-way floating zoo.

This is a consideration. Wifey gets seasick just seeing a picture of a boat.

[Buster Highmen]

We ended up with a spacious family room at Hotel Alexander, Amsterdam which was close enough to walk to the canal complex as well as the Van Gogh museum. Decent place. For the snazzy dinner there we did Vinkeles and it was great.

[old goat]

My first recommendation is to stay like maybe 7-10 days.

Yep. We stayed 11. It wasn't too long. Lots of day trips by train. If you can be there on April 27 for King's Day you will not regret it--it's a fabulous party. (You wouldn't want to be there on King's day if you were only in Amsterdam for a couple of days because attractions will be closed or difficult to get to.)

We stayed in a room in a canal house on the Keizersgracht so I have nothing to offer re houseboats.

[ex-powderbroker]

I like Amsterdam but ten days of wondering if you're going to stay that high forever? C'mon man.

[irul&ublo]

We prefer VRBOs while traveling but it looks like they've cracked down on them, and houseboats seem to be more readily available. Hotel rooms, while plentiful, look to be small, which is okay but wifey and I like a little bit more room for afternoon siestas/recharge before going back out in the evening.

Any intel?

If the houseboat’s a rockin, don’t come a knockin!

[HellgateBasement]

I'm based in Amsterdam. We haven't stayed in a houseboat but I think it would be cool for a few days. Some of the bridges on the canals also have little hotel rooms in them if you're looking for something unique (https://sweetshotel.amsterdam/). If you're staying on the water (canal or bridge) I'd probably try to aim to stay outside the main tourist areas, especially if your trip coincides with Koningsdag. PM me with any other questions.

[old goat]

I'm based in Amsterdam. We haven't stayed in a houseboat but I think it would be cool for a few days. Some of the bridges on the canals also have little hotel rooms in them if you're looking for something unique (https://sweetshotel.amsterdam/). If you're staying on the water (canal or bridge) I'd probably try to aim to stay outside the main tourist areas, especially if your trip coincides with Koningsdag. PM me with any other questions.

How can you say that about Koningsdag--a more civilized somewhat more sober and no less fun than a combination of Mardi Gras and the 4th of July. You gotta love a country where the tell people to walk up one side of the street and down the other to avoid a huge crunch--and people do it. And where the chief attraction on the Leidseplein was a bunch of guys on state dressed as nuns. Where every kid in town turns into a busker and Vondelpark turns into a giant yard sale. Where the canals are packed with anything that can float and some things that can't quite and you could walk across the canals on them, and where every boat is blasting techno through speakers the size of refrigerators (euro sized refrigerators, not massive American ones). OK, the techno part isn't so great but we found a band on a side street playing 50's rock and roll.)

[liv2ski]

OG, if you like a party, you need to go to Zurich next July 2023.

https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/zueri-faescht

[HellgateBasement]

How can you say that about Koningsdag--a more civilized somewhat more sober and no less fun than a combination of Mardi Gras and the 4th of July. You gotta love a country where the tell people to walk up one side of the street and down the other to avoid a huge crunch--and people do it. And where the chief attraction on the Leidseplein was a bunch of guys on state dressed as nuns. Where every kid in town turns into a busker and Vondelpark turns into a giant yard sale. Where the canals are packed with anything that can float and some things that can't quite and you could walk across the canals on them, and where every boat is blasting techno through speakers the size of refrigerators (euro sized refrigerators, not massive American ones). OK, the techno part isn't so great but we found a band on a side street playing 50's rock and roll.)

Oh you misunderstand me OG, I love some Koningsdag - I just don't want to be staying on a houseboat near the red light district having drunk assholes using it as a bathroom. I want to be the drunk asshole.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

This is excellent information and yes we will be there the week of Koningsdag.

[HellgateBasement]

This is excellent information and yes we will be there the week of Koningsdag.

Nice. Don't forget your orange shirts.

[old goat]

Nice. Don't forget your orange shirts.

Easy to buy from street vendors. And if you wear one people speak to you in Dutch.
It's been a few years but the figure I remember is 3 million people in Amsterdam that day, in a city of about 900K. They had to shut the train station because of overcrowding.
Good point about drunks pissing on your houseboat. Probably not a great night to visit the red light district. Where we were it was more like oysters and champagne being sold on the street.
And while the crowds can make it a little hard to get around (they shut down the trams), it's not as bad as trying to get past all the people with canes and in wheelchairs in Keukenhof gardens there to see the tulips.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

We were in Barcelona this last April during Easter, La Rambla was a sea of humanity. It's great to see a lot of people having a really good time. The world could use more of it.

[m2711c]

This is excellent information and yes we will be there the week of Koningsdag.

yer gonna wanna get yer resevations in early then. yer gonna be competing with lottsa natives for lodging along with the usual foreign rabble.