Tips to maximise your trip to Amsterdam

European city breaks are some of my favourite ways to get away as travel time is minimal and you can usually cram quite a lot into a short space of time. Both times I’ve been to Amsterdam have been great, and I’m back there for a day in October during a cruise which I’m very excited for.

After my first trip I learned a few lessons, so here are some tips to maximise your trip to Amsterdam.

Book tickets for Anne Frank’s house in advance

If you want to visit Anne Frank's house (which is a must) then make sure you book it before you arrive in the city. The earlier the better! Before 3pm you can only enter if you have a pre-booked slot and after that, it works on a first-come, first-served basis so you could be waiting around. And when you’re on a city break you don’t want to waste hours of time queuing.

The first time I went I didn’t have a booking and didn’t have the time to spend waiting. I made sure to book for my second time, and even two weeks before most time slots were already sold out.

Don’t bother visiting the sex museum

There are lots of museums in Amsterdam and the sex museum is usually hyped up, but it’s not worth the time or money. Everything felt very outdated, it wasn’t particularly interesting and there was no logical layout to see the displays. Instead, head to the Right Light Secretsmuseum to find out more about prostitution in the city (it’s a really interesting visit).

At least the museum is only 4 euros so you won’t waste too much money if you do go.

Head to the Amsterdam sign before 8am

The Amsterdam sign is a pretty iconic photographic spot, but like most tourist hotspots it gets super busy. And during the day it’s pretty much impossible to get a good photo without hundreds of other people. During my last trip we headed there at 3pm and we could barely see the sign nevermind get a photo.

If you head there early in the morning you’ll beat some of the crowd and have better odds for a good photo.

Visit the Pancake House for opening

If you’re getting up early for a photo at the iconic sign then make sure you head over to the Pancake House for its 10 am opening. It’s one of the most popular places in the city to get pancakes, so much so that it was marked on the map our hotel gave us. And their pancakes are the best I’ve ever had.

But as it’s both small and popular you’ll have to queue most times, so get there for opening to guarantee a table. And order the Dutch pancakes (thank me later!)

Rent a bike

One of the easiest ways to get around the city is by cycling, and it works out a lot cheaper than other forms of public transport.

You can hire bikes all across the city with a lot of spots by the main Central station ranging from a few hours to a few days.

Head to the Red Light District after 9pm

The Red Light District is a huge part of Amsterdam, but if you head there too early you won’t really get a feel for what it’s all about. But by 9pm the street is lit up and full of life.

Both times I’ve been it’s never felt seedy, but I can’t say the same would be true much later in the evening. So be warned if you head there too late; you may be surrounded by drunken British stag parties!