If you intend to visit and only sit in coffee shops, smoking, then this is not the Amsterdam Travel Guide for you. Whilst the city does have this dark side to it, it should in no way be the defining feature of your visit.
Instead, choose to spend your time exploring the beautiful side of Amsterdam. I believe you can only truly love Amsterdam if you experience this side of the city. Getting to Amsterdam is easy. Schiphol Airport is located just outside of the city. This huge international airport has regular flights departing and arriving from all over the world.
On arrival, you have two choices of public transport to get to the city. Firstly, there is the airport express bus. Bus goes from outside the main terminal building and terminates at Leidesplein. The bus will take you past Vondelpark, Museumplein and the Rijksmuseum before reaching its terminus.
The full-length journey will take approximately 35 minutes. The second option is the train. Regular trains run between the airport and Amsterdam Central Station.
The journey is considerably quicker than that of the bus and cheaper too. Expect a train to depart approximately every ten minutes. Amsterdam Central will most likely be the final stop for that train. Base your decision on which of these two convenient options to take on the location of your accommodation. The right choice should leave you within walking distance of your hotel or hostel.
