Interrail 2016: AMSTERDAM

The day had arrived. After months and months of planning, researching and stressing, our Interrail adventure was about to begin.

Following a very early alarm (3:35am- the joy), we packed our bags into the car and flew from London to the capital of the Netherlands- Amsterdam.

First thoughts: how can a city, with a population of 800,000, have so many bikes. They are everywhere. As we discovered during our two nights there, there are even such things as 'bicycle barges', which are boats that only play host to the bicycles of Amsterdam.

Our busy morning consisted of a car, a plane, a train, a tram journey and lots and lots of walking. An accidental booking for the month before meant that, for about an hour, we were left without anywhere to sleep. Admittedly, we had a very stressful start to our Interrail trip. 

Fortunately, accommodation was found and we were promised complimentary breakfasts for our stay. Result.

For the first afternoon of our time in the city, one of the group had found a brilliant deal for cheap tickets to the Van Gogh Museum and a canal trip. With top reviews on TripAdvisor, I had high expectations for the gallery and it did not disappoint. Each floor of the gallery gradually shows Van Gogh's progression as an artist, from his numerous self-portraits to his last painting prior to his early death at the age of 37. It was enlightening to see his famous works ('The Sunflower', in particular) but also his lesser known pieces, such as his cherry blossom landscapes. As someone who isn't a huge fan of art, I can safely say that the gallery appeals to all audiences, with enough information to be educated but not too much that it became tedious.

This was then followed by the canal trip. Unlike the Van Gogh Museum, the Lovers boat trip has mixed reviews online, but in fact turned out to be one of highlights of our visit. Setting off from three locations, we left from outside Amsterdam Centraal station and were taken on an hour-long tour of the canals. The sun was beaming down, the breeze in our hair... As cliché as that sounds, the cruise was truly idyllic, and we were entertained by both an audio commentary and also the tour guide, who was comical. Definitely worth doing, considering the significance of the canals to the city.

On our second- and last!- day in Amsterdam, we made the most of the gorgeous weather and strolled along the canals. As fans of 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green, we made sure that we visited the bench where the novel takes a pivotal twist. From a distance, it was obvious which bench features in the film adaptation, as fans had carved quotes into the wood of the bench, had put padlocks on it and one fan had even left a sunflower on it. It was unanimously decided that the bench's spot was the most picturesque from our entire stay so I would recommend giving it a visit even if you aren't a fan!

The bench was ideally situated a walking distance from the Anne Frank House, which was to be our next stop. If wishing to visit the house, make sure that you book in advance as, even over one month in advance, only two of our group managed to get tickets. There is, however, the opportunity to queue on the day, though the queue was extremely long even when day tickets weren't available!

Personally, I believe that the Anne Frank House is a must-see when in Amsterdam. It makes an thoroughly poignant visit, providing an insight into Anne's powerful thoughts and feelings before and during her life in the 'Secret Annexe'. It is a monumental part of history and the presentation of the museum and house truly is a credit to Anne's and the millions of other sufferers' memory.

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around Amsterdam. We met our friends in the spectacular Vondelpark, where we watched the end of a battle of the bands competition in an open-air theatre in the centre of the park. This was followed by the obligatory cuisine of Dutch pancakes (or 'Profftjes'), which were, undoubtedly, delicious.

For our final evening, we went out to a nearby bar, which was playing some wacky, Eurovision-style Dutch and French music, as well as the odd Justin Bieber track. What a place.

Sadly, our time in Amsterdam had then come to end. As I write this, I am on the train to Berlin, for part two of our Interrail adventure.