Roughly how much will it cost.?

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smrardin

You did not say where in the US you would be leaving from. I just returned from 11 days there. I came in under budget. You definitely want to make a budget and a list of what you must do in order for you to feel you had a good trip and a second list of what you would like to do if you have time and money.

Don't forget to plan for transportation costs as well. Trams, buses and trains within Amsterdam are very reasonable. If you plan on walking most places, you can get by with a strippenkaart ticket to use as needed. Buy the 15 strippenkaart from the machines in the train station. It saves you money over buying individual tickets from the conductors on the trams or buses. If you are leaving Amsterdam or planning on visiting lots of museums, get the 45 strippenkaart from the VVV (visitor bureau) it will save you even more money. A 15 strippenkaart runs 6.90 Euro.

If you are going to Amsterdam to experience wonderful museums, I highly recommend the museumkaart. It costs 40 Euro and gets you into almost every museum in The Netherlands except for the Anne Frank House. If you visit 5 or more museums, you will have paid for the card. I found I was more likely to visit museums than to do other activities during the daytime hours.

The markets are another inexpensive way to experience the local scene and you are in total control of how much or little it costs. I browsed the Antiquemarkt, for instance, and did not buy a thing my first trip. You can check out the offerings, just mix with the locals or shop around for the best deal to your heart's content with very little out of pocket.

Meals in The Netherlands are not inexpensive and neither are lodgings. However, I would suggest you take some time and do some research on your own, especially on the lodging end. Many of the "budget" hotels do not include breakfast and do not have good mattresses. You might decide it makes more sense to pay for a good mattress, which I highly recommend, at a location that includes a good breakfast and skip lunch which can save $ in the end. I found that if I ate a good breakfast at the hotel I could get by with a piece of fruit for lunch and a good dinner. Another option is to visit Albert Heijn (the grocery store) or the market and purchase some ham and cheese. We ate some lunches and dinners in our room to save some money on our recent trip. Our hotel had great tomato soup (11 Euro for 2 people) and with some fresh baked bread and cheese or ham and a piece of fruit we could have dinner for less than 25 Euro for both of us. Sit down restaurants are more expensive than street side stands. Look for specials. I recommend one of the many Brazilian or Argentinian steak houses for a treat. Most of them have all you can eat ribs for around 14.50 Euro per person. Note that this is the entree only pricing. Any sides are usually al la carte.

You will need a minimum of 40 Euro a day per person to eat. This is a VERY conservative estimate. Most breakfasts come in at 10-20 Euro per person. If you gett lunch at a roadside stand that runs about 6-10 Euro per person with a drink. If you eat in a sit down cafe or restaurant, plan on around 12-20 Euro per person. Dinners start at about 15 Euro for entrees only and go up from there. A good thing to remember is that there is no such thing as free refills in Amsterdam (and Europe in general). A Coke will run you about 3.40 Euro for a very small glass (about half a can). A beer, if you get the tap brand - which will be Heineken in 99% of the bars and restaurants - will run you about 2.40 Euro for a small glass and a wine will run around 4 Euro a glass. Coffee and hot tea come in about 2.40 Euro and there are no "warm ups" or refills included.

Take an empty water bottle. Bottled water is expensive - usually around 3 Euro for a small bottle. If you order "water" in a restaurant you will be served bottled water and charged. Ask for tap water. They will tell you if you will be charged. I bought a large bottle of water at Albert Heijn my second day to take when I was out and about. After that day I just refilled it from the faucet in my room.

Also, be aware that 80% of the businesses and restaurants will not accept credit cards. Plan on getting cash from the cash machines and don't forget to plan for the exchange fees. Larger stores (but not grocery stores) and more expensive restaurants will accept credit but often add a surcharge on your bill to cover the credit card fees. In the US the business absorbs those costs but in Europe they pass them on to the customer. Discover does not charge fees but most other US based cards charge a fee to convert your purchase amount into Euro and dollars or visa-versa.

Souvenirs can really break the bank. Take photos rather than purchasing lots of souvenirs. They will be around longer, take up less space, require less lugging around and cost less than souvenirs.

In summary, you can visit Amsterdam and stay within your budget. A good rule of thumb is the less you have to spend, the more time you need to spend planning and budgeting. Determine before hand what you must accomplish and do to have a successful vacation. Don't skimp on experiences or sight-seeing. After all, that is why you are there!

ladyxxmacbeth

im off in may and its costing me $2000 or Â£1000 to go to the netherlands and I live in the UK so I guess very pricey.

I'd take 5K to 10K for the ultimate no worry experience, along with the plane ticket. If your going to be cheap as possible take 3K, you should be okay.

hienthiphan

i would say 3,000 including flights.Trust me you will have a great time

dev_bsg

Less than 2500 US $.

beyondthelimit

@ $2500
flight
food
fun
hotel

on a budget

chidambaram_sethu

try: 1. http://thomascook.com
2. http://www.holland.com/
3. http://www.sotc-offers.com/sotcoffers/Europe.aspx?source=Google&Creative=textad&Section=Europe&gclid=CISQg5Hu4ZICFRspbwod8zrM_g

Wicked Kitty

I'm not sure about plane fair or Holland (look into getting a super-saver ticket in third class), but the cheapest American hotel I've ever stayed at that was clean and comfortable and not dangerous was $85 a night.

PROFESSOR SCIENCE

about 10 dollars

johny

500usd

Emmanuel M

Best thing to do ,go tho a travel agent

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