From Paris, we took Thalys (high speed train) to Amsterdam on Christmas Eve. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with super-strong wind, literally feels like we will blown away. Short walk from the central station is our hotel, a decent hotel called 'Avenue Hotel'. The room is small but sufficient enough for us, we don't really need fancy room. The location is just perfect for us, although it is not located at the center of the city but we always preferred any accommodation that nearby the central station rather than the city itself.
We walked around the hotel area that evening, although its Christmas Eve, the vibe is not very festive, but its the nice kind of vibe. There's still people around, shops are open, and we found a small halal outlet on one of the small alleys. We ate there during our stay in Amsterdam, its cheap enough as everything in Amsterdam is expensive.
The next day, its Christmas Day! We didn't expect a lot of people around the city, as its Christmas yknow, we assumed people will be celebrating it in their home or something. But, alas, there's quite a large group of people at the city, but its fine since we dont exactly went into any of the musuems or attractions, we just walking around the area and take in as much as we can. Oh, and we walked all the way to the centre, without taking any public transportation, its like 20 minutes? Since it's chilly, we do not feel tired (at first) lol but the walk back to the hotel is a torture. But, overall we see a lot more by just walking around. And, here comes the onslaught of pictures!
Amsterdam is my favourite city amongst all the cities I have visited (Seoul not included, I'm in love with Seoul btw). Would definitely come back for another visit, if I have opportunity to do so!
note: all pictures taken using HTC E8, no filters applied
Total spending in Amsterdam
Thalys Train (Paris Nord-Amsterdam Centraal): £98/2 pax
Hotel: £167/2 nights + €8.95 VAT Tax
Shopping (incl. souvenirs): €18.97
note: all pictures taken using HTC E8, no filters applied
Total spending in Amsterdam
Thalys Train (Paris Nord-Amsterdam Centraal): £98/2 pax
Hotel: £167/2 nights + €8.95 VAT Tax
Transportation (2 pax): N/A
Food: €35.70 incl. snacksShopping (incl. souvenirs): €18.97