London to Amsterdam - Cheapest or Best Way There

Factual Questions
1

I’ll be in London next week, after Wednesday I’m on my own. Thought that I might hop over to visit the Anne Frank House :wink: and some other cultural hot spots. I have no idea how to do this from my hotel near the Heathrow airport. I figure I’d take the tube to downtown London, then what? Or should I just hop a short flight over there for a day trip? Can you do this in a day, or should you plan on an over nighter? I’d like to do this cheap and quick, but would be interested in what expensive and quick might be as well.

BTW, anyone care to predict the weather for next week?

2

I lived in London in the 80’s and the cheapest way to Amsterdam was a ferry. Train to the coast and an overnight ferry to Amsterdam. Takes longer, but as I remember, it was much cheaper than flying. I’m sure some Brit Dopers will be along soon. Amsterdam is fun! Don’t take your camera to the red light district.

3

What’s the red light district? Is this one of them? :confused:

4

Since you’re near Heathrow it’s bound to be cheaper and probably quicker to fly. Just looking on www.ebookers.com right now, BMI do the 8:20am returning at 9:55pm for £105 all in. I don’t know how much it costs to get from Schipol to central Amsterdam.

Weather? Today it’s been 60F, mild for the time of year. Supposed to be getting colder early next week. Average thise time of year would be low 50s. Rain a distinct possibility :).

5

Flying has to be by far the easiest for a day trip. If you’re at Heathrow, then BMI have decent fares given the short notice, e.g. about £90 for flying out on the 21st and back the next day.

6

Flying is certainly the fastest, but probably not the cheapest.

I have done this journey a couple of ways:

train London - Harwich / ferry Harwich - Hook / train Hook - Amsterdam

train (Eurostar) Waterloo - Amsterdam (perhaps changing in Brussels)

7

Schipol airport to Central Station in Amsterdam is 4 euro each way on the train (or was in February at least).

Now the line for the Anne Frank house, that’s a whole different story.

8

Re. the ferry - bear in mind that the fast HSS ship isn’t operating that route now, so it’s substantially longer on a conventional ro-ro ferry.

9

It’s €4.50 now (I just returned from the 'Dam last week :cool: )

The Reichsmuseum is also a very pleasant way to spend a few hours (I think it was about €10 entry), however I’d strongly recommend the Bodies exhibition. €22.50 for a ticket (if you pay when you get there, it seems to be *slightly *cheaper if you order online), but absolutely worth it.

All of the specimens are impressive, but some of them are just utterly stunning (personal favourite: the one from which they’ve removed all of the skin, muscle, bones, cartilage, etc and left only a human-shaped filigree of veins suspended in water). Just… awesome.

Also, it would be simply rude to go all that way and not visit the red-light district and a coffee shop or [DEL]two[/DEL]six, purely for research purposes of course. :wink:

10

If you’re staying overnight in Amsterdam (and you really should), there’s a shuttle bus from the airport that stops at most of the hotels. Ask at the information kiosk when you get off the plane.

And don’t forget the Van Gogh Museum (it’s near the Rijksmuseum).

11

Um. Rijksmuseum. I think the folks in Amsterdam would object strongly to any thought that they have a museum to the Reich in their city.