Amsterdam, August 3rd

Wednesday October 3rd, 2018
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Another new destination for our Fun Holidays! This is one with a difference though, because normally a Fun Holiday includes entry to a Theme Park, or tickets for a Premier Match, but for this one I’m including a week B&B in a lovely hotel, easily accessible from the city centre, and the Fun part of the holiday is up to you!

A short transfer from the Amsterdam Airport brings you to this lush Airport hotel, offering more than enough comfort and luxury to ensure a relaxing stay. All rooms are bright, modern, quiet and feature a bath or walk-in shower, small fridge and free WiFi. Connecting rooms and family rooms are available.Each room comes with individual air conditioning, LCD TV, an in room fridge for personal use and free WIFI. The bathroom is spacious and features a bath or walk-in rainshower. The hotel has several rooms for guests in a wheelchair and is 100% non-smoking.

For refreshments and meals you have the The GOURMET BAR restaurant, which is the inspiring and vibrant heart of the hotel and offers an informal, friendly eating and drinking experience where people can enjoy trendy drinks and eat fresh, healthy and inspiring dishes from our open kitchen, The GOURMET BAR is the perfect place to meet or simply unwind after a long day’s travel. The service is friendly and genuine, the ambience inspiring and relaxed. The menu is creative and features a number of interesting local beers, gins and snacks.

So drop your bags at the hotel and relax. Novotel Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a beautifully designed hotel at a very convenient location, within walking distance of Hoofddorp Station, 4 minutes by train from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and 20 min by train from Amsterdam’s city centre. It is the perfect hotel to explore Amsterdam and the region.

Just outside the hotel you’ll find lovely walking and cycling trails, and several Dutch Oak Wooden bikes are available to rent at the hotel reception,  just ask.

Now you know where you’re staying, what now? Amsterdam is waiting!! There is so much to do, all so easily accessible for adults and children of all ages, it’s difficult to choose which to tell you about. Let’s start with the gorgeous Vondelpark, which is city centre, and includes a number of different children’s playgrounds, various walks and cycling trails, and throughout the Summer months you’ll see some amazing entertainment, outdoor theatre, organised activities and so much more.

The Amsterdam Forest, or Amsterdamse Bos, is definitely a full day out, quite possible more. This city forest park can be easily reached by tram, and once there you have absolutely loads to choose from. Ridammerhoeve is a biodynamic goat farm situated in the middle of the Amsterdamse Bos. Visitors are welcome to look around the farm and have a chat with the staff while they work. All products made on the farm are for sale in the shop or served on the terrace. Don’t forget to taste the famous goat’s milk ice-cream!

Visit Fun Forest Climbing park, swing from tree to tree, climb a rope ladder and balance on a suspension bridge. The Fun Forest climbing park has nine different climbing courses of varying difficulty at various heights. Good fun for young and old alike!

Mini Port boats are a must-see. Will it be the cool-looking police boat, the tough lifeboat or perhaps the sleek cruise ship? Miniport’s electric boats enable children from the age of four to experience steering their own boats. On shore, children learn about shipping and harbour life. At Miniport, you can even learn how to operate a crane or tie knots!

If you would like to see the forest from the water, you can! From May to September excursion boats chug through just about all the waterways in the Amsterdamse Bos. Excursions take one and half hours. For more information about boat excursions or other excursions and activities, please visit the Visitors’ Centre. Then Bicycle Rental Service Amsterdamse Bos is situated opposite Visitors’ Centre ‘De Boswinkel’. They rent all kinds of bikes, like city bikes, tandems and even so-called ‘elliptigo’s’. A special cycle tour of 14 km has been marked through the Bos to show you all the beauty of this forest in one trip.

Also, believe it or not, Swimming! The water quality of the Amsterdamse Bos waterways and lakes is excellent. So feel free to take a dip in the swimming section of the Grote Vijver. The Groot Kinderbad and Klein Kinderbad are two outside paddling pools for young children. The pools are open from May to August/September, provided temperatures reach 20° Celsius or higher.

There’s also open-air theatre, in these stunning surroundings on most evenings during summer, or travel in style on the Museum Tram, departing from Haarlemmermeer station it takes you all the way to the Amsterdamse Bos. You can get off at the forest entrance, but also continue a few stops. It’s a fun way to travel to the Bos, although limited to Sunday service only. Finally, Take a magnificent walk through the Amsterdamse Bos and find your way through the Maze, and then enjoy the best pancakes in Amsterdam at Meerzicht Farm. Or just relax over a cup of coffee and watch the peacocks and other animals strutting their stuff around the yard, while the children discover the playground.

Another great day out for all ages is Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo, which includes a Planetarium, Aquarium, and the worlds only, amazing, Museum of Microbes! Although the Zoo and everything in it would be fantastic for children of all ages, the Museum of Microbes would be more suited to children over 8yrs, with it’s stunning selection of different teeny tiny living organisms that are with us everyday. You can see the daily schedule of the Zoo and plan to be there for feeding your favourite animals, or hear some funny stories about the resident penguins by their keepers. It’s also slightly cheaper to book your tickets in advance online here: www.Artis.nl/en

You’ll find that getting around the city on the trams exciting, but also keep in mind they have a ‘Hop on Hop off’ Canal Cruise, so you can explore the city via it’s maze of canals. You might use this unique transport to get to the NEMO Science Museum, with hands on learning about life in the universe, chemistry, the world of shapes and mathematics, science throughout the ages, harnessing the forces of nature, and so, so much more.

So join us to explore this amazing city, as usual FLIGHTS ARE NOT INCLUDED, but are currently available from Dublin or Cork from as low as €90 per person. 7 nights B&B and airport transfers are included, prices per family as follows:

1 Adult & 1 Child – €875

1 Adult & 2 Children – €900

1 Adult & 3 Children – €950

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