Hey everyone! So, I decided to turn my holiday into a little accessibility guide to my experience with Amsterdam. I'm gonna breakdown the journey from start to finish as best I can, and talk about the experiences I had there. It's gonna be a blow by blow of my entire holiday so it's probably gonna be long and you'll probably be able to skip a lot of it. I'm gonna put a content warning as being mature. I'm pretty sure this is one of very few posts that will need it but yeah, just in case! I'm also gonna include a little slideshow at the end of the post with pictures!
So let's get started with the basic details:
- I flew from Dublin ->Schipol Airport on the 24th, and I flew home on the 27th from Schipol to Dublin.
- I flew with Aer Lingus both going over and coming home.
- I stayed in the W Hotel which is a 5* Hotel just off Dam Square (It was my 21st birthday gift to myself, I went overboard). It is a 10-minute journey from Centraal Station which we turned into a forty-minute trip… I'll explain further down
- I had done absolutely zero research into Amsterdam other than watching The Fault in Our Stars a few years ago and deciding I was in love. I figured any obstacles that I was met with could probably be overcome somehow.
- I went with my PA, and we had a suitcase each.
- The weather stayed dry and pretty mild throughout
The experiences I had were:
- Seeing the city of Amsterdam during an Accessible Canal Tour
- A trip to The Heineken Experience
- Roaming the Van Gogh Museum
- A stroll down the Red-Light District
- The Bloemenmarkt (Flower Market)
- A trip to the Dampkring Coffee Shop.
Saturday
It was an early start, we were up at 5:30am to get our bits together. We got dropped up to Dublin Airport and the first thing I done was met with OCS there to make sure everything was okay in terms of getting assistance onto the plane. I had no trouble, nor have I ever with OCS services. They make getting through the airport a lot easier and I cannot speak highly enough of them. I hopped into the aisle chair just before getting on the plane and they took my chair to put under the plane. Now I know plenty of stories that come from airlines who either damage or lose a chair, so I'm always a little bit nervous. But so far, I've had no problems with either of the two airlines I've used to fly in my life. The flight overall was about an hour, so I didn't have anything to drink in case I needed the bathroom (which is a no-go on planes for access). We got to Schipol Airport and we were greeted by a lovely passenger liaison whose name I don't remember. He helped us go get our bag and advised us the easiest way into Amsterdam city.
The airport is extensive, it took us a good twenty-minute walk to get to the main hub bit. We got the Sprinter train underground as it was the only one accessible from the airport (I didn't look at busses or taxis for this whole trip, unfortunately!). Tickets were 7.60 each I believe. There was a small gap between the platform and the train so I wouldn't have managed alone I don't think, but with someone I was okay.
It wasn't too far a journey into Centraal Station, half an hour or so. Centraal Station is absolutely gorgeous as a building. We went across to the little tourist office, got a map. It was about as much use to us as a chocolate teapot, to be honest. We hadn't a clue where we were going. Now my google map was also acting the maggot so what should have taken us around fifteen minutes maximum took us about forty minutes. I ended up accidentally walking us down the Red Light District in broad daylight which was… Interesting, to say the least. The streets themselves were busy and difficult to navigate at times, but it was a Saturday so it was extra busy.
We EVENTUALLY got to the W Hotel after crossing Dam Square. It was incredibly cobbled so getting across it was a bit of a pain but I wouldn't call it unmanageable; just irritating. I had power assist wheels though, I don't think I would have done it in a manual chair. We stayed in The Bank W, which was across from The Duchess W. just off Dam Square. The staff here were so incredible. We had an assigned staff money that we could text for help if we needed anything (they emphasized the anything, their concierge desk was called 'whatever, whenever'. We were invited to a special lights-out event in the hotel lounge to celebrate Earth Hour, and we had plans to go out later that night as well.
The Room. This room, I can't even begin to explain how pretty it was. It was absolutely massive, had a fully accessible shower, all the controls for the lights etc were beside the bed. Two criticisms I would have is 1. The door to the bathroom was pretty heavy and 2. We had to ring down and ask for the accessible shower chair (it wasn't there automatically having booked an accessible room). That's being incredibly nit-picky though I couldn't really fault it. We relaxed for a while in the room and then headed out to explore. We got dinner in a little Italian place off Dam Square, because we didn't wanna venture too far on our first day. We were pretty exhausted, being honest. There was a step in the door but the staff were more than happy to help me in and make room, and the food was really nice and pretty good value for a starter & main plus drinks. We headed back, got dressed up and went to the lounge. All the lights were out excluding some feature lights, and the drinks had light up ice cubes. Drinks were incredibly expensive though (16 euro for a cocktail hurt my soul), so we didn't drink much. We decided to try get into the nightclub attached to the hotel, The Mad Fox. However, it was un accessible so we just went to bed after leaving the lounge and going up and down on the elevator a few times after a miscommunication.
Sunday
I can't remember what time we got up at but we were definitely out and all by 11 or so. We had pre-decided that we wanted to do the Heineken Experience, and a canal tour as well if possible. I had been googling a bit and I knew that I also wanted to hit at least one museum. We went to a local tourist office to see whether it was easier to buy tickets in bulk or whether we were better off just paying individually and we were also advised on what tram links to get where. The tram was 7.60 for the entire day, which was pretty cool. It stopped right around the corner from the hotel too so it was handy. The platforms were fairly hit and miss in terms of step free access, but again because I was with someone and I was in a reasonably manoeuvrable chair I managed. So, we went down by The Heineken Experience, which was 20-euro entry. Sounds steep, but with the value for money I was pleasantly surprised. You got some free drinks, an entire 4D experience and a walking tour. We were also given a key for the lifts etc. It was a little confusing trying to follow the key so we just kinda ended up wandering and doing our own thing. Compared to the experiences you get at home with the Jameson Distillery & The Guinness Storehouse; it was better value & access than both. I didn't feel like any part of the tour was off limits to me (despite one lift being broken in the beginning), and the staff were friendly and willing to help at every turn. It took about two and a half hours to do too so it took up a pretty nice chunk of the day.
After that, we went and booked an accessible canal tour for later that day. It was a 75-minute tour, again, pretty good value in my opinion (Think it was 30 euro for both of us? Could be wrong though!). It was run by a company called Blue Boat Company. We found them via Sage Travel who I use to do my research whenever I'm anywhere. We were tired after that so we went for a bite to eat in the Bulldog Cafe. If you don't like the smell of Amsterdam culture this place will not be for you; it made me hungry though. As far as I remember it was reasonably priced for our burgers.
We had passed the Museum quarter along the way so we decided on the Van Gogh Museum after that and bought tickets because you need a time slot to get in. I also got my picture taken at the IamAmsterdam sign, because what self-respecting tourist wouldn't? We headed back to the hotel after that, made a plan for the night. We just decided to roam the streets for a while, explore a little. We ended up walking down the Red-Light District, which was pretty interesting. It was accessible to walk through though, which was positive. None of the establishments were accessible apart from Cassa Rosso which was a sex club. It's definitely not my thing but would have been an interesting story to bring back. Tickets in were 45 euro though so they were a little out of our price range considering how much we'd already spent. Disabled people are sexually active too so I figured I would include this part because I know people are curious. Overall, sex positivity and disability do not mix in Amsterdam as almost everywhere fun was off limits. I have no doubt that any of the establishment with one step in the door would have zero problems helping me in, but many of them were up or down a flight of stairs. We also bought some cannabis brownies which, while way too expensive, were really tasty. We had also been snacking throughout the day, Amsterdam LOVES its food. Particularly pancakes and sweet things. Munchie food, I guess.
Monday
This was our busiest day, we were out by 10. It was our last day in Amsterdam, we had a lot to fit in today! We got our souvenir done in half an hour in the morning, paraphernalia included. Again, there was a step into that shop (a pretty extensive one, actually) but the staff were more than happy to help me in. The usual holiday bits were also bought, fridge magnets and key chains. Chocolate bars for the littler ones. It was definitely a case of putting blinkers on and just focusing on what you had to buy rather than what you wanted to buy because otherwise I would have bought the entire shop. In particular there were these really adorable wooden tulip bouquets that I hated leaving behind. After getting breakfast in a lovely little cafe, we dropped our bags back in the room and hit the tram to head over towards the Museum Quarter.
Side note, Amsterdam natives don't drink milk with their tea so I gave black tea a go (something I had sworn against) and it was pretty good! After eating one of the largest pancakes I've ever been handed in my life, we headed for the Van Gogh Museum.
I am a massive fan of Van Gogh's work, I loved studying him in Art history and his story always struck a chord with me. It was incredibly accessible, lifts everywhere and everything was quite open plan. We found ourselves doing it in reverse, much like we kind of did everything this trip (it was the same in the Heineken Experience). It was 18 euro a ticket which I would pay again in a heartbeat for what you got for it. We wandered for about three hours, three floors, listened to all the letters and took in both the main Van Gogh part as well as the special exhibit of Van Gogh's Japanese influences. I loved it. I took a few pictures, which I'm used to doing back home in Ireland but a security guard told me to stop. Apparently, people don't appreciate that kinda thing, so I had to stop… I took a few sneaky ones though. There were accessible, large bathrooms throughout and everything was flat. Doors were relatively light, and there were elevators to each floor. There was also the option of doing an audio walk through wherein you paid 5 euro for a set of headphones as you walked through the museum. After we left there, we got off a few stops early and wandered down the canal of the Bloemenmarkt. It was really gorgeous, dried flowers hung from displays and there were bags upon bags of flower seeds ready to be bought. What struck me was that a lot of them were bulbs rather than seeds. Now, everything I touch dies which is why I have artificial plants, so I didn't get anything. I wanted to though, so that's what counts. We also found a Christmas shop which was gorgeous but I wasn't paying 10 euro for a bauble.
We headed back and freshened up, got a quick bite and then went out on a mission to find one of Amsterdam’s finest treasures: A 'coffee shop'. I had found one on google maps not far from the Bloemenmarkt and considering we didn't really know our way around, it seemed easier because we knew where it was. I had looked it up to make sure it was accessible, and off we went. Fun fact about the Dampkring Coffee Shop is that while filming Oceans 12, some of the crew hung out there. Being a film student, it felt like a rite of passage. Now, Amsterdam coffee shops are not in the business of tea and scones but wares were sampled. It was pretty good value for money considering I bought pre-rolled, because my fingers don't allow me to roll myself. After a while there (they didn't appear to have a bathroom but don't quote me) and once the munchies hit, we went and got food and headed back for the hotel. It was a nice, chilled out end to our travels!
Tuesday
Pretty uneventful! We got packed up, checked out and went for breakfast in the same place that we had had breakfast the day before. The sun was shining and I was sad to be leaving. By now we had mastered the public transport system, and we knew exactly how to get back to Centraal Station. We could laugh about how easy it was to get there now. So it was back on the Sprinter to go catch our flight. We figured we had loads of time, forgetting of course how massive the airport was. Long story short, we nearly missed our flight. They had already started boarding when we got to the gate, so I had to wait to be boarded. We made it, though. It was a little more complicated this time because there were trays separating each seat, so instead of being able to just shuffle in I had to be lifted by two really nice staff members. Again, service couldn't be faulted but it was more a spectacle than it needed to be. People in wheelchairs have to take the window seat, so its often more a hindrance than needed. We got back in to Dublin Airport without incident or issue though, and as usual OCS and the staff on both ends were absolute angels!
Accessibility and Final Thoughts!
Congratulations on making it this far! I know it was a long one this time. Overall, I would definitely call Amsterdam an accessible city. Buildings with steps into them were staffed by people who were more than happy to help you in if you wanted to, and the people overall were incredibly friendly. The cobblestones were more a hindrance than an actual issue. Public transport was a little hit and miss so I wouldn't say do it alone if you, like me, are in a wheelchair. I'm not sure how a heavy-duty chair would navigate, I'm only speaking from my own experiences as someone in a relatively small chair with power assisted wheels. There is a lot of walking around if you choose to see the city like that but transport links are quite good. Food is good value for money, though drinks are incredibly overpriced. Amsterdam is the kinda place where it can be any kind of holiday you want it to be. Laid back, cultural, or just a non-stop party. If you're someone with a disability looking to get a bit of action you probably won't find the Red-Light District overly welcoming, but the one or two clubs that are accessible are more than happy to welcome you with open arms.
I would go back again in a heartbeat! If you have any other questions that I didn't answer, feel free to DM me on Twitter or comment below! I'll leave you with a slideshow of some of my favourite parts of the trip!
-Alannah
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