The Best Way to Spend 48 Hours in Amsterdam

March 22, 2017

Amsterdam has quickly become one of my favorite cities over the past few years. I visited a lot as a kid as it was our main thorough fare from the Middle East back to the States. But as an adult, Nick and I have visited a handful of times now and each time I fall more and more in love with it. We also have a direct flight from Portland to Amsterdam which makes it super easy to explore mainland Europe and I love having the reason to fly through the city and stopover for a day or two.

The famous Dutch city is actually fairly small in size and easy to explore in just a couple days. Of course more won’t hurt, but if you only have 2 days, here’s the best way to spend 48 hours in Amsterdam!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Day 1:

Breakfast at the Pancake Bakery – Head here early before the crowds! My favorite Dutch Pancake style, plain with powdered sugar, but for a more savory option try bacon!

Wander the Nine Streets – This is the area you always see photos of from Amsterdam, flowing with endless canals and gorgeous row houses. Watch out for bikes here as the locals will be flying through while you’re trying to sight-see.

Be first in line to tour the Anne Frank House – This famous spot in the city gets really crowded so buy tickets in advance and be the first in line to visit.

Head to the Jordaan for more wandering – This area is a little more local than the Nine Streets with a few less canals but beautiful all the same for a wander.

Lunch at a cafe alongside the canals – There are lots of cafes all along the canals, pick one and enjoy the long lazy lunch.

Afternoon wander through Vondel Park – This large and gorgeous park in the city is well worth a wander through in the afternoon if it’s a nice day.

Pizza for Dinner at Mangiancora in De Pijp area – This place was recommended to me by a local the first time we went to Amsterdam and it’s a gem. It’s tiny and in a kind of out of the way spot, but the pizza is amazing.

Stay at the Pullitzer Hotel – This hotel has become my go-to in Amsterdam… the location, the design, the service… it’s amazing!

Day 2:

Breakfast at Pancakes! Amsterdam – Start Day 2 with another Dutch pancake, this time at the tiny little Pancakes! Amsterdam location in the Nine Streets. This place is tiny, like probably only 10 tables tiny so go first thing in the morning or go on a week day. My favorite here: plain with raspberry jam.

Spend your morning in Amsterdam’s museums – Amsterdam is known for it’s museums and Holland for it’s artists, so wander through whatever museums you might be interested in!

See the I Amsterdam sign – This fairly new but famous landmark is right in the museum quarter so take a gander after your art viewings.

Head back to the canals, buy some stroopwafels and have a mid day snack sitting alongside the canals – One of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam when the weather is decent, buy a pack of Stroopwafels, grab a seat alongside a canal and just watch the day go by.

Canal boat tour in the afternoon – If the weather isn’t great or you just want to see more of the city, a canal boat tour is the perfect exercise. There are a ton of different companies that do it, so pick one and enjoy!

Early evening – wander through central flower market – While this area is really touristy, it’s still well worth a wander through, especially in the Spring.

Dinner at Luden – We’ve eaten here a few times now in the Nine Streets and every time the food is great. It’s location is great too!

Stay at the Pullitzer Hotel – See above.

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country!

Early Spring in Amsterdam : Dutch Pancakes + Blue Skies

March 20, 2017

We arrived in Amsterdam around 8:30am on our flight from Portland. We headed first to drop off our bags at our hotel (Hotel Pullitzer – which we loved!) After dropping our bags and freshening up, we headed out for breakfast. One of our favorite things in Amsterdam is the food, including amazing Dutch pancakes so we headed straight to a favorite spot, The Pancake Bakery, to indulge in a delicious breakfast. On our way as we meandered through the 9 Streets and the famous canals, the sky was blue, the birds were chirping and incredible clouds filled the sky. It was one of those incredible early Spring mornings in Amsterdam that you really can’t beat!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Tips for Amsterdam

-Just wander! The 9 Streets are the famous old section of the city with the canals and canal houses – don’t have a destination in mind and just wander through this gorgeous part of the city.

-For Dutch Pancakes, I’d recommend both the Pancake Bakery (more room and easier to get into on a weekend) and Pancakes! Amsterdam (tiny little place and hard to get into on weekends, so go on a weekday or early on Saturday/Sunday).

-Splurge and stay the Hotel Pullitzer! It was our first time at this hotel but we’ve now found our regular spot in the city, we loved it!

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country!

Favorite Moments : Amsterdam, Bavaria + Austria

March 17, 2017

We got home from our trip through Europe last weekend and as I’ve spent the last few days catching up on everything here at home, my mind and heart are still lost in the moments from our trip. Overall, it was a great one and we saw a lot of places we loved, some we didn’t, and others we spent in locations we already knew we loved. So as I start to share everything from our trip about these amazing places so you can visit too, here are my favorite moments from our adventures in Amsterdam, Bavaria and Austria!

Spring weather and blue skies in Amsterdam.

We arrived first in Amsterdam for a couple days at the beginning of our trip and while we’ve visited many times now, it’s always a favorite stop for us. The charm of Amsterdam is undeniable and it’s always just lovely to wander the canals hand in hand with no destination in mind. We lucked out this trip with amazing beautiful blue skies and Spring like temps while there and it made the whole city glow!

An amazing beer hall meal in Munich.

One of the things I was most excited about for our first visit to Germany was the food. I love Wiener Schnitzel, pretzels, apple strudel… basically anything German, is my kind of food! So our first night in Munich we headed to Augustiner Keller and had the best meal of our trip!

Driving through the Austrian Alps.

After we left Bavaria, we headed to Austria. Our first stop was Innsbruck and to get there, we had to drive through the Austrian Alps. To say this drive was beautiful is an understatement. The mountains are so incredible and the drive, in all its snowy glory, was incredible.

Dinner al fresco in Innsbruck.

We made it to Innsbruck after a long day of driving through Bavaria and through the Alps. I didn’t love Germany in all honesty (I’ll get into that in a later post) and so when we got to Innsbruck, a wave of anxiety lifted. I love Austria and fell in love with the country last year, so returning and stopping in Innsbruck for the first time really lifted my spirits. We spent our evening in Innsbruck wandering the Old Town and then stopping for a chilly, but lovely dinner al fresco, while listening to someone playing the piano in the square and the clock tower ringing. In short, it was dreamy.

A foggy morning in Hallstatt.

One of the places I was most looking forward to visiting on this trip was Hallstatt. And though it takes a trek to get there and I know a few times Nick thought I was crazy as I took him through mountains and curvy roads, the end result was gorgeous. We arrived around 10am and the fog was still hanging in over the mountains and the lake was the perfect shad of gray. This town is breathtakingly beautiful and the scenery around it only makes it even more stunning.

The Best Travel Guides for International Travel

March 16, 2017

Travel takes research, and especially International Travel, requires you to understand a city or destination before heading there. Sure, you could jump on a plane and just show up, but without doing the research or understanding the layout of the destination you won’t be organized and therefore won’t be able to see everything you want to. So when you’re planning International travel, you’ll most likely turn to travel guides to get a hold on the information you’ll need to not only plan your trip but also to make the most of your time while on the ground at your destination. But… there are so many different travel guides out there, so which to use and which are the best? Well as a frequent traveler, here are the guides that I go to when planning my International travel and what I like about each one!

Land of Marvels Travel Guides

I couldn’t have a list of travel guides without mentioning my own Land of Marvels Travel Guides in my LOM Shop! I offer guides for several cities and destinations around the world based on my personal experience exploring those places. And the best part, they are only $5!

Streetwise Maps

For maps, these are my fave! They are a great size and easy to read, they are laminated so still easy to use even when it’s raining and they show streets and public transport really easily together. I have been using the Streetwise Maps for years and they are definitely my favorite! And while their collection sticks mostly to large cities, they also have smaller Subway and Metro maps for cities like New York and London.

LUXE City Guides

I was turned on to the LUXE city guides years ago and I still buy one for every city we go to. They are compact and easy to travel with, but they are also super hip and offer great advice for the millennial traveler. From shopping to dining to great general tips, I’m a fan of the LUXE city guides. They also are all beautifully designed and look great sitting on a shelf at home.

DK Eyewitness Travel TOP 10 Guides

Sometimes we’ll be heading to a place where I can’t find a Streetwise map for it or I want a little more info than I was able to get from other sources – when that happens I head to the DK Eyewitness Travel TOP 10 guide books. My favorite thing about these: the foldable map at the back of the guide. I also love these for the easy size and lots of photos!

Frommer’s Day by Day Guides

As an alternative to the TOP 10 Guide books above, I also love the Frommer’s Day by Day guide books. These are great for destinations that you’d like to just use someone else’s itinerary or if you have a specific time frame in a destination and don’t want to have to do a ton of work figuring out what to do.

A Step by Step Guide to Packing

March 15, 2017

I’ve talked a lot about packing here on Land of Marvels and as a believer in carry-on packing, we’ve discussed packing mostly on the premise of how to actually fit everything in your suitcase. But we haven’t discussed much about how I actually choose specific clothing for trips and the thought that goes on behind the scenes before the suitcases even come out. So for a step by step guide to packing and how I actually choose outfits for trips, here is all my best advice!

1. Pick a color scheme.

I always pick a color scheme before a trip. Depending on the destination, that might mean lots of bright colors or it might mean more muted options. For example for our most recent Europe trip through Amsterdam, Germany and Austria, I chose to go with tan/camel as my neutral and then everything else was black or navy based around that. That way I didn’t end up with all sorts of items that wouldn’t go with everything else.

2. Lay out all the options.

Once I have an idea of what my color scheme and vibe might be for a trip in terms of outfits, I lay out all my options on my bed. This starts as a large grouping at first and then we’ll narrow down. But starting with all the options for that color scheme and look helps to get my head wrapped around what I’ll need.

3. Narrow down options.

After step #2, then I go through and narrow everything down. I usually cut down the options by half or more at this stage.

4. Try everything on.

After I’ve narrowed down options, I try everything on. This way you get an idea of what you’ll really need and any other changes or updates you might want to make to the outfit.

5. Take photos of outfits and write them down.

I take quick photos in the mirror of each outfit so that when we’re traveling I remember what I was thinking. I also write them down on my itinerary so that when I actually get to packing them in my suitcase, I can go through the written list and make sure I have everything from each outfit.

6. Set them aside for a few days.

After steps #4 and #5, then I’ll set everything aside for a few days to think about the items I chose to bring. Sometimes I’ll rethink it and change up a few things a few days later, sometimes it stays the same. This is why it’s important though to start this process about a week before your trip so you have time to mull over your options. Sometimes my outfit options will change also as I watch the weather close to my trip.

7. Pack your suitcase.

And finally, after a few days of updating or changing as needed, a few days before my trip, I’ll pack everything in my suitcase. If you want packing tips for this for carry on only, I have a video post here!

See More Packing Posts in my Archives

Everything You Need to Know about Renewing Global Entry

March 14, 2017

If you’re coming up to needing to renew your Global Entry account, today we’re going over everything you need to know about renewing Global Entry accounts. Since the program was brand new 5 years ago and I was in the first batch of people to sign up for it, that first batch of people is now just starting to renew the program. Due to that, there isn’t a lot of clear information out there on the renewal process, so I help I can help since I’m just going through it recently. I ran into a few snags regarding information when renewing recently, so here’s any helpful advice I can offer!

Last Fall, I needed to get a new passport due to running out of pages. So after I got my new passport, I went into the Global Entry office to have them link my new passport with my Global Entry account. (If you don’t know anything about Global Entry, check out my overview post here.) When I was there, I asked about when I need to renew my Global Entry account since it expires during Summer 2017. They told me I’d need to come in for another interview and since those interviews book up months in advance, I’d need to start the renewal process in February. So fast forward to a few weeks ago when I went to my GOES account online and renewed. During the process (which ended up being pretty easy other than lack of information from Customs and Border Patrol), I realized a few things, so here is what I learned!

1. You’ll renew through your GOES account online.

You’ll go through the Manage Account button in your GOES account and follow the steps to renew. You’ll need to confirm all your information and have a list of countries that you’ve visited in the past 5 years. It took me a while to list all of them as I’ve visited a lot of places in the past 5 years, but just go through the list and you’ll be fine!

2. Once you submit your renewal online, wait until you get an email from the system.

I was notified about a week and a half later that my account had been updated. Then you’ll have to log back into your GOES Account to read the message.

3. 1 of 3 things will occur: A) You’ll get approved. B) You’ll be conditionally approved. C) You’ll be denied.

If you get Approved, you don’t need to schedule another interview. Now since I had renewed so early because they told me that I’d have to have another interview, when I received my status as Approved, I was confused. There was no place to schedule an interview and no mention of an interview in my approval letter. I called Customs and Border Patrol to inquire about this and 3 people gave me 3 different answers (in the end, none of them were right). I ended up searching online for people who had run into the same problem and found out that if you get Approved, you do NOT need to go in for another interview!

If you get Conditionally Approved, you’ll need to schedule an interview.

If you get Denied, then you’ll need to inquire further and find out why.

4. Once complete, you’ll receive a new Global Entry card in the mail. Once you receive it (mine took about a week), you’ll want to log into your GOES account and activate it.

When you receive your card, log into your GOES account and click on the “Activate Membership Card” button. From there, you’ll enter the security code on the back of your card and follow the prompts. This only take a few seconds and then you’re good to go!

Travel Tips : Choosing a Hotel Loyalty

March 13, 2017

In the past year, I’ve gotten more serious about picking hotels that belong to one loyalty account when we travel. I still prefer boutique hotels, but the more extensively we travel, that’s not always an option. It’s easier in Europe and larger cities in the US to stick with boutique hotels or small chains, but as we travel more in Asia and South America, as well as smaller areas of the US, we found it was more prudent to stick with a large chain and gain rewards and loyalty accounts in the process. After staying at JW Marriott’s in Peru last year (which we loved), we decided to stick with Marriott as our hotel loyalty. But whatever chain or brand you decide on, it’s well worth choosing a hotel loyalty for travel and here’s why!

1. You’ll rack up free nights.

After you stay with your loyalty at the chain of hotels you select, you’ll gain points and eventually rack up free nights to use at the loyalty chain. We’ve already gotten to use a few free Marriott nights and it’s always so rewarding!

2. Most large hotel chains have a credit card with a sign up bonus.

When we decided on Marriott as our loyalty account, I signed up for their credit card which came with a large sign up bonus. Just from the sign up bonus points, I got about 3-4 nights of free hotel nights at Marriott properties!

3. You’ll get special access and amenities.

As a loyalty member of a hotel chain, you’ll get special access to rooms that might not be available to anyone, like upgrades when available. You’ll also get special access to amenities like executive floors with breakfast and such, depending on the loyalty you choose.

4. Service is better.

When you’re part of a loyalty program, you’ll always be treated better at their properties. If they know you value their loyalty program, they value you, as simple as that.

5. You’ll have access to a broad range of hotels and chains.

We chose Marriott due to their broad range of hotels around the world and different hotel chains within the loyalty program like Ritz Carlton and Autograph Collection hotels. Within Marriott, we have access to thousands of hotels around the world and it’s easy to find a hotel wherever we’re traveling. Whatever brand you choose, look at what other brands are included in the loyalty so you have access to more than just one chain.

More Travel Tips Posts

How to Prepare for an International Trip

March 2, 2017

As someone who travels Internationally quite a bit, I’ve had a lot of practice preparing for international travel. There are certain things you need to think about more for International travel over domestic and often it can end up being a lot more work. But if you’re organized and know what you need to do – the work becomes fun in anticipation for your big trip. So here’s how to prepare for an International trip and actually be excited about it!

Get currency from your local bank.

We try to pay with almost everything with cash when we travel for a number of reasons. First, a lot of places around the world still only take cash or prefer it. Second, it’s easier to manage our costs while traveling if you know exactly how much your spending. Third, it’s super nice not to come home to a big credit card bill when the trip is done! So before we leave for an international trip, I get currency for whatever place we’re going from my local bank at home. That way when you land, you can hit the ground running and not having to change a bunch of money at the destination. Also – you’ll save lots in currency changing fees by using your local bank.

Do this 1-2 weeks before leaving.

Set up cell phone data plans.

We stay pretty connected while traveling so we usually set up International data plans on our cell phones for our trips. We both still answer emails and such while gone, so it’s important we have easy access when don’t have wifi. We have ATT so we do this all online and set up each phone for whatever data plan we need.

Do this 3-4 days before leaving.

Call credit cards for travel locations.

Something that can really mess you up when you get to your location is if your credit cards don’t work! Credit card companies (depending which you have) will often think charges abroad are fraudulent unless you let them know where you’ll be prior to your trip. I call the 3-4 major credit cards I travel with before leaving to let them know which countries we’ll be in so that when we land, we’re good to go!

Do this 3-4 days before leaving.

Get out your Passports and confirm all visa requirements.

You can’t travel internationally without your passport and all necessary visas. Be sure your passport is valid for at least six months from your travel date as some countries require that. Also be sure you have any visas necessary for your country of destination. Depending on where you’re going, you might need a visa or you might not, and some are available on arrival and some aren’t. So do the research and confirm what you need.

Bring specific items for your destination.

Certain destinations require certain items specific to the location. When we went to Machu Picchu, I had to bring certain items like toilet paper and heavy duty bug spray verses when we went to India I brought Pepto-Bismal tablets and lots of sunblock. Each location will have specific items you’ll need to get through your trip so do your research and know what to bring.

Pack all of these 2-3 days before leaving.

6 Reasons Why a Medical Conditions Won’t Stop You Enjoying a Holiday

March 1, 2017

Do you suffer from a medical condition, and worry it’ll hamper any chance you have of having fun on vacation? Fear not; it doesn’t have to be like that. Here are six reasons why travelling with a medical condition won’t stop you enjoying your holiday.

1. Relaxing on the beach.

Unless you suffer from a condition which means you can’t experience too much exposure to the sun, relaxing on the beach is always an option. Basking in the rays and working on your tan is what a lot of people do on holiday anyway, so why not make the most of your inability to be active and come back looking like a Greek God?

2. Theme Parks

Some amusement parks, particularly the likes of Disneyland Paris and Disneyworld Florida, are excellent at catering to the needs of disabled guests. These magical places understand that everyone has the right to enjoy a holiday and go out of their way to ensure that happens. Special rides and lines are designed for disabled users to experience – and are often given priority usage.

3. Freedom

It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling a little regimented in your daily life – whether you experience a medical condition or not. A holiday, regardless of whether it’s a struggle or not, gifts you the chance to gain some much-needed freedom and a sense of independence. Escaping from the world is one of the most enjoyable aspects of any vacation.

4. Most cities are accommodating.

We live in an age where disability is more accepted and catered to than ever before. As such, most European cities have ensured they accommodate to travellers with a medical condition. These disability-friendly cities include the likes of:

Berlin
Helsinki
Seattle
Amsterdam

You’ll find most major cities in the world are easily accessible by people suffering from a medical condition or who have a disability. Don’t feel you need to restrict yourself when choosing a location.

5. There can be health benefits

Naturally, there’s a lot of stress which walks hand-in-hand with having a medical condition. Having a holiday has been proven to a number of health benefits – with one of the most important being a decreased chance of heart disease. A change in environment often has its plus points, with the mental relief you’ll experience being one of them.

6. Why would it?

When you think about it logically, there’s no reason why having a medical condition would really mean you can’t enjoy a holiday. Sure, maybe you won’t be able to go skydiving – but unless you’re someone with a taste for the wild side of life you won’t be too restricted by having a condition when on vacation.

If you have a medical condition, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a world of fun on your travels. Don’t let this stand in the way of enjoying your time away.

This post was contributed by supporters of Land of Marvels.

Travel Tips : What To Do when Traveling Sick

February 28, 2017

We’ve all been on flights next to someone sick or sick ourselves and I’ll tell you from experience, there isn’t much that’s more uncomfortable than flying sick. It’s miserable to put it bluntly. But if you have to get from point A to point B, there often isn’t much of an option. For me, there are 2 flights in particular that stand out in my memory when I had to fly sick. The first was our first trip to Iceland 4-ish years ago when I was so sick I had red rings around my eyes from my eyes constantly watering and was sneezing every other breath. The second was my most recent trip home from Stockholm. I felt flu-ish miserable and was going in and out of chills and sweats pretty much the whole ride home. Long story short, traveling while sick is miserable however you cut it but there are a few things you can do to make it a little bit easier. So if you’re in that position – try some of these ideas to ease the pain!

Upgrade if you can.

If you’re flying sick and have to take the flight, see if you can upgrade. On our way home from Stockholm, the idea of being stuck in Coach in a tiny seat was almost unbearable so we were able to pay to upgrade for our flight home. It’s always worth the money if you can and will make a miserable flight seem a little less miserable! You’ll be able to stretch out more and hopefully sleep if you’re more comfortable.

Always travel with DayQuil, NyQuil, and Immodium.

I never leave for a trip without liquid gels of DayQuil and NyQuil and a small container of Immodium. If you don’t have to use them, great. But if you do get sick while traveling, this saves you from having to find a pharmacy and dealing with everything in a foreign language. Just take your own emergency kit with these in it and you’ll be covered!

Drink tea and water.

No matter where you travel in the world, you’ll always have access to tea and water. These two drinks will get you through any kind of sickness even if you can’t keep anything else down. I always bring teabags with me of my favorite teas when I travel so that wherever you are, you can always just ask for hot water.

Don’t skimp on travel Kleenex.

I’ve had a few trips where I forget to pack enough travel packs of Kleenex and then get kind of panicky that I’m going to get sick and not have access to tissues. So now I double check before I travel and always carry more than I need in case of getting sick. The airline tissues are really rough and don’t hold up super well, so take your own just in case!

Get in a good mindset.

One of the best ways to make yourself a little less miserable when traveling sick is really just your mindset. I always figure that I’d be miserable at home in bed anyways, so it’s not much different to just lay on a plane for however long your flight is. Talk yourself into feeling a little better and it might just help!