Customer Reviews

Time Out Amsterdam 6

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this guide hoping it would give me more information on Amsterdam nightlife. It did, but it was nothing I couldn't have gotten from their Web site.

Buy the Eyewitness Guide to Amsterdam, which is organized by area. It's visually pleasing and really helps you decide what you would like to do. The Time Out guide is organized by topic (for example, Accommodations, Restaurants, Art and Entertainment), and it's impossible to tell where these things are in relationship to where you are or where your hotel is. There are maps in the back of the book that are helpful, and I do like how for many of the topics they list the "Top Five". Again, much of this information is available at the Time Out Web site so I wouldn't waste my money. Buy the solid touristy Eyewitness guide and get the low down on restaurants, nightclubs, and coffee shops at the Time Out Web site.

I'm a dedicated Timeout Guide user. Time out guides are not for the budget conscious...if you have disposable income and aren't financially constrained, Time out is a wonderful guide...and the people of Timeout did their typical informative, witty reviews in a great book. No complaints, and Amsterdam is just damn cool. One note...do not stay at the 5 star Bilderburg Garden hotel...it's more like a top end 3 star / low end 4 star.

I brought several books on a recent trip to Amsterdam, but this was the only one I used while walking and sightseeing. The book's small size makes it convenient to hold, but don't be fooled: this book is jam-packed with useful information. The maps in the back are indispensable, and, unlike the Eyewitness Travel Guides, which are also great, this book lists a good number of budget accomodations and also provides important details (time open, admission prices, etc) that I found, for the most part, very accurate. The section on what to do outside Amsterdam was also extremely useful.

Case in point: My glasses broke during the trip, and the book actually listed places to get them fixed or replaced! It was amazing how much practical information they squeezed into a small book.

The only thing I wish would change about the book is a more detailed guide to what documents are needed to travel in Amsterdam, and where you can use American ATM cards other than AmEx, if they do exist.

Overall, the best travel guide I've seen to Amsterdam!

It needs to be said that this guide is absolutely great. I say this having used various guides for other European cities from a variety of series. At first I was skeptical about the sheer volume of text in "Time Out: Amsterdam" but once I was actually there I realized the book was FILLED with useful and fascinating information. Does a great job too of recommending ways to navigate the streets, plan walks, etc. Maps are rather good although the tram map on the inside back cover could use an upgrade in a future version (maybe even a few pages of tram maps?) One other negative was that the editorializing gets a little out of hand at points - for example, a two page rant about bicycles that I suppose is meant to be an entertaining vignette - came across as sort of silly. But anyway, I'm going to actually buy the Time Out book for my home city of New York to see what I'm missing out on right under my nose - I hope that the rest of the Time Out series is as good as the Amsterdam one is.

if you're going to amsterdam, there's probably a few different reasons why, and this book covers them all. i'd recommend it mostly to younger folks, or the young-at-heart. a great all around guide, with detail of night-life, eating & drinking (...etc), and great things to see and do. it's written by locals, so the info is accurate. i used a friend's while i was there, and now and buying my own now that i'm back in the states!...it will live in your pocket while you're there!

I bought this book before going to amsterdam for the first time and was totally disappointed whenever I followed it's advice. In fact it is simply surprizing how bad the restaurant selection was. They should be called places to avoid. Amsterdam is full neat stuff. My advice find hotel online, buy a ticket and just go. Reading this travle guide is just wasting your time.