Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands

by Rick Steves, Gene Openshaw

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Amsterdam.

With this guide, immerse your self in the culture of Amsterdam as you stroll along canals and saunter through the red light district. Bike through historic streets to grand museums where you will in the work of the great Dutch Masters. For dinner, sample fine fresh seafood, or stop at a coffee shop for some extra local flavor.

Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He'll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You'll get up-to-date recommendations about what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

This first edition guide replaces Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges & Brussels, ISBN 9781612385433.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2015

About the author

Rick Steves is an American travel writer, television personality, and activist known for encouraging meaningful travel that emphasizes cultural immersion and thoughtful global citizenship. Born in California and raised in Edmonds, Washington, he began traveling in his teens, inspired by a family trip to Europe. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in European history and business, Steves started teaching travel classes, which led to his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, self-published in 1980.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.

Reviews

[Greyling54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb book. Wish he had covered the rest of the country more thoroughly.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good little guide. Normally I go for Lonely Planet though, and this is no LP. Rick's guide has some good features that I like ; he does in depth 'tours' to attractions like Anne Frank House and the Rijiksmuseum, which are likely to be gold for visitors who want to see them and know only a little about them. I knew too much about Van Gogh to be strongly impressed by that tour, but it would be fine for most. There are also good district walks.

The guide falls down (for me, personally) on practicalities. He is writing for people who dine at 'star' restaurants, drive hire cars and travel higher than me. So, where LP would tell you more about transport tickets, street food and so forth, this guide is not quite want you might want.

This copy, published less than a year ago, is a little out of date in some things, but not too badly.

All in all pretty good guide.

[James Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Steves is always the first source I turn to when traveling to a new place in Europe. His books are clear, simple, no-frills But mostly I turn to Rick Steves because I think his travel philosophy is similar to mine: travel like a local. I think we differ on museums, though. It seems Rick advises people to hit the highlights and the interesting bits that he has scouted out. Burt I'm one of those annoying people who spend way too much time at every single exhibit. So, when Rick says to spend two days in Amsterdam, I probably need a week! There is so much to see and do in Amsterdam. There are three things I rely on Rick's guides for: that first walk around town (a great way to work off jet lag), his recommendations for places to stay (small, intimate, local), and the maps. And Rick's guides are cheap enough that I have no qualms about tearing pages out of them and shoving them in my back pocket. That said, I still spend time on the web beforehand, and once I get there I still feel free to drop all my plans and spend more time at some odd little niche I stumble across.

[Kim Lanza · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I am going to Europe, I turn to Rick Steves. His travel philosophy resonates with me. I am still in the planning stages and confident Rick's recommendations will once again help me plan a interesting trip. However, the lodging recommendations were useless. All the recommendations were expensive and booked solid.

[shadesofwords · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is only one book you wanted to read before you traveled to Amsterdam - this is the one. Easy to read, well organized and full of extremely useful information. It helps cut down on significant researching you would need to do from a multiple resources.

[Tracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book you want to read before/take with you on a trip To The Netherlands. It has a lot of well organized travel info that is a hell of a lot easier than browsing Tripadvisor for hours on end.

[Jonathan Fidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect companion for living in Amsterdam and traveling through the Netherlands. It gave me many tips on museums and sites to see while I was there. It also gave me plenty of tours to guide myself through the cities.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guidebook of practical information.

[Amy Mittelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not as good as other books in the series. It had a lot of misinformation about museums and other sites. The book stated that cannabis is legal in the Netherlands which is not true.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Rick Steves, for this book. My wife and I had five of the best days ever by following the advice you provided in this book. We are kindred spirits.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Great suggestions, pictures and maps!

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Steves is the man.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best travel books are from Rick!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE RICK STEVES. That is all! Best restaurant recommendations, city walks, & museum tours. I’ll keep on travelin’- always with his guides in my pocket.💙

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

ETA: I'm in Amsterdam now, and I have to say that this guide is a bit outdated. Most of the restaurants are still there, but there is a lot that is no longer accurate and isn't mentioned in the online updates. For example, you CAN buy tickets on board the trams (and the price has increased). The main grocery store chain is NOT cash-only (in fact I think they may *only* take cards). Prices for everything have increased quite a bit compared to what is listed in the book. Etc. There's some good info in the book but don't rely on it too heavily.

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Good overview with most of the practical info you could need, and suggested things to do / places to go. Check the RS website for updates since publication (tours of the red light district are no longer allowed, a few restaurants have closed).

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Steves' travel books are always insightful but I found the 2015 version of Amsterdam/the Netherlands to be especially thorough. I enjoyed the layout, especially the section broken down by region. The historical blurbs are always great. This book even contains info for families, which is not a common find in RS.

[Pam Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't go wrong with Rick Steves' European guidebooks. I have used them several times on my travels and he is always spot on. Also pleasant to read, often humorous and witty. I suggest using them in conjunction with his PBS shows.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good information for my upcoming trip to Amsterdam. Really like that some history of The Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular is included.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful book, so much detail.

[Highjump · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book led me to the best spare ribs I think I've ever had. Rick Steves is always full of good advice and useful details.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy the Rick Steves take on places

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful in planning my trip!

[J.R. Dodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho boy, I love me some Rick Steves. I've used his books to plan for trips in the past, and they've proven to be great resources. Nonetheless, I like to reserve the final rating for when I've actually taken the trip, and in this case, I haven't quite yet. Even now, the book is a bit dated (when I got this in December, I wasn't aware that there was a second edition due out in May). Some of the hotels and B&Bs listed in this edition are no longer in business, or the RS codes don't work, and similar things cause some extra leg work. Still, it has been an informative read that has helped me prepare for what seems like it'll be a pretty cool trip--through the back door.