A lifestyle expat travel blog about culture, history, Brexit, the Royal Family, travels around the world, Europe, and being British in Berlin!
Teenagers! You’ve got to love ’em!
And when you’re travelling or going abroad, you’ve got to think of things differently, as teenagers are not children per se, but neither are they adults.
They’re gangly young people, looking to explore the world, find their feet, and live life to the full.
And if you’re like me. You’ll let them do it, and give them the gift of travel!
Children are versatile.
And they don’t really need much.
All they need is plenty of food, a safe and clean place to lay their head, wi-fi, a bit of space to lay out all their “stuff”and you!
Yes, you.
The parent!
You don’t have to wait until “they’re old enough to know.”
Believe you me. They know!
You don’t have to wait until “they understand the benefits” of travel.
What are you talking about`?
Any place that is different from home and in which they can learn about other places, other cultures, and other people, is a marvellous thing.
The younger they are, the easier it is, and the better for all!
I started travelling with our son when he was just 5 months old. I put him in a baby carrier, dumped all his toys and baby stuff in the car, and breast-fed him all the way!
And by the time he was 5 years old, he had been to 32 countries, and at 12, he was already talking about spending his GAP year in Thailand, so there’s that!
I love travelling with our son, and even though he’s 14, it won’t be long until he’ll want to be travelling with his friends.
In Northern European countries that age tends to be between 16 and 17 years old as young people are more independent, and their parents liberal, tolerant, and open-minded.
In that wise, I decided to go to Amsterdam for the weekend, with our teenager in tow!
Interestingly enough, our German friends didn’t blink an eye when I told them. Not so my Anglo-American friends who were visibly shocked and worried.
Not to worry.
This is what happened.
I took my teenager to Amsterdam!
I know!
I started my international travel adventure for 2017 a fortnight (two weeks) ago, by taking a weekend trip to Holland.
To Amsterdam.
When people think of Amsterdam, their ears immediately prick up, and their eyes bulge intensely at the exotic-ness of that city of sin….
However, people live in Amsterdam. I mean, people people.
Real people. Ordinary people. People who have to get up in the morning and work in an office, take the train, or in this case, ride their bicycles.
In 2015, I wrote about the other stuff. The stuff that “decent” people whisper over. The naughty stuff….
And here’s the link!
This time around, I’m writing about the family-friendly Amsterdam.
Here goes!
Amsterdam is a small capital city in Europe. It’s one of those places steeped in history and glory.
Indeed, as a 12th century fishing hamlet, it’s done rather well as a naval trading giant in the 17th century hunting for spoils and riches, before Britain came and took away such treasures as New Amsterdam (from Amsterdam in Holland), that later relegated to New York (from York in England). We also know of the conflicts and tribulations that Amsterdam had to go through in order to keep the water at bay, and the canals safe.
Did you know that:
Checking in for most hotels is usually between 13:00 – 14:00 so if you’re not driving, put your luggage in the train station locker for efficiency and speed! For 24 hours, it costs between €7.00 – €10. We had just arrived by overnight train from Berlin, so it was well worth not lugging things around..!
Before we were going to do anything at all, I took my son to a restaurant that I knew, that served an English breakfast for under €5.00! He opted for an Italian breakfast instead, and ending up licking his chops at mine!
Now, I’ve been to been to Amsterdam loads of time, but The Tall Young Gentleman has never been to Holland.
In fact, 2 years ago, I did my own personal walking tour in Amsterdam, as my tour guide decided not to turn up!
I’m a great advocate for walking tours and go on many, such as food tours, alternative walking tours, free walking tours, and walking tours in exotic places!
There are many tour groups to choose from, but the one I chose was the Sandemans new Amstedam free walking tour.
Our walking tour was great for learning all about how Dutch people live and the alternative lifestyle in Amsterdam, which even included walking through the red-light district at 12:00 in the afternoon!
Funnily enough it wasn’t this that got my teenager blushing and flustered.
After all, a lot of the red light places in Amsterdam are blended into the community, with one red-light street situation right next to a kindergarten, and opposite a church! And as for Germany, prostitution is legal and well, you know, nude or Freikörperkultur beaches abound throughout Germany. All quite normal and family-friendly!
It was this.
Our walking tour group gathered around to take photographs of various types, sizes and flavours, whilst my teenager and I wandered further away and talked about the weather.
Neither of us quite knew where to look!
You surely can’t be in Holland if you don’t try some of their best famous cheese!
If you love cheese, you can pretty much go into any of the cheese shops and get to know all about the flavours, aroma, and quality of an enormous range of cheese.
We went to a place called the Cheese Inn Museum.
It’s been around since 1967 and specialises in more than 100 different kinds of organic cheese from cheese markets in Northern Holland, as well as other equipment!
That’s right. Amsterdam has a museum. For Cheese!
It’s free to go in, and they give you a little tour and some info so that you can experience the unique flavor of the best cheeses in Holland, and nibble away at many varieties of free cubes of cheese and sauces to taste!
The last time I was there, I was so impressed that I bought some Dutch waffles and biscuits, some very, very, very Old Amsterdam Cheese, for – The Music Producer – who is a connoisseur.
Dutch Farmhouse Cheese with Italian Black Truffle. Mmm.
How can anyone, lest of all teenagers, resist?!
Start from Amsterdam Central Station to Dam Square, and then explore. Just remind your teenagers to watch their bags as the area is packed with tourists, as well as pick-pockets. Think Leicester Square (London), Times Square (New York), or Alexanderplatz (Berlin).
Damrak is crowded and there’s loads of weird people and strange shops. You might not like it, but your teenager will! And for obvious reasons, you wouldn’t want them to be there alone. So take a deep breath and go with them…!
The picture above shows the Waag or traditional weighing house and is a 15th-century building on the Nieuwmarkt Square in Amsterdam.
It was originally a city gate and part of the walls of Amsterdam, and also served as a guildhall, a museum, a fire station and anatomical theatre, and now a restaurant!
The Waag is the oldest remaining non-religious building in Amsterdam and can even be seen in Rembrandt’s 1632 painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp!
Somehow, I always seem to be in Holland in the winter!
One year, we actually walked across part of the Northern Sea, and people’s yachts and boats were frozen!
Thankfully, Amsterdam isn’t that extreme so merely ice-skating will have to do! The ICE*Amsterdam presents a unique ice skating experience on Amsterdam’s Museumplein, with the Rijksmuseum as a phenomenal backdrop, where your teenager can not only do some nifty ice-skating, but curling and ice hockey too!
You can’t do this every year though as the ice rink is only open from 18.11.16 – 05.02.17, and temperatures have to drop to -4°C or below, for four (4) consecutive nights, to produce ice thick enough to skate on. And it did!
In fact, while we were there, Amsterdam was freezing cold!
The waterside tells you such a lot about a place and it’s people. The buildings, the bridges, and the houseboats. The dykes and the street corners where condemned criminals were once hanged for all to see.
The rivers are so exquisite that the canals in Amsterdam have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Fancy that!
Or if you’re short on cash, hop on the free public ferry service behind the Centraal train Station and set sail for NDSM-wharf, a derelict shipyard turned avant-garde arts community.
Check out the recycled-junk sculptures, graffiti artists roaming the streets and giant wooden tiki head watching over it all.
It goes to Amsterdam-Noord. There are various routes, but the most common ones are the short ferry to Buiksloterweg (roughly every 10 minutes) and the long ferry (every half hour) to the NDSM Wharf. You can get more information about the destinations, the routes and an interactive map here!
I’m not the best cyclist in the world, but I like places that worship the bike.
In Europe, we love our bikes and use them, and you can’t go far wrong if you want to ride your bicycle in Amsterdam! Even Dutch Royalty are known to go about on their very own bicycles as Amsterdam is enormously flat and quite honestly, was designed very much with 17th century horses and carts in mind!
Amsterdam has a variety of really great museums. All which would give your teenager something to do. And if it’s cold, wet and rainy.
All the better.
The best museums / attractions to visit with a teenager are the following:
We didn’t have as much time as we would have liked, and only managed to get to the two (2) museums below:
I was very eager to visit the Amsterdam Museum as it focuses on the story and history of Amsterdam through a large number of masterpieces, such as an aerial map from the Middle Ages, Breitner’s The Dam, and lots of interactive material and images that you could touch, see, listen to, use, read, and experience.
I love museums where you don’t have to treat things like delicate treasures, and can really get to grips with “using” the items!
An audio guide is provided so that you can do your own self-guided tour, in a variety of popular languages. And it’s free of charge, which I greatly appreciated!
Verdict: Both my teenager and I loved it.
And if you’re short of time, or don’t feel like doing anything too “heavy” the interactive Amsterdam DNA exhibition, can be “done” in just one (1) hour!
Cost: Adults: €12.50. Students: €10.00. Children 5-18: €6.50. Under 4: Free of charge.
The Rijksmuseum is the iconic museum of the Netherlands.
The Rijksmuseum’s world-famous collection was presented via going on a journey through the ages, and a sense of beauty and of time.
In 80 galleries, 8,000 objects tell the story of 800 years of Dutch art and history, from the Middle Ages to Mondrian. And even though The Tall Young Gentleman is just 14 years old, he really enjoyed the Rembrandt art and imaginary mythical creatures, and was upset when after just 2 hours, it was time to leave!
Verdict: Both my teenager and I loved it and Night Watch alone was amazing!
Cost: Adults: €17.50. European Youth Card Holders (EYCA) / Students: €8.75. Under 18: Free of charge!
We ran out of time this time around, but if you have longer, check out the others!
p.s. Don’t forget to book or reserve museum tickets online, in order to escape the queues at peak periods!
Sadly, by 17:00, it was time to take our train back to Berlin.
It was clear that we had a most interesting time.
My blog is not about what’s right and what’s wrong. If you look deep enough you’ll see that it’s all about what’s different, the other, the edge. It’s also all rather tongue-in-cheek!
And Amsterdam is a perfect example. It’s a lovely quaint city with an exposed diverse edge. It’s cosmopolitan, and at the same time Dutch in style. It’s romantic and beautiful, but tolerant and diverse. It’s rich and lively, but quiet and authentic. It’s charming and also like any other capital city, beautifully flawed.
Go see for yourself.
Thanks so much Amsterdam Museum and the Rijksmuseum!
This article is not sponsored and even though I received complimentary museum tickets, all opinions and the delightful Dutch cheese that I happily consumed, are my very own!
It’s January!
I’ll be making an announcement this month that will either having me jumping up and down like a Jack-in-the-Box, or crying over my hot cocoa! Find out throughout January!
The British Council Literature Seminar – #BritLitBerlin – will take place from 26.01.17 – 28.01.17
If you’re a blogger and you’re in town, then come and meet us at the Berlin Travel Massive February MeetUp on February 9th.
The 67th Berlin International Film Festival, otherwise known as the Berlinale, will take place from 09.02.17 – 19.02.17
Strictly Stand Up – The English Comedy Night will take place at the Quatsch comedy Club on 15.02.17. Save the Date!
If you’re not in Berlin in January, what are you waiting for!
January is going to be striking!
Watch this space!
Note! I never travel without insurance as you never know what might happen.
I learnt my lesson in Spain. And obviously, in countries like Qatar, where technically the risk is higher, I can’t imagine going that far beyond, WITHOUT INSURANCE. No siree! You can get yours here, at World Nomads!
Please note that there are now affiliate links (for the very first time) connected to this post. Please consider using the links, because every time some sort of accommodation or travel insurance is booked via my links I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!
A win-win for all!
Thanks a million!
See you in Berlin.
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Victoria I totally agree kids travel well and are very adaptable. I took my daughter to Brazil to introduce her to her Brazilian family when she was just 3 months old. I have always travelled lots with both my kids, who are now young adults traveling by themselves, with friends or in fact they often join us….in particular if we are paying for them hahahaha. Sounds like you had a great time in Amsterdam? Keep travelling with your son and making precious memories for you both😄
Thanks very much Gilda!
Brazil sounds fabulous, and exactly what I’m saying. It really isn’t a problem travelling with children no matter how far it is lol! Yeah, I’m not looking forward to having to cough up for “a friend to come along too” as our son is an only child and thus #onlychildsyndrome! ‘Looking forward to it though! 🙂
Lived in Amsterdam for four years! You’ve done a good job to cover the city well! I still go to Amsterdam from time to time, to shop for stuff I can’t find in my city..and as well I love the vibe in the city.
Didn’t make it to Berlin this Christmas as I had planned. Decided to stay home and warm, but had a day trip to Ghent.
Traveling with kids is lovely, unique bonding opportunities are formed with time away! Well done mama…and it’s true, he’ll soon be heading out alone with friends but he’ll look back and be thankful for all that family travel he had!
Thanks so much Caroline!
I’ve been to Amsterdam many times over the years, but of recent, only every 2 years or so. My husband is from Osnabrück and in his youth, they used to daytrip, there as Amsterdam was only about 3 hours away!
And yes. I love travelling with my boy. We always seem to be able to talk a little deeper during these times. And bond.
p.s. I’m hoping, he’ll have travel in his blood. I think so as he’s always excited as to where we’re going next although he can sometimes be a little high maintenance….!
p.p.s. Come visit Berlin one of these days. 🙂
haha…High maintenance! Sounds like Little Miss thang over here…she loves travel when it involves 5-star hotels, lounging in spas and jacuuzi’s…if we’re taking hikes and treks, or walking all over Warsaw, or squished up in hostels…you bet at some point the grumbling will begin! And she’s awful at trying out foreign food..it will be MacD’s, burger kings and KFC unless I put my foot down!
YOLO!
Son is very happy doing all the active stuff as he’s a Boy Scout, so he’s used to hiking, sailing, rafting in the wet n’ cold n’ all that! He hates McDonalds but he does love his luxuries & good food so whenever we go to a “nice” restaurant, I have to give him a budget, otherwise he’d take the most expensive food item x 3!
Since I live in the northeast of the Netherlands, I’ve visited Amsterdam often, both with and without teenagers. I think it depends entirely on the particular teenager. My daughter, as a teenager, loved nothing better than an art museum, or visiting some of the more obscure little museums in Amsterdam, like the Brilmuseum (eyeglasses). My son, on the other hand, would hate that, and generally shows no interest in visiting Amsterdam. When he was younger (i.e. pre-teen) he loved the NEMO museum, which is a hands-on science museum.
Thanks so much Rachel!
Agreed! Teenagers are so different. Luckily for me, “The Tall Young Gentleman” isn’t averse to going to a museum or art gallery. It wouldn’t always be his first choice of course, but he’s not averse to it, and once he’s there, he quite enjoys it especially, if it’s historical. In any case, I try to mix things up a little as we’re both into scientific history, so a few classical museums, and then modern or interaactive one!
And if there’s tea and cake at the end of it (and there usually is!), it makes it all the sweeter! 🙂
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Amsterdam is my favorite European city and your post is truly awesome, Vic! An excellent guide which I will make sure to share with my friends who have teenagers!
Thanks very much Agness!
I very much enjoyed visiting Amsterdam, and taking my teenage son in tow! Phew! 😀
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