Amsterdam travel info

At half past eight the cycle lanes beside the canals fill with commuters, bells going as they pass. Along the water, narrow gabled houses stand shoulder to shoulder, each one tipping slightly forward. The hook sticking out under the roof is from the days when stairs were too steep for furniture, so everything went up on a rope. Most windows have no curtains, and at night the lamplight from strangers' living rooms lies right on the canal.

The city grew in rings fanning out from Centraal station. The three inner canals, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, form the 17th-century Canal Ring; west of them is the Jordaan with its small cafés, and at the southern edge a big lawn holds the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Behind Centraal a free ferry takes five minutes to reach Noord, where old shipyards became bars and studios. Dam Square to Museumplein is a 30-minute walk. It's that small.

Schiphol is a short train ride from the centre. Museums run on timed tickets, transit runs on a tap of your bank card, and hotel bills carry a 12.5% tourist tax. One rule matters more than the rest: the red asphalt is a bike lane, so never stand in it.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)