A WEEKEND in Amsterdam is a firm favourite – but it can be pricey.
With the cost of living crisis hitting all our pockets, how can we still get the best out of a break?
With a little research you’ll find lots to do for free or under a fiver.
Ben West suggests some budget-friendly solutions.
GET ON YOUR BIKE: At Amsterdam’s Centraal Station you can collect a bicycle for 24 hours (€4.45/£3.90) using the city’s OV-fiets (ns.nl) scheme. You need a free season ticket, arrangeable online.
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FERRY NICE: Behind Centraal Station free ferries regularly go to Buiksloterweg in northern Amsterdam across the river IJ.
Here you can explore impressive film culture centre the EYE Filmmuseum (IJpromenade 1; eyefilm.nl) and regenerated shipyard NDSM Wharf, which has street art and sculptures made from recycled materials.
Bike paths lead to green expanses and charming villages.
HOUSE ABOUT THIS? In the heart of the beautiful historic canal district, the Houseboat Museum (Prinsengracht 296k; houseboatmuseum.nl; €5/£4.40) is like a Tardis, looking so much bigger inside than out.
See a film and original sleeping quarters and have a coffee in the lounge.
MOUSE ABOUT THAT? Small children will love The Mouse Mansion (Eerste Tuindwarsstraat; themousemansion.com; free) with its detailed papier mache mouse homes, a harbour, circus, fairground and more.
The creators are happy to explain how it was all made, and toys and books are for sale.
A bigger mouse mansion for little ones to inspect is at The Central Library (Oosterdokskade 146; oba.nl), near Centraal Railway Station.
There are free exhibitions and fab city views from the top-floor terrace too.
ART ATTACK: Stroll the side streets of the delightful Jordaan neighbourhood for numerous art galleries with free entry.
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Several are on Hazenstraat alone. Quirky, tiny museum Electric Ladyland (Leliedwarsstraat 5; €5/£4.30; electric-lady-land.com; by appointment only) features fluorescent art and naturally luminescent rocks.
GO GREEN: To leave the crowds enter one of Amsterdam’s beautiful hofjes — secret gardens built around almshouses.
Some are open to the public for free, but be respectful, as they are people’s homes.
Most impressive is the immaculate Begijnhof located off the Spuiplein, with a picture-postcard garden lined with 16th-18th century houses and churches.
Almost 20 more are in Jordaan.
A pretty, narrow corridor of Delft blue tiles leads you to little St Andrieshofje (Egelantiersgracht 107-114), completed in 1617, while Zonshofje (Prinsengracht 159-171) has an old clock depicting animals entering the ark.
Hofje van Brienen (Prinsengracht 89-133), dating from 1797, features a twisting tree over manicured greenery, while Karthuyzer Hofje (Karthuizersstraat 89-171) boasts two 17th century water pumps, pretty lawns and flowers.
FANCY A BITE? Great lunch spots are Noordermarkt and nearby Lindengracht Market.
Among the antiques, vintage clothes and jewellery for sale are fruit, bread, cheese, meat and delicious stroopwafels (pancakes filled with a caramel filling).
In the evening, visit Elandsgracht for budget Surinamese, Indian or Thai eateries.
DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY: Leidesplein is packed with bars and fast food restaurants and also has live music venue Bourbon Street (Leidsekruisstraat 6-8; bourbonstreet.nl; €5/£4.30) and Jazz Cafe Alto (Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 115; jazz-cafe-alto.nl; free).
GEMS FOR FREE: Diamonds have been part of the Dutch heritage for centuries, and at Gassan Diamonds (Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 173-175; gassan.com), a free tour shows how they are sourced, shaped and polished.
WALK THE TALK: Each day at the National Monument on Dam Square and a few other places there are walking tours from several firms.
Although free, an obligatory €1.89 (£1.65) entertainment tax is charged and a small donation expected.
They can be surprisingly good. For example the alternative tour I took by Free Walking Tours Amsterdam (freewalkingtoursamsterdam.com) was conducted by a professor of history.
He explained how Amsterdam changed from a conservative city in the 1950s to the liberal one today.
We stopped by a “smart shop” selling magic mushrooms — located within a church of all places.
We saw a “coffee shop”, legally permitted to supply patrons with marijuana, and he led us to examples of the thriving street art scene.
It was a fascinating end to an inexpensive visit to a city crammed with a surprisingly large choice of great cheap or free things to do.
