Amsterdam has a maritime climate, with mild summers and cold winters. The best time to travel to Amsterdam is during April to October. April and May are the months when the famous tulips of Amsterdam are in a full bloom. Winters are cold and gray, but it’s the best time for canal skating as all the canals get frozen. Amsterdam follows the +1GMT time zone.

Transportation in Amsterdam is usually through bicycles, boats, trams and buses. Public transport is easy and accessible; canal boats give you a romantic ride around the city. While traveling through trams and buses, certain things have to be kept in mind to ensure affordability and hassle free travel. There are zones in Amsterdam; ride within a single zone will cost 1.60 Euros, while riding to different zone, the cost will be 0.80Euros additionally.

Amsterdam discount travel cards are also available; every strip on the card will allow a 0.80Euro journey. The Central station is situated in the center of the canal circles, advance tickets should be reserved to travel outside Amsterdam. Schiphol is the main airport at Amsterdam, from the airport, you can get trains to travel anywhere in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam, like cities in the Unites States, offers numerous cuisines. It is great fun to eat outdoors in the summers, especially in a garden restaurant.
Currency used in Amsterdam is Euro, comprising of 100 cents. Notes are in the denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. The native language of Amsterdam residents is Dutch, but as with the case of all developed nations, people in Amsterdam mostly speak fluent English, which is a big help for tourists. The tourist offices present in all the major areas of the city provide adequate assistance to tourists as well as maps and brochures for all the tourist attractions.

Electricity used is 220 volts; the country code is 0031 for Netherlands. Public pay phone booths are located in every area of the city and are widespread. Local calls cost 0.25cents, most of the phone booths also use pay cards, which can be bought from the railway station, newsagents or the post office.
Public holidays should be kept in mind while traveling to Amsterdam, as all the businesses are closed on these days. The public holidays are on 1st of January, Easter Monday, Good Friday, 30th April, 5th of May, Ascension Day, first Monday of June and 25th, 26th of December.