Welcome to Backpacker’s Boutique. Every Sunday, this spot will feature a new travel blogger. Some weeks it will be a really fun interview about packing, fashion, and fitness so you can snoop inside their bags & lives a little bit and other weeks it’ll be a detailed luxury guide to a city the featured blogger/expat knows very well. E-mail me if you’d like to be featured.

A Luxury Guide to Amsterdam

Tell us a little about  yourself and tell us why you’re an expert on luxury travel in Amsterdam.

Hi, I’m Ivana and I’ve been living in Amsterdam for more than 5 years now. I studied law and communications at the University of Amsterdam and also found a job at one of the best PR firms in the country, based in the city. My work actually required me to get into the luxury places as the clients simply demanded the hottest and most luxurious places in the city as event locations. My boyfriend is an artist manager in the dance music industry so he always knows the best places to dance. Also I have journalist friends in the city who always update me about the best places to go.

What makes Amsterdam a perfect destination for travelers seeking a glamorous trip?

Amsterdam in general is not the most glamorous city, it’s usually described as raw and edgy. In the last couple of years though the luxury hotels, spa’s and clubs have been on the rise. The hipsters of the city are definitely looking for it so this demand needs a supply. The glamour in the city is usually very Scandinavian based: minimalistic, sharp lines and lots of black and white. This goes for interiors, fashion and the food.

What 5 star hotel is the best in Amsterdam?

These are actually quite booming at the moment so I’ll mention a couple:

• The most popular 5* hotel is The Conservatorium hotel. An amazing historic building with huge ceilings and yet it manages to have a very comfy and cozy vibe. Fantastic place for a coffee (or hot chocolate in fall/winter) as well.

• The Waldorf Astoria doesn’t need explaining I guess but here you’ll find a more international and, if I may say so, conservative crowd.

• The Amstel Hotel is a classic and has a gorgeous location at the river. The high tea here is amazing too.

• The Hoxton Hotel is a really nice relaxed 5* hotel with a serious hipster vibe (a lot of Dutch famous actors hang out here).

• The W Hotel just opened, so for the next couple of months it’s probably going to be very popular.

What about boutique hotels in Amsterdam, of them all, which would you send your friends or family to stay at?

I really love the vibe of the Dylan hotel and The College Hotel is cool as well. The Concious Hotel looks awesome and is eco-friendly too.

Are there any fun activities for the adventurous traveler in Amsterdam?

It’s really simple but try the water-bikes in the canals instead of the regular tour boats. They’re a lot harder to navigate than you would think but it’s double the fun (also free workout!). In winter there’s a cool ice skating ring at Leidseplein.

In summer go to the deli Bilder & de Clerq or Marqt, head over to the Amsterdamse bos or the Amstelpark (way cooler, more beautiful and peaceful than Vondelpark!) and have a picknic. If you like the crowds you can also picknic at the edge of the canals. Even the most fancy locals love to grab a bottle of wine, some snacks (cheese!) and just watch the people pass by.

Where are the best hang outs during the day in Amsterdam?

It depends on the weather. In summer everybody is outside on a terrace, having a picknic or at the beach. You can try the city beach Strand Zuid, the terrace of the Hilton Skylounge or one of the super cute places in the historic area de Jordaan. One of my favorite beaches, Wijk aan Zee, is actually a little drive from Amsterdam (20 minutes) but totally worth it. In winter Cafe Brecht is really cool with a very vintage living room feel and they have a lot of exclusive tea varieties. You can also hang out at one of the many new coffee houses, coffee&coconuts just recently opened and Scandinavian Embassy also makes a good cup of coffee. My all time favorite is T, which also has a vintage living room feel and delicious scones.

If you have a big date night, what are the most delicious restaurants in Amsterdam and what are their best dishes?

Lute (De Oude Molen 5, 1184 VW Amstelveen, Netherlands) is an all time favorite of mine. Not the most common place (also a bit out of the centre) but their food is always gorgeous, extremely beautifully plated and of course tastes delicious as well. Het Bosch is also a really nice place, especially in summer when you can also sit outside. For extremely good pizza (I am talking about the smoked truffle ricotta kind) go to Gustavino (closed in the weekends). For the best sushi go to the Okura Hotel’s Ciel Bleu (and afterwards have a cocktail with a view in their bar). In the centre I would recommend Rijks, the recently opened restaurant attached to the restored Rijksmuseum.

Let’s talk desserts- what place makes the best dessert in Amsterdam?

Any of the above mentioned restaurants have fantastic desserts. I must say I am a huge sucker for the custom made Magnum ice creams. If the store is open (best to Google this one before you go, usually it’s only open in summer time and has different locations) make sure to make one. The dark chocolate, chili, violets and roses version is my favorite. Also don’t skip the Nutella store in the Leidsestraat.

Tell us all the hot shopping spots; who’s carrying the trendy local designers? 

The easiest place to shop designers (also local) is the Bijenkorf. A huge department store right at Dam Square. For a more local feel you can shop at the P.C. Hooftstraat. Make sure to not miss Shoobaloo. They have amazing designer shoes! Not a fashion brand but any luxury car lover will drool in the awesome Tesla store located in the P.C. Hooftstraat. Also for more local and edgy designers check out the stores at the 9 straatjes area.

What are a couple of the best salons and spas in Amsterdam?

The Conservatorium Hotel Akasha Spa is one of the best in the city. There are not many places to match it.

Time for a great sunset view… where would you go?

Either the Okura Hotel bar or the Hilton SkyLounge.

If you end the night at a fancy club, which one do you head towards?

Jimmy Woo is a classic and still one of my favorites. Make sure to wear heels, do your hair and get your make up on. The door policy is quite strict! Club Air and Club Abe are also cool. Paradiso is one of the oldest and most gorgeous venues in town. It used to be a church and attending a concert here is magic. Definitely check their agenda if there’s a concert you want to see. Finally if you are up for a challenge Club Nyx is also one of my favorites. Be aware though: it’s a gay club and it also looks very grimey/raw/edgy. This is the real Amsterdam clubbing if you are up for it.

Born in former Jugoslavia, now a Dutch National living in Amsterdam, Ivana is never in the same place for long. She travels mostly alone but through her daily travel vlogs on YouTube channel EnterpriseMe TV she takes along more than 13.000 people along on her journey every day. Not everybody is able or willing to travel to new places, especially by themselves. Ivana’s travel vlogs will take you all across the world every day, without even having to leave your couch or spend a dime. This year alone she visited Indonesia, Taiwan, South-Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, France, Monaco, Italy, Croatia, Malaysia and India. Subscribe to her YouTube channel and follow her on Instagram and/or Twitter to travel along.  

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Western europe was the first trip I took abroad. I was so new to travel I didn’t think of it as Western Europe because I was completely unfamiliar with the East. It was just Europe! I’ve put together a sample Western Europe Itinerary that could be done over the course of 1-2 months, or of course longer if you want to travel slower.

This is the route I took my first time abroad. It’s not perfect; I missed some cool places but I did hit the popular “highlights”. I’ve written about each place already but thought it would be helpful to see it all in one post.

In order to travel this route, it was all by train, metro, and local bus once. I actually never had to take a cab. Okay, there was also some hitchhiking. I bought a Eurail pass & did have to make reservations in the popular cities. I visited during summer. Each city has a link to a blog post written about it with tips.

Before you start planning your Western Europe itinerary, make sure you…

1. Find a cheap flight on using my tips.
2. Get travel insurance with World Nomads. Here’s a comparison of plans and price calculator.
3. You can usually stay just 90 days as a tourist.

Backpacking Western Europe Sample Itinerary

Sample Western Europe Itinerary

1. London, UK. A staple in any itinerary to Europe, London has so much to see that you’ll NEED at least 3 days but could of course spend more time here. Your feet will hurt after all the sightseeing but from Big Ben to the London Eye and Westminster Abbey, it’s pretty dreamy. I see people walking to and from work past such amazing architecture and think maybe I could do a 9-5 if it was in London. Here are some Luxury tips for London and here’s a guide for a revisit to London.

2. Paris, France. Of course you should spend a couple of days in Paris. Beware it’s a little hard on the budget. Before the movie “Taken” came out, we were in a train station in Paris trying to think of where to spend the night when a cute young Parisian guy noticed we were lost and offered us his home. It was awesome and we saw Paris with him over the next few days. Sometimes travel is about taking risks, and this one paid off!

3. Zurich, Switzerland. Certainly not my favorite place on this list, but a hub nonetheless. We were forced to go here when trying to leave Paris for Rome and realizing the train was full for two days. This is a problem sometimes in the popular summer months. We showed up the day of the Summer Parade and it was WILD! Again, we couchsurfed but stayed only 1 night because it wasn’t part of our itinerary.

4. Finale Ligure, Italy. We wanted to go somewhere that was on the coast, but not as expensive. I saw online this castle you can stay in Italy for 20 bucks so I emailed them right away to make a booking. It was a cute town and a great introduction to Italy. We stayed 3 days.

5. Rome, Italy. WOW! This is a city that takes some time to see (Colosseum, Vatican city) . We made a mistake of not staying long enough. It is a bit overwhelming so I suggest taking a free walking tour through your hostel. Another suggestion is stay somewhere a bit pricier if it means you’re closer to the center of town. You’ll save on transport- not only money but more importantly TIME.

6. Florence, Italy. Florence was just stunning. I’ve never forget walking the market with gelato and watching the sunsets. You’ll need to save extra with the intention of buying leather in Florence and other goodies like pashmina scarves (which are clearly fake since they are 5 usd). I stayed 3 days here.

7. Venice, Italy.  I know I should go back to Venice because I was a little worn out and didn’t really enjoy my time there. I feel like all I saw were tourists and it was packed to the brim. People go for a reason tough: the little lanes of water and boats instead of cars. Expect high tourist priced food here that won’t be as good as other places. Stay 1 or 2 days. Here are some Venice travel tips.

8. Vienna, Austria. This was also during my “burnt out” phase and also we showed up on a Saturday night, Sunday everything was closed, and Monday we left. I’ve been back since, actually this month, and got to see a lot more. A post on that is coming soon!

9. Salzburg, Austria. The COOLEST place in Europe, maybe!? I loved Salzburg. Talk about a fairytale land. It’s incredible. We went to a beer garden first, got drunk, realized we had nowhere to stay, and crashed with new friends we made at the cutest little Austrian farm-house. Unreal little town! Stay a couple of days at least. The museums and fortress are really cool. A little peak into the magic of Salzburg’s fortress.

10. Interlaken, Switzerland. If you’re traveling solo, this is a town you’re sure to meet some people. There are two popular hostels and lots of youngsters hanging out for extended amounts of time. Hang-glide, paraglide, sky dive, ice climb, rock climb, kayak, or canyon; this is the epitome of adventure in Europe. Situated between two glacier lakes, with the Swiss Alps in the background, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve seen. Stay 4 days or more so you can do more activities and budget for them. Read more; Guide to Interlaken and Canyoning Interlaken.

11. Berlin, Germany. Berlin is the “cool” city of Europe. It’s trendy, fashionable, has great clubs and bars, and has some very open-minded people. Overall, I never hear travelers say a bad thing about Berlin. I think it was a bit cliquey and many cool places are hush-hush, so Couchsurfing and meeting locals is imperative here. I also LOVED the free walking tour of Berlin and learned a lot.

12. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam is full of history, but it’s also full of “coffee shops” and you’ll need to make a bit of an itinerary so that you can be sure to see what’s there. I was 19 and did not see all that I should have. Walking the streets and seeing the lifestyle and everyone riding around on bicycles is adorable so even if you did nothing, you’d see a cool scene.

13. Delft, Den Haag, Maastricht. I’m putting all this together because they’re all very small towns in Holland. I changed my flight and stayed solo when my travel buddy went home and Couchsurfed to these towns. They were very cute and fun. I recommend seeing one country a little more in-depth and I chose Holland (because it seemed safe). Couchsurfing Holland was ideal because I had a host and I really got to see the towns the way locals do. Delft was my favorite.

A few extras…

You’ll have noticed I missed biggies like Ireland and Spain. They usually require flights which I couldn’t afford, so I waited and hit these up on my next trip to Europe, before I traveled onward to Eastern Europe. I don’t want to write about Ireland and Spain in my “Eastern Europe” post as it’ll confuse people, so will mention them here, now.

• If you have the budget, add Dublin to the top of this list, and head to Spain after France, before Italy.

Dublin, Ireland. One of the many places that I wish I’d had more time in- but not in Dublin. Two days were enough in Dublin, but I wanted a week to see the countryside (a week which I didn’t have). I did take a train out and see a bit, but it’s truly gorgeous so don’t spend too much time in Dublin downing Guinness. 7 Travel Tips for Dublin.

Madrid, Spain. Madrid was culturally impressive but for me, a little boring. Many people argue about which is better: Madrid or Barcelona? But I think they are so different you can’t really compare. Madrid seemed more old-fashioned to me. Tips on backpacking Madrid.

my couchsurfing hosts in Madrid who showed us everything!

Barcelona, Spain. The party place! I had a BLAST in Barcelona, even though I got pickpocketed and had to call my couchsurfing host from jail. Eating delicious food, downing sangria, checking out amazing art like Park Guell, and enjoying the incredible nightlife. Nowhere has such life in it like Barcelona.

Valencia, Spain. Valencia was much more chilled out, kind of like a typical beach town- but old school. I really enjoyed my time here although didn’t stay in “Old Town” as we should have. The beach was stunning and we had a blast at the bars. I did find the buses hard to navigate mainly because of language barriers. Tips for Visiting Valencia.

Read next | sample itinerary for Eastern Europe

Pin this backpacking Western Europe itinerary for later:

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Many people go to Amsterdam and that is all they see when they travel Holland. What a shame!

When my buddy went home early in Amsterdam, I stayed in Holland as I wanted to see more cities from a locals point of view. I have written how much I love to Couchsurf (CS) and tips to do it safely. Not only has it helped me to see cities around the world, and meet amazing locals, it helped me find friends in new places I lived in the U.S.

Some of my favorite CS moments were the two weeks I spent solo in the Netherlands when I was 19 years old.

CS was a fairly new idea and there were not as many search option results. Now the results are overwhelming! I knew I wanted to stay in the Netherlands because my flight was out of Amsterdam, but lets be honest… Amsterdam was all I knew of the whole of Holland (even if it’s the city I remember the least).  After some searches, I decided I didn’t care what city I went to I just wanted to find someone that seemed fun to hang out with.

 Couchsurfing in Delft

My first stop was Delft. I wasn’t sure what the guy looked like because his profile photo was a coffee mug covering his (beautiful) face. He had loads of positive reviews though and enjoyed soccer so that was enough for me. I missed my train to Delft and arrived late so I figured he wouldn’t be there to meet me as planned. OK, I didn’t miss it so much as the Amsterdam daze compelled me to get on the wrong train… but Sourena was there to get me two hours later looking handsome as can be in his soccer uniform.

even the tidiest backpackers make a mess since we have to unpack everything to get to the bottom. Unless you have your own room, like here, try to be neat!

I think I learned just as much about Iran as I did Holland from Sourena and his brother, Sina, and his best friend… Sina. They had all come from Iran to study and were huge supporters/leaders in gaining a democracy there.  They taught me about the Green Movement that was happening in Iran. It was interesting to hear about the war on terrorism from their perspective. I continue to try to break American stereotypes abroad.

Instead of two days, I stayed much longer.  They toured me around the beautiful old city, the nightlife, and cooked amazing homemade food. The traditional blue and white Delft pottery is something I still regret not buying. When the train station ticket machine didn’t take visa (Who doesn’t take VISA??) Sourena paid for my ticket out. I still owe him 40 bucks.

Couchsurfing in Maastricht, Den Haag, and a small town called Zoetermeer.

In Zoetermeer, I stayed with a ponytailed blonde boy. I really enjoyed my time with my host. We went to an amazing greenhouse and saw the landscape full of windmills and women bicycling around town with flowers in the bike baskets and babies on their laps.

Leiden and The Hague.

Each was different and special in its own way. Because of Couchsurfing, I saw the coast, the big cities, small towns, kids bungee jumping, local bars, and a festival. I really got a feel of Holland, somewhere I can’t wait to go back.

they really like olives I think

 Tips for the Netherlands:

• When in Holland, save time to adventure outside Amsterdam.
• Pick a random city on CS. One of my favorite ways to see what’s off the tourist path.
• Don’t be afraid to CS! Just do your research.

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