Tips for Visiting Amsterdam in Spring

This past March, my sister and her friends and I ventured to Europe together. Our itinerary stretched from Germany down to France over the course of 12 days. We started our trip in Munich, Germany (read my Munich, Germany guide here) and traveled West to The Netherlands. For the next leg of our adventure, the four of us took a train ride from Berlin to Amsterdam.

We had plans to explore Amsterdam for two days. Over the course of the two days we spent in Amsterdam, we accomplished many of the major tourist destinations in the city.

These are a few of my tips for visiting Amsterdam in the Spring. I am also sharing a few of my outfit picks and ideas if you need to figure out the appropriate outfits for your trip, too. Keep in mind that I only packed a backpack for the entire length of my stay in Europe, so I stopped at H&M in the Mall of Berlin to purchase my tan trench coat for the remainder of my vacation!

1. Be Prepared for Unexpected Weather Conditions

Oh, how we experienced such a drastic change in the weather once we arrived in Amsterdam! Let’s just say the wind factor greatly affected our original arrival time. Our plane was diverted to another city prior to landing in Berlin to pick us up and take us to Amsterdam. I asked the flight attendant if this wind was as bad as it looked, but he assured me that we would be able to take off on time and arrive in Amsterdam just a few minutes late.

We landed safely in Amsterdam and needed to figure out how to navigate from the airport to our hostel. The subway system in Amsterdam was similar to the ones in Germany which we were grateful for! The underground subway took us to the station we needed to walk a few blocks down to our hostel.

Once inside our hostel, the four of us bundled up even more and locked up our luggage to hit the town running. The nice attendant at the front desk of our hostel offered us umbrellas as the weather looked gloomy and windy.

The wind was INSANE! I had no clue just how breezy the conditions would be as we walked further and further through Amsterdam. The umbrella offered to me by the front desk attendant eventually broke and was useless by the end of our walk. You must be prepared for the serious wind if you plan on walking around Amsterdam. The windy conditions meant I needed to tie up my long hair, put on my sunglasses to prevent my contacts from drying out, and try to hold onto an umbrella that I could.

Also in these photos above, I need to point out the STUNNING cherry blossoms! The cherry trees were just started to blossom when we spent two days in Amsterdam. I took full advance of these blooms and have a little photoshoot beneath the pink branches.

2. Pack Layers of Clothing

Most of the time the weather in Amsterdam was cool and chilly. In early March, the temperatures can range from the 40s to 50s. I actually appreciated the consistent weather temperatures in Amerstam because it meant I would be comfortable wearing my coat and trench coat with a long sleeve underneath.

What did I wear for Amsterdam?

I packed my JCPenney Hooded Water Resistant Heavyweight Puffer Jacket with me for the entire length of my European trip. I knew I needed a water-resistant coat because the early Spring would bring snowy conditions and rain.

I am also thankful that this water-resistant coat would block all of the snow and rain from my coat because that meant I didn’t need to carry my umbrella or wear a rain jacket. My sister’s friend Tiffany accidentally left her rain jacket on the train as we entered Amsterdam, so I gave her the one I packed to borrow.

To hold of my belongings, I ventured out to Target the night before our European trip kicked off. I searched through the travel section and bought a crossbody bag. A monosling backpack is just what you need to take with you to Europe. To keep the pickpocketers away from you, be sure to swing your bag across your chest. This one from Rebecca Minkoff is cute and would fit a lot inside if you want a trendy backpack.

Where did I find my coat?

My heavyweight puffer jacket was affordable since we are coming up on the warmer months and plenty of winter items are on super sale! I found such a great deal when shopping online through JCPenney for my perfect European coat. Of course, I did plenty of research before deciding on the right one. I also didn’t want to spend close to $200 on one item for my trip because I was saving money to spend once we arrived. A ton of the coat options available at JCPenney was marked down from over $200 to $50.00!

I ordered a size medium so I could layer more clothing beneath my puffer coat. My coat also has a removable fur hood that I would often put up as soon as the rain started to trickle down as we walked through the city square.

What layering pieces did I pack in my backpack?

Underneath my stylish and cozy maroon winter coat, I picked up a long sleeve cheetah print turtleneck from Target. My goal was to be warm as possible while still looking chic in Europe! I needed to pick up a cheetah printed item to carry with me abroad to feel dressed up. My cotton turtleneck (on sale for $21) was worn quite a few times in Amsterdam under my $35.00 beige H&M trench coat. My turtleneck was worn on top of my favorite Forever 21 camisole tank top. These tank tops are amazing and SO cheap! I brought a white and nude one inside my backpack. These tank tops are kept my body temperature warm. For $1.90 you need to own a few for any vacation you plan in the future.  

While walking through the central shopping district in Amsterdam, we wandered in a grocery store. Inside this random grocery store, I ended up buying a pair of ear muffs! These fluffy black earmuffs made for a great investment accessory to combat the harsh winds. The ear muffs also controlled my hair when the wind picked up.

3. Plan Your Excursions Ahead of Time

Visiting the Anne Frank House continues to be at the top of every traveler’s list. As you make your perfect itinerary for Amsterdam, be certain to book the time you want to take a tour inside the Anne Frank House months in advance.

We lucked out while in Amsterdam to visit the Anne Frank House as they drop 20% of the tickets on the day of. If you try to push your luck to get tickets when you arrive in Amsterdam just know that you might not have the opportunity to go inside the Anne Frank House because of the limited number of tickets.

The Anne Frank House will be a difficult activity to do if you don’t plan ahead of time. I highly suggest purchasing your tickets prior to visiting or else you will face the same dilemma we did which included waiting on a virtual line to obtain our tickets.

As for the Van Gogh Museum, we also booked our tickets in advance. This museum sees over 2 million visitors each year. We saw over 200 paintings on five floors of artwork. The sunflowers and almond blossoms were two of the most iconic and memorable pieces I savored from the trip to the museum. My sister even purchased a silk scarf from the museum gift shop and I took some photos on my phone.

Another excursion we packed into our busy trip was the Heineken Experience. We took a tour through the huge exhibit to see just how Heineken beer is crafted from scratch. Let me tell you, I learned my fair share about how beer is created! This experience also requires tickets in advance, so don’t delay on buying them weeks before you arrive.

You’ll learn about the brand’s origins, see how the barley is mixed inside huge copper vessels, and taste a few Heinekens along the way. If you are of legal drinking age (18 years-old) this is a great chance to partake in such an immersive and innovative beer museum.