Flights to Amsterdam with Air France from CAD 1,000*

Amsterdam: in the heart of old Europe

What if you chose Air France, for a flight to Amsterdam? The Dutch capital, whose port was put into song by Jacques Brel, is worth stopping for a few days.

Every year the city with a population of 800,000 welcomes nearly one million tourists. It is a showcase for old European beauty and charm. The city was built in the 13th century and was originally a fisherman capital. Amsterdam's golden age was during the 17th century. The city became a financial center and the world's busiest port. The canals were dug at that time, and today it is still called the “Northern Venice”. Since 2010, the canals have been on UNESCO's World Heritage list. The city has at least 1,200 bridges.

However Amsterdam is also a city of artists, marked by Rembrandt, the great Dutch painter from the 17th century. You may also visit the Van Gogh museum, or Anne Frank's house, the teenage Jewish German girl who died in the death camps, leaving her famous diary behind.

The bicycle, Amsterdam's emblematic way of getting around

Daily flights at competitive prices connect Canada's large airports, especially Montreal and Toronto, to Amsterdam, with usually a stopover in Paris, France. There is a six-hour time difference between Montreal and Amsterdam, nine between Vancouver and Amsterdam. There is 9 to 12 hours travel time for a Montreal-Amsterdam flight.

Once you have arrived, you should know that Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the fourth largest airport in the world, is located about fifteen kilometers from downtown. You can get there by train, bus or taxi.

You may use the subway, bus or tramway to get around in the city. However, the most popular way to travel, and one of Amsterdam's specificities, is of course by bicycle. You will see bicycles on every street corner in Amsterdam; there are about 465,000 in the city! All Amsterdammers use them, no matter what social class they belong to! In fact, the city has over 400 km of bike paths.

Travel to Amsterdam: practical information

The Netherlands is part of the Schengen area which includes 26 European countries, mainly members of the European Union. It acts like a single country for international travel purposes with strengthened external border controls and eliminating internal border controls. So if you go to Amsterdam, you will have no problem entering the 25 other countries.

Once you are there, it is easy to find cheap accommodations. There are many inexpensive hotels. However, it is best to reserve ahead of time because hotels are often full, especially in the spring, a pleasant time to visit Amsterdam.

You can find some great deals if you reserve a hotel through the tourist office.