Amsterdam in April - why so expensive

[hattie43]

We are looking to do a city break and have been shocked at prices for accommodation, circa £1200 / £1300 for 4 nights ABnB.

Can anyone recommend some clean tidy reasonably priced hotels please .

short lets are limited to 9 weeks a year unless licensed business.
you are better of looking at hotels or holiday parks.
but yes, netherlands in tulip season is expensive.

Amsterdam is very expensive for accommodation + it's tulip season.

I'd stay outside Amsterdam and travel in, there are lots of nice options 30 minutes away and Dutch public transport is awesome.

Not surprisingly to be honest. It‘a s popular tourist destination, Easter school holidays in all of Europe I imagine and it‘s tulip season.

Public transport is easy to navigate, just book outside and get a 3 day pass or pay the rental costs.

The Netherlands is small and public transport is excellent so you could easily stay in Haarlem, Leiden or even Utrecht

We stayed in a Airbnb in a lovely residential area out of the city and took the train in, very quick and easy. We had a bit of a flying visit. We went for the Vermeer exhibition on our wedding anniversary in late May, which was stunning and fitted in a great canal trip with an excellent company but there are dozens to choose from. It's an incredibly busy and rather grubby city, I did like it but don't feel the need to go back. The weather was very cool and overcast which was a bit of a shame but at least it didn't rain.

I used to stay at the Hampton by Hilton Biljmer Arena. It's on the direct train to the airport and also about 10 mins on the train into the centre of Amsterdam. Its seconds from the station. Very clean and comfortable

When are you looking at going? Over the Easter weekend- the Dutch will be off then as well so prices will be high. Mid week shouldn't be so bad. We were tempted to stay here to keep costs low, transport into Amsterdam seems good. https://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/camping-vliegenbos-cabin.en-gb.html?aid=314919&label=keukenhof-6ksnbEscAQStiXftUGX*_QS388465682586%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1160%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atikwd-25508250473%3Alp1006668%3Ali%3Adec%3Adm%3Appccp%3DUmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9YfOICo1LOVmejEBpLq7NOGI&sid=806d64b8901af354ddf85644c44b609c&dest_id=-2150479&dest_type=city&room1=A%2CA&group_adults=2&group_children=0&no_rooms=1&checkin=2024-04-10&checkout=2024-04-12&highlighted_blocks=885743203_358310268_4_0_0&atlas_src=sr_iw_title&ucfs=1

Been similarly taken aback by prices of AirBNBs in Northern Spain for a few nights in August (quite a bit more). But it's not surprising really. They are touristy places during the most popular holiday periods...

Tulips!
Welcome to Keukenhof

Not too far from Amsterdam so you could still go for the day for the big museums but so much nicer to potter about in.

Easter, tulips, koningsdag.

Also go further out from the centre on a good tram or bus line.

Go to Leiden instead, much nicer.

We stayed in the Zaann hotel it's 2 stops via the train into the city and was very clean, friendly and the immediate area around the hotel was not busy which was nice after being the main part of the city.

Also get a 3/4 day travel pass it covers your travel around the city and to the airport, all you need to do is scan it however many times you need to.

April is a very popular time due to the tulips. It was cheaper for us to go mid July last year than in April and it was not as busy as April would have been we were told.

Amsterdam is expensive anyway plus April = Tulips and the 27 April is King’s day, a national holiday.