Lia's Travel Tips: Amsterdam Overnight

Destination: Amsterdam overnight en route to Vienna
Season: late Winter- early Spring
Airline: KLM Royal Dutch
   ETD Manila 11:35 am Manila time. ETA Amsterdam 6:40 pm of the same day, Amsterdam time. Flight Duration: 14 hours & 5 mins non stop

   For the first time in a loooong time, I went on a trip last March without much research on the destination. Kids were about to end the school year and I was busy with work, errands and school related activities. I even bought my ticket only a few weeks before the scheduled flight, very unlike me. But what was very me was my shopping around for a good deal :)!
   With the help of my travel agent, I was able to get around US$700(!) off of my airfare. There was only one catch--- I had to stay in Amsterdam overnight. But what's not to like about spending the night in Amsterdam? Isn't it the land of tulips! Only my absolute favorite flower in the world! I got a good deal and I would stay in a place I had never been to before. It was perfect!

Since I hadn't done much research, I was soooo pleased
KLM had this informative video onboard! It made me feel a
bit more prepared. hahaha!

Schiphol Airport is a destination in itself. It has a library, a
museum, a kids' play area, a casino and lots of shops & restos.

Transportation: There's a complimentary shuttle bus to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Ibis and partner hotels Novotel and Etap. In service from 4:50 am to 1:45 am.

If you want to head straight to the city, that won't be a problem. There's a train station at Schiphol. It's located after passport control at Schiphol Plaza. A train leaves for Amsterdam city center every 10 mins. It'll take you 15 minutes to get there.

Look for this sign if you want to catch a train to the city.

Me waiting(and freezing!) for the shuttle bus to take me to Ibis. Ah, but I was not alone!
In those 8 or so minutes of waiting in freezing weather I thought, "Yey, I'm on holiday!"

Hotel: Ibis Schipholweg 181. 1171Pk Badhoevedorp, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Overnight stay with buffet breakfast starting at 4 am until 12 noon! Now that's what I call traveller-friendly! :)

Breakfast was served here. The "Caribbean". I like! :)

One of several tea and coffee counters

What I call the carbo-loading station :). All sorts of bread!

My favourite station. Cheeses! Holland has some of the best!

Highlights:
* Tulips!

Tulips, tulips, tulips!

More tulips!

I'm reminded of my trip years back in country Victoria, Australia. This photo always makes me smile:

At the Tesselaar Tulip Festival. www.tulipfestival.com.au
Less than an hour's drive from Melbourne, Victoria.

* Amsterdam Schiphol Airport:

Holland Boulevard

Delft blue tiles theme on the inner side of a lampshade

Have tea & some sweets inside this pretty teacup!

If you've got kids with you, let them loose in this Kids Forest....

... while you can hang loose here. Your very own artistic fireplace.
Never mind that it doesn't emit heat. Schiphol keeps the temperature just fine.

Maybe read a book or get some writing done at the library

I may not have had time to visit the Rijksmuseum but the mini-version was a treat!

No time for the Van Gogh Museum either so this Van Gogh inspired bag would have to do, for now :).

On display and on sale at Rijks Museum Schiphol

* Old Holland Cheeses: Hmmm, this is the only "highlight" I don't have a photo of. Must be because I'm way too excited to eat it to even pause to take a photo of it. Hahaha!

* "The Hague" and "Utrecht" in a signpost as opposed to being in an ANC news item about peace talks between the National Democratic Front and the Philippine government. ABS-CBN News Channel(ANC) colleagues and news junkies, you can relate ;).