The Crossroads Traveler - For those at a crossroads or who like to cross roads

A Solo Hike Along the Captivating Thames Path

One woman’s solo hike along the Thames Path National Trail.

Shot of Newbridge along the Thames Path — Newbridge

What Have I Done?

Darkness falls early in England during the month of November. I’d forgotten this as I booked my afternoon train ticket from London’s Paddington Station to the town of Kemble, the beginning of my solo hike along the Thames Path.

I’d been waiting for this trip through 18 long months of COVID travel restrictions, travel bans, and the snail’s pace reopening of both countries. Finally, I could cross this item off my bucket list.

It was certainly light enough when the train left London. It was not crowded, and I enjoyed the 93 minute ride out of the city into the Cotswolds. I never have trouble sleeping on trains, and I was so jet-lagged from my flight from the US, that I was afraid if I gave in to a nap, I’d sleep right through my stop.

Fighting the urge to nod off, I watched the city pass by me through the train window, each stop feeling a little less like London and a little more like the English countryside. It was lightly raining as we left London Paddington and the clouds continued on as we headed west. The sun had already set by the time I stepped off the train at Kemble, and darkness was falling quickly.

A Walk in the Dark

In my jet-lagged mind, I’d forgotten about the one mile walk from the train station to the Thames Head Inn, where I’d booked my first night. It was a dark walk to the pub, and after leaving the center of town, saw that there were no streetlights– or sidewalks. After the bustle of London, and the busyness of the train, the road to the pub was silent except for the infrequent car. Every time I saw headlights, I’d head straight for the tall grass along the road to be extra safe.

Pub dining room — A warm and cozy Thames Head Inn after a cold walk in the dark.

I won’t forget that walk from the train station to the hotel… I could see the Inn off in the distance– all lit up like a friendly oasis in the dark fields surrounding it. The November evening was crisp and the clouds had given way to a dark night full of stars. It was all quite peaceful, except that I was completely alone in the dark.

And it was here, on this dark road, in this very small town, that it hit me. THIS is what I signed up for. Anxiety washed over me, and my old friend “self-doubt” came to visit.

What had I done? Maybe my dad was right– I shouldn’t be doing this.

Solo Hiking the Thames Path

Walking the Thames River Path by Joyce Mackie — The idea began here…

Reading Joyce Mackie’s book about her solo hike along the Thames planted the idea of walking the Path in my head. And it was as if a bolt of lightning struck after receiving a copy of James Thorne’s Rambles by Rivers (1857). That was it– walking the Thames Path firmly rooted itself in my consciousness and nothing would yank it out.

What the Thames Path Is…And Isn’t

Most people probably know some great solo hikers and their accomplishments from books- Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, detailing her solo walk along the Pacific Crest Trail, or even Robyn Davidson’s Treks, describing her 1700 mile journey across Western Australia with three camels.

Maybe you imagine days of wild camping in a tent? Learning to make a fire without matches? Braving wild animals? Getting lost for days on end and having to forage for food?

Let me set you straight from the start. My hike was NOTHING like that.

Town to Town Mileage — Itinerary from the Trailblazer’s Guide…
Notice the title “B&B Style Accomodation”

There were long stretches of solitude and quiet, and there were maps and trail readings (and even getting slightly lost). Instead of bears and wolves, there were pheasants and swans. The Path is kept in excellent condition; there were just a few occasions I had to slog through mud or climb over fallen trees.

I almost always had good cell phone reception and indoor plumbing.

And each night, after a long day of hiking, I enjoyed a hot shower, a fine dinner in a quiet pub, and a cozy bed for a good night’s sleep– excited to repeat the whole process over again the next day… for seventeen days.

The Thames Path is the Goldilocks Trail…

The Path is the best of both worlds for a first-time solo (and even inexperienced) hiker! Not too long, not too short. Not too isolated– or too crowded. Not too wild– or too glamorous. It’s “just right” in so many ways.

Room at Thames Head Inn — My room at the Thames Head Inn. Very cozy.

Amenities Along The Thames Path

As I said earlier, there is good cell phone service all along the Thames Path, even at its most isolated parts. I even found a list of public toilets along the path. The Thames Path is a well-marked trail with an app to download on your phone. The River Thames flows at a pretty gentle grade downhill, and aside from a few footbridges to cross, not much of any climbing is involved either.

The Thames Path

The Thames Path is one of several trails in England and Wales that form the National Trails system. The UK government administers the National Trails system, but there are partnerships with local highway authorities, landowners, and volunteers that maintain them. All the trails are marked with the National Trail symbol of the acorn. When you see the acorn symbol, know you are on a National Trail.

Thames River v. Thames Path: There is a difference…

The Thames River is approx. 215 miles long from its source in the Cotswolds to its mouth at the North Sea. At the time of my hike in November 2021, the official Thames Path ran 184 miles from the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. As of January 2022, an additional 30 more miles of the path were opened, making the Thames Path officially run from source to sea. This additional mileage was not considered part of the trail until a couple of months after my walk– clearly a sign that I need to return to England as soon as I can to walk this additional stage.

There are some isolated spots on the path, particularly from the source of the River Thames to Oxford, but this is not an Appalachian Trail kind of hike.

Why Walk?

Lots of reasons– the Thames Path provided opportunities: to be alone and to have that thinking time we all so desperately crave. It was an opportunity to find self-reliance, independence, and courage.

Coming right down to it, I walked the Thames Path to confront and overcome Fear. Fear of being alone– of something happening that I couldn’t handle. Fear of not encountering people on the Path, and, ironically, fear of encountering people on the Path. Fear of being lonely or homesick. Fear of getting hurt (or worse), and fear of getting hopelessly lost.

Fear of failing.

Living with the anxiety and turmoil of COVID for the past eighteen months had made a deep impression on me. Fear can hold us all back from a lot of things. And I realized I was doing less living and more fearing than I ever wanted.

My remedy for this was to challenge myself in a way I had never done before.

Preparing to Walk The Thames Path

A 184 mile hike takes preparation. I used several resources to acquaint myself with the Thames Path, develop my packing list, and note places to visit along the journey, both on and off the path. Consider these resources when planning your trip:

Resource List

The Thames Path, Trailblazers Guide by Henry Stedman and Joel Newton: My “hiking Bible” because of its detailed maps of the Path and points of interest along the way.
Rambles by Rivers by James Thorne, published in 1857
HikingwithDaveandBarbara.com: Wonderful blog by an English couple who hike all over Europe and Asia. Great videos and text.
National Trails website has information for all the National Trails maintained by the UK.
Joyce Mackie’s Walking the Thames Path: One Woman’s Journey of Adventure and Self-Discovery.
From the App Store:
‘Thames Path Map Lite’ (approx. $5 USD). This is an excellent digital map that kept me on course during my walk. The app also shows public footpaths in the general area as well. *If you are considering leaving all the paper at home and just going digital- don’t. It sounds great in theory but what happens if your phone is lost? Wet? Out of battery? A backup is not a bad thing.
Rome2Rio app: Works similarly to Google Maps with easy-to-read list of options for transportation from anywhere to anywhere.
Train Pal : Train ticket booking app
Booking.com. I booked accommodations online for each night.
There were also a few terrific Facebook Groups I joined for ideas, confidence, and moral support: Love Her Wild, Adventure Queens, Solo Female Travelers, Thames Path Walkers, and The Thames Path National Trail.
Any good currency converter app

Packing for a Thames Path Hike

My backpack for the Thames Path hike was almost item for item what I packed for my Iceland trip the previous August, and the total pack weight was 15 lbs. Here’s my photo from the Iceland trip with a complete list of items. I left my inflatable pillow and flip flops behind for this adventure.

Three pairs hiking socks
Long Underwear
One long sleeve activewear shirt
One lightweight Henley long sleeve shirt
One medium weight hoodie
One collapsible day pack
Rain poncho
One pair lightweight sneakers for after hiking
Two pairs hiking pants
First aid supplies
Toiletries (including toilet paper)
Journal/Pen
Thames Path Trailblazer guide
One emergency On the Go toilet
Travel-size CPAP machine (not pictured)
Walking poles (not pictured)* Most important item I used every day! Saved me a lot of slips on wet leaves and mud.
Collapsible water bottle
Swiss Army knife
Personal alarm

I minimized weight in my pack by removing pages from my guidebook as I completed each stage, leaving the pages behind at that evening’s accomodation. Perhaps the person that found them was inspired by the read?

Personal Safety on the Thames Path

As a woman traveling solo on the Thames Path, personal safety was at the top of my mind, and I continuously searched for news articles mentioning crime on the Thames Path prior to my hike. I also asked questions about Path safety in some of the Facebook groups to which I belong.

In the end, it comes down to risk management. Doesn’t everything? Nothing is ever 100% safe, even crossing the street. But I did put some thought into reducing my risk…

I carried several items that gave me some peace of mind. First, my walking poles could certainly be used defensively if needed. Also, I purchased a can of marking spray upon my arrival in England. Note that Mace is illegal to carry in the UK.

Use Common Sense…

I also purchased a personal alarm before I left, which I attached to my clothing. I could just give a quick pull if needed. It could also be used as an alarm for a hotel door or window for extra reassurance at night, although I never felt the need to use it.

Most importantly, I let my family know my plans and checked in with them each night after arriving at my destination. Sunset in the UK in November occurs early (around 4:30 PM), and I made a great effort to end each day’s hike before nightfall, only misssing my deadline twice.

Following the Thames Path

The great thing about walking alongside a river is that– you’re walking along a river! You’d think it would be a no-brainer, but the Path, especially in the beginning stages, veers away from the water from time to time.

That said, the Thames Path is very well marked, and with the exception of a wrong turn on the path somewhere in the middle of Oxford, I had no trouble. Whenever I was uncertain (particularly in London where there were some detours due to construction), I used my Thames Path app, which was accurate and reliable.

Along the Thames Path

It’s not a great use of blog space to give a stage-by-stage description of the Thames Path. You can find that in the resources I mentioned above. However, this post might give you some general insights I learned on my hike.

Some hikers are keen to take in the history along the Path. Some might be drawn to it for their love of literature, and others for the natural beauty, or perhaps bird watching. Some for quiet.

That said, I’m an “All of the Above” type person and I vowed to fit as much as I could into this trip, but I was surprised just how much there is to see, experience, and learn. Be an eager student. The Thames Path has a lot to teach you.

Through the Countryside….

The Thames Path starts in the Cotswolds and wends its way through small towns, villages, and smaller cities on its way towards London. There are times, particularly before reaching Oxford, when you will feel very isolated, but I had plenty of sheep and cows for company.

I began my walk on a chilly but sunny November morning, and took my time at the source of the river– taking in the quiet and solitude. Of course, I spent some time among the sheep that were grazing nearby, and let the magnitude of the walk ahead of me sink in.

Ironically, at the beginning of the trail you will not see any river at all. The source of the mighty Thames is an underground spring, and it is marked by stone sitting in a quiet meadow dotted with sheep.

It’s quite some distance before the underground spring pokes its head above ground. I don’t even remember the actual point I became aware of it. All of a sudden, the water appeared to my left. It was there as my companion and I would rarely leave its side throughout my seventeen days of walking.

Thames Head Marker — Source of the River Thames

Through small villages and towns…

And larger cities like Oxford and Greenwich…

The Thames Path for History Lovers

The River Thames meanders through different eras of British history. Follow the river around a bend, and wander into a completely different era. From “pillboxes” that guarded the Thames during WWII, to Tudor history, to Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed.

The Thames Path for Art Lovers

The sheer amount of public art I saw on the Thames Path was a huge surprise, increasing in its frequency as I approached London. I made it a point to stop and look each time, even though it added significant time to my day.

Father Thames sits at the River, just past Lechlade. I came upon Father Thames early in the morning and spent some time sitting with the statue in the quiet, giving him a rub on his head for good luck as I left him.

A lovely bronze statue at Henley-on-Thames:

I saw this strange structure on my way to Marlow, on or near the Culham Court Estate, but I never found out the name of this, or its meaning.

There’s fabulous public art at Runnymede….

Whatever you do…Don’t miss Kew!

I only intended to stop briefly at Kew Gardens, but Kew is so much more than a quick drop in!! The original 90 minutes I’d planned turned into over three hours staring at the incredible artwork, not to mention the gardens! Inside, outside, all over the place. It did throw off my hiking schedule for the day, but this was so worth it! Be sure to leave yourself ample time to enjoy all that Kew has.

As an amateur beekeeper, I spent a lot of time admiring The Hive:

Imagine yourself entering a beehive…

Past Kew, public art pieces increase considerably as you walk into London. During the later stages of the Thames Path, you often have a choice of which bank you walk, northern or southern. No matter which side you choose, you won’t be disappointed… I’ll walk the opposite bank next time to catch what I missed the first time around.

And Just Plain Unusual Things on the Thames Path…

Seventeen Days Walking: Alone- Not Lonely

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I could complete this hike. Though I can walk six miles comfortable without a pack or need of a rest, I am by no means an experienced hiker. It didn’t matter that I’d have a comfortable bed in a pub every night; this hike would be a physical challenge as well as an emotional one.

Lots of space (and time) to think

From the Tate Museum- I like to think of the spiral as my personal “symbol” and when I see it, I know I’m on the right path.

The hike– the very act of putting one foot in front of the other for hours on end– seemed to make room in my head for all kinds of new thoughts. One observation would open up a whole chain of memories I hadn’t thought of in years– people I’d lost track of, past experiences and conversations with others.

Passing by a mulberry tree reminded me of the mulberry tree outside my childhood home. I remembered long-forgotten conversations with family or friends… it was as if all the space in my head that was constantly taken up with thoughts and decisions of daily living was suddenly vacant creating room for lots of other thoughts. I was grateful for the space I had to think, reminisce, and dream.

Facing My Shadow Side

Self doubt and fear can overpower me if I let them, but it was important that I overcome my “shadow side.” Whenever I felt fear or anxiety welling up inside me, I ran through the litany of things I had working my favor. I had proper clothing and hiking boots. I had a map and a cell phone. I am a generally careful person. And after a few days of hiking, my confidence felt steadier. Anxiety more easily gave way to me reassuring myself that I would be fine.

As an introvert, I enjoy spending a lot of time alone and in my head. I love to daydream, think, explore, and ruminate in solitude, and I really didn’t feel lonely, even though I was very much alone. Other hikers and locals walking dogs would appear on the trail in its early stages. We’d nod hello and continue on our separate ways.

After reaching Oxford, the path becomes far more populated so being isolated was less of a concern. There was always a person, road, town, or train/bus line very close by.

Traveling from Pub to Pub or Establishing a Home Base?

During the first half of the trip, I used my Booking.com app to find a place each evening. Since I was not walking during the warm weather months, it was easy to make reservations. I enjoyed walking with my pack each day and setting up my home each night. There’s something deeply satisfying about being self-sufficient. Everything I had was on my back. Not more, not less.

Lodging During First Half of Hike

Kemble: Thames Head Inn
Cricklade: AirBnB at Godby’s Farm. It was beautiful but almost a mile off the Thames Path.
Lechlade: The Riverside Inn
Newbridge: The Rose Revived
Dorchester-on-Thames: White Hart Hotel
Near Oxford (Woodstock): The Blenheim Buttery. This was off-path as I visited Blenheim Palace.
Pangbourne: Elephant Hotel
Henley-on-Thames: The Catherine Wheel (two nights because I loved this town so much that I stayed an extra day)

London Home Base

My home base for last week of hiking was Yotel in London. Efficient and inexpensive.

As I got closer to London, I experimented with setting up a home base– just to see how it worked out. Public transportation is ubiquitous in the UK; why not take advantage of it? Using London as a home base, I was able to take the train (and later the Tube) out to where I’d left off the previous day, walk the next stage of my hike, and then take the train or bus back into London. I’d spend my evenings wandering around London, trying restaurants and seeing different parts of the city.

Since I stayed in one place for the last half of my hike (6 days, plus my two free days at the end of the hike), I was able experience the feeling of coming home to the familiar each night. I created my own little neighborhood around my hotel and got to know the woman who worked at my favorite coffee shop, the person who helped me with my laundry, and the hotel clerk. These personal touchpoints made me feel at home.

Again, the surprise was on me. I loved both moving from town-to-town and establishing a home base equally. It was great spending each night in a new place and using my late afternoon and evenings to explore. New town, new adventure, new people.

Lessons from a Solo Hike On the Thames Path

The Idiot Check

It seems so simple– wake up, get dressed, and set off for a day of hiking. And waking up after my first day of hiking in preparation for my second day, I was amazed at how quickly everything came together– or so I thought.

My walk from Godby’s Farm to the Thames Path in Cricklade was about half a mile- I was on an emotional high from making it through my first day of hiking without too much trouble, and I couldn’t wait to get back out again! I walked through the town, with a steadier rain falling, and readied myself with my walking poles when I got on the Path.

Only my walking poles were not there. I had left them back at my AirBnB…

Lesson: ALWAYS do an Idiot Check before leaving a place. It will save you time and headaches later on.

Things Don’t Go As Planned…It Will Be Okay

Part of the reason I wanted to do a solo walk was to flex my self-reliance. What would happen if something didn’t go as planned? Could I get myself out of a jam?

Day 3 of my walk was one of the most isolated (and lengthy) stages of the Path. It is 16 miles in length- from Lechlade to Newbridge. I was going along pretty well, doing a great job walking along a fair amount of farmland and avoiding all kinds of poo- sheep poo, horse poo, cow poo. At Mile 11, I spied a shortcut across a field. Rather than stay on the path that hugs the edge of the river, I cut across the open field, finding that off path was quite muddy.

I made it across most of the field before “muddy” turned more into water than soil. I was unable to find dry ground and both edges of the field were blocked by a thicket. It seemed pretty impenetrable and after walking back and forth, testing some areas with my poles, I chose what I thought was the best place to cross.

With my first tentative step, my foot hit the ground and then kept sinking, down, down…and down some more. I recall that wonderful line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: “He chose poorly.” I sure did.

My boots are waterproof but no amount of membrane will save you if water enters from the top around the boot opening! I was wet nearly to my knee and my boot was completely covered in mud.

Worse, every time I tried pulling my foot up out of the mud, I could feel my hiking boot start sliding off my foot!

Scoop, don’t lift…

Rather than lifting my foot out straight up, I pushed it forward, then lifted, like I was scooping up the mud to see how much I could bring up on my foot and leg.

It’s a lot. My boot, sock, and lower pant leg were soaked through.

Mud is nowhere near the worst thing in the world, but I knew I couldn’t make it through the last five miles of my walk without changing into some dry pants and socks.

Fortunately, a town was about a mile away. I got off the Path at the Trout at Tadpole Bridge. The pub was offering a lovely Sunday roast complete with linens on the tables. I made a fine entrance walking in –dripping water and mud with every step, and I remain very grateful to the host that day, who was very kind in not cringing (at least outwardly) when I entered the pub.

At the Trout, it was easy to call a cab service to drive me to my reservation at The Rose Revived in Newbridge. I spent the first hour there cleaning my boots, myself, and my clothes in my bathroom.

Lesson: Roll with setbacks and learn to break down your problems into smaller solveable solutions.

Secondly: Scoop, don’t lift, when trying to extract your boots from mud.

Also, putting crumpled up newspaper (or even toilet paper) in your hiking boots each night will help to absorb moisture.

Trusting My Instincts

As I said earlier, one of my biggest reasons for walking was learning to overcome Fear. Fear. Everyone asks me if I was ever afraid for my safety while walking. I wasn’t for the most part, except for one section of the Thames Path in the city of Reading.

I had entered Reading from Pangbourne, around 10:30 am, and it was a beautiful sunny day. The Path was fairly desolate that morning but Reading is a largish city and the Path goes right through it. The Path is also a quite narrow at this point– there are no sweeping views of the river bank. Here, the Path has the River on the left side of it, and a brick wall or a chain link fence on its right. After some distance feeling hemmed in on both sides by water and barrier, it gives way to a parking lot of some sort before continuing on with the river and wall theme.

Is it Anxiety or Instinct?

At that parking lot break, I past a man sitting in a car just staring at me. Now I know that I was quite a sight all kitted out with my backpack, water pouch, and walking poles– but I couldn’t shake the weird feeling I had.

I followed my instincts, leaving the trail and heading directly into the city of Reading. I took a train up a couple of towns to Shiplake, where I picked my walk and entered Henley-on-Thames. And a beautiful walk it was.

Lesson: Trust your instincts.

Letting Go of the “Shoulds” and “Musts”

I’m a planner. I love “to-do” lists and schedules. One of my favorite parts of traveling is the planning itself. I make lists of everything I want to see and do and plan out my days as carefully as I can.

In those first days of walking, I was almost obsessed with the mechanics of my hike. I would look at my pedometer constantly to gauge my speed and distance, plotting out exactly where I’d break for a rest or a meal. If I didn’t think I was walking as fast as I should, I’d pick up speed, or I’d skip past things that had caught my interest– because I thought that I SHOULD be somewhere else.

You’re right where you should be…

But where did I really have to be? (Except maybe at Heathrow for my return trip home). I obsessed over stopping or not stopping to enjoy something and how that would affect my hiking for that day and finishing the entire path in the time I had allotted.

If I hadn’t learned to let go of the “musts” and “shoulds”, I would have missed some amazing opportunities. A trip off-trail to Blenheim Palace, a day off hiking to visit the Tate Museum– even experiencing the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony in Central London.

Lesson: Like the song says… Let It Go. I was so caught up in reaching my destination that I was forgetting the journey was the most important thing.

It took me more time than I’d like to admit to come to terms with this. My walk was my walk. I could race through it in order to get to my desination or enjoy the surprises that came with slowing down. I chose the latter. And so should you.

Allow Yourself to be Surprised

I wish I had kept track of the number of times my expectations were overturned– almost always for the good.

I came across a group of women wild swimming.
Had a brought my bathing suit, I probably would have joined them.

The Long Term Effects of the Thames Path Hike

After seventeen days of hiking, I reached the official end of the Thames Path at the Thames Barrier. This massive structure protects London from the high tides and storms moving up from the North Sea. Though this final stretch of hike is not the prettiest, there was still a feeling of accomplishment like no other when I arrived.

I had taken my sweet time on the last stage, walking around the Naval College and checking out the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. Somewhat fittingly, my last day of hiking ended as the sun was just setting.

A year out of my Thames Path hike, I’m still culling lessons from the experience.

I did it…and you can too.

The Thames Barrier, which back in 2021, was the end of the official Thames Path Trail

Sometimes I stop in my middle of my day and just remind myself that I didn’t dream any of it. I walked the Thames River. When I’m in the middle of a busy day, I remember the quiet paths of the Thames and the freedom of walking from town to town.

And if you are reading this, perhaps you are saying to yourself, “I could never do this.”

Trust me… you can.

Camping Around Iceland’s Ring Road

Beautiful church located just above the camp

At long last, a chance to explore again…

Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been dreaming of packing up and heading out somewhere… anywhere. My husband and I did make a quick trip to New York City in April, but rather than satisfy my lust to wander, all it did was make me want it more. What more exotic place to wander than Iceland’s Ring Road?

Why Iceland and the Ring Road?

Iceland captivated us two years ago when we made a quick stop to Reykjavik on the way to Scotland. Icelandair offers the ability to stopover in their country on a transatlantic crossing at no additional charge. We spent two beautiful days in Reykjavik, driving a bit up the western coast too, before we had to leave. We were immediately bewitched, bothered, and bewildered by the country that felt more like another planet.

So as the world slowly opened its doors again, Iceland beckoned, and we couldn’t wait to explore more of this stunning country. It was our goal to drive around Iceland’s Ring Road (Route 1) and see as much as we could in the week that we had.

Preparing for Iceland…

Ideally, you should have more than one week to drive the Ring Road– closer to ten days to two weeks to really take it all in at a steady pace. However one week was all we could take off from work. It is doable, but it definitely requires more preparation. You just don’t have time to “waste” if you want to get all around Iceland and back in seven days, and we used the following printed resources to get organized:

Rick Steves’ Iceland
The Lonely Planet Guide to Iceland
Atlas Obscura’s “122 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to do in Iceland“

I also found a great website article that I referenced time and time again. https://icelandtrippers.com/iceland-ring-road/ This article really helped me to first list all the stops on the Ring Road that really interested me, and then prioritize and pare down to form our “can’t miss” list. We knew we would be doing a fair amount of physical activity too. I took a photo of everything I packed so you could see it. I also packed two freeze dried camping meals as a “just in case” since we would be arriving in Iceland on a national holiday. A lot would be closed and I wanted to be sure to have at least some food that first day.

Packing for Iceland’s Ring Road

Everything you read will tell you that you can encounter any and all of the four seasons in one Icelandic day. They are correct. Think layers, think warm clothes. I don’t believe in checking luggage so I packed everything to fit into a backpack. Note: I am 4’11” so the backpack is not huge– maybe 35L?

In terms of specific items, I packed the following:

One pair of flip flops to use in camper showers and swimming pools
Bathing suit
Long underwear to use for sleeping or hiking
Three pairs of hiking socks and underwear
One sports bra
Two pairs hiking pants
Two moisture wicking long sleeve athletic shirts
One inflatable pillow
One 2L water bottle, collapsible
Waterproof and windproof jacket
Collapsible daypack to bring on short hikes
Two “Go Anywhere” toilet kits
Pen and journal
Emergency whistle
Toiletries: including mole skin, ace bandage and tape, various medications for pain, stomach upset and sinus, makeup wipes, deodorant, hairbrush, hair ties, makeup sticks, shower gel, and toothbrush/toothpaste etc.

Most of the items I packed are in the photo, except for the bathing suit. It all fit into the backpack just fine. We also brought along walking sticks, which we did use on our hikes, but left at the Go Campers site for someone else to use.

I WORE on the plane my most bulky clothes: jeans, hiking boots, short sleeve shirt with a tunic for chillier days.

Lastly, I downloaded the following apps: Parka.is, which allows you to pay for parking in Iceland without having go to one of the pay parking stations, a currency converter to make Krona to USD conversions easier, and I bookmarked www.en.vedur.is so we could check for excessive winds (recommended by our Go Campers assistant).

Nine hundred miles, two people, one camper van, and the Ring Road…

In my reading about driving the Ring Road,we became excited about the idea of renting a camper van for the trip. There are several really great places to rent camper vans, and we chose Go Campers to rent a Go Smart 2 person automatic camper. Be aware that many car and van rental services offer manual transmission vehicles. If you don’t know how to drive stick, then be sure your rental is an automatic.

Iceland’s Ring Road is fully paved, as our most of the roads around the coast of the country. However, roads that cut through the middle of the country (designed to save you time) are often not. These are F-roads (and roads are marked with an “F” in front of the route number. Only 4x4s are able to travel the F roads, so if you want to go super rugged, be sure you get a rental that is approved for F road use.

Pic of Campervan — Our home for the next seven days…

The camper really had everything we needed for seven days on the road, minus indoor plumbing. The van came with mattresses, pillows and blankets for two people; a butane hotplate; heater (for chilly Icelandic nights); pots, dishes, and cutlery; and curtains to block out the sun late night and early mornings. It was actually quite cozy. We also rented two camping chairs for the trip, and two towels since renting was easier than packing them. Most campsites and camper rental places have a “you pick” area where you can leave or pickup things you don’t need. We picked up a small bottle of shampoo and we returned the unused portion at the end of our trip for someone else to use.

Note: Be sure you take photos or a video of your van BEFORE you leave the rental parking lot. It will help in case there is some question about damage upon return.

Before we began driving the Ring Road, we stopped into a local grocery store for some supplies. For about $22 USD, I bought some bananas and a couple of clementine, a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, and some Ramen noodles packages. We also bought on a second trip some paper towels, dish towel, and instant coffee. We planned to do a mix of cooking on the stove and eating out, so no need for a ton of groceries. Just enough to get by.

If I had to do it over again, I would likely bring or rent sleeping bags. While the blankets and heated van were plenty warm, they were just blankets and easily moved off me if I moved too much at night. A sleeping bag would have provided a cozier space is all.

Camping Card or No Camping Card..

Campers in Iceland are given the opportunity to purchase a seasonal Camping Card. It is sold at campsites, van rental sites, Orkan gas stations, and a host of other places. In 2021, the Camping Card could be purchased for 159 Euros, or approx. $188 USD. It allows you to camp at any of 45 campgrounds around the whole of Iceland without paying any extra fee (except for showers, laundry, etc). The Camping Card is only good for the season, from May 15 – September 15 of each year for a maximum of 28 nights for one family (two adults and up to four children 16 and under).

Pricing for camping in Iceland will vary by campground but are generally around $20-30 USD per person per night. Unless you are going to spend more than seven nights in a campground during your trip, it doesn’t usually pay to get the Camping Card.

You’ll Need to Make Choices on the Ring Road

If you are like us, and don’t have unlimited time to travel Iceland’s Ring Road, prepare to make some choices. There’s LOTS to do on the Ring Road (let alone the whole country) and you will have to make peace with the fact that you just can’t see it all. Because there was a volcano erupting at the time, we made the decision to spend the day hiking to it in lieu of seeing something else. But a volcanic eruption is a transient thing– and who knows when it would come around again. That meant less time for us to hike to a nearby waterfall. See? Choices.

Day 1: Arrival in Reykjavik and Hike to Fagradalsfjall, Camp at Grindavik

Iceland is full of volcanoes that erupt from time to time. We were incredibly fortunate to be in Iceland at the tail end of a volcanic eruption that began in March! Falgradalsfjall had been erupting like clockwork during the early months of its eruption but became much less predictable just before we arrived.

Still, one doesn’t often get the chance to see an erupting volcano in person so we made sure to devote our first day to climbing as close as we could to see what was left of the eruption and the smouldering lava fields that went on for miles.

The volcano was not spewing or exploding lava, but was still incredibly impressive.

Our campsite that evening was at Grindavik. It is a very well known and popular campsite as it’s very close to Keflavik Airport, the city of Reykjavik, and has excellent facilities. The main camping building has communal kitchen facilities, showers, and toilets. All were very clean and people were quite friendly– sitting together, cooking their dinners and talking. I took these photos late the next morning ; most everyone had taken off for the day but we were jetlagged. Camping is a great way to meet fellow travelers and to share experiences. Don’t pass up the opportunity to talk with them.

Grindavik Campsite Main Building — The main camping building at Grindavik.

Campsite View #1 — The main camping building at Grindavik.

Day 2: Hike to Reykjadalur Hot Springs and Camping at Vik

Our first full day in Iceland began with a leisurely (and I mean leisurely) wake up at around 10:30 am and breakfast in the fishing village nearby. So we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in a local cafe’ right on the water, Cafe’ Briggjan. I got my favorite Suisse Mocha and an Icelandic pastry. The cafe’ was cozy, full of locals and tourists alike, and I soaked in the atmosphere.

Jet lag is a funny thing- sometimes I can shake it off easily and get right in sync with the time change, and sometimes not. I’ve learned over the years of traveling not to fight too much with what my body is telling me. If I have to sleep, I sleep- or I won’t enjoy anything.

Reykjadalur Hot Springs

Reykjadalur Hot Springs is just off the Ring Road an hour’s drive from the Grindavik campsite. After parking the car at the pay parking lot, the walk to the thermal river is two mile hike with an ascent of about 1/4 mile.

The walk up to the hot springs is wild, rugged, and will leave you with your mouth hanging open in awe: pools of boiling mud a short distance away from streams, waterfalls and mountain goats. Keep the camera handy and enjoy the silence as you leave the tourist info center and others behind.

At the end of the hike up the mountain, my sore and tired muscles were rewarded with this…

Among all this natural beauty and wonder, a thermal river and hot springs just waiting for tired hikers. We brought our bathing suits but note that there are no facilities at all, just an area where you can leave your belongings.

The hot springs are about a foot deep in most places, so you can’t actually “swim” in them, but you can sit and relax almost like a hot tub.

A photo of one of the changing areas at the hot springs.

Overnight at Vik Campgrounds

Because we had spent so much time up at the hot springs and had a late start to begin with, we opted to skip Selfoss and drive straight to our campground in Vik for the evening. Vik is a beautiful small town located just off the Ring Road and it was an easy drive there. The campsite is very conveniently located right in the center of town within walking distance of an Icewear (camping and outdoor gear store) and a Bonus grocery store. There is also a small food stand located inside a school bus right next to the campsite: The School Beans Cafe.

Beautiful church located just above the camp
Though there were cooking facilities at the campsite, we decided to try out our butane fueled hot plate that came with the rental. We cooked one of our REI meals and it was delicious after a full day of hiking.
Gorgeous scenery surrounding the campgrounds
Black Sand Beach is located right across from the campgrounds… no explanation required as to why it is named that.

A Word About Washing Machines…

Very often there are washing machines at the campsites, but they come with a bit of an explanation. First, is that you should plan on paying for them above your campground fee. I found them to be about $8 USD. You usually pay for a token at the camp warden’s office and then use that in the machine but every campground does it differently. Second, these machines are super energy and water efficient and do take some time to clean your clothes. So plan on spending a couple of hours doing your laundry when needed. Third, there are usually only one or two of each at each campsite, so you are competing with the other campers for the use of the facility.

Though this was only day 2 of our trip, we decided to try out the washing machines at the campsites. More about that below…

The easier thing would be to rinse items out by hand and then hang to dry in the van…. if you rinse one or two items out each night in the camp sink, it is much easier to keep on top of things and not have to waste a lot of time waiting for the wash.

You have better things than laundry to do on your vacation…

Day 3: Glaciers, Icebergs and the Road to Hofn

After two days of driving the Ring Road, we took a look at our itinerary for the next few days. It was clear that we were moving at a slower pace than we needed in order to make it all the way back to Reykjavik to return the camper in time. Taking our time each morning to hit the road was not helping us either. We took a look at our map and our “can’t miss” list of stops each of us wanted to make. We’d seen a volcano, we’d seen hot springs– how about a glacier for today?

Skaftafell

Skaftafell sits on the edge of the Vatnajokull National Park in southeast Iceland. There are plenty of hiking trails at Skaftafell that range from very easy to challenging. You can choose whatever you like based on your time and fitness level. There are also guided tours that will take you walking on the glacier. Because we knew were pressed for time, we skipped the tours and took Hiking Trails 1/2 to view the glacier. It’s a very easy hike to get you within good view of the glacier.

And down the road… Fjallsarlon Glacial Lagoon and Diamond Beach

After viewing the glacier, it’s just a short drive over to Fjallsarlon Glacial Lagoon to view icebergs. No hiking to this site, just pull off Ring Road into a parking lot and it’s right there. There are also boat tours of the glacial lagoon if you want a more close up view.

After the glacier calves, the icebergs float out of the glacial lagoon, across the Ring Road, to the North Atlantic. Diamond Beach is a great place to watch the bergs flow gently out to the ocean.

From Diamond Beach, we drove to our campsite at Hofn, just south of the Eastern Fjords. The campsite is really quite large and we had no trouble finding a nice spot to spend the night.

Day 4: The Eastern Fjords

The Ring Road hugs the coast on the east side of Iceland– tracing in and out of the nooks and crannies that are the Eastern Fjords. There are some lovely small towns on this side of the country, and they are always worth a stop and look around. We were heading to Seydisfjordur, a much photographed town in Eastern Iceland.

One of my favorite parts of Iceland is the amount of public art located throughout the country. Along today’s drive, after miles of isolation, we spotted The Red Chair, just waiting for us. I’m not sure why an artist was inspired to bolt a huge bright red chair to the rocks on eastern Iceland, but it certainly catches the attention of everyone who drives by. Go ahead and climb up to have a seat. You know you want to.

The Road to Seydisfjordur

The road to Seydisfjordur is as interesting as the town itself. At Egilsstadir (a nice sized small city/large town) there will be a right turn onto Route 93 to Seydisfjordur. This is a stunning car ride through the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass and should not be missed! It is gorgeous and was also the first time we saw the sun since we had arrived in Iceland. I don’t say this with regret, as I love cloudy weather. But the sun did illuminate more of the scenery. Along the road into town is another work of public art that I (stupidly) did stop for other than a passing photo.

Another famous public art installation in Iceland. TV sets mounted onto colored blocks with the Icelandic mountains in the background.

Also along the road is Gufufoss- an easy pull off to the side of the road to walk up to view the falls.

Gufufoss

Seydisfjordur

Seydisfjordur is one of the most photographed towns in Iceland, and while it’s very quaint, neither of us felt we needed to spend a lot of time there. We viewed the lovely rainbow path up to the church, and walked around a bit, but we were craving a bit more action and wanted to reach Akureyi that evening.

And a Hotel Splurge in Akureyri

After a long afternoon driving from Seydisfjordur to Akureyri– about three and a half-four hours, we decided to splurge on a hotel that evening. We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Kea right in the center of Akureyri. Hotels in Iceland are generally expensive and given that this was the height of the tourist season, we paid about $290 USD for the room. But it was nice to have just a few more comforts than usual and we took full advantage of the location.

Day 5: Akureyri

Akureyri is the second largest city in Iceland– about 18-20,000 people if that helps. Truthfully, I can’t decide which city, Akureyri or Reykjavik, that I like better. Our intent was to drive back along the Ring Road to view the Dettifoss waterfall (one of the most powerful in Europe), and perhaps the Mytvatn Nature Baths, but we had just seen Gufu and Godafoss Waterfalls and the Reykjadalur Hot Springs. We really wanted to explore a new city and area so we elected to spend the day in and around Akureyri.

Our road trip that morning took us up road number 82 to explore the Trollaskagi Peninsula. The drive was spectacular and we had gorgeous views of the Greenland Sea and Grimsey Island. For those looking for an additional adventure, it is possible to take a ferry to Grimsey Island to see the Arctic Circle marker.

Stops on the Trollaskagi Peninsula included Dalvik and Siglufjordur. The drive to Siglufjordur is hair-raising. It includes a very high cliff drive followed by a one-way tunnel. Yes, a one-way tunnel. So if you are heading north, you must yield to drivers going south, and there are convenient pull-offs for cars every 100 feet or so in the tunnel. If you aren’t used to it (and we weren’t), you have to figure it out on the spot.

Night at Akureyri Campsite and Swimming Pool!

Every town in Iceland, large or small, has a public swimming pool which residents use year round. Visitors are also welcome to use the local pool and I gave it a go at the Akureyri Sundlauger (swimming pool), just across the street from our campsite. I did not bring my camera into the pool area for obvious reasons but here are some stock photos so you can see it.

https://sundlaugar.is/en/sundlaugar/akureyri-swimming-pool/

Since Akureyi is a large city, the pool had a lot of amenities including two water slides (that would rival several in the US), two large swimming pools, and four hot tubs (each tub set to a different temperature). In each hot tub were personal water jets for each person to relax tension out of his or her body.

Public swimming pools are super clean and the US could learn a thing or two with how orderly Icelanders set up theirs. First, you MUST take off your shoes before entering the locker room. Second, you MUST take a complete shower (with soap and without a bathing suit on) before entering the pool. There is also a separate drying room before you go back to your locker so that the locker room is CLEAN and DRY.

More shots of Akureyi:

Godafoss Waterfall just outside the city.

Day 6: Horseback Riding and Back to Reykjavik

Many places throughout Iceland provide an opportunity for horseback riding on native Icelandic horses. These horses are smaller than what you may be used to in other countries, and even look pony-sized, but they are considered their own breed of horses.

Even though I only took a few riding lessons, I love horses and wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to ride an Icelandic horse. AND, my husband had never been on a horse before! OK, I couldn’t miss this.

We chose to ride at PolarHestar, a farm about 30 minutes north of Akureyri. We chose this farm specifically because it offered a variety of tours, including some that were 1-2 hours in length. Best part of the tour (besides the amazing scenery that surrounded us) was that our guide instructed us how to take the horses up to a gallop! In every other guided horse tour I’ve done, we always stay at a slow walking pace. Riding the horses at a gallop was thrilling!

First time on a horse, and he is hooked!
Polar Hestar is a working farm with horses and sheep. This little beauty is bottle-fed so was very docile.

And Back to Reykjavik…

In preparation for turning in our campervan the next day, we make the 4.5 hour drive back to Reykjavik right after our morning at Polarhestar. While we had been to Reykjavik in 2018, we love spending time in Iceland’s capital.

The Reykjavik Eco Campsite (about a 30 minute walk from downtown) is huge. Plenty of room for everyone and very nice facilities.

Day 7: Thingvellir and Strokkur

We drove into Reykjavik from our campsite for a stop at our favorite breakfast place, Mokka Kaffi. If you go, be sure to try the homemade waffles with whipped cream and jam.

Of course, I accompanied this with my favorite Suisse Mocha

On our last day, we used it to visit two places in the Golden Circle: Thingvellir National Park and Strokkur geyser.

Throughout my life, I’ve been fascinated by the edges of things– the exact place where one thing meets another– it’s liminality. There’s no better place to explore the edge, whatever that is, in Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park. This is where the two tectonic plates (North American and Eurasian) meet up.

If you stand between the two tectonic plates, not quite North America and not quite Europe, then where are you really?

We’d seen a volcano, glacier, icebergs, black sand beaches, thermal river, pools of boiling mud… but not a geyser. We left Thingvellir National Park to head over to Strokkur Geysir. This is the most regularly active geysir in Iceland and erupts on a precise schedule. No need to explain. Just watch.

Ending our Ring Road Trip

Our last day in Iceland was spent taking care of last minute details. The campervan needed to be returned and we had to take a COVID test to return to the US. While I hope that COVID tests are not the norm forever, you do need to leave yourself some time. We used AZOVA for a video visit with someone who watched us take our test using the Ellume COVID 19 rapid test.

Returning the campervan was easy at Go Campers. From there, we stayed at the Marriott near Keflavik International Airport since our flight to Boston’s Logan Airport was early the next morning. We treated ourselves to dinner in the hotel restaurant, where we had the BEST bread and Icelandic butter I ever had.

End of Ring Road adventure — It was a little sad saying goodbye to our temporary home!

Costs Associated with Trip

Because of my love of travel, I’m always looking to have my money go as far as possible. Iceland is a notoriously expensive country to visit since so many goods and services have to be imported. Lodging, gas/petrol etc. are very expensive.

We faithfully use a Chase Sapphire card so we can accrue Ultimate Rewards Points to be used on ANY airline at ANY time. We had accrued enough for two free economy tickets to Iceland on Delta Airlines.

The campervan was by far the cheapest way to travel around Iceland as we didn’t have to pay for additional lodging (except when we wanted to). Our rental for a two person automatic campervan was approx. $1800. Remember that gas is VERY expensive–about $8 per gallon, but the van got excellent mileage.

That left food (we used our camping stove whenever possible and only ate breakfast at cafes- gotta have my Suisse mocha. Maybe a couple of restaurant dinner but nothing super fancy. We made use of grocery stores whenever possible.

Best news is that many of Iceland’s sights are free! You just need to pay to park.

We Assume We’ll Go Back…

The Ring Road is just what it sounds like, a simple two-lane road that circles the country. And yet in all its simplicity, it allows for endless opportunities to explore Iceland. Another trip around the Ring Road would comprise a whole new set of experiences– and even though the route is the same, it would be a completely different adventure.

10 Tips for a Fabulous Week in Amsterdam

Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to expect in Amsterdam. My friends asked why my husband (Steven) and I chose to spend a week there, implying that there wasn’t enough to do in the city to justify a week’s stay, and we would end up being very very bored. But we read lots of guidebooks and websites and refused to set any expectations. Here are ten tips for a fabulous week in Amsterdam…

1. It’s not just pot and porn…

As it turns out, Steven and I could not be happier that we chose Amsterdam as our vacation spot for six days last September. I was overwhelmed by the tremendous number of art museums (one of my favorite things to do), the wonderful restaurants featuring cuisines from every part of the world, or the opportunity to travel outside the city to more of The Netherlands. Red light district? We never had time to visit.

2. Getting to Amsterdam…or anywhere for that matter

We flew Air Canada nonstop from Toronto to Amsterdam. Even for late September, the flight was packed! I was surprised, because I think of late September as shoulder season for visiting Europe. But a full flight at this time of year just confirmed how popular a destination Amsterdam truly is. My husband and I collect air miles all year long on the Chase Sapphire credit card. I love this card for its generous benefits. For those who love to travel, there are several different types of the card you can use accrue miles to travel any time of year. I will add a specific post about this card (and its many variations) but for now, use the link to learn more.

3. We Loved The Linden Hotel

For our week in Amsterdam, we stayed at the Linden Hotel in the Jordaan neighborhood. Now, if you are looking for very large hotel rooms this is probably not the property for you, but size of room is not something I care about. I look at vacation hotel rooms like this: The hotel room itself is really just my bedroom– a place for me to crash. I don’t need a huge room to do this. My living room is really the outside of my hotel: the neighborhood, the sites etc. My kitchen is any one of the wonderful restaurants in Amsterdam. When I’m traveling, I really try to burn through my days so I am in my hotel room only a minimal amount of time. That said, there were plenty of reasons to love the Linden.

The Linden Hotel and things to know about Amsterdam — View from my hotel room– beautiful neighborhood but close to lots of sights

The neighborhood is nice and quiet, yet we were close to lots of sights, including the Anne Frank house.
The hotel has a lot of nice amenities like umbrellas for guests, and snacks and beverages throughout the day.
There’s a cozy lobby where I sat every night to write in my journal. It was very pleasant, quiet, and I could enjoy those wonderful stroopwafels the hotel had out every day.
Breakfast is a nice option to have. There is a charge for having breakfast at the hotel. If you like to eat a full breakfast, then it’s definitely worth adding breakfast to your reservation. If you just prefer something quick, more of a continental breakfast, than it’s probably worth skipping.
The hotel will send your laundry out for 10 Euros (no matter the amount!) Far better to send out the laundry rather than sitting in a launderette waiting for it on your own– and it’s roughly the same price!
Really great hotel staff– I don’t dare name them since I know I’ll forget someone but to a person they were all super helpful.

4. Leave Lots of Time To Walk Around

View of Bridges from Canal

You can be held captive by the “schedule” and the sheer number of things to do. Don’t feel like you need to schedule every single minute of the day in a museum or a sight. Amsterdam is made for walking! And you will want to spend time just meandering by the canals, crossing the footbridges, and exploring whatever is around the corner. Accept that you won’t be able to see everything there is to see– and that you will return to Amsterdam another day.

5. The Anne Frank House

Schedule the Anne Frank House with this in mind:

Purchase your timed tickets to the Anne Frank House online AND well in advance of your trip. This is the most popular site for tourists to visit and tickets sell out quickly. If you don’t purchase online, you can try your luck at purchasing the limited number of tickets made available first thing in the morning, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
See the Anne Frank House first thing in the morning and allow a couple of hours to really take it all in.
Whatever you do, be respectful during your visit.
You will be emotionally drained after visiting The Secret Annex so give yourself some time to “recover.” We walked around a bit before we did anything else, but the next stop on our itinerary was…

6. The Heineken Experience

The Heineken Experience is a must during a week in Amsterdam. For just a few Euros more, considering taking in the VIP Tour at the Heineken Experience. If you plan this tour for midday, then the VIP Tour can also be your lunch experience as you can participate in a five-course beer and food pairing. Also, be sure to get the personalized Heineken bottles. These are included with the cost of the VIP Tour. Otherwise, you can pay for them separately.

7. Step Outside the City

Amsterdam has an AMAZING public transport system: bus, ferry, tram, train– you can get anywhere easily and efficiently. We took one day out of our week in Amsterdam, to travel to a three nearby towns.

Three Easy Side Trips from Amsterdam

19th Century windmills and houses have been relocated to Zaanse Schans to recreate an 18th or 19th Century village. “Relocated” and “recreated” are the key words here. If you have ever been to Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, CT- Zaanse Schans is a lot like it. To get to Zaanse Schans, take bus 391 from Amsterdam Centraal train station. Zaanse Schans is the last stop on the route and takes about 40 minutes to get there. It was not my favorite place to visit and we didn’t spend that much time there.
Volendam is a fishing village on the North Sea. There’s a very nice business district with lots of souvenir shops. To visit from Amsterdam Centraal, take bus 316 to Volendam. You can take this same bus on to Edam. It’s touristic, but in my opinion, more enjoyable than Zaanse Schans.
Edam. Yes, just like the cheese. In fact, the whole town is cheese. Cheese shops, cheese market– you get the idea. It is a lovely town and well worth a visit and a stroll. Do check the opening and closing hours of the cheese market in Edam.

The great news is that you can see all these towns in one day. It’s a nice change of pace from Amsterdam and a chance to see outside the city.

8. Indonesian Rice Table (Rijsttafel)

Things to know about Amsterdam - Indonesian rice table

Indonesia used to be a Dutch Colony– the Dutch East Indies– and because of this, you can still sample this history by visiting an Indonesian rice table. Rice tables are all over Amsterdam and are a great way to sample a variety of food prepared all different ways and full of different flavors and textures. We had a rice table with several small portions (maybe 12 or so, though you can sometimes have up to 40).

9. Cash is (Not) King…

I was surprised at the number of places: cafe`s, restaurants, stores, etc. that had signs up saying “Credit Cards Only.” Be sure to have a working credit card (and a backup) for everyday payments.

10. Eat Up!

Rather than describe all the great food there is, just enjoy these photos of some wonderful meals we enjoyed. Yes, eat food specific to The Netherlands, but enjoy this very cosmopolitan city with diverse cuisine. Dutch? Yes. French? Spanish? Italian? Vietnamese? It’s all there…

11. One More Tip…

I know I said I’d give you ten tips for a fabulous week, but here’s one more. We spent some time as some of Amsterdam’s lesser known sites and museums. After seeing the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, consider visiting the Portuguese Synagogue, the Dutch Resistance Museum (documenting the resistance of the Dutch people during WWII), and the Hermitage Museum (an actual branch of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia).