Crazy to take 2yr old to Amsterdam?

Pre-baby my husband and I used to travel extensively. Now that its been 2 years and we are going stir crazy we thought why not pack him up and give Amsterdam/Netherlands a try. Are we crazy? Are there better places to go? I thought we would stay in Amsterdam for a couple of nights then Haarlem for the rest of the trip and take the train to side trips in the country. Any advice is welcome on traveling to the Netherlands and traveling with toddlers. BTW--we love art and museums and could care less about any of the "extra curricular" activities the country has to offer. Thanks...

why would it be crazy? amsterdam is, in many things, pretty "normal". ok, you have the red light district and the drugs and so on, but it is a fully functional city and the dutch are very civil and "modern'. its just that they are open minded, that is all

what are your concerns? the city itself is pretty unique, beautiful. it also has great museums and there is plenty of culture, interesting food (lots of indonesian restaurants, a pretty cool china town area, etc). there are even two unesco sites, the channels themselves and the defence line (havent visited the last, though)

having said all this, leiden, delft and utrect -being the latter a bit like amsterdam but smaller and "calmer"- are also really nice, although they have less to be seen and done obviously. i think haarlem is also nice, havent visited

when are you going? if it is close to spring check keukenhof, it is a lovely park full of all kinds of tulips, and surrounded by more fields of tulips AND some mills

A child alread travelled in the belly of his/her mother, why should it be crazy to travel with him/her when he/she is two years old? And what should be bad about Amsterdam? It's really hard to understand such questions... I have travelled with my own children when they were much younger - and surprisingly, they survived it :-)

Not crazy at all - believe it or not, Amsterdammers have children too ;-)

Amsterdam is as safe or unsafe for 2 year olds as any other city. The only peculiarities I can think of are the canals (no safety railing along most of it) and the bicycles (which you usually don't notice until it's too late; make sure you learn to recognize bicycle lanes and be on the alert at all times).
Haarlem would be a good base if you prefer something more quiet. However, Utrecht is a better starting point for day trips to other parts of the country, as it's the center of the railway network and has direct trains to about every major town. If you visit in spring and want to visit the Keukenhof, Leiden is worth considering too.

See [http://www.ns.nl/cs/Satellite/travellers] for information about train travel in the Netherlands. Children under age 4 travel free as long as they don't occupy a seat, otherwise you can buy a railrunner ticket for a flat fare of €2,50.

Definitely not crazy.

The only thing I can add to the posts above is to forget the Turbo-Charged, All-Wheel Drive baby carriage. The wider boulevards will be no problem, but the smaller streets will make navigation a pain for all of you. Also, Dutch stairs are great for fitness, but often steep and narrow in the older buildings... and there is no guarantee of an elevator/lift.

Either grab a good baby-sling or backpack and/or buy a cheap umbrella stroller that you can throw/give away if it proves useless to you.

Have a great time!

Some reins would be good if you let him run around, you don't want him falling in the canals, that would be bad...

I've seen toddlers in push chairs going around the red light district before.

I am sure that I - as a non-native English speaker have got the meaning of " and could care less about any of the "extra curricular" activities the country has to offer. " - but to be staright:
If you plan not to bring the 2 yr old to a coffeeehouse - you are NOT doing something that is acceptable to do - even by the local drug addicts - especially not being tourists.

Crazy??? Not at all. There are mothers who don´t mind to take a 6 month old to India or La Paz Bolivia (something I would not do). A 2 year old in Amsterdam will be absolutely fine, Good luck and have a nice time

OP, I´m genuinely curious. Why do you think it might be crazy to take your 2-year old to Amsterdam?

Sure you can, would you take a 2 year old to Paris? Berlin? Madrid? Sure, you can take a two year old to Amsterdam.

I really think there are very few better places you could travel with a toddler than the Netherlands to be honest. Think of it: excellent public transport, all the facilities you could want and in few places will you be able to find bikes equipped with baby seats this easily - and you say you're art aficionados. Amsterdam has the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, not to mention the superb Hermitage Amsterdam (a section of the St Petersburg Hermitage set in a stunning 17th century building on the Amstel river.) Then there's the Vondelpark, not to mention the Kröller-Muller museum in the Hoge Veluwe NP - if it's sunny when you're there, cycling around the heaths and forests is a treat and you'll have no problem if your bike has a child seat.

If you're afraid of the 'psychedelic touristy red light district/coffeeshop circuit/stoned backpackers + young kid = ???' equasion (though there's no reason to be), why not consider staying in Utrecht or Haarlem and making day trips to Amsterdam to go sight-seeing? It's very easily manageable and comfortable by train and these places are also very historic and beautiful, close by, and have the added benefit of being (to my mind) more authentically Dutch..

Amsterdam is a terrific place for families and children. There's a vibrant park and museum scene, and as some of the folks above point out, exceptional facilities for young people and their needs. When I visited last year, there were kids everywhere. It was quite delightful watching bikes fly by rigged up for whole families (multiple seats, brightly painted colours, etc).

The people are friendly and the pervasive atmosphere of tolerance you've heard about is a reality. This extends to children too - there's plenty of places you can visit where people won't appreciate what it takes to deal with a toddler. The Dutch are a sympathetic, pragmatic bunch.

A'dam and surrounds would be a wonderful experience for someone young. I think it's a great influence.

It's easy to avoid areas of the city where adults prefer to play.

Here's a blog post from David over at Little Nomads that suggests a few Amsterdam top picks for kids and families.

Have a good trip - and let us know how you go!

take my kids everywhere i go, my 4 year old has been to guatemala, mexico twice, nicaragua,turkey, and we leave for colombia next week, we also have a two year old who has been to half of those places. kids love seeing different things, and people love to see foreign kid.

Believe it or not - I have a baby (nearly 1), actually live in the Netherlands (in Utrecht) and sometimes we even go to Amsterdam (risky I know, but worth it)!

Re #4's stroller advice: I very much disagree. Amsterdam is perfectly accessible with a push-chair/stroller/buggy. We have a Bugaboo ourselves and it's never a problem. Just be sure to practise using an escalator. However, there are lifts/elevators at most places (train stations, shopping malls, museums, etc.), you just have to search them out.

Some of the trendy cafe's focussed towards young people might not have high-chairs. Check before you settle in.

We've been to Singapore and Thailand last year and are off to China and Vietnam in May. I think travelling with a baby is great as it leads to nice conversations with people and it forces you to slow down. I can't really understand why people are so scared of travelling with kids, esp. older ones. If you state you're specific concerns we might be able to give you better advice.

So sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but I had a family emergency. Thanks to everyone for your responses and advice. When we first were thinking of taking this trip I started by listening to some podcasts and reading a few travel books and it seems all they wanted to talk about were the coffee shops and red light district. I think that combined with my initial anxiety of traveling internationally with a 2 yr. for the first time was making me question whether this was a good choice for a family destination. After some great advice on this site and some better research, I think we have made a great choice. We leave April 5 for 8 days--3 nights in Amsterdam and 5 nights in Haarlem where we plan to rent a car to see the rest of The Netherlands :). Now any advice anyone has on traveling with a 2 yr. old--I'm all ears!!! Thanks again everyone!

I started by listening to some podcasts and reading a few travel books and it seems all they wanted to talk about were the coffee shops and red light district.
I am intrigued. I have never seen a reputable travel guidebook about Amsterdam that focused solely on the RLD and the coffee shops. I suggest you throw those books into the bin and buy or borrow something published by LP, Rough Guides or Time Out.

OP: like I wrote, if you list your specific concerns re travelling with your toddler it might be easier for us to provide you with the information you're looking for. It's also a good idea to add where you're from, so people might give you comparative advice.
Also, note that there is a branch devoted to travelling with kids. I've gotten good advice there before (i.e. on the availability of specific brands of formula), you could also cross-post there.

it seems all they wanted to talk about were the coffee shops and red light district
Yeah, some foreigners seem to think that's what Amsterdam is all about. Don't worry about it though - the RLD is easily avoided and, apart from a handful of morons who think it's acceptable to smoke weed on the streets, you won't be affected much by the presence of coffee shops.

Good plan to rent a car and explore the Netherlands, but I doubt Haarlem is the right place to base yourselves in - it's not very central if you plan to visit Maastricht or Hoge Veluwe National Park, to name a few popular places.

#18:
I doubt Haarlem is the right place to base yourselves in - it's not very central if you plan to visit Maastricht or Hoge Veluwe National Park, to name a few popular places.

Hmm okay, but by the same token it's more convenient for places like Volendam, de Keukenhof, Texel... and Maastricht would still be a good while away from Utrecht for instance.. But at any rate Holland is hardly a huge place, the Amsterdam ring road is really your only main obstacle I'd say.. Good choice I think, OP. Have fun!

#19: of course it depends on what OP means when she says she wants to visit "the rest of the country" - I assumed that could include areas like Groningen or Limburg; a day trip from Haarlem to Maastricht, Deventer, Groningen or wherever may be possible if you make an early start - and don't mind getting stuck in a traffic jam for the first part of your trip. Staying in Utrecht would allow you to avoid at least the congestion on the A4, A9, A10 and A12.

Apart from that, I do consider Haarlem a lovely town and I agree that, if OP wants to focus on the western half of the country, it's an excellent place to stay.

I am headed back to Netherlands soon after a few years and was reading some threads and saw this

I took my sister and 1 year old niece to Amsterdam a few years back and had some GREAT memories.
http://www.futuregringo.com/index.php/2008/03/25/you-have-a-baby-in-amsterdam/

I would try and get an apartment or someplace with a small kitchen. Makes it easier to prep food, eat small meals in and saves money instead of just a standard hotel room.

Other tip - Bike City in the Joordan has a couple bikes with kids' seats. Although young my niece LOVED cruising down the streets in the front seat and through the park.

enjoy...