Amsterdam is the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is the country's largest city and its financial, cultural, and creative centre. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and seven of the world's 500 largest companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2012, Amsterdam was ranked the second best city in which to live by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and 12th globally on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer.
Amsterdam derives its name from the city’s origin as “Dam” of river “Amstel”. In the past, the name was "Amstelredamme" which later changed as “Amsterdam”. The city is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, attracting over 7 million international travellers annually. The city is colloquially known as ''Venice of the North'' because of its lovely canals that criss-cross the city, its impressive architecture and more than 1,500 bridges. There is something for every traveller's taste here; whether you prefer culture and history, serious partying, or just the relaxing charm of an old European city!
Diane is the best travel agent we've ever had.
She really listened to us and asked a lot of questions so she could arrange the best trip for us. Our trip to Spain was nothing we could have planned ourselves. She took care of all parts of the trip- the air, hotels and tours. She even took care of details that we wouldn't have thought of. We especially loved that she chose hotels with kitchen facilities since we were traveling with our children. That made it easier and also saved us money. Diane even asked about our kids interests and booked tours that they loved. Great experience.
By Chris Lyons trip to Spain