April 2022 was the perfect time for us to get away on a trip – our kids were away at school and the world was opening up after the pandemic. Plus, we wanted to see how the two of us, with Rob in a wheelchair most of the time, could travel without extra help.
We chose Amsterdam because we had always wanted to go and we could get a direct flight from Toronto at a good price. The location was a great choice for travelling with accessibility challenges. The Dutch people were attentive and caring – they seemed completely comfortable around someone in a wheelchair. This hasn’t always been our experience in other places, including Canada.
We also took the train to the southern part of the Netherlands for a view days. Visit our Southern Netherlands blog to find out more about that trip. To find contact details and other useful information from our blogs so that you can plan your own trip, go to the Netherlands Travel Plan.
Flying with KLM airlines
A good choice when travelling with a wheelchair
We flew KLM from Toronto Pearson Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol airport . The KLM flight attendants and staff were attentive and respectful.
When we booked our tickets, we identified that we needed assistance. We also emailed KLM several weeks before we left to let them know what we needed (or call 1 (844) 797-7723). We were asked to supply the dimensions and the weight of the wheelchair. All of this information can be found on their website.
Getting on and off the plane
To get on the plane in Toronto, I pushed Rob in the wheelchair up to the plane door. The crew then transferred Rob to an aisle chair and whisked him to his seat. I folded the wheelchair and left it to be put under the plane with the strollers, etc. When we arrived at the airport in Amsterdam, we had the same service and the wheelchair was waiting for us.
There are not always walkways directly to the plane door. For those that cannot climb stairs, you will be escorted to a vehicle that will lift you to the level of the backdoor of the plane. We had that experience on our way home from the Netherlands.
Bathroom
When booking our ticket, we ensured that we were as close to the bathroom as possible. Rob would hold on to seat backs and had my assistance to get into the washroom. Please leave a comment below to let us know how you handle bathroom trips during long flights!
Taking the train in the Netherlands
Arrange for assistance ahead of time
The train station is on the main floor of Schiphol airport and can be reached by elevator. To get to Amsterdam, you need to go to Centraal Station. There are accessible washrooms in the train stations (watch for a WC sign – in the Netherlands, this stands for toilet (i.e., water closet), not wheelchair)! Fortunately, the wheelchair washrooms are free, so there is no need to go looking for one or two Euros.
You can take an Intercity train or a Sprinter train. We took the Intercity train, which had more time options. In order to get on and off the trains in the Netherlands when you are using a wheelchair with an Intercity train, someone has to meet you at the platform with a ramp. The best way to arrange assistance is to open an account at https://www.ns.nl/ before leaving home, book a train ticket for when you think you would need it, and request assistance. After you open an account or when you land, call Assistance at (011) 31 302357822 to ensure you have assistance, or if your flight was late and you need to rebook. Assistance must be booked at least 1 hour ahead of the train scheduled time if you are calling from the Netherlands.
If you are looking for trains to take you outside of the Netherlands, go here.
How we “walked” with our luggage
It is tricky when one person is in the wheelchair and the other one is pushing. The big question was – how do we pull a suitcase? In addition, we brought Rob’s foldable walker for him to use in the hotel. Luckily, Amazon sold a convenient Foldable Walker Travel Bag to pack it in.
Our luggage consisted of a backpack and a suitcase on wheels. I wore the backpack while I pushed the wheelchair and Rob rolled the suitcase beside him. We were able to attach the travel bag to the back of the wheelchair with bungie cord. This allowed us to bring all of our things with us when necessary. We checked the walker in oversized luggage for the flight. We also checked the suitcase in order to focus on the wheelchair when we got on and off the plane.
Where we stayed – the INK hotel
Our hotel was a 10-15 minute walk from Centraal station. It would be handy to have a data plan, or use the train station wifi, to pull up a map for your hotel. Have the address written down in case you need to ask someone for directions – the street names are difficult to pronounce. The route we took is below to show how much far we walked in that amount of time.
Even though it was raining lightly and we were tired, we were able to make it to the hotel with all of our things without contemplating divorce. It helped that Amsterdam seemed to be unfolding before us as we walked toward the hotel. The rows of the colourful buildings and the bustling cobblestone streets were energizing.
We stayed at the INK hotel because it was recently renovated and claimed to be accessible –and it is true! Instead of stairs, the entrance way is a sloped floor to the check-in desk where we warmly welcomed. We had pre-booked an accessible room, which was suitable and stylish. It was smallish, but we did not expect a big room, being in the heart of Amsterdam. It had a roll-in open shower and bars to help with the toilet.
INK Hotel Amsterdam – MGallery is part of the Accor Group and has a diversity and inclusion commitment that includes the integration of people with disabilities. Check out their website or email using the links in the Netherlands Travel Plan.
The front desk staff at INK were absolutely fantastic at helping us find accessible options for restaurants outside of the hotel. The two criteria that we gave them were accessibility entrance and bathroom. They found several choices and made reservations at all of them for different nights until we made our choices (see below for some of the choices).
Getting Around
Amsterdam is nice when using a wheelchair because the sidewalks are wide and there are many side streets that are only for pedestrians. The side streets by the hotel have many shops and restaurants. We found plenty of things to keep our interest within walking distance from the hotel. One interesting place was call the Dam Square, which is located by the Royal Palace. It is Amsterdam’s main square and is well known in the Netherlands. It has frequently been the location of demonstrations and events of all kinds, and a meeting place for many people. We encourage you read about its history before your visit.
Pushing the wheelchair did get difficult around De Oude Kerk (The Old Church). The road seemed to consist of rocks. We managed to make it through. It was the only place where we saw some of the famous red light windows!
Using the tram or taxi
Another way to get around was to take the tram, which was surprisingly easy as a wheelchair user. It really was as simple as making our way to the platform (a 5 min walk/wheel from the hotel), and wait for the #2 tram, which the front desk person assured us would bring us to the Museum quarter. When the tram stopped, the operator got off and lowered a ramp, and we rolled on and organized ourselves in the wheelchair area. I double checked with the operator about where we were to get off, and then we enjoyed the ride. It was quite pleasant.
Calling a taxi to go see sites is also an option, but we found we rarely needed it.
Places to eat
We found the following places accessible and worth trying.
The Hotel Restaurant
We had a beer and something to eat at the hotel restaurant when we first arrived. We also had dinner on our last night. The food and service were okay. We would eat there again, but for something special, it is worth venturing out of the hotel.
Lucy’s Cheesecakes
During our excursions, we would often end up on the larger Rokin street, which is close to the Dam. One afternoon we came across a cute little restaurant called Lucy’s Cheesecakes. It was small and had a bit of a bump to enter. But once we were in, we managed to get a little table and have a coffee and a sweet snack. It also had main floor bathroom, which was appreciated.
Het Groene Paleis (the green palace)
Another place on the other side of Rokin street was called Het Groene Paleis (the green palace). This is a larger restaurant and is open for every meal. It also has an accessible main floor washroom and ramps to access different levels. The serving staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We managed to get seats looking out the window, and enjoyed some fish and chips and beer while watching families and tourists stroll past. It was a very pleasant early afternoon.
Cheeses
As tourists, we associate the Netherlands with its variety of excellent cheeses. There are many cheese shops directed to tourists around. However, the local grocery store, Albert Heijn, is about a 10 min walk away from the hotel and has a variety of cheeses that are reportedly just as good as the tourist cheese shops. We bought some bread, deli ham, and a few pre-sliced cheeses and kept them in the fridge in our hotel room. We found this an economical and delicious way to have lunch, especially when we wanted to take a rest from exploring in the morning.
Where to eat – evening
Kanteen25
Kanteen25 was recommended by the hotel and was the only time that we used a taxi. It is a cool, out-of-the-way spot. We had to walk about 50-100 ft from the post where the taxi could drop us off.
There is a wheelchair ramp to the front door, but when we arrived the doors were locked. I went through a side entrance, which led to a pub area, to find someone to help. The pub was filled with what looked like university students. I could not understand why the INK staff would send two 50 something Canadians to a university hangout! Once I found someone to help, we were immediately well looked after.
I could then see that the restaurant is a mix of ages and styles and it was fun to be there. The washrooms were quite accessible and our server was outstanding. She gave us helpful suggestions on what to order for food and directed us to the house wine (the red was okay). She also convinced us to try bitterballen for the first time, which is like a deep-fried, floured gravy ball, best eaten with mustard (if you choose to eat it!). It is worth a try! Our meals were very good.
When it was time to go, the server called a taxi for us and we went back to where we were dropped off. When you leave, you may have to wheel across a small dance floor. It wasn’t busy when we left, but I imagine on a busy night, a server’s assistance might be needed to get across. All part of the fun!
Toro Dorado
Toro Dorado is a steakhouse that is a short walk from the INK hotel. The restaurant was accessible, but there was a small bump to get in. The washrooms are on the main floor, but the door was very narrow to get into. If you require your wheelchair to go into the washroom, you may want to check it out before spending an evening there. The restaurant was so close to the hotel, and we did not need to use the washroom for the 2 hours we were there.
The restaurant has steak from all over the world and was outstanding. It was on the pricey side though. Suggestion – if it is not busy, ensure that the waiter spaces out your courses, otherwise it will seem like they are rushing you out. The waiter recommended a French Syrah as a wine pairing and it did not disappoint.
Cannibale Royale
The hotel also recommended a restaurant called Cannibale Royale. We did not have time to check it out, but were assured that this restaurant is accessible with a main floor washroom. If you check it out, please leave a comment below!
Attractions
Van Gogh museum – book tickets ahead of time
We took the tram from the hotel and found the museums easily enough.We had intended to visit the Van Gogh museum. Unfortunately, we were supposed to buy tickets weeks in advance so we couldn’t get in. Instead we were able to get into the Rijksmuseum, which we a short walk next door.
Rijksmuseum – buy tickets on-line
The tickets for the Rijksmuseum have to be bought on-line. We found that out when we arrived and quickly bought them before getting in line. The Rijksmuseum is fully accessible, very large and was crowded at times. A highlight for us was seeing The Night Watch by Rembrandt. It is worth checking out the website to see which displays are coming up.
Anne Frank House – not accessible; book tickets weeks in advance
I went to visit Anne Frank House, which was a lovely morning walk from the INK hotel over a couple of grachten (Dutch for canals). You have to schedule the visit well in advance, so visit the website at least a month before you visit to ensure you get the time and date you would like. There are a lot of stairs in the Anne Frank house and not accessible.
If you would like more information on visiting Amsterdam with a disability, we found the websites Accessible Travel and Able Amsterdam useful.
Please leave comments below to share your experiences!
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