“YOU’RE going to Amsterdam with your SEVEN YEAR OLD son?” My mates’ reaction to my impending weekend away with Reggie was universal.
Why on earth would I take a child to Europe’s home of sex, drugs and . . . more sex and drugs?
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It was a fair question. After all, Amsterdam still boasts more than 500 coffee shops (you know, where coffee isn’t the real selling point), 330 window brothels and around 6,000 sex workers.
But this city is starting to tire of its old image as a playground of vice. Femke Halsema, the city’s first female mayor, last month even spoke of shutting down the notorious Red Light District.
She has a point. Amsterdam has so much more to offer. And yes, for families too. Which is why I find myself on board the (relatively) new Eurostar direct train from London King’s Cross.
It is a journey of just under four hours that whizzes by even faster if you happen to be sitting in Business Premier and scoffing a three-course Raymond Blanc meal washed down with champagne.
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The train chucks you out at Amsterdam Centraal, a short walk from pretty much anywhere in the central district.
After checking in to our hotel, the spectacular labyrinthine Pulitzer, we headed out for a walk around one of the city’s best — and cheapest — attractions, the canal belt.
There are more than 60 miles of stunning canals in this Unesco World Heritage Site, mostly dug in the so-called Dutch Golden Age in the 17th Century, when Holland bossed the planet in most things.
The area around the “grachts” — Prinsengracht, Herengracht and Keizergracht — is where the rich folk live . . . and they seem to hate curtains.
FLOATING MARKET
Cue a good old nosy at their spectacular designer furniture-stuffed homes. Reggie loved peering in — “They’ve got a swing in the living room!” — and his little legs kept him going for hours without complaint.
Amsterdam’s most famous home, Anne Frank’s House, is on Prinsengracht but you have to book online (annefrank.org) and well in advance to look round that.
Dad’s legs were eventually feeling tired so we jumped in a small boat to cruise the wider city, taking a detour down by the zoo where it was possible to see elephants and giraffes from the water.
The zoo is also worth a visit and costs €24 (£21.90) for everyone over nine.
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A boat trip gets you to the fabulous NEMO Science Museum, which looks like a huge boat hull and is perfect for kids of all ages — €17.50 (£15.80), under-fours free.
Reggie spent far too long becoming a logistics expert at one of the many interactive exhibits and hasn’t stopped talking about it since.
Eating in Amsterdam with kids is a doddle. We had a special kids’ menu at the Pulitzer’s Jansz restaurant, which allowed them to make their own dessert with the chef while we parents piled into the red wine.
Out in the wider city there are all the usual options but with an abundance of pancake houses.
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We went to Pancakes Amsterdam, which has four branches around the city and where you can feed your face on sweet or savoury fare for around €15 (£13.55) a head.
If you’re peckish but don’t want a meal, trawl the numerous cheese shops for their free samples.
There are some good ones, including the city’s famous and supremely delicious Old Amsterdam, down by the floating flower market.
But once you’ve tasted, head to a supermarket where you can buy the same cheese at almost half the price.
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The flower market — Bloemenmarkt — is well worth a visit for picking up some “tulips from Amsterdam” — though they’re just bulbs at this time of year.
The shops also have mountains of souvenir tat that your kids will love, and mercifully, you will take in your stride, as prices are pretty low compared to rip-off places such as London.
Just out to the west, but still within walking distance of the grachts, is the Vondelpark, which has six play areas and puts on free kids’ shows on the open-air theatre stages until September. Or you could hire roller skates.
Returning from Amsterdam on the Eurostar is not quite as simple as getting there, as despite a shiny new terminal at Centraal Station, there is no direct train back and you have to travel via Brussels.
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That said, the changeover is short, though it does provide enough time for a decent leg stretch.
Eurostar is still waiting to see who will deal with the customs/immigration checks. They are assured it will be sorted by the end of the year.
Until then, it’s just another pesky red light!
GO: Amsterdam
GETTING THERE: Eurostar from St Pancras to Amsterdam is from £35 one way. Visit eurostar.com or call 03432 186 186.
STAYING THERE: The Pulitzer hotel offers two night Kids Getaway packages with tickets to NEMO and dinner from £839. Email reservations@pulitzeramsterdam.com or call +31 20 523 5235.
