Does anyone notice an expense item that I am missing?
* I would rather stay in Haarlem and day trip to Amsterdam by train. Other hotel or transportation recommendations are welcome.
** I'm travelling solo, and typical eat local cuisine from small restaurants and street vendors. (I cannot wait to down some smoked herring!) But I'm very interested if my food budget is adequate...comments?
Your suggested budget of $60 = €40 is a good estimate. Prices of meals range from €8 to €20 and (more), excluding drinks, these are sit-down meals. If you want to eat a bread roll and herring (they are not smoked but raw), you will pay €2,50, or 'friet' at €2 a portion, at a herring or friet (french fries/chips)stand
Good value for money restaurants are the Greek restaurants (not typically Dutch) and the Indonesian restaurants (very Dutch) also eetcafé (translates as meal café) it is a combined pub, restaurant and coffee shop (I mean the one where you get COFFEE). They often serve typically Dutch dishes.
You did not include travel by bus / tram in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is compact enough to go on foot everywhere. But if you want to use public transport within any city / town in the Netherlands you will need a 'strippenkaart'. you can get them at the he train station, tobacconists, post offices and most supermarkets. If you buy your ticket on the tram or bus it is more expensive. ‘Strippenkaarten’ come in 15 or 45 units and cost €6,90 and €20,40.
Extra info.
Train from Schiphol Airport to Haarlem takes 30 minutes single ticket is €5.10. You cannot buy a return because that has to be used on the same day. Get your ticket from the machine because if you go to the counter you pay an extra €0,50 per journey.
Marianne, once again thank you for the info. It was really my food budget for 13-days that I wondered about. You've put me at ease that my budget is spot-on given my style of how/where I like to eat when aboard. And even if the herring is raw, I still love it. :)
