Escort Amsterdam Noord, the other bank of the IJ

Your companion travels from one of the inner districts, and the IJ sets the rhythm of her journey. By car she takes the IJtunnel or the Coentunnel. By public transport, the metro reaches Noorderpark a few minutes after leaving Centraal, and the ferries cross from behind the station day and night. For Overhoeks, arrival within the hour is a fair expectation. For the NDSM wharf, allow a little more, around an hour and a quarter late in the evening, when the wharf ferry sails less often and the road becomes the better route.

Noord suits guests who have already seen the canal ring and would like another angle on the city. A film at the EYE, then dinner at a table facing the water. A drink at the top of the A'DAM Tower while the lights of the old centre come on across the river. Or a slow walk along the Nieuwendammerdijk, so quiet in the evening that the city seems far away. Patricia, romantic and fond of film noir, would choose the EYE as a first stop without a moment's thought. Stacy brings an edgy, metallic glamour and a street photographer's eye to the murals and cranes of the wharf. Cindy, cheerful and at home around boats, makes the ferry crossing part of the pleasure.

Many guests keep the evening in the room, with the river as the only view that matters. That, too, is a very Noord kind of night.

Say which part of Noord you are in. Overhoeks, the wharf and Buiksloterham lie some distance apart, and a hotel name alone does not always settle the question. For an apartment, give the building entrance as well as the house number, since many newer blocks share a courtyard or a common door. If your companion should meet you at the EYE or a waterfront restaurant first, name the venue and the hour, and she will plan the crossing around it.

Across the water, the day has its own programme. The EYE Filmmuseum runs exhibitions and screenings in a building that seems to lean toward the IJ, and the A'DAM Lookout on top of the tower offers a view over the whole city, with a swing over the edge for the daring. At the NDSM wharf, a vast former shipbuilding hall now houses studios and a monthly flea market, and the open quay is lined with murals and old cranes.

For a slower hour, the Noorderpark gives the district a long green spine, and the dike villages of Nieuwendam and Durgerdam, with their painted wooden houses, make a peaceful walk or a short cycle along the water. Noord is at its most rewarding for guests who like surprises.

The free ferries behind Centraal Station are part of daily life. The short hop to Buiksloterweg never stops, day or night, reaching the tower and the film museum in a few minutes, while a longer ferry sails to the NDSM wharf. The Noord/Zuid metro links the stations at Noorderpark and Noord with the centre and the south without a change. From Schiphol, count roughly forty minutes by train and ferry, or thirty by taxi through the tunnel outside rush hour.

Because every companion crosses the water to reach Noord, a clear meeting point saves time. Overhoeks is the simplest, the wharf the most atmospheric. Tell the house which you prefer and the coordinator times the crossing.

Directly across the IJ lies Amsterdam Centrum, the shortest crossing of all. A ferry from the NDSM wharf also links Noord with the waterfront of Amsterdam West. Each step that follows your first message is set out on the reservations page.