Imagine you have designer friends who live in the capital. They have an awesome pad kitted out with everything you might need. They've also scoped out the city and done a guide to all the cool watering holes and attractions not so well known on the tourist trail. That's what it's like staying at Marielle and Tobias' place.

You HAVE to cycle around Amsterdam. It's the best way to get around - easy and great fun. Don't bother trying to get bikes near the place. We found a place nearby called Black Bikes, which advertised a day's hire at 8.50 Euros. When we went in to ask, they said 17 Euros. Get into the centre where there's more competition. We went to Uber Cycles on Spuistraat - they were excellent and reasonable price-wise. They also do Beer Bikes, Party Boats and Pub Crawls if you're that way inclined..

Marielle was friendly and helpful before the booking, giving us lots of useful info on bike hire etc. They even made sure their lovely friends Stephanie and Sebastian were there to give us a warm welcome. They went way beyond the call of duty giving details (and Google maps!) on the best place for apple pie in the early evening. Thanks for making our stay in Amsterdam just perfect. We'll definitely be back!