We had the perfect romantic Valentine's weekend on the boat. The host was wonderful and had laid out some beautiful little romantic touches in the boat - roses, chocs, wine. The location is absolutely ideal in a quiet side canal just off the Amstel, with no traffic noise.

The boat is very cozy but with plenty of room for a couple. The sleeping area is set right in the prow of the boat (that's the front to you landlubbers!) and is a lovely area to snuggle up together.

The kitchen has everything you need for a short stay, though no oven. There's plenty of room to lay out a spread on the dining table and a comfortable sofa to relax on.

There's a couple of seats up top on the boat to sit outside for a smoke/drink and to take in the atmosphere, or to wave at the occassional boat passing by. It's hard to find anything more relaxing than sitting listening to the water lapping the sides of the boat and occassional church bells tolling in the distance (which are never loud enough to become a problem)

If you can force yourself to leave the romance of the boat for a while to see the romance of the Old Town, it will be lovely and warm when you get back.

Lots of independent shops, restaurants and some great vintage clothing stores in the surrounding area and a fabulous market on the opposite side of the canal, which is ideal as you can shop then pop back to drop your bags off before heading out to see the sights. You can check the market is on by peeking out of a porthole when you wake up!

If you've never shopped in Amsterdam before, make sure you leave plenty of extra room in your bags for on the way home! A large supermarket is also less than 5 minutes walk away.

Within 5 minutes walk are Nieuwmarkt square and Rembrandtplein if you want more hustle and bustle, and you can easily pick up a bicycle rickshaw at either (highly recommended if you're dressed up for a night out, or just for a different way to see some of the city). Dam Square is about 10 minutes walk away.

You really can walk to anywhere within the Old Town from this central location. If you're not up to walking far you might struggle with the steps down into the boat, but if you do need to take a tram or metro anywhere they are both very close. The hosts provide a book with lots of information about the city and how to get around.

Overall this was by far our best city break experience and I will certainly be recommending it to other couples I know who want to experience the incredible romance of Amsterdam as the perfect accommodation to do it from.