From the minute we arrived at Petra's place we knew we were going to love it. The whole place has such a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and our host was really welcoming (she even drove Zoë to the shops to get some groceries - thanks Petra!).

There was plenty of room for the four of us (two adults, two kids of 7 & 9) and there was secure indoor storage for the two massive tandem & cargo bikes we rented for the week.

The outside space is great, too. There is a lovely shared garden area where we sat and ate each evening and Shay & Johnny swam in the dike with the local kids, just metres away from the apartment.

We didn't really know what to expect from Ijburg, as there isn't a lot to see on Google Maps yet, but we were very happy to discover how well thought out it is. There's a beach, a theatre, plenty of shops and some places to eat & drink (there's even a great little bar at the end of Petra's apartment block - literally a stone's throw away).

Amsterdam is a really family-friendly city, with parks, street markets and museums everywhere and so much to see and do. If you're thinking of going with children, or want a break from the city centre after dark, Ijburg seems pretty perfect. It's only a few tram stops from Centraal Station or, if you hire bikes, a 20-25 minute ride.

We're already making plans to go back next year, as we didn't manage to fit in half of the things we had planned - I can't imagine finding a better place to stay than Petra's apartment, so I reckon we'll be seeing her again, if she'll have us back!

Useful info:

There's a tram stop a couple of minutes walk from the apartment. This takes you in one direction to Centraal Station, or the other way to the rest of Ijburg.

On Ijburg there is an Albert Hein supermarket with an ATM, various restaurants, a chemist, a great kids' play-park and a beach at Blijburg (with a fantastic beach bar).

You can cycle from Petra's apartment, across the bridge and into the city centre, without ever having to ride on a road - there are bike lanes all the way there. We rented bikes from Rent-a-bike on Damstraat, as they have a selection of cargo bikes and child tandems (Mac Bikes, Yellow Bikes and Star Bikes didn't have any when we went).

I'd recommend using this combination of tandem/cargo bikes if you've got a couple of kids with you - it keeps them safer than letting them ride their own bikes, and one of them gets to have a rest in the cargo bike from time to time.

Hope everyone else has as much fun as we did!

Roy, Zoë, Shay & Johnny.