I bought a QUICKIE Q50 R Carbon in September 2024, and less than a week later I boarded a flight to Amsterdam where my wife, Linda, and I met up with my two sisters and their partners. It's a beautiful city that I found quite easy to navigate with my wheelchair. These are some of the highlights of our trip.
Arrival and First Impressions
Arriving at the Amsterdam airport, our plane stopped at a remote pad, far from the terminal. Most passengers went down a staircase to a waiting bus, but a flight attendant guided the passengers using wheelchairs out the other side of the plane onto a specialized minibus that was elevated to planeside above the tarmac. Once we were on board and secured with seatbelts, the driver lowered us to the ground, retrieved my wheelchair, and drove about 15 minutes to the terminal. Two men helped us unload, unfolded my wheelchair, and got everything inside.
From there, a young woman escorted us through passport control to a desk where another woman was managing luggage and onward transportation for passengers with disabilities. They helped us retrieve our luggage and directed us to the airport train station, which provided a seamless, step-free connection to Central Station.
A Wheelchair-Friendly Stay
My only previous visit to Amsterdam had been in 1983, when my hotel room was up a steep, narrow staircase – an option that clearly wouldn't work for me this time. We found the Room Mate Aitana Hotel, just a 15-minute walk from the station. Our accessible room on the 11th floor had a beautiful view across the IJ River. I particularly enjoyed watching the boat traffic whenever we were in the room.
We spent the afternoon exploring the area around our hotel. Amsterdam is a picturesque city with narrow brick houses lining the canals, plenty of trees, and a variety of boats moored or moving through the waterways. Despite its distinctly Dutch appearance, the amount of English spoken around us often made it feel like we hadn't left the U.S. Every service worker we encountered spoke English fluently, and we overheard conversations in a range of accents from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Of course, we also heard Dutch and other languages, but that's not so different from back home.
Navigating the City
One major difference from the U.S. was Amsterdam's impressive bike infrastructure. The city has well-used, dedicated bike lanes, mostly separated from car traffic, and these lanes proved to be just as beneficial for wheelchairs. Sidewalks were easy to access, most pedestrian bridges were step-free, and the rolling surfaces were generally smooth.
However, cobblestone streets were a challenge. They're not wheelchair-friendly, but I managed by fastening my seatbelt, lowering my speed, and gritting my teeth through the bumps and rattles. While not pleasant, it was well worth it for the opportunity to experience the city. Fortunately, there was less cobblestone here than in other European cities I've visited.
Exploring Art and Culture
On our first full day, we visited the fully accessible Van Gogh Museum, a place I remembered with awe from my college-age visit. Our route from the hotel took us through the red-light district, a queer neighborhood, a flower market (though it mostly had bulbs, sticks, and roots rather than flowers in bloom), and plenty of charming houses and canals.
We spent about two and a half hours exploring the museum's four floors. While the majority of the collection consisted of Van Gogh's paintings, there were also works by artists who influenced him, worked alongside him, or were inspired by him. The museum was crowded, so I had to be strategic about viewing. I started at paintings that weren't surrounded by tour groups, then quickly moved to popular pieces when crowds dispersed.
Two paintings that stood our to me were one of almond blossoms on a vibrant turquoise background and another depicting a farm at twilight. I also loved seeing Van Gogh's luminous sunflower and iris still-life paintings – their glow reminded me of some Klimt pieces I had seen in Vienna last year. Since their lifetimes overlapped, I wondered whether either had influenced the other.
A Unique Perspective from the Canals
The next day, my sister-in-law found an accessible canal cruise for us. While most passengers boarded at the front using stairs, I entered from the back via a built-in lift. The captain raised a steel platform from the deck and set up a ramp, creating a smooth path onboard. Once I rolled onto the platform, he gracefully lowered me to deck level.
The 70-minute tour took us on a looping route with optional narration through earphones. I enjoyed looking up at the iconic Amsterdam houses and watching bikes and pedestrians cross the bridges. The narration provided historical context and pointed out details I might have otherwise missed, like disused locks hidden from the street view.
The boat itself was fascinating. It was long and low, with plenty of windows, a glass ceiling, and angled panels. We quickly understood the design when we reached the first bridge – our captain had to carefully guide the boat through the center of a barrel-vaulted passage. Other bridges had flat bottoms that seemed to be only a foot or so above the boat's roof!
Dutch Cuisine and Daily Life
After the boat ride, we had lunch at a Dutch restaurant. I ordered stamppot, a traditional dish, but opted for a non-traditional vegetarian version. It consisted of rich mashed potatoes cooked with endive and topped with fried cheese sticks. Typically, the dish includes sausage and gravy, but even my meatless version was delicious – maybe not the healthiest meal of the trip, but definitely satisfying.
One constant in Amsterdam was the steady stream of bikes everywhere we went. Even with dedicated bike lanes, they seemed to come from every direction. I was particularly amused by the creative ways children were transported: on handlebar seats, perched behind adults, or nestled in boxes attached to elongated bikes, either in front or behind the rider. My wife noted that most of the bikes were single-speed, likely for simplicity and durability in the weather. Since the Netherlands is quite flat, gears aren't as necessary.
One learning experience came at an intersection where we mistakenly followed the bike traffic lights instead of pedestrian signals. The bike lights turned green for much shorter periods, leaving us scrambling to cross in time. Fortunately, we made it safely, though not without a few honked horns directed at us clueless tourists.
Final Thoughts
In short, the parts of Amsterdam that I explored were beautiful, easy to navigate in a wheelchair, and absolutely worth a visit. The city's accessibility, rich history, and unique charm made for an unforgettable trip.
About the author
David Buseck has been an avid traveler his whole life, as has his wife, Linda Levine. He was diagnosed in 2019 with a slow-moving form of ALS, but has been committed to continuing his traveling for as long as feasible. He's been using a wheelchair while traveling since May 2022, and with a QUICKIE Q50 R Carbon since September 2024. David retired from a career in technology & education and is now an author and blogger. His book, Paris: City of Cultures, Walk and Roll with Fresh Eyes, was published in 2024. It's a guidebook to Paris, focusing on wheelchair-accessible walking tours through beautiful Parisian neighborhoods while learning about different cultural groups who live(d) or work(ed) there. His blog about travel and living with ALS is LindaDavidTravel.com. David and Linda live in San Jose, California with their two pet tortoises.
David's ride is a QUICKIE Q50 R Carbon.
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