News: Bed crisis in Amsterdam

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"In March, April and May Amsterdam is always on the top of tourists' lists because of the bulb fields," says Ted Wake of the city-break specialist Kirker Holidays. And this year, the squeeze is likely to be even tighter because of the added attraction of the Rembrandt-Caravaggio exhibition that opens at the Rijksmuseum on 24 March. The exhibition will feature major works from collections worldwide, and for the first time, the artists' styles and techniques can be compared up close.

The exhibition will open 10am-6pm daily, with extended opening to 10pm on Fridays. A combined ticket to the exhibition, plus the Rijksmuseum highlights collection and the Van Gogh Museum costs €25 (£17). You can can book tickets in advance through www.rembrandt-caravaggio.com.

Research by The Independent suggests that early booking is the key to finding a good room in Amsterdam at a reasonable price - and a flight to match. Travelling out from Stansted on easyJet on 17 March, returning two days later, was available for £50 return at the time of going to press. From Heathrow, KLM had a fare of £97 return, while Eurostar (with a connection in Brussels), was £94 return.

For a relatively cheap place to stay, the Hotel Seven Bridges (00 31 20 623 1329; www.sevenbridgeshotel.nl) has standard doubles for €100 (£70), including breakfast . Or try the more characterful and comfortable Estherea Hotel, on the Singel canal (00 31 20 62 45 146); doubles cost €168 (£120), with breakfast an extra €14 (£10) per person. Kirker Holidays (0870 112 3333; www.kirkerholidays.com) is offering a three-night package that includes flights, accommodation at the small and friendly Owl Hotel (conveniently close to the museums), transfers by car, a one-day tram pass, a canal cruise and a timed entrance ticket to the Rembrandt-Caravaggio exhib- ition, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, for £345 in mid-March.