Hop on hop off bus in Amsterdam

IN JUNE MY HUSBAND AND I ARE SPENDING THREE NIGHTS IN AMSTERDAM AND FIVE IN BARCELONA. IS THE HOP-ON, HOP-OFF BUS AMPLE FOR THESE CITIES? WHAT'S THE BEST WAY OF CARRYING MONEY? WE'LL BE TAKING LIGHT SUMMER CLOTHES ONLY. WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE?

M. MUNIER, BAULKHAM HILLS

I'm a big fan of hop-on, hop-off buses. Especially when you first land in a new city they're a great way to familiarise yourself with the main attractions. You get to wander around at your own pace and they're great value. If you spend a day doing a hop-on, hop-off tour you can then focus on an area or an attraction that you want to spend more time exploring.

The best way of carrying money is to take only what you need for the day when you're out and about, leave whatever other funds you have safely locked away in your hotel-room safe. Divide what funds you have between the two of you. Same for cards, take just one card each that will allow you to withdraw funds from an ATM as well as pay for purchases. I use the 28 Degrees MasterCard for purchases and the Citibank Visa Debit card for ATM withdrawals since their fees are low. Withdraw cash from ATMs at busy places. I believe in making more frequent withdrawals of smaller amounts rather than less frequent and larger sums; the extra cost per ATM transaction is a small price to pay for greater security.

Light summer clothes should be fine for Barcelona in June but Amsterdam can be cool and wet, a light jumper and a jacket would probably be useful.