KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flights from Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) to Houston (IAH)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which operates a non-stop flight everyday except Wednesday from Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) to Houston (IAH), regularly scheduled to depart at 2:40pm and arrive at 6:50pm. Usually a Boeing 737 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Houston, TX is 11 hours and 10 minutes.
During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Museum of Health & Medical Science
We have all heard about what an amazing thing the human body is, but just how much do most of us know about its workings? This family museum will surprise most visitors with its extensive use of audio, video, holograms, and medical technology to provide a graphic view of human physiology.Because of the Texas Medical Center, Houston has a large medical community, which has been the driving force behind the creation of this museum. With additional contributions from corporations and individual doctors, it has constructed an eye-catching interactive exhibition called the Amazing Body Pavilion. The exhibit is itself a metaphor for the body. Visitors enter through the mouth and proceed down the digestive tract learning about all the organs that process our food. (Children seem to think this is pretty cool.) The exhibit covers all the major organs in ways that provide lots of interaction for children, and explanatory text and monologues by little holographic figures are well written and manage to provide info that most adults will find interesting. Of course, with so many doctors involved, you can be sure that there will be some preaching about the need for a good diet and to avoid smoking, and don't expect the museum's snack bar to offer any junk food. But do check out the gift shop; it has an assortment of curious and intriguing items that you won't easily find elsewhere.Seeing the exhibit takes a little more than an hour. One other note: You might want to ask at the front desk about the next scheduled organ dissection. When I was there, the organ of the month was the sheep brain; I opted to forego the performance.
Kemah Boardwalk
Many visitors to Space Center Houston (see review below) will afterward go out for seafood at nearby Kemah, which is as touristy as the Houston area gets. It used to be a rustic shrimping port on Galveston Bay where you could buy some shrimp and a beer and sit by the dock on an afternoon to watch the shrimp boats come in. Most of the pier was washed away in 1984 by a hurricane, and in the 1990s it was bought by a developer who built the boardwalk, several restaurants, a hotel, and some touristy stores and attractions. The restaurants overlook the water; if you stroll down the boardwalk you'll pass every one. Pick the one that most appeals to you. Among the attractions is a 50,000-gallon, floor-to-ceiling aquarium housing more than 100 species of tropical fish in the Aquarium Restaurant.
Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park
A couple of blocks from Houston's visitor center is this park, which serves as a repository for eight of Houston's oldest houses and buildings, moved here from their original locations. The oldest dates from before Texas's Independence; it is a small, simple cabin originally built close to where NASA is today. Another house was built by a freed slave in 1870. There's a church dating from 1892. The Heritage Society restored them to their original state and furnished them with pieces from the appropriate eras. The only way to see these buildings is by guided tour, which leaves every hour on the hour from the tour office at 1100 Bagby; it takes about 45 minutes. The guides are well informed and add a lot to a visit here. The Heritage Museum can be visited without taking the tour. It's free and features permanent exhibits on Texas history.
Drury Inn & Suites Near the Galleria
One of the best lodging values in this area is this Drury Inn. Rooms are midsize and comfortable, with extra-long double beds for tall folk. Instead of the usual easy chair and ottoman, there is a recliner; the TV is larger than normal. King rooms are slightly larger and come with microwave and fridge. While the bathrooms are of okay size, they offer limited counter space. The hotel doesn't have a restaurant, but it offers free evening cocktails Monday through Thursday and a breakfast buffet every morning. Guests also receive an hour of free long-distance calls within the U.S.
Omni Houston Hotel
This hotel is an island of tranquillity in Uptown's sea of commotion. Flanking it on one side is a broad expanse of lawn with a decorative pool fed by cascading water and adorned with a small troop of black swans; on the other side is the heavily wooded Memorial Park. You'd think that you're miles from the busy Uptown malls, but you're not. In contrast to the modern exterior of this 11-story building -- angular lines, bold colors, stark surfaces -- the guest rooms are pictures of traditionalism, with 18th-century-style furniture and bedspreads with flounces in neoclassical patterns. The rooms are large and come with a view either of Memorial Park with downtown in the background or of the pools, the lawn, and the black swans.Facilities: Restaurant; 2 bars; 2 large outdoor pools (1 heated); 4 lit tennis courts; health club; Jacuzzi; sauna; children's programs; game room; concierge; courtesy limo; 24-hr. room service; massage; babysitting; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning.
Sam Houston Hotel
Things are decidedly modern at "The Sam," and I use "modern" in the best of senses -- sleek, uncluttered interiors that strive for purity but avoid the "lab" look, which always leaves me with a chill. The guest rooms exert a comforting, quieting influence -- a respite from bustling downtown Houston. They also rack up lots of style points with unexpected touches, like nicely chosen fixtures and sharply dressed beds. The standard rooms are medium size and have ample, very attractive bathrooms. The two kinds of suites are larger and come with extras such as plasma TVs. But the electronics in all the rooms are quite good. The original Sam Houston Hotel was opened in the '20s and closed in the '70s. At that time, its location wasn't in the best part of downtown; now the location is great, just 2 blocks from the ballpark and Main Street.
