Queen's Day in Amsterdam

Queen's Day is almost upon us and the legendary Amsterdam street party is ready to go wild again on April 30th.

There is free entertainment throughout the city and the festival has been described as Mardi Gras meets the Notting Hill Carnival.

By mid-morning, the canals are filled with boats of all shapes and sizes packed with party-goers jammed in a bow-to-stern chaos of huge proportions.

This celebration of the birthday of the Netherland's former Queen Juliana is probably the biggest street party you will experience in Europe.

Don't forget to wear something orange – whether it's an orange bikini or orange facepaint - as dressing up in the national colour is all party of the fun.

The streets are lined with stalls selling all sorts of bric-a-brac and everything from food and drink to handicrafts.

Bands and music systems blast out their music and fire crackers fill the air with orange smoke.

By early afternoon there are so many little boats in the canals that you can almost walk across them

Amsterdam is famed for its medieval grandeur, style and culture, but its inhabitants know how to enjoy themselves and this is one day in the year when everyone simply goes wild.

Get swept along by the sheer fun of the spectacle and you may find yourself invited onto a boat to weave your way along the crowded Kaizersgracht or grabbed to join a snake of dancing revellers lurching through the cobbled streets.

Travel to Amsterdam is often booked out well in advance for Queen's Day and can be pricey but Eurolines is offering return fares from £40 and has five scheduled services to Amsterdam every day.