Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands with a population of 872,680 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Found within the province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", attributed by the large number of canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Due to its location on the IJ, the climate of Amsterdam is strongly influenced by the temperature of the water. This means it slowly warms up in summer and slowly cools down in winter. The average weather in Amsterdam varies a lot and every season there is a big chance of rain throughout the year. Amsterdam can best be visited in spring (May and June) or summer (July, August and September). The average temperatures are mild in spring and can be warm in summer with 22 degrees Celsius (71.6° Fahrenheit) in July. In winter it can be cold and windy, most years there are only a few days with snowfall.

Schipol airport is located 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province of North Holland. With almost 72 million passengers in 2019, it is the third-busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger volume and the busiest in Europe in terms of aircraft movements.