i'm on schengen visa. applied to germany embassy via mail with a fee of about 80 bucks. they stamped my pp within 2 days. you can apply to any schengen nation embassy. all you have to show is enough funds and health insurance. if you are traveling on your own, you also need to show the travel itinerary i think.

basically, with a schengen visa, you can travel within nations that have signed the schengen treaty stuff. http://www.schengenvisa.cc/

btw, amsterdam in winter? smart way to bypass touristy season but summer has more charms!