Get to Amsterdam for the ease of it all
That's your opinion, but Ams wouldn't be my first choice for a punting holiday, I'm sure there are some good punting to be had In the Dutch capital, BUT there will be plenty of shit to average too, I keep banging on about It, but cities like Amsterdam, Hamburg and Prague have more or less been ruined by dick head stag tourists, why would the hookers need to work hard, when every day plane loads of horny clueless blokes with only two days away from her Indoors arrive In town, get pissed, get lairy and then get ripped off by an upselling window girl. Any other city In the Netherlands Is probably a better punting ground, as many locals don't punt In AMS.
As mentioned Germany Is hard to beat on quality and value, to the OP how long you plan on going? And what's your budget?