Going to amsterdam for the first time and have some questions

Hey all

Wel for Christmas and New years 05/06 I am planning my trip to Amsterdam. I am going with 1 other friend and we are 21 years old. I have researched alot but can't really find what I need because I don't know anything about the city except that it's small and stuff.

Basically I was wondering where I should stay in the city to be close to everything? I want to stay close to everything and it also be nice but alsoa kinda of cheap. It 100 Euro a night too cheap for a decent hotel there? What would be some good things to do as a young man with a friend? I mean I odn't want to go look at paintings because thats not my thing. Also, where are some good clubs to go to with people around my age?

1 more thing, going to Amsterdam and not going to the RLD would be a wadte in my eyes so I am planning on going and checking things out. I know it say NO PICTURES everywhere but what if I go during the day and want to take a picture of my standing beside the statue and it's in that area? Is that ok? I mean is it ok to take pictures as long as it's not of the girls? I mean I want pictures of me being there, not of the women there standing the in the window.

Answers to any of these questions would be great. Thanks

Also, is it really busy during X-mas and new years and where is the best New Years party there?

Thanks all

Peter

P.S. I am from Canada

 

I just left and I am going back Tuesday. Try Channels.nl also and between here and there you will know alot. 100 euros is a nice hotel. Spend it if you got it. 70 euros is a nice hotel that you and your pals can all be in the same room, if you want, for that amount. Try Citymundo , get a boat or appt, right in town in the city center. Check around those dates, there are many get togethers from all over. There is more in Amsterdam than you might think. Have a blast.

 

Try eurocheapo.com for a list of reasonably priced hotels. You can sort by neighborhood. If you want to be right in the middle of things try the old center or centrum. If you'd like a quieter location check out the grachtengordel South.

You'll be OK to take a picture of your friend standing on one of the RLD bridges. Set the picture up so that you're aimed down the canal not at the windows girls lining the canal. A nightime picture can be cool showing the red lights and the Casa Rosso for instance. Off hand I can't think of any statues in the RLD unless you count the peeing elephant in front of Casa Rosso.

The Christmas New Years break is one of the 3 busiest times of the year in Amsterdam. I think I'd get reservations and airline tickets at least a month in advance preferably more.

www.ignatzmice.com has a huge amount of RLD info. Read the RLD FAQ for a start. The discussion board is active and full of up to date info.

 

Hey Cereal! I think most has been said by the previous posters..

Oh btw.. if you walk the RLD during daytime, don't get discouraged when you don't see any pretty girls.. in the evening there are more, plus some streets have different 'taste' of women than others (like fat black chicks/slender asians).. if you're really planning on visiting one browse a little untill you see what you like.

There is a lot of stuff to do even if you don't like musea. You could check out the hemp museum, sex museum & torture museum though. Nothing too impressive but at least you can tell the folks back home that you went to musea

Yeah.. make sure your hotel is in the center.. anywhere close to Central Station, the RLD district, Leidseplein etc is close enough.. check a map for those areas when you're looking for an hotel!

Good luck with everything and have a nice one!

 

Strictly taboo

 

Hehehe..

Seriously.. what Larry said is true I think.. I see often people who are taking pictures.. just don't point your cam at any of the girls.. and always be polite if you're approached about what you're doing. Respect their privacy..

 

So true Velvet.
Technically anyone is allowed to take pictures around the RLD,
I've got many, but I made sure the camera lens didn't drift off
to one of the window girls. I've heard stories that if you do, a
big unfriendly bouncer will suddenly appear behind you and try
to throw your camera in the canal.

I've seen one person get caught in the peep show taking pics
and two men would not let him leave until he could prove that
he wasn't taking any pics. He had no choice but to hand over
the digital Flash card, which are not cheap and would imagine
he lost all his holiday photos as a result too.

 

Going back to the whole "Where should I stay?" question... A fellow forumer and I stayed on a houseboat close to centraal station. IT cost us 60 Euro total per night, so if you're sharing a room, 30 Euro each. I also stayed at a hotel in teh RLD for about $60 per night (I think). But I don't think I'll be going back there again.

If you want to check out the houseboat, try looking for Jonas Houseboat online. I'll try to post a link when I have more time to dig it up. But now I gotta get to work.

Happy Damming!

 

Hey all

Thanks for all the awesome replies. I wasn't expecting this many replies.

I am bookmarking all the websites you guys are giving me so I can make a good decision about where to stay. I also have to go over it with my friend.

I don't plan on taking pictures of the girls. I just want pictures of me there nothing of any girl there. I am also not going there to hook up with a girl. I just want to see that in real life because that kind of stuff isn't legal there.

I can't wait to go and am planning this trip as best as I can. I now know that a good place to stay is around the center. I don't want it to be quiet but I also want it to be pretty safe. I am also hoping to find a good new years party there while I am there.

I have one more question. A friend of mine has gone there and he said some people were very rude to him because he spoke english and they though he was an American but once they found out he was a Canadian, he was treated with more then enough respect. Is this true? Do I need to walk around with a "I am Canadian" hat or something or was he just telling me a bit more then the truth?

Also, is $100 Euro a night a decent hotel? Like my friend and I would like to stay in a nice place but I don't really want to spend more then about 100 euro a night. Will it be ok? I don't want to stay in a hostel, I want to be in a hotel.

Thanks guys/gals.

I am looking into everything you people are giving me for info.

 

try hotel manofa . it's right on damrak 2 minutes from central station & rld,rates where euro 55 for a single ,clean an comfy, free breakfast@ de markies right next door.http://www.manofa-hotel.com/en/index.php?

 

Well, around the center of the city I wouldn't know any areas that are considerd 'unsafe' when it comes to two guys being alone at night. There are areas (like the RLD) that attract the more 'drunken and macho acting guys'-public.. but again, that the unsafest you can get. You can still get robbed on every corner in broad daylight, but that's the same in every big city.. I never had a bad experience in Amsterdam and I'm a pretty vulnerable looking girl

Well.. being Dutch.. I think that if you would have a huge american accent and stand in the streets proclaiming that Bush is the greatest than yeah, I can imagine people disliking you.. but other than that I myself have NO trouble at all with Americans. Monosphere.. you answer this, being an american an all.

Most people in Amsterdam (if not all) speak english and I think that a lot depends on your own attitude.. as long as you have a friendly open mind and approach people politely if you want to ask something, I think (and hope!) that you'll be fine. Again.. there are assholes everywhere so you might just encounter the wrong person.. but I don't think it's typical Amsterdam behaviour.

A previous poster said sth about this.. but yeah, I think you can get a nice hotel for that sort of money.. check out the rates at the websites they gave you.

Good luck and feel free to ask anything else!

 

Regarding being an American in A'Dam, I don't think you'll have too many problems. I was also curious about how I would be treated in the NL. But I didn't have any problems at all. Most of the people there were very welcoming to me. Velvet and her friends were absolutely wonderful! I can't wait to get out there again ASAP.

The biggest concern you may have is being hit up for hard drugs as you walk through the RLD at night. I had a few guys who followed me, trying to convince me that I wanted cocaine. And one guy in particular who wanted to be my date for that night. I had to be rude at one point just to get him off my back.

Theft is another concern. I think I might have witnessed someone being pickpocketed, but the guy moved so fast that I'm not sure if I saw what I saw. That and I was drunk from Absinthe. The only thing I had stolen from me is a lighter, but I was stupid enough to let someone "borrow" it, not knowing their intention was to shoot up. So, watch out for the dealers and the pickpockets. Everyone else should be friendly enough.

I know you're set on staying in a hotel, but I still suggest staying on a houseboat for at least a couple of days for the experience. it really was a lot of fun. And close enough to everything, so no worries there. IT doesn't rock too much, but enough to rock you to sleep. And waking up to see A'dam from the water? Beautiful. Not to mention that it'l be a bit quieter than staying in the middle of the city. I made the mistake of staying at a hotel in the RLD, where people were loud all night long. So either try to stay in a quieter area or bring earplugs.

 

Thanks cadcruzer,

I will look into it more.

 

Thanks everybody else for the great answers. It helps me understand Amsterdam a little bit more. I don't think I have to worry about being pick pocketed but if it does happen it will suck. I won't carry around all my cash with me and I am sure I can handle people asking me if I want drugs.

I would love to stay on a houseboat but I brought this to the attention of my friend and he said no way. It's his first trip out of North America and it wants it to go by nice and easy but fun, which is ok by me.

So thanks again. I will look into everything a little bit more and if I have any other questions, I will not hesitate to ask.

 

Wow, That hotel manofa goes from $80 euro's a night in low season to 150 a night in peak season


:S

 

what i like about the houseboat is that you dont have to go very far to be outside. just open the door, hop outside and have a smoke.

 

So true! The times I stayed in hotels in Paris it was all airconditioned and the window couldn't be opened.. I felt like I was caged! However, if you have a nice hotel with a window that does open it's also nice to just sit in your window, one leg inside, one leg outside and smoke like that.

The whole houseboat thing is hard to understand for some people btw.. remember walking in Amsterdam with someone (a Japanese tourist if I'm correct, it was a while ago) and we were talking about the boats.. he thought it was very cheap housing, like the shanti-towns on the edge of the big cities in poorer countries.. heehee.. houseboats are soo expensive to buy and maintain! Some things that seem so normal to the locals can be so different for tourists.. that's why I love walking through Amsterdam with people, especially if they're from a very different culture.. makes you see things with different eyes

Hehe.. the line from 'Interview with the vampire' comes to mind.. "now see with your vampire eyes"... "now see with your Japanese eyes"..

Japanese people rule

 

Citymundo has pictures of houseboats and appts. Your friend may change his mind about them. If your on Channels forems also a guy named Tak has a boat there (citymundo LO1509). And again, to quote Velvet ...STAY DOWNTOWN. I stayed last week at the Victoria, Eden and the Golden Tulip Center for less than euro75 each a night, you will have no problem.