Amsterdam----I wanna visit?!

sdbg

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One of the things that I want to do when I go there is to use one of the outdoor urinals. The novelty of being able to pee legally right on a busy city street would be fun. The gray plastic 4-man model is the most common, yet there are high tech telescopic units (link below) as well.
http://www.lpsg.org/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/245067/cat/500/ppuser/145819
I like that some of the cities in Europe have these conveniences for the guys. Just walk up, unzip, take care of business, and go on with your day.
 

BiItalianBro

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I lived in Amsterdam for about 18 months in the early 00s and visited with work well over a hundred times. Here is the deal: the Red Light District, a short walk from Central Station up the Geldersekade, it is fun for about a day lol. Beware...it is a tourist trap frequented mainly by Americans, Brits and other puritanical nationalities ...the only locals you meet there, work there. The coffeeshop culture is typically Dutch.... cannabis is technically illegal, but the law is not enforced. That being said...do not even THINK of trying to take any out of the country...as that IS punishable by law and enforced. Over the past few years, there has been a push to crack down on coffeeshops and 'smart shops' by the conservative Christian Democrats...claiming that many are money laundering operations for Al-Quaeda and the Russian Mob.

There is so much to the region outside of the RDL and getting baked. You can literally walk from one end of the city to the other...so bring good shoes. Open air markets, the Ann Frank Haaus (one of the most powerful,depressing places Ive ever been), canal cafes, etc. The Cockring is a fun gay/bi nightclub where anything goes; i was there about a month ago and you had to check your clothes at the door...it was naked night lol. There is a spa called Thermos that is amazing. Yes, it is sort of a bath house..but it is also a day/night club, restaurant, bar, salon and social club.
Oh...by the way...when you go clubbing or hang out in a coffeeshop...it is NOT ok to get stupid in public. The Dutch drink like fish and get loud, but public intox is a major no no.

If you go in the fall...be prepared for miserable weather...allot like Chicago in November...chilly and damp. Since it is so far north..the days shorten faster than here...so by November it will be dark by 4-430pm. Send a msg if you have any other ??s
 
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vince

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BiItalianBro summed up the RLD pretty well. If you want to get wasted it's a pretty safe place to do so. There are coffesshops all over the city though. A great place to party but there is also a lot of other things to do. Visit the first stock exchange in the world, the Van Gogh museum is not to be missed, just get a guide book and wander around, the city is not that big and the transit is excellent. Biking is really great and easy and drivers are respectful. But lock it up! It will be stolen. Be sure the rental company has zero deductible on theft.

Amsterdam has a lot of pickpockets and petty street crime. There are signs posted all over warning you to be aware. It's the only place in the world I've ever been mugged, They were clever, but all they got was a very nice bag and a 600 page novel that I had read 590 pages of! Ggrrrrrr....

Don't NOT carry your passport and your wallet together. In fact leave your passport and a spare credit card in the hotel safe.

But it is really quite safe and you can have a great time there.
 

BiItalianBro

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BiItalianBro summed up the RLD pretty well. If you want to get wasted it's a pretty safe place to do so. There are coffesshops all over the city though. A great place to party but there is also a lot of other things to do. Visit the first stock exchange in the world, the Van Gogh museum is not to be missed, just get a guide book and wander around, the city is not that big and the transit is excellent. Biking is really great and easy and drivers are respectful. But lock it up! It will be stolen. Be sure the rental company has zero deductible on theft.

Amsterdam has a lot of pickpockets and petty street crime. There are signs posted all over warning you to be aware. It's the only place in the world I've ever been mugged, They were clever, but all they got was a very nice bag and a 600 page novel that I had read 590 pages of! Ggrrrrrr....

Don't NOT carry your passport and your wallet together. In fact leave your passport and a spare credit card in the hotel safe.

But it is really quite safe and you can have a great time there.

Very good points on the petty crime Vince...forgot to mention that rather important detail. I am a stickler about my passports in general....when I am not cleaning C&I, they are under lock and key. It is also a good idea to have several high quality photocopies with you and trusted persons at home...just in case. That nugget of airline wisdom got me out of Jordan a few years ago when my passport went missing FROM THE HOTEL lol.
 

MonsterUncut

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The Grasshopper Cafe, a couple blocks away from the Amsterdam Hilton. One of the coolest places. It's near the red light district, very safe. Like in earlier posts, leave your passport at your hotel safe. It's a fantastic place to visit. Have fun, be safe.
Peace
 

D_54tyw5y

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Been to A'dam 9 times in 10 years and it's one of the safest cities in Europe. Find the kind of bars you want to go to and hit em when their busy. Coffee shops and Smart Shops (other drugs) abound. Carry a copy of your passport with you and some cash or one cc. I do that in all my travels for safety sake, except when it's absolutely necessary to have my actual passport (planes, trains, etc.) Don't stay anywhere near the train station and ignore the street hustlers of all kinds. The Dutch are friendly, straight forward and big! You'll be real popular in A'dam, brother.
 

lucidbass

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The Jolly Joker is a fun coffeeshop to check out. It's near the Red Light District.

'Het Alto' is a fun jazz cafe near 'het Leidse Plein'. Check out the schedules of 'de Melkweg' and 'Paradiso', they're the local venues and occasionally have good dubstep/drum n bass/techno parties if you're into that.

If there's a way for you to secure your wallet to your pants, make use of that and don't have cash in it. Use your debit or credit card as much as you can.

I don't know if you'll be going by yourself or not but it doesn't matter much because meeting people there is especially easy.

Don't NOT carry your passport and your wallet together. In fact leave your passport and a spare credit card in the hotel safe.

But always carry your ID. It's required by law and you're fucked if you're caught without one.
 

AussieDutch

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I live here and it's what you make of it. Locals are used to wasted tourists on the weekends, the red light district is always busy and you can do as much, or little as you like. Plenty of eye candy too. I've not found many people who don't like visiting here. Or living here for that matter!
 
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deleted3782

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Hey guys, thinking about going to amsterdam.

I'm with ya, I've been thinking the same. Its been a long long time since I have been there.

Thanks for all the info! I'm planning a trip for next month, but also considering Budapest or Prauge. Any thoughts?

Depends what you are looking for. Both have rivers and castles. Budapest feels like a bigger city with places to visit like the Museum of Terror and the old Turkish baths. Prague is a little more medieval with a lot of open markets and more restaurants.

Check out sites like Tripadvisor and see what kinds of things you'd like to see in both cities. Budapest might be cheaper...
 

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And trams! They kill about two tourists a week.

yep it's an experience just crossing the road, dodge the first lane of bicycles, then the trams, then the cars, then the second lane of tramss, then after that another lane of bicycles!