Amsterdam

Bobby Baccala · 03-10-2017 12:05am

Been once thought the novelty of the place wore off after the first few days, the green wasnt all it was cracked up to be either tbh, smoked much better and cheaper stuff in Orange County. Was also started on by one of those pricks that tries to goad you into their shìt turkish restaurants, think it was in Leidseplein.

I'd probably give it another go tbh, didnt get to do much drinking while I was there.

Surreptitious · 03-10-2017 12:10am

They only gave out small beers when I was there. You'd be gasping for a pint.

dudara · 03-10-2017 12:15am

I really like the little biertjes. Your beer stays nice, cool & crisp compared to a pint

Surreptitious · 03-10-2017 12:19am

dudara wrote: »

I really like the little biertjes. Your beer stays nice, cool & crisp compared to a pint

It would be nice now maybe but back then was in the mood for partying so it slowed me down. The markets, galleries, flower stalls and shops were great though.

2Mad2BeMad · 03-10-2017 12:28am

Went once, didnt think much of it.

Stayed in the rld area.

But really, it was quite dull, clubs where ****e (maybe it was the time of the year I went I dunno)
Weed was great though been able to chill out and have a laugh.
City was nice looking but thats it, their was nothing else to do.

I'd go again for the chilled out atmosphere.

But then again its what you make of it I suppose and I couldn't do much with my girlfriend their keeping an eye on me xD

honeybadger · 03-10-2017 12:40am

my fondnees memory of amsterdam is the stairs ow ow ow

JupiterKid · 03-10-2017 1:10am

Many years ago (1999 I believe) a good mate and myself went to Amsterdam for the techno Dance Valley event. Good music but it lashed rain half the day, we were on our way back to Brussels the morning after so we didn't bother with a hostel and slept on chairs in front of a cafe in the Niewmarkt area. The freezing North Sea breeze kept us awake most of the early morning.

I've had more (ahem) comfortable stays in the city since then.:D

The stairs in the old buildings are dangerously steep.

inforfun · 03-10-2017 8:04am

Surreptitious wrote: »

They only gave out small beers when I was there. You'd be gasping for a pint.

Just order a "vaas" next time. Can go to up to 33cl

You probably got stuck with a "fluitje" which is only 20cl and gives you the idea of holding a shot glass when you are used to pints.

Smaller glasses are much better when it is warm inside or outside in the summer. You have the glass empty before it turns into lukewarm piss like it does with pints.

DeanAustin · 03-10-2017 8:24am

Went in my 20s and rode, drank and smoked myself silly for a few days. By the last day, I had to get out Id over indulged that much. Would recommend it wholeheartedly if that's yer thing.

Although reading this thread, more people go there for the art galleries and stuff than the hookers.

weldoninhio · 03-10-2017 10:03am

Went on a stag last year and thought it was great. I'd definitely go again. Was near to the RLD, but not in it. Had a great laugh, didn't partake any windows (had a gf at the time) but we had a great laugh over there. Didn't even smoke anything until the morning we were leaving.

I found Las Ramblas in Barcelona a lot seedier than anything I saw in the RLD.

RasTa · 03-10-2017 11:22am

Yeah over 2 weeks ago for a stag. Staying across the river, didn't go near the RLD and went to craft breweries instead. Opedipa and Toorst being my favourite. Browerij IJ the best scenic wise, rented bikes the Saturday to get to these places and was great craic

Billy86 · 03-10-2017 11:26am

RasTa wrote: »

Yeah over 2 weeks ago for a stag. Staying across the river, didn't go near the RLD and went to craft breweries instead. Opedipa and Toorst being my favourite. Browerij IJ the best scenic wise, rented bikes the Saturday to get to these places and was great craic

Browerij (the Windmill pub, right?) is a lovely spot, and if you want about 5-10 minutes further out from the city centre area, Muiderpoort is great. Really, really quiet and chilled out in contrast to the centre, too (though bring cash because hardly any pubs take card).

smurgen · 03-10-2017 11:40am

Yamanoto wrote: »

I'd suggest you'd have benefited greatly from venturing beyond De Wallen.

Amsterdam is a city choc-full of quirky design shops, second-hand bookstores, sumptuous art, indie boutiques, excellent cuisine and atmospheric & cosy brown cafes. All criss-crossed by serene waterways and picturesque hump-back bridges, with church steeples intersecting the gabled roofs that appear as something out of a fairy tale.

Wonderful place.

there's countless places in Europe like what you've described only better. I absolutely hate the place the times i've been there. Find it grim. Even Utrech is rotten. Much better heading somewhere like Lisbon, an absolutely fantastic city with way much to offer than Amsterdam and way cheaper also.

crossmolinalad · 03-10-2017 1:39pm

irelandrover wrote: »

I live in Holland and i know no-one that has their insurance paid. I've never even heard of it as a thing here.

If you stay over there for more than a year and you re not insured for health you can wait for hefty fines and if something happens you have to pay everything yourselves

Who must obtain Dutch health insurance?
Most foreigners who are living or working in the Netherlands are required by law to take out the standard Dutch public health insurance within four months after their resident permit starts. There are, however, some exceptions depending on your situation. Euraxess provides a flowchart to see which Dutch health insurance is required for your situation.

Your employer pays a small part and you have to pay around 1000 something a year

Your employer will pay 6.75 percent of your salary for you for the Zvw component, and deduct 9.65 percent from your pay for the Wlz part. The self-employed pay slightly less Zvw, at 5.65 percent.

In addition, you will generally have to pay monthly contributions to your health insurer, which in 2017 amount to around EUR 109 per month or EUR 1,300 per year (it varies slightly from insurer to insurer). Online websites help you to compare general health insurance packages and costs from different insurers.
The insurance policy will also have an ‘excess’ (eigen risico). This means that you have to pay the first EUR 385 (in 2017) of some treatments. You don’t pay the excess on services supplied by GPs, obstetric and post-natal care: these are completely free.

https://www.expatica.com/nl/healthcare/Guide-to-health-insurance-in-the-Netherlands_109293.html

Mister Vain · 03-10-2017 1:45pm

It just goes to show how peoples experiences differ. I thought Lisbon was an awful dull place with unfriendly people and not a whole lot to do. I was constantly harressed by drug dealers too, which I didn't expect. Madrid, Malaga and Prague are much better in my opinion.

c_man · 03-10-2017 1:46pm

It's a beautiful city and the people there are very friendly. That being so I wouldn't live there, the seedy element can be skipped over but I wouldn't be able to deal with all that crap in my day-to-day.

elefant · 03-10-2017 1:53pm

irelandrover wrote: »

I live in Holland and i know no-one that has their insurance paid. I've never even heard of it as a thing here.

I'd say most people I know working in the Netherlands get an addition to their monthly wages to pay for their insurance, and likely have a work scheme to get a discount with certain insurers.

I have in every job I've had in NL myself.

elefant · 03-10-2017 1:54pm

c_man wrote: »

It's a beautiful city and the people there are very friendly. That being so I wouldn't live there, the seedy element can be skipped over but I wouldn't be able to deal with all that crap in my day-to-day.

You don't have to deal with in ordinary life if you don't want to.

The beauty of the RLD is that if you don't want to interact with that element of the city, you know exactly where to avoid.

Grayson · 03-10-2017 1:55pm

DeanAustin wrote: »

Went in my 20s and rode, drank and smoked myself silly for a few days. By the last day, I had to get out Id over indulged that much. Would recommend it wholeheartedly if that's yer thing.

Although reading this thread, more people go there for the art galleries and stuff than the hookers.

The architecture is amazing. they have buildings made out of hookers.

Grayson · 03-10-2017 1:56pm

Mister Vain wrote: »

It just goes to show how peoples experiences differ. I thought Lisbon was an awful dull place with unfriendly people and not a whole lot to do. I was constantly harressed by drug dealers too, which I didn't expect. Madrid, Malaga and Prague are much better in my opinion.

Constantly harassed by hookers in certain parts of Prague. most tried to pick my pocket too.

irelandrover · 03-10-2017 1:59pm

crossmolinalad wrote: »

If you stay over there for more than a year and you re not insured for health you can wait for hefty fines and if something happens you have to pay everything yourselves

Who must obtain Dutch health insurance?
Most foreigners who are living or working in the Netherlands are required by law to take out the standard Dutch public health insurance within four months after their resident permit starts. There are, however, some exceptions depending on your situation. Euraxess provides a flowchart to see which Dutch health insurance is required for your situation.

Your employer pays a small part and you have to pay around 1000 something a year

Your employer will pay 6.75 percent of your salary for you for the Zvw component, and deduct 9.65 percent from your pay for the Wlz part. The self-employed pay slightly less Zvw, at 5.65 percent.

In addition, you will generally have to pay monthly contributions to your health insurer, which in 2017 amount to around EUR 109 per month or EUR 1,300 per year (it varies slightly from insurer to insurer). Online websites help you to compare general health insurance packages and costs from different insurers.
The insurance policy will also have an ‘excess’ (eigen risico). This means that you have to pay the first EUR 385 (in 2017) of some treatments. You don’t pay the excess on services supplied by GPs, obstetric and post-natal care: these are completely free.

https://www.expatica.com/nl/healthcare/Guide-to-health-insurance-in-the-Netherlands_109293.html

I know that. Everyone has insurance. I have never heard of employers paying the monthly insurance premium. Maybe its more applicable in other sectors than engineering which i work in.

c_man · 03-10-2017 2:07pm

elefant wrote: »

You don't have to deal with in ordinary life if you don't want to.

The beauty of the RLD is that if you don't want to interact with that element of the city, you know exactly where to avoid.

The seediness goes well outside there. Not to mention the constant smell of weed in certain places, stupidly stoned foreigners going around, the more "undesirable" tourists... Nah.

Plus having mopeds and motorbikes use the cycle lanes is nuts :eek:

elefant · 03-10-2017 2:09pm

c_man wrote: »

The seediness goes well outside there. Not to mention the constant smell of weed in certain places, stupidly stoned foreigners going around, the more "undesirable" tourists... Nah.

Plus having mopeds and motorbikes use the cycle lanes is nuts :eek:

None of this causes any bother in everyday life outside of the inner city-centre.

Apart from the mopeds, which are indeed a scourge.

harry Bailey esq · 03-10-2017 2:55pm

Hector Bellend wrote: »

I was there for a week in September.

I went on a beer and fanny bender. It was good craic. Literally and metaphorically

Many people visit with that in mind. If that's what you have a hankering for Hamburg is a much better option. Every port city in the world has sex workers. Hoors and weed aside, Amsterdam is one of the great drinking cities in Europe. That's what keeps me going back once or twice a year. Somebody compared the red light district to temple bar, and they would be right. If you were to spend the entire weekend hanging around there you would get very bored very quickly. Everyone raves about the Jordaan area, and in fairness it's a nice enough place to wander around for a few hours, I prefer the baarjses area. It's quieter, friendlier and cheaper to eat and drink.

MadDog76 · 03-10-2017 7:23pm

Have to laugh at all the posters who went to Amsterdam but "avoided the RLD and the hookers, far too seedy, not my thing" etc. .......... b@llocks!!!

weldoninhio · 03-10-2017 9:25pm

MadDog76 wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the posters who went to Amsterdam but "avoided the RLD and the hookers, far too seedy, not my thing" etc. .......... b@llocks!!!

Mine is 100% truthful. Single now thought, so if I went over now I'd be all over it.

JupiterKid · 05-10-2017 11:12pm

Europe has so many beautiful cities and Amsterdam is definitely one of them. Yes, it's packed with tourists in the red light district/Damrak area but there is so much more to the city and it has great cultural and shopping options.

Prague is very beautiful and the women are stunning (the Czech guys I reckon don't have to bother with their looks!) but both times I was there I found the place full of people keen to rip you off and many of the bars quite seedy.

I did the red light district and coffee shops weed experience in Amsterdam quite a few times and it was fun. But that was 20 years ago and I've moved on since then.

garyskeepers · 05-10-2017 11:16pm

I love amsterdam., been there 3 times...

last time we were there,, there was 7,000 people from our club watching the world cup final in a huge field with two HUGE screens...

it was pretty amazing

wakka12 · 05-10-2017 11:32pm

MadDog76 wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the posters who went to Amsterdam but "avoided the RLD and the hookers, far too seedy, not my thing" etc. .......... b@llocks!!!

I found the area with the ladies in the window very uncomfortable and weird :pac:

MadDog76 · 06-10-2017 12:18am

wakka12 wrote: »

I found the area with the ladies in the window very uncomfortable and weird :pac:

It all depends on personal taste .......... I inadvertently wandered down the street where the trans hookers display themselves in windows and found that very uncomfortable and weird! :eek:

harry Bailey esq · 06-10-2017 1:54am

wakka12 wrote: »

I found the area with the ladies in the window very uncomfortable and weird :pac:

Bloedstratt maybe?

Mister Vain · 06-10-2017 7:20am

I found the fat hookers with jugs down to their knees very uncomfortable and weird.

fryup · 06-10-2017 9:39am

are the police this relaxed ???

razorblunt · 06-10-2017 10:12am

MadDog76 wrote: »

Have to laugh at all the posters who went to Amsterdam but "avoided the RLD and the hookers, far too seedy, not my thing" etc. .......... b@llocks!!!

Is it though? You'd take a walk through, but I'm not in the desperate stakes to pay for a shag or hand shandy.

I'm married, I already do that!

The RLD is essentially the Temple Bar area, not much going to make you go back there really!

Dots1982 · 03-03-2018 10:03pm

Read through this since I’m heading there this week- not much talk about clubbing here. Anyone shed any light on the best spots and clubs and pubs good for cheap pints?

What are the pubs like? Kind of like the workman’s club in Dublin is what I’m visualizing.

It’s only coffee shops that sell weed? Pubs can’t sell but you can smoke there?

If anyone can recommend a bike tour or canal tour operator I’d be interested as well.

And sure I’ll probably pick up a sim with pre loaded data so if anyone has any tips on that let me hear it?

Cheers

03-03-2018 10:23pm

Check the local websites for club info. They have a very vibrant house scene going on, although it tends to shift around a lot depending on where is fashionable. Great fun though. Keep an eye out for outdoor raves on the outskirts of the city. Highly recommend bringing your own space cakes, shrooms or stuff with you. The **** sold on site can be very hit and miss.

TBH I'd advise picking where you're going to smoke and not do it in the bars/clubs. The weed over there can get some getting used to, so the cafes are the best bet to find your feet. Personally, I'd keep the weed in the cafes, and shrooms for the clubs. That's what I've done previously and it worked out well. Some cafes also stay open very late and can be much better than going to a bar/club. Really depends what kind of buzz you want.

Can't really give you many details on the bar scene. I tend to split my time between the cafes and the nightclubs. There are loads of websites relating to Amsterdam though.

refusetolose · 03-03-2018 10:34pm

liam gallagher is playing there this week if your into that sorta thing

i know this cos im going!

Dots1982 · 03-03-2018 10:49pm

refusetolose wrote: »

liam gallagher is playing there this week if your into that sorta thing

i know this cos im going!

More of a Noel man

refusetolose · 03-03-2018 10:57pm

Dots1982 wrote: »

More of a Noel man

he's playing there next month alright

guess you'll be back by then

Dots1982 · 03-03-2018 11:07pm

refusetolose wrote: »

Dots1982 wrote: »

More of a Noel man

he's playing there next month alright

guess you'll be back by then

Well I’ll definitely have had a good weekend if I’m tempted back that quick.

Found this guide on clubs so best thing I’ve found.... https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/mar/22/10-best-clubs-in-amsterdam-chosen-by-dj-experts....don’t know local websites..

refusetolose · 03-03-2018 11:11pm

Dots1982 wrote: »

Well I’ll definitely have had a good weekend if I’m tempted back that quick.

Found this guide on clubs so best thing I’ve found.... https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/mar/22/10-best-clubs-in-amsterdam-chosen-by-dj-experts....don’t know local websites..

back home i meant :pac:

Dots1982 · 03-03-2018 11:12pm

refusetolose wrote: »

Dots1982 wrote: »

Well I’ll definitely have had a good weekend if I’m tempted back that quick.

Found this guide on clubs so best thing I’ve found.... https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/mar/22/10-best-clubs-in-amsterdam-chosen-by-dj-experts....don’t know local websites..

back home i meant :pac:

Ah right ðŸ™‚

Chrongen · 04-03-2018 1:14am

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Pretty but dull would be my opinion.

What?

Beautiful city.Lived there for a few years. Own an apartment there and go back frequently.

Feels like home. The city is full of little places to hide and eat and drink and read.

And go mental later if you want.

aivilo · 04-03-2018 1:32am

I’m heading over next weekend. Any particularly good good places to eat not too expensive?
Also where’s a good music bars

Yamanoto · 04-03-2018 2:03am

Avoid the large cruiser boats that go from Damrak.

These guys are successful for very good reason

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g188590-d8064405-Reviews-Those_Dam_Boat_Guys-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Dots1982 · 06-03-2018 9:58pm

Think this is worth a tenner https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/whats-on/clubbing-nightlife-amsterdam/nightlife-ticket

Arghus · 06-03-2018 10:21pm

Heading over myself next week to see Fever Ray. Hopefully the debauchery won't get too intense.

the_syco · 06-03-2018 10:59pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

What's your experience of Amsterdam?

Awesome city, just don't talk to strangers on the street after 23:00 or they'll think you want the harder drugs, and will not stop trying to sell them to you.

Nice place. Will probably go back, but for longer than a weekend, and during the summer months so I can wander around the city a bit more.

Dots1982 · 06-03-2018 11:27pm

Anyone got any good apps for the city? Transport orientated...like where you enter one landmark/street and enter another as your destination and it tells you the tram etc to take?

the_syco · 09-03-2018 6:39am

Dots1982 wrote: »

Anyone got any good apps for the city? Transport orientated...like where you enter one landmark/street and enter another as your destination and it tells you the tram etc to take?

Google Maps does that here in Toronto; I'd say it does it there as well.

Amsterdam

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