Amstel Station is a huge hub, south of Amsterdam’s city center, on the Amstel River, that provides transportation links further outside the city and to the rest of Europe. Besides the Metro and Trains there are city buses and trams (no. 12), and Eurolines (international buses) has a hub here. One block away is EasyRentaCar.
Amsterdam’s Chinatown has exploded in the past few years. It’s gone beyond it’s confines in the Red Light District and is now spilling over past the Nieuwmarkt. To call it “Chinatown” is a misnomer of course, because the area include numerous Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian restaurants, shops, salons, apothecaries, markets and more.
A transformation in a good part of the Red Light District has occured thanks to the success of the many restaurants in the area, and the introduction of new ones. Add to this the reconstruction of many façades, and the repaving of the streets, and this district has been metamorphized from seedy to inviting. The hordes of hungry tourists in the area can attest to this.
Amsterdam can be a pretty intense place, especially in the summer months when it becomes overrun by tourists. If you find yourself getting stressed out, you can escape to a number of places where you can “chill out” and find your center again.
Bloemendaal Beach
If the weather is nice, you could head to the beach. But you want to avoid the packed beaches of Zandvoort and Scheveningen. So go to Bloemendaal a few kilometers north of Zaandvoort where you’ll find lots of space to be mellow. Just south of Zaandvoort is the nude beach, but this has gotten more crowded lately. You can venture further south, too. But really if it’s a hot day, you can be sure that just the ride to the beach will be stressful if you take the train.
Staying out late and getting drunk with friends is perhaps the most popular sport in Holland. Yes, far more Dutch people get drunk than use other drugs! Brown pubs are everywhere and serve as the center of social life for many Dutch people. These cozy, smokey bars have a lot of charm and are a great way to mingle with the locals.
If you’re a beer fan, you’ve come to the right city to indulge yourself. Amsterdam is the home of several great beers including the world’s #2 seller, Heineken. And their old brewery is one of the best places to get sloshed as they let you drink all you can in half an hour at the end of the tour. It’s probably just as well that they limit you since more time would result in some serious complications, no?
The White Bicycles (Witfiets) can be found at various locations in Amsterdam. They represent a revival of a concept that was tried in Amsterdam in the 1960s. Back then, Luud Schimmelpennink an environmentalist, along with an activist group dreamed up a plan to put free bicycles on the streets of Amsterdam. They figured if there were enough bicycles people could just grab one wherever they were and leave it at their destination for someone else to use. So a number of bright white bicycles were set out for the public.
Unfortunately the bikes were quickly stolen, and the program was cancelled. Yet the idea caught on and many other cities, especially in America have experimented with similar systems with mixed success. A battery powered vehicle program called the WitKar was tried in 1986, but there were so many problems with the vehicles, that unique experiement was quickly abandoned.
Then in 1998, this idealistic vision was once again revived by Luud Schimmelpennink, and with the help of new technology and corporate sponsors, the white bike is back! Electronic locks and hidden microchips in the bicycles help ensure they don’t get stolen.
There are now 19 depots around town, with 26 more planned for a total of 450 bicycles. Some of the places you’ll find them are: The Waterlooplein, Kerkstraat, the Artis, Nieuwmarkt, Westermarkt and Korte Prinsengracht.
It seems they’ve avoided the most touristed places, as the system is geared more to locals than visitors, especially since the Depo system requires you use a smart card or “chipper” to get a bicycle. The way it works (as far as I can figure) is that you insert a card, enter your pin number, then a bicycle is released to you. You then have a half an hour to get to your next destination. You may have it out longer, but if you keep it out too long, you’ll risk being denied the use of the bicycle next time!
Update: As of now (March, 2002), I no longer see any of these bicycles at their stations. There goes another great idea, down the tubes!
1. There are many reasons to smoke hashish and marijuana, such as to have a good time or to release your creative energies or for meditation. But don’t expect a joint to solve any problems for you.
2. If you smoke hashish or marijuana everyday, try to skip a couple of days now and then. It’s not only healthier to take a break, but it lowers your tolerance so you can again get high on just a few hits.
3. Smoking hashish or marijuana affects your ability to concentrate, so don’t smoke them at school, at work or when you are driving a car.
So you’ve heard that the Dutch are tolerant towards the recreational use of soft drugs. Now you want to find out more about the Dutch Coffeeshop Scene. Well you can take a look at our Coffeeshop Reviews and find that cool place with the right combination of music, ambiance and of course great smoke. But you might also want to read our Cannabis Smoking Tipswhich warn you about the effects and offer suggestions should you do too much.
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So you’ve got the munchies and need to find relief. Luckily, you’re in Amsterdam where a whole world of tempting delights await to satisfy your hunger for something different.
If you’re looking to eat out, your quest should start with our story about Amsterdam’s Restaurant Scene. It’ll give you an overview of the types of food available. If you’re wondering where to find restaurants, our ever expanding Restaurant Reviewswill point you in the right direction for International cuisine. We’re pretty picky so you shouldn’t be disappointed by our recommendations.
For less formal fare, consider Amsterdam’s Cafes which often have very tasty food and stay open later! If you want a quick, inexpensive bite to fill up your tank, Fast Foodcan be a good option.
If you want to fix your own meal or just pick up some cheese and bread we recommend visiting one of the outdoor markets like the Dutch Specialties to whet your appetite.
There are many ways and places to change money in Amsterdam. Here’s some tips to get the most from your foreign currency.
The best exchange rate is going to come via your ATM card. You’ll probably be charged a couple of dollars (or whatever your equivalent) by YOUR bank in your country for the transaction. Usually you’re limited to about 300 Euros per day (you can ask your bank to increase your ATM limit before you go or even while you’re here!). But the good news is that is the only charge (the Dutch banks don’t add a charge) and you will get the best exchange rate (although they may now be giving you slightly less than before). Getting money this way cost you less than one percent.
Another way to get this top exchange rate is to use credit cards for your purchases which will be calculated at the market rate. With credit cards, you also have less cash to carry and possibly lose. This used to cost you ZERO in terms of exchange fees, but they may be changing this and giving you a slightly lower rate now.
The next best exchange rate is from traveler’s checks, and if you have American Express, you can get a good rate at their offices or any bank or currency exchange. This rate is higher (for some reason) than real money.
If you have real currency to exchange you should be very careful because the rate can vary several percent depending upon where you go. Banks are not the best because they’ll charge you a commission of about 2 1/2 percent in addition to a flat fee (like 3 Euros or so). This can add up to a lot if you have a lot to change. But of course they calculate this based upon the official rate of exchange. But let’s say you change $100, you’d pay $2.50 plus 3 Euros to the bank for the transaction, which would work out to about 5%!
Many money changers work the same way, charging you two fees for one transaction. They also use some deception to make you think you’re getting a good deal. But their rates are never anywhere near the “official rate”, so you’re getting a lousy deal all around.
Thus far we have found only one change place we can recommend, and that is Lorentz change. They charge no commision or fees, so you get exactly the rate posted, which is usually a few cents below the “official rate”. That’s it. Sure makes it easy to figure out, AND it happens to be the best deal in town, just as their signs claim. The second best place is probably Pott Change. Avoid the Thomas Cook as these seem to be the worst and surprisingly the busiest!
Notice: As of Jan. 28, 2002 the Guilder is no longer legal tender in Holland! The conversion rate for Guilders to Euros is 2.203 guilders per Euro.
For current exchange rates check out the Universal Currency Converter.