Amsterdam

[Aurora]

I'm heading to Amsterdam early June for 5 days with a bunch of friends, would love some advice or recommendations from anyone.

How much should i be expecting to pay on food?

I'd like to hit up some museums particularly the Rijkesmuseum and Van Gogh museum Anne Frank too but i hear it's always busy, probably the cannabis and sex museums too, do these have entry fees or are they free? any others worth a look?

Whats a good bicycle rental company?

What are some nice places to go for good beer and good cannabis? any places to avoid? I've heard Bulldog is dodgy but i dunno.

Any club recommendations for electro/house/dubstep? and from a purely academic view of course where might someone who isn't me acquire certain things usually associated with above? is that even possible for a tourist?

Also is there any rules for the red light district i know no cameras but any others?


Thanks in advance :)

[Sasha]

I'm heading to Amsterdam early June for 5 days with a bunch of friends, would love some advice or recommendations from anyone.
No problemo, ill do my best to answer... feel free to ask more...



How much should i be expecting to pay on food?


Go to the big supermarkets or if your in a working-class area the immigrant shops, avoid nightstores and try to avoid the luxury chain "albert heijn" and you'll be able to do a day and night worth of food and drink for around 10 to 15,- euros. Good fresh backed pizza and other take away etc should be max 10,- restaurants charging over 20 for a full meal better be top notch or are tourist traps.


I'd like to hit up some museums particularly the Rijkesmuseum and Van Gogh museum Anne Frank too but i hear it's always busy, probably the cannabis and sex museums too, do these have entry fees or are they free? any others worth a look?


Anne frank you have to go very early indeed. Do not under any circumstances go to the sex, cababis or torture museum, total rip offs. The new tattoo museum is nice though. Resistance museum is a must, iisg/iish is very cool too. I prefer the stedelijk (modern art) over van gogh, "het schip" is a small museum on social housing. "scheepsvaart" museum (nautical history is cool as well. Nemo science museum is cool if you are with kids.



Whats a good bicycle rental company?

MACBIKE



What are some nice places to go for good beer and good cannabis? any places to avoid? I've heard Bulldog is dodgy but i dunno.

Good beer:
Bierkoning (shop), brouwerij het ij (brewery with taste cafe in a windmill) zotte & gollum (special beer cafes) minds (punkbar) vrankrijk (squat bar) occii (alternative venue) melkweg & paradiso (big concerthalls/clubs, if you drop me a pm I can prob put you on the guestlists)

Coffeeshops: greyarea and 2e kamer are best bang for your buck. Abraxas, rokerij and dampkring are decent too. Bulldog and grasshopper are again tourist traps



Any club recommendations for electro/house/dubstep? and from a purely academic view of course where might someone who isn't me acquire certain things usually associated with above? is that even possible for a tourist?

See above + sugarfactory & trouw, drugs ask any cab driver or staff at the hostel, do not buy from the streets in the redlight district, its fake, smartshops like innerspace have good legal highs.



Also is there any rules for the red light district i know no cameras but any others?

Pay fair price, no negotiating, no streetworkers (they are forced for sure) no photos indeed. Stay away from any place there with ready made food except febo. Beware of pickpocketers, do not use your iPhone/ipod/etc or cary them somewhere visible, do not even talk to the streethusselers who offer you drugs, they are the same ppl who will rob you on knifepoint if you get close.



Thanks in advance :)
Your welcome...

[Aurora]

Wow that's great, thanks so much man, really appreciate it :)

[Brosa Luxemburg]

Save money for some green, comrade. :D

[Brosip Tito]

Save money for some green, comrade. :DConsidering the government has introduced law, which will come into effect everywhere in Holland at the end of the year, that bans non-citizens from purchasing said green, you best take advantage of coffee shops while you can!

[Brosa Luxemburg]

Considering the government has introduced law, which will come into effect everywhere in Holland at the end of the year, that bans non-citizens from purchasing said green, you best take advantage of coffee shops while you can!

That sucks, ha!

[Zukunftsmusik]

The Anne Frank house is definitely worth the waiting, but being early is a plus. The Van Gogh museum is nice, although it's nothing special, really. Rijksmuseum is under reconstruction, so you can only visit parts of it, I think.

There is a cat museum, Het Kattenkabinet, along the Herengracht canal, near Vijzelstraat (south of city centre). It's not big, but if you like cats and artwork with cats (posters, sculptures etc. they even have a sketch by Picasso and a painting by Rembrandt, although the latter is very small), then it's worth a visit. It costs about 7 euros if I remember correctly.

I found most of the markets crappy. One exception is the market by Norderkerk (the nothern church). They have a lot of second hand clothing, books and antique stuff. This is only on Mondays, though. On Saturday the same place holds a market for cheese and produce.

If you don't rent a bike, the tram is also very convenient.

Oh, and there's a leftist bookshop near Zuiderkerk (the southern church, I think) called Het Fort van Sjakoo. It's on Joodenbreestraat.

[Zukunftsmusik]

Considering the government has introduced law, which will come into effect everywhere in Holland at the end of the year, that bans non-citizens from purchasing said green, you best take advantage of coffee shops while you can!

wasn't that law put into effect today?

[Tim Cornelis]

wasn't that law put into effect today?

Only in southern provinces.

[Aurora]

Just got back today, Amsterdam is a stunningly beautiful city i really loved it and would definitely go back again there's so much more i'd like to see and do. Thank you all for the advice it was really useful. Really enjoyed the Verzets museum especially photos of the Jewish district where we were staying and the information on the Dutch East Indies. Allard Pierson museum and Van Gogh museum were good too but unfortunately the Stedelijk was closed, maybe next time :)


Save money for some green, comrade. :D
lol ya we kinda overdid it in that department, super skunk, amnesia haze, cheese, white widow, blue cheese, pineapple chunk, red cherry berry, tangerine dream, liberty haze, blueberry, jamaican, bubblegum, vanilla kush, G-13 haze and manali cream hash, may have forgotten a few :p
My favourites were Cheese and Red Cherry Berry, very nice head high.

Did some mushrooms too, psilocybe atlantis, really interesting experience bit overpowering at plateau but well worth a try, ate about 8grams and melted into the couch for a couple hours :rolleyes: