Top Netherlands hotels
Red Light District Amsterdam
23 Reviews In the summer this place is heaving with tourists and where there are lots of tourists there are lots of undesirables such as heroin junkies, aggressive beggars, pickpockets and some real ugly looking...
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Dom church and tower Utrecht
1 Review Again a picture of the Domkerk. This church is the biggest in the Netherlands. It was seriously damaged by a hurricane a long time ago and now the tower is no loger linked to the rest of the...
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Coffee Shops Amsterdam
30 Reviews I must say I didn't feel trapped by any coffeeshop I visited, and my goal was to visit as many coffeeshops as I could in two weeks. I got to 33, some of them more than once. I have to say that I...
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Tricks & Scams Amsterdam
20 Reviews I've been to Amsterdam the past week and like every tourist I wanted to bring some tulip bulbs. In Bloemenmarkt (on Singel between Muntplein and Koningsplein) I saw many shops selling big quantities...
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Canal Boat Tours Amsterdam
13 Reviews You can throw things if you want, but I think the canal cruises you get by Centraal station are a disappointment. Especially the ones on closed boats where you sit crammed in with 30 other tourists,...
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Eating and Drinking Amsterdam
26 Reviews These places are everywhere, you can see them all over because they have the same menus and the same signs. Avoid them!!! The food might appear cheap, but really, you get less than what you pay for....
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Main Streets Amsterdam
12 Reviews Perhaps con men is bit harsh, but these people were very annoying. As we stepped off of the train in Amsterdam central, we were bombarded by people trying to 'help' us find a hotel/transportation,...
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Wooden Shoes Amsterdam
11 Reviews I think every tourist to Amsterdam gets trapped in one of these! Very kitschy, but good for a laugh nonetheless. There are a number of these in front of souvenir shops around the city. Get to...
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Souvenirs Amsterdam
9 Reviews I used to work in a souvenir shop on Damrak (the street just off central station) so let me share you a bit on one of the tricks those guys have. In many of these shops there is a display full of...
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Anne Frank House Amsterdam
11 Reviews Anna Frank House is one of the most famous attractions in Amsterdam and because of this the place is one of the crowded places. Sometimes the line is so big you can see people stand from the house to...
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Other Museums Amsterdam
23 Reviews Entrance: 15 euros (in 2010) What you get: A lot of Heineken advertising, a childish attraction in which you are a virtual bottle, and three beers along the "experience". As a souvenir you can keep...
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Diamonds Amsterdam
4 Reviews You will be able to go into so-called diamond factory tours to see the processing of diamonds in Amsterdam. The one I went to was around Van Gogh Museum area. I wouldn't say they are scams, but it...
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Transportation Amsterdam
14 Reviews Beware if you want to travel by bus or trams, the system is a rip off, one has to put the pre paid tkt next to the detector each time your on and off the tram or bus , if you forget once , your tkt is...
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Bottle deposits - When you are buying your shopping at a supermarket, be aware that you pay a deposit on most drinks bottles. Prices in the supermarkets are for the drinks only and the deposits are added on at the check out. This can prove embarrasing if you do not have enough to cover the extra cost! Typical deposits are 15 cents for a beer bottle, 5 NLG for a beer crate and 1 NLG for a 2 litre fizzy drinks bottle.
Developing photos - Wait until you get home to have your photographs developed! Some places are OK, but I was recently charged NLG 42.50 just for one film, it was not even 1 hour processing! That is about 5 times more than I would expect to pay in the UK!
Wheel clamping on cars in Amsterdam. You must pay for parking in Streets in Amsterdam. Some streets may not have a sign regarding parking. Even if there is no sign get a buy a ticket. If not you will be clamped and fined. This is done 24 hours a day and the local fine office is also open 24 hours and will take cash or credit cards. 200 NG !
AMSTERDAMOfcourse you want to visit a coffeeshop. And not to drink a cup of coffee!!! If you want to visit a nice coffee-shop, don't go to the Bulldog but look for de Tweede Kamer. It's really small but the best in Amsterdam, people tell me. I'ts near the Spui in a small street. Another great coffeshop is The Replubliek in the Limburg Stirumstraat. it's near the Jordaan. Take tram 10 to the Van Hall Straat. Also ckeck out the Katsu in the east of Amsterdam in a district called the Pijp. Aks the police for directions!
If you get just a bit out of the centrum, the prices of things drop a lot! Shop for lace and other items away from the Centrum. The trams will take you to the northern part of the city where things are better quality and cheaper.
Don't spend all your time in the red light district,(not that theres anything wrong with that) it may be unique and cool, but Amsterdam is a really beautiful city once you get out of the redlight district.
TAKE CARE!!Never give money or papers to FAKE police-men. Even when they wear uniforms. It's an old trick, they say they have to 'inspect' your wallet. Ans take halve of the contents out!!Also; NEVER take any cookies or cakes of 'nice' strangers. I hear reports of drugs inside these sweets. You fall asleep after eating and they take your stuff. Especially you from Asia: the policemen-trick is specially designed to trap you! Because you don't know our culture very well and are easily intimidated. So take care.
Don't believe what some people say about the Dutch, Don't believe all those prejudices. Like the one that says that Dutch people are miserly. The truth is, (even for all nationalities), you must never lapse into generalisations. I know a lot of Dutch people and most of them are wonderful guys (and girls). Don't believe what you see on the picture, this is not the way how most Dutch people go on holiday . . .
The biggest touristtrap is the shoppingcentre in Amsterdam. Get out of the mainstreets as the Kalverstraat, the Leidsestraat en the Nieuwendijk avoid the Rokin and the Spui. Look for the smaller streets a few steps away from the centre especially the Jordaan is a very nice area. For shopping it's much nicer to go to Haarlem or Alkmaar. Both close to Amsterdam and easily reachable by train.
Holland is often generalised with cows, flowers, water, windmills and drugs. This isn't true. Of course the things that are described as typical dutch are a part of the dutch society, but if you look farther than your nose is longue there is much more to be seen. An other prejudice is that Holland can be seen in one day. People who have stayed in Holland for a longer time, can conferm you that that really isn't true. An advantage of Holland is it's small size. But the large local variety on that small surfal justifies a longer stay that will give you a better view on our culture and society.
Seven Bridges Hotel Amsterdam
4 Reviews and 488 Opinions We almost stayed here. Looked like a charming hotel, although we didn’t see the rooms. It’s in a...
The Manhattan Hotel Rotterdam Rotterdam
6 Reviews and 138 Opinions Right opposite Rotterdam Centraal train station on Weena, is the imposing 5 star Westin hotel. It...
Novotel Maastricht Maastricht
4 Reviews and 178 Opinions It's great to see and witness that the hotel has a heated outdoor swimming pool, which you can use...
Reviews and photos of Netherlands attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Netherlands sightseeing.
Q: A couple of years since I've been back. Nothing stays the same. So, is the old strippenkaart system finally over? I can read...
A: chippenkaartenmarken ;-)
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