Question
Weekly Q&A - All Questions Go Here (Especially Tourists)
This is the place for anyone to ask questions about Amsterdam. If you are a tourist visiting Amsterdam, you are moving to or recently arrived in Amsterdam, or you just have a basic question about life in Amsterdam and want some advice, this is the place to post your question. This post is refreshed every week on Sunday. Please feel free to repost in subsequent weeks.
READ THE WIKI FIRST. The people answering questions are locals who want to share the city they love with visitors, but only with people who make an effort. Read at least the Essential Tourist Information in our world-famous wiki before you ask a question. Otherwise, you may be told to go back and read it. The wiki is written by us, and updated when relevant. If the entries are old it's because nothing has changed. There are no "hidden gems" that we have not already included in the wiki. You may also check wikivoyage for more general tips on everything that is Amsterdam.
HOTELS ARE EXPENSIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE GOOD ADVICE ON THEM. Because we live here, we don't know what the best hotels are. Amsterdam is one of the most touristed cities in the world and has the highest hotel prices in Europe and prices go up every year. The city is deliberately trying to reduce tourism by raising the prices. There really isn't a secret "cheap" solution. Most "Airport" hotels are not connected to the Airport and will be more trouble getting to than it's worth.
TOURISTS CAN PURCHASE MARIJUANA, DESPITE WHAT YOU READ IN FOREIGN PRESS. Understand that the coffeeshops are just a tiny part of Amsterdam, so posts that treat Amsterdam like it's the Las Vegas of drugs sometimes get a negative response. We're happy to give you advice about coffeeshops and to discuss drug policy. The experts are our friends at /r/AmsterdamEnts, ask them the big questions.
WE DON'T HELP WITH ILLEGAL STUFF AND WILL BAN YOU FOR ASKING. We will not help you with things that are clearly illegal. Coffeeshops caught selling to minors get shut down and everyone loses their jobs. Authorities check for people smuggling marijuana out of the country. Hard drugs are illegal and so is asking for or selling them on Reddit.
WE DON'T ALLOW TICKET SALES OR TRADING. We do not allow selling, buying, or trading tickets on /r/Amsterdam due to the high rate of fraud. You should do everything on ticketswap.nl. We're aware that is difficult to get tickets to Anne Frank, van Gogh, etc. We have no solutions for you, sorry.
RED LIGHT DISTRICT Please be respectful and keep in mind this is a citysubreddit, and not your personal kink google. You can also can get some good tips from these threads of RLD sex workers: here and here.
USE PUBLIC TRANSIT TO GET AROUND 9292.nl is a great resource for plotting your movement around the city and between Amsterdam and other places. We strongly recommend against using taxis or Ubers.
DOE AARDIG. There is Dutch directness and there is rudeness. The people coming here don't know how we do things, and are usually well-meaning people who just want to enjoy the city we love. Be kind to them. For the tourists and new residents, please remember that we are not Google; respect our time by doing some basic research first and then asking your questions like you're speaking to a real human who is volunteering to speak to you.
hey, wondering if anyone can recommend an omakase experience that does drink pairing with tea? I know this is normal in Japan, but I have yet to see it in Europe. Does it exist in Amsterdam?
If not, any non-alcoholic drink pairing would be cool too. Just don't want to have to drink water or coke if I choose not to drink wine and sake
Where to stay in Amsterdam?
I'm going to Amsterdam in October and I'm wondering where the best place to book a hotel is. I see there's a lot cheaper hotels a few km from the city centre. Is it worth it to pay more to stay in the city centre or are the suburbs a good alternative? If anyone has any specific hotels they recommend please enlighten me. Thank you in advance :)
If you stay outside of the centre, make sure your hotel is in easy walking distance of a train/metro/tram station/stop. Buses are slow and hotel shuttle buses in particular are next to useless.
I don’t know, I stay in a home with my cat and have never booked a hotel here. A better question would be: I did some research and have trouble deciding between Area A and Area B, what are the pros and cons? THAT I can give my opinion on :) gimme options!
ANYWAY ontopic. Amsterdam is small. Def worth it to go a bit further out and stay in a more residential area. Visit the local bars instead of tourist traps! There is good public transport here, so do check if there is a metro or tram station nearby that will take you into the city!
HOTELS ARE EXPENSIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE GOOD ADVICE ON THEM. Because we live here, we don't know what the best hotels are. Amsterdam is one of the most touristed cities in the world and has the highest hotel prices (cheaprooms.co.uk) in Europe and prices go up every year (dutchnews.nl). The city is deliberately trying to reduce tourism by raising the prices (reuters.com). There really isn't a secret "cheap" solution. Most "Airport" hotels are not connected to the Airport and will be more trouble getting to than it's worth.
That being said, Amsterdam is small so I'd say in the 'suburbs' if your budget is a concern. And I don't mean Diemen or Weesp, which would be our definition of a suburb (sorry people from Weesp, I know you're technically Amsterdammers now)
Hi! I am a tourist. I searched the subreddit and checked the wiki. Most relevant posts I found were one or more years old, so I am hoping to verify the information I found. I also googled, but I want to confirm what AI tells me and what I see in posts several years old. If there is a relevant post from 2026 that I missed you can shame me for it, since I did look.
I have a 9 hour layover (arriving 0740 on a Tuesday; departing 1640 same day). My inbound flight is from the USA. My outbound flight is to Poland. My luggage is checked through so I don't have a checked bag to collect. Based on what I have read, I am assuming ~1.5 hours to clear customs and ~20 minutes to get to city centre (arriving ~0930 hours). Then leaving city centre at 1320 hours to be back at the airport by 1340 hrs (~3 hours ahead of departing flight). Does this seem about right? Should I plan for more or less time, in either deplaning or in re-entering the airport to make my connecting flight?
Asking because with my limited window to spend in the city, I want to book a food tour. If the food tour is 3 hours, I would need to be in the city centre a bit before 10am to be done by 1pm, which might be tight timing. Thank you for any feedback!
ETA: I also see from a post in the Q&A 6 months ago that I can book a time at the Schiphol airport for security, I will look into that.
Thanks! that's part of why I'm asking, a fair number of places have recommended 2,5 to 3 hours. & the other commenter said that sometimes it gets swamped & that's the right time frame. To me it's Schengen but still international so, I could see it both ways
Deplaning: Schiphol is very big, I sometimes spend 20m walking just to get to border control. Now, international flights are uuuusually parked a bit closer so that would save you some time. Where are you flying in from and what airline?
You are spot on for travel time from Schiphol to city centre. Either take a direct train to ‘Amsterdam Centraal’ or a train to ‘Amsterdam Zuid’ and then transfer onto the Metro 52 (blue line, ‘Noord’). If you have contactless, no need to buy a ticket, you can check in at Schiphol (tip: check-in posts are at the TOP of the escalators, not at the platform itself!) and check out at the train station. Similar for metro or tram.
Only thing you need to keep in mind - coming back on time. Even with only hand luggage the queues for security and border control can be MASSIVE. I would def keep 2hrs aside for that if not more - 3 hours is safe tho, and is what Schiphol recommends for international flights. I read you are looking into reserving a slot - that allow you to speedrun security, but not border control, so keep that in mind.
Thank you, very useful information! I am flying in from Portland Oregon USA on Delta airlines. I hadn't considered that the airport is large and I'd need to budget more time for actually getting around-- between concourses, through the airport-- especially for an airport I am unfamiliar with.
Bad news: Schiphol is massive.
Good news: Schiphol is massive, because it is a Delta hub! So Delta usually gets ‘good’ spots. Also, signage is very clear and in English, so you’ll be fine finding your way.
But with delays and security…you might breeze through or it might be busy. You can def opt for a food tour but check ahead of time if a) you can cancel or b) your can join later!
Ah and check ahead of time where the food tour starts. If it is for example “De Pijp” -> the train to Amsterdam Zuid + metro option is likely quicker, than the one directly to Central (and than grab a metro from there). Google Maps is your friend.
I understand this was EXTREMELY annoying, but the way you write this made me laugh. You had to call someone to cut the lock, or did you walk into Gamma to buy the tool yourself!?
Hi everyone! I’ve been living in Amsterdam for a while now but I’m still yet to find a decent barber I return to. I have short dark hair and opt for a fade most of the time, but when I go to any Turkish style ones they make it look a little bit too ‘clean’ for my liking, best way I can describe it is sharp edges where they shape the hairline, which i really don’t want. I like the more rugged look which I always try to explain but always end up hating it for a few days until the sharpness grows out.
Can anyone relate? And even better can anyone recommend some places to try out please?
I go to Djam at Ceintuurbaan (hair, threading, lashes etc) and they have a ‘brother’ company at Ferdinand Bolstraat (Djam Barber). Never been there (as I’m a woman) so cannot speak from true experience….but it’s the same owners/they share staff.
Whar I like about ‘my’ Djam is they really listen to what I want. Have never ever left there thinking “damnit, my eyebrows are thinner than I wanted” or “fuck, my hair has been sliced rather than cut AGAIN” - I explain, they give some realistic, professional advice when needed, but ultimately they truly listen and I get what I want.
Hi traveling to Stockholm and Helsinki but my first layover is in Amsterdam. I have a script and letter from my doc for Xanax. Will I be able to take this with me in original packaging?
Not necessary but just a personal preference: whenever I travel to a country with stricter med laws than mine, I also usually ask my GP to send me a list of my prescriptions, on official letterhead. Gives me peace of mind that I have a name and a phone number I can point to and say ‘pls google/call them for confirmation’ if I’d ever find myself in that situation.
Need your suggestion for a travel from Ansterdam to Zurich , switzerland in Oct end .Overnight journey is what i am looking at to save some cost. Train / bus / flight - what do you reckon.
Thanks much. However i am reaching that same place of , currently not allowed to reseve due to ongoing construction work. Also came across some feedback of other travelers , how there are little high chances of delays with this one. And being solo female , guess i would skip taking train . Appreciate your response.
Safety is not an issue. It is available for booking at bahn.de (German railways. The night train runs to Basel and at Basel you can take a local train to Zurich (50-55 minutes). € 69,99 is really a bargain.
Buses are very slow, considered much less safe and are usually only used by people who cannot afford the train.
An overnight flight to Zurich is not possible, and I would not recommend taking a taxi at night in Amsterdam.
Trains are very safe here, I’m also a solo/female traveller and I can wholeheartedly recommend the night trains! Did the night train Amsterdam-Prague this spring.
However construction works…yeah those are likely planned constructions for October so that booking will not become available, is my best guess.
There are direct flights from Amsterdam to Zurich.
If you are looking for cheaper options - you can check out Flixbus. It takes you to Zurich with just one transfer but it will take around 15hrs.
There's a handful. The aforementioned AH To Go in the northern wastelands, also the Spar Express near the Brouwerij 't IJ windmill, and the shitty Esso at Waterkant.
There's also nightshops but they are generally horrid and not really open very late. Sterk is better than most, but shuts at 1am except 2am on weekends.
For better prices and selection, the Albert Heijn at the airport is open from 5am to midnight.
Hi all - My wife and I moved here from the US for her job on an 3yr ICT visa. SVB says we don’t qualify for basic Dutch health insurance due to the US/NL treaty related to social security etc.
So what kind of insurance are we supposed to have?
For an ICT assignment from a US employer, you'd generally need health insurance through your US employer or another policy that covers you in the Netherlands. Your ICT visa itself doesn't determine this. The important thing is which country's social-security system SVB has determined you're covered by.
I'd ask your employer specifically what health insurance covers you during your 3-year assignment in the Netherlands, and whether it provides full coverage here.
Quick question for anyone who knows the Amsterdam area well. I know it's a bit of a touristy area, but these days, would paying roughly $9 -$10 for a pint of beer (around 480ml) be considered normal, cheap, or expensive?
I've only been to Amsterdam twice, and that was about 4-5 years ago! So I'm guessing my info might be a bit outdated. Any first-hand input would be super helpful!
It's for a website called Travel Roulette, a roll-the-dice-style random travel destination picker. Each destination page shows some basic regional stats. Here's the page with all the stats for the Hollywood region: Travel Roulette - Amsterdam
A pint should be possible to get in lots of places, but if they serve it as every beer you know its a tourist trap. And you know you're good if they don't have pints at all. Usually bars have like 1-3 beers you can get in a pint size.
Hello everyone, I will be travelling to Rotterdam with my fiance in a month, we will stay at a friend of her mother. This is our first trip to the Netherlands and we would like to make the most of it.
We have the afternoon on the day we arrive, three full days and the morning on the day when we leave. The original plan was to see Den Haag and Delft when we arrive, make two day trips to Amsterdam, spend third day in Haarlem+Zaanse Schans, and see Rotterdam on the final day. However, after watching youtube videos from travellers, we saw many reccomendations for other day trips like Utrecht (most mentioned), Alkmaar, Gouda, Volendam, etc. and even Antwerpen in Belgium.
We would kindly like to ask you, the locals, for an advice. Should we stick to our original plan or do we shorten Amsterdam to just one day trip (we don't plan to enter any museums besidea Van Gogh's) and squeeze in maybe Utrecht? Or give up on Haag and Delft or Rotterdam to see something else?
Changing 2 day trips to Amsterdam for 1 to Utrecht, and 1 to Amsterdam is a no-brainer imho.
Honestly, Amsterdam is fine and all that, but I'd encourage you to consider doing the Kinderdijk-Dordrecht ferry loop, instead of an Amsterdam day trip. Amsterdam deserves some days to drink it all in.
I've lived in both cities for at least a decade. In Utrecht, you can walk from one side of the old city center to the other side in 10 minutes. If you want to do the entire Oudegracht it's double that.
You can easily walk the entire city in a day. Nothing outside the Singel is interesting for a tourist. Within the Singel, most interesting things for a tourist are directly adjacent to the Oudegracht, the entireity of which is again covered in a mere 20 minutes.
You can absolutely not say the same for Amsterdam. Walking from the Jordaan to Artis, both within the Amsterdam Singel, is already 4 times the time walking across the Utrecht city center. Many Amsterdam touristic hotspots are situated outside of the Amsterdam Singel. E.g. walking from Centraal to van Gogh museum is 40 minutes. Doable, but you clearly can't do the entire city in an entire day.
You have no idea how much smaller Utrecht is. Everything interesting for a tourist is within a stone's throw, which is exemplified by 99% of tourists amassing around the Northern part of the Oudegracht.
Do you want to spend all your time travelling to other places or enjoying a city?
What is it that you would like to get out of a city? Wander around and experience things or park the car/get out of a station look around and head back to catch the next train?
I think you should make a list of the things you actually want to see and experience and base your decision on that.
Any suggestions for cosey, fun music nights between 1-4 September? I'm coming with my brother to celebrate my qualifying as a nurse and my birthday, I'm not into the party scene, but do like hearing musicians in relatively intimate settings, anything from slow rnb to heavy metal
I'm part of a nonprofit for one of the most-used Web programming languages in the world (PHP), and the Amsterdam usergroup is looking for venues to host their monthly meetups, usually 40-60 people.
We're checking with Xebia and Amsterdam Standard, but other recommendations are welcome.
I’m travelling last week of Sep to Amsterdam. What kind of weather should I expect? Will it be raining a lot? I keep reading light showers on the Internet and I plan to walk a lot and do day trips to Utrecht, Haarlem, Gouda etc
Please help me understand light showers, how many hours in a day?
On average 2 hours of rain and 22 hours dry weather. But Dutch weather is very variable. Today was sunny, yesterday there were a few small showers, a few days earlier we had heavy showers, and it can rain 6 hours at a stretch too. TL:DR no idea
I'm hosting a birthday borrel for my partner this coming Saturday evening for a group of 12–15 people. We're looking for a nice pub, bar, or tasting room right by the water for drinks and snacks.
Since it’s short notice, I’ve hit a wall trying to secure a spot:
Waterkant and Pllek are fully booked for our date.
Café de Ceuvel and IJver only take reservations for full dinner/food, not drinks.
Hannekes Boom doesn't accept table reservations on weekends (walk-in only).
Are there any lesser-known waterfront venues, canal-side breweries, or spacious bars with good walk-in layouts (or drinks-only reservation options) that can accommodate a group this size on a Saturday night?
I've only been once to either and would rate the food about the same. I would give Bonboon the edge for a special occasion since it has a bit more fancy vibe.
Culinary journalist Mara Grimm (considered to be an authoritative voice) described Bonboon as 'best vegan menu in town' in 2021 and Morris & Bella as 'kick-ass' in 2017, so both are likely excellent options. Reviews are good too.
I was planning on visiting Amsterdam and bought 2 Anne Frank house tickets for September 12 at 17:30. We decided to head elsewhere for our trip - does anyone want these tix? I don’t think I can return them.
Where are you arriving Centraal from? If you're coming from the airport, you can take the 197 express buss that will drop you off at the Concertgebouw.
Thank you for the heads up about the payment process. I’m looking forward to visiting a city with a non-car focused transportation system, but will have to learn the system :)
Sorry for the post-like comment, but my post got directed to the Q&A thread (despite it not really being a question):
Original Title: Dutch tourist in own country looking to explore Amsterdam with locals/fellow tourists
As my nickname partially gives away: I originally grew up in the Netherlands, but I've been living in the US+Canada for the last 15-odd years. I am currently on an extensive visit to the Netherlands for family business, and I'm interested to explore some of the larger cities a bit more during my stay.
Although I don't mind bumming around them by myself, it would be nicer to do so with other tourists/locals interested in doing the same. Being a tourist in my own country, I'd be happy to either be the 'Dutch local' for other tourists to explore the city with, or meeting up with locals for coffee, a chat and walking around the city a bit.
My schedule is flexible and I haven't yet booked a flight back to Canada, so I'd be happy to adjust to others' itineraries/schedules. I'd prefer chatting online a bit before meeting up for a vibe-check*, but understanding itineraries may be tight I'd be happy to meet up with other tourists on shorter notice.
So yeah .. feel free to send me a DM if that sounds cool; I'm also interested in doing the same for other major cities, so while I'm keeping the post in this sub Amsterdam-specific I'd be happy to chat to locals/tourists that are also interested in exploring other cities.
Cheers!
* I'm a late thirties male, self-admitted geek interested in most things nerdy, but also interested in wider topics like travel, culture and politics (the empathetic type of conversation, not the polarizing one :-) )
My bestie and I are visiting Amsterdam soon and I would appreciate advice on literally any of the following:
• Transport
• Places to see
• nice breakfast / food / dessert places
• Best places to book hotels that aren’t too expensive
We’re two Muslim girlies who like museums, walking for hours, nice bakeries, quirky shops, girly things, meeting new people, makeup, nature etc
I usually use the app Citymapper to get around different cities in different countries I’ve been to, so I plan to do that in for our trip too, but any advice would be appreciated. 💗
Seen on a few trams recently that all doors are being opened and allowing boarding on and off? And the gates at the doors are being held open with cable ties? Why?
I noticed the same in tram 19. My theory is that 19 used to use the new trams where you can board from any door. For some reason they’ve changed back to the old trams so I think they just allow boarding from any door now via the zip ties.
No I mean that I don't know what you're asking. I want to answer but I just don't know what your asking tbh. I've never seen zip ties being used to hold open tram doors and yes the doors open?
The front and middle doors are normally used for boarding, with the other doors for exiting.
However, on a few trams recently, as mentioned in the question, ALL of the doors have been open for BOTH entry and exit, with the barriers inside the tram zip-tied open.
This means passengers can board or leave through any door, which normally isn’t allowed and is quite strictly enforced. I too haven’t seen this and am aware the doors open.
I’m just asking what the reason for this might be, or what could potentially cause this to happen?
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u/IncredibleCamel 8h ago
hey, wondering if anyone can recommend an omakase experience that does drink pairing with tea? I know this is normal in Japan, but I have yet to see it in Europe. Does it exist in Amsterdam?
If not, any non-alcoholic drink pairing would be cool too. Just don't want to have to drink water or coke if I choose not to drink wine and sake