Everyone has heard about Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It’s best known, especially among younger people, for it’s blasé attitude towards marijuana and it’s red light district. Through this article I’ll try to cover as much as I can recall from my trip there and provide tips. It’s been just over a year since I’ve been there, but I will be heading back there this June and will try to update the article when I get back.

If you’re flying from the U.S., you’re most likely going to land in Schiphol Airport. I’ve been there multiple times, but there’s no preferred airline I travel with. If you’re planning a trip there, the best time to go is May, June and July. Unfortunately, these are the most expensive months to travel there because this is when the Dutch flowers are in bloom. I suggest using farecompare to do research on flight prices.

What are you going to do when you get there? First, I strongly suggest you take the train because transportation to your hotel could be anywhere from $15 – $60 USD. If you can afford it, I would like to recommend the Marriott Hotel near Leidesplein and the Holland Casino. From my experience, it’s one of the nicest and best rated hotels in the city.

Please make a note not to exchange your money for Euros at the hotels or airports. They usually don’t have the best rates. When you call your bank(s) and credit card companies to tell them you’re leaving the country, also inquire about the fees and charges in taking out cash in foreign countries. With American Express, you might have to provide them of the exact weeks you’ll be away. It’s tedious, but necessary to secure your identity in case anything happens.

The best museums to visit while there is the Rijks and Van Gogh museums. They’re located virtually next door to each other. The Rijks has an interesting game you can play while in there. You have a list of things located in the museum and your job is to search the entire museum for these things to see if you could catch them all. The cheapest way to travel around the city is walking, but if you get tired you can take the trolleys that run through the middle of the streets. It’s interesting to see that the ticket collection is based on the honor system.

There are many great restaurants in the city, but in actuality there really is no such thing as authentic Dutch cuisine. The climate as well as the people are similar to New York and it’s influenced the cuisine greatly. In fact, I’ve had some of the best Surinamese food there. If you didn’t know, Suriname used to be a Dutch colony and all the people from that country are allowed passage into the Netherlands very easily. Another note for you foodies, make sure not to miss Sea Palace. A floating Chinese Restaurant that boasts world class dim sum and authentic Chinese dishes.

For the naughty folk, the red light district is packed with tourists on the weekend. Located right next to Chinatown, it boasts the renowned women in the windows trying to lure you in. There are lines to see live sex shows and locals walking through the crowd asking young men if they want to buy harder drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. They wouldn’t sell weed because smoke shops and cafes can be found on every other block in that area. Each store can sell marijuana, mushrooms, hash brownies, and drug paraphernalia.

If you’re looking for something less psychedelic, you party animals can start with the Heineken tour during the day. Later that night, I suggest you head over to Jimmy Woo’s for a high-class bar with dancing downstairs. In my opinion, it’s the best club there, but if for some reason they don’t let you in, drop by the MilkWeg (Milky Way). This is a much larger club that has at least two different dance areas and it’s just around the corner from Jimmy Woo’s. Be careful when drinking your pints of Heineken there, the alcohol content is much higher.

Finally, if you have some time and money left, take a few tours. From the Marriott I suggested, you can take a coach bus into Belgium. The day tour stops in Brussels and Antwerp, which only cost me about $60 USD about three years ago. Across from the hotel, you can take a tour of the canal. I don’t remember how much the price was, but it was a great way of seeing the city if you formed blisters on your feet from all the walking. Watch out for the bicycles and when visiting the restaurant, it is not necessary to tip. I hope that this article has helped you and enjoy your trip.

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