Hey all Im going to be going to amsterdam with a few mates at the start of september and i wandered if anyone on these boards has gone there before and knows the best way of getting there and where to stay. We r thinking of driving to dover and getting the boat to calais then driving up to amsterdam through belgium as other ferries are extremely dear. Direct ferries run into £200 but we r trying to buget it, which is why we r going for the £140 dover crossing Weve looked around the net for a place to stay and there are loads of hotels, and are quite cheap about £50 a night for 4 of us in an apartement This shoulnt be a problem tho. The real problem is that if ive worked it out correctly with fuel and crossing its going to cost 4 of us £90 each to get the amsterdam which is more than i really want. I need to shave a bit off of it, maybe £20-30 which will give us more spending money So really asking for any travelling tips that youve got for getting there, as we are on a tight budget and i dont think ill be able to get people to go if travelling is too much Cheers, maki43
How long are you going for/how many of there are you? With Easyjet, if you're going for 2 days you can have: Which isn't bad, I suppose... all you'd need is a way of getting to London Gatwick and a hotel in Amsterdam. Last year, I did a small tour of (some of) Europe in a car. I can't remember specific prices or anything, but when we visited the Netherlands, we stayed in a Campanile just outside Gouda. Gouda is a nice little town that has a huge cheese market in the square on Thursdays ( ), just a relatively short train journey from both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. If you can't find a hotel/youth hostel in, or near Amsterdam, I'd recommend looking further afield (Gouda's probably your best bet). As it'll be slightly cheaper than a central city-based hotel. If you're going for a holiday, rather than just going to get laid/take drugs, there's some A-W-E-some museums in Amsterdam. The cheese museum and the tattoo museums are particularly good. A day trip to Sandvoort wouldn't go amiss, either - beach resort, many pretty ladies, though you may sometimes feel overdressed in a pair of speedos.... If you do decide to drive, there's a junction between Breda and Dordrecht that can be seriously misleading. Basically, you'll either end up driving around Rotterdam (the right way!), or you'll be headed towards the coast and have to either drive through, or the long way (towards The Hague). T'isn't particularly easy to navigate through Rotterdam when all you have is a zoomed out multimap.com outline of the basic route to Gouda from Bolton
please explain Thanks for the info there theo I was thinking of flying but haddnt looked into it as i thought it would be better taking a car for mobility. We are only going to go for 3 days, early monday and come back late wednesday, just a short break as i havent been any where all summer We will probably just stay in amsterdam as the budget doesnt really let us venture ne further Flying might actually be the best thing to do as we can drive to gatwick and it cuts about 500 mines from the journey but then the problem is uk petrol which is so much more expensive than the continental stuff so the journey back through england would be a lot cheaper. Ill take a look tho
Eurostar? U can put a car on it at Folkstone (or whateva its called) I dont know whether its cheaper, but its definatly faster,
flying is best. you won't need or want a car when you're there. A taxi from Schipol airport to the city (liedesplein area) is only about 30 euros. take as much spending money as you can lay your hands on. keep your witts about you. Have fun Get this book before you go. Its got loads of useful info for stretching your euros. Dont feel obliged to give tips in Amsterdam. Service is included in the price of your food + drinks. Don't buy anything from the dealers in the street. When you come back with your balls emptier than your wallet then you'll know you've had a good time
van gogh, anne franke (if u like waiting in line/ going to museum) and boom chicago are a must! so much stuff yet so little time
Thats some good stuff, and that i didnt get the red bit! We arnt goin for the ladies of the night im afriad But might for something else But we dont want to be out of our heads constantly want to have an enjoyable holiday too As i live near bristol ive looked in for flights. Easy jet do a retun for £60 exactly at the times i want to go, so bargain!!!! Le Shuttle is way too much money iirc Ive found this hotel which seems quite good LAYOUT: On Floor(s) 2 En-Suite Bathroom with Shower Only With Sofa Bed / Rollaway Bed With Twin Beds With Sitting Room With Kitchenette With Canal View Pretty good for £50 a night
Are the hookers nice over there or are they a bit booted I'm going in October and was just...er... curious
i know sum1 that went over and 'his m8' went to one, aparently it was terrible, she just lay back and was on the phone half the time
some of them are drop dead gorgeous. Real head turners. there's allsorts though, depends what you like
i was just over there at the beginning of july... i stayed in the Amstel Botel (its a boat on the river) is cheap (cant reember how much) but its basic and enuf imo. When your over there theres a club called Escape www.escape.nl its in rembrant square its the best place for a bit of clubbin that i came across. but becareful i think its the 1st friday of every month is a 'gay' interest night. that hotel im talkin about is about 100yards walk from amstel central. Also if you want a AMAZING chinese meal theres a resturant to the right of the hotel... very expensive but worth it imo ::edit:: you WILL be approached and asked if you wana buy E's coke, etc etc just on the street... also DONT give any money to beggers, let the ****ers starve... if you do then they tell their mates who come and ask for money (well thats what happened when i was there)
I like the sound of that (except the dealers and gay night ) Dont think a river boat would be good tho, monkeyspank has put me into the direction of where i would like to stay reallly Cant wait to check out the club Just been talking to my mate whos going and he says we can meet up with a couple of dutch women who he met one time on holiday
Some rough guide to Amsterdam notes, from a Dutchman: Transport is quite good. Trains are reliable and on time; there is a 24hr direct connection service (every hour at night, every 30mins during daytime) from Brussels to Amsterdam, if you want to take the ferry route. This is only if you want to spend the night seasick on a rocking boat with a bunch of drunk, puking and incontinent football hooligans, you understand. Else, just pony up the dough and fly. There is a direct train link to Amsterdam from Schiphol Airport. Holland is small, so trips are short. By the time you find a seat it's time to get off. In Amsterdam there are trams galore, which is great. These are very quiet SO LOOK OUT WHEN YOU CROSS THE ROAD as you won't hear them approach (always spot the tram lines). Transport is not cheap. You can buy "Strip cards" of various lenghts (nothing to do with male entertainment) which can be used on trains, trams and busses; the further you travel, the more strips are stamped off. Some busses and trams have automatic stamping machines; ask the driver to show you how to use them (you have to fold the card in a certain way to stamp the right number of strips --don't cheat, there are frequent surprise inspections). Taxis are easily as expensive as black cabs in London, except that Amsterdam cabs don't know the way to anywhere. Keep in mind that traffic drives on the right, so it's look Left-Right-Left there, not Right-Left-Right. We do not have Pelican crossings so unless the pedestrian lights are on green, cross at your own risk. Dutch drivers stop for no-one. For the same reason I would strongly recommend foreigners not to drive in Amsterdam; Queensbury rules do not apply. Drivers in Holland make those in London look like doddering old ladies with shopping trolleys. The cost of living is expensive in Holland. Take as much money as you can afford. Pickpockets and muggers are rife, so use Traveler's Cheques. Always keep in close contact with your wallet (and passport). The police are nice guys, but hopelessly ineffectual. If you find yourself an unfortunate victim of crime, you'll get coffee and sympathy from them, but do not expect any real help. In Holland, all police are armed. If you see one pull his gun hit the deck immediately because they can't aim (no really, trust me on this one). Look on the internet for decent hotels, and expect to pay some. There are really good ones, but they're not cheap --think London rates. You pay for location as much as comfort. Food in Holland is generally bland and awful. Most decent restaurants will seek inspiration from the French kitchen. One exception are Indonesian restaurants (our version of the Indian), which are generally excellent and value for money. TV in Holland is also bland and awful. In Holland cable comes as standard, and we have about 25 channels over there, piping in programmes from all over Europe (inc. Germany, Belgium, France, Italy). You won't understand a word of it so, regrettably, you will not be able to fully appreciate just how awful these programmes really are. Luckily we also get BBC1 and BBC2 and that is what you'll find yourself resignedly tuning into in your hotel room, once the initial excitement over so many channels is over. Unless they have satellite, in which case you get the same Sky package as over here. Supermarkets tend not to be a patch on the British ones --choice is again, well, bland and limited. Cars, electronic appliances, CDs and gadgets are much cheaper however. I'd recommend visiting some car dealerships, music and electrical appliance shops just to really appreciate how much you get ripped off in the UK. With the change of a plug everything electrical will work fine in the UK, so there's your chance to buy that Plasma screen. There are no (enforced) laws against illegal software, so Holland is a hacker's paradise. We probably already have Half-Life 2 in the bargain bin. As a foreign tourist, you will stick out in Amsterdam, particularly as foreign tourists are expected there. Most people in Amsterdam have a pretty decent command of English (even if they don't let on) so don't talk unflatteringly about people when they can hear you. Don't be alarmed by heated discussions at the cafe table next to you --the Dutch love a good argument. Holland is known for its easy-going tollerance, but this dissipates rapidly as soon as you leave the boundaries of Amsterdam. Racism is as common as in Britain (I'd say more so). The Dutch are generally very welcoming to (white) foreign tourists, but definitely don't like Germans, and although they can understand German and often can speak some, they will flat-out refuse to. They never got over the occupation in WWII and in case they do, there's still some bullet holes in the buildings that survived the bombings to remind them. Belgians are the butt of a lot of jokes, a bit like the Welch are in England. Street drug dealers will see you coming from miles away; NEVER EVER buy anything from them. Do not engage in conversation, just say No (as the slogan goes). If you want blow, reefer, budda, roach, hash, pot, spliff, wacky backy, maroc, lebanon, whatever, get it in the "official" Coffee Shops where you know you'll get exactly what you pay for. In some shops the stuff is grown (organically, of course) in the shop window. The coffee is good, too. Amsterdam is a beautiful city, with some serious canals. There is lots to see and you need to take your time to do it justice. It's the only city in Holland I'd ever choose to live --if I could afford the house. Property in Amsterdam is rare and extortionate, and makes the housing market in London look like the 1889 Oklahoma land rush; that's why you'll see so many canal boats. Amsterdam is on a par with cities like London, Venice, Rome, Prague, New York: you'll fall in love with it, but it will break your heart.
