Amsterdam, Netherlands
79%
79%
What's Hot
Getting Around, Partying, Culture, Chilling Out
Getting Around, Partying, Culture, Chilling Out
What's Not
Price, Weather, Value For Money, Shopping
Price, Weather, Value For Money, Shopping
( Click on the tags to see related Amsterdam reviews )
Cycling, Expensive, Fun, Sleaze, anne franks house, cafes, canals, cheap beer, culture, friendly, getting around, messy, museums, nightlife, pubs, shopping, sightseeing, stag parties, tours, tulips
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Amsterdam Reviews ( 50 reviews )
| Amsterdam Reviews |
by kmcma2954
| 18 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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Amsterdam Alexander Kryszkiewicz January 17, 2007 As you walk down the street beside the canal the tall, slim buildings stand in a row on either side. Some lean in slightly as if trying to hear your secrets, hiding none of their own, windows glowing red with sin. The very soul of hedonistic indulgence shows with bent, ugly teeth from each grinning facade. Further down around a bend and 10 hours later a girl rides by on her bicycle. Her rosy cheeks are pelted with spitting rain. The energy of the earth is strong and we feel it as wind. As you cross the many lanes of different traffic, you feel as though you are in a very well organized tree. You could be a termite and you might feel that you are sharing this tree with a wide variety of other insects. The articulating tram bug whizzes past on its many wheels. Suddenly you are aware that you are not a bug. A man loses his hat as he makes his way up the street between the tram tracks. He is peddling hard and the loss of his hat frustrates him as he struggles against the wind. You take up the game with wind. Wind plays with you as you run after the hat. Wind teases you like a bully at school. You feel foolish as the hat stops and pulls away each time you go to grasp it. A victory sees you with the hat in hand and the man on the bike is smiling. His hair whips around and the traffic goes by everywhere with motivated ignorance. You are proud and make your way to the man with his hat in your hand. As you pass him the hat, you hear a shout behind in the wind and rush of the street. As you whirl around you see the tram behind you in your peripheral vision. A split second decision has you leaping in 3 quick, long strides and the tram misses you by an inch. Much to your chagrin, the woman stops the tram, summons you, and you are reprimanded harshly in front of many awe struck passengers. You feel ignorant, but alive. You are on a bike and heading down a main artery towards the heart of the city. You cross a bridge and turn right down another long street beside the canal. A long row of green houses overlook the canal. Inside you can buy any kind of flower you like. Across the street from the flower market you find a pancake shop. You open the door and find two beautiful girls sitting on bar stools polishing cutlery. The one with thick, flowing, black hair gets up and smiles. The menu is returned after you chat with the waitress. The pancake comes and is as big as the plate it sits on. Apples are integrated into the mosaic of syrup, icing sugar and whipped cream. The other girl at the bar glances at you with keen, but passive eyes like a cat that pretends to sleep on a ledge in a room with many strangers. The pancakes are good, the look you are getting is better. Unrequited love is a familiar theme for you. More bikes in the Vondelpark. Trees, ponds, grand old houses with lush gardens sit over a rippling body of water. The bikes rush by. The energy of the earth persistently plays with man’s machines in the sky. Massive jets overhead thunder and glide. The people on the bikes look happy in a carefree, bohemian sort of way. A girl rides with tapered black jeans, bright blue shoes, a black and white striped shirt with a blue cardigan overtop. Her scarf blows behind her as she glides by. At night you venture to a small jazz bar with a beautiful stranger. Hans Dulfer stands on stage and holds his saxophone with one hand, the mic with the other. The bar is dark and packed with cheerful music lovers and wannabe ’scenesters’. Energy builds as the famous Dutch sax man tries to tame the crowd. The crowd is like a bull and only chases his words, not quite making out the sentences, eager to stomp and sway to the music. The other sax player looks impatient. His messy white hair and hard eyes stare out at the crowd. He looks a bit like David Bowie. Soon the music starts. Tap, tap, tap, tap, click. The drummer uses the rim of his snare drum to start the beat. Hans begins to wail away. Wild jazz music stirs the crowd like the red cape of the matador. You fit into a spot against the wall between two girls from New York who are glad to meet you. The poem behind you on the wall is called ’Jazz’ and was written by the old crazy guy in front of you back when he has just cool and not crazy. He mumbles loudly in Dutch and rubs his hands together vigorously. His eyes look sinister and lost. Without purpose. Is this what crazy is? |
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| 17 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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Amsterdam is a great city, but if you are more on a \"cultural visit\" and not planning to party too much, there is not a lot to do after the third day. |
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by carolin
| 18 Nov 2007 | 100% |
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Amsterdam is such a cosy and lovely place!!! enjoy Apple Pie in the cafés in \"Jordan\" and go shopping at \"Supermarket\" in the Rozenstraat. (5minutes from the Westernkerk) You absolutely need to rent a bike, it\'s a lot more fun! plus biking through amsterdam is quite cool anywayz :-) We stayed 2 days, it couldn\'t have been better, fun-wise comparable to a weekend in Berlin, Rom or even Barcelona. If you are looking for impressive architecture, it\'s not the place to be, but it\'s still a very pretty city! |
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by damomoog2293
| 20 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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great city with something for everyone, Amazing buildings and canals, first class museums and great venues for live music,comedy etc. Plenty of bars and coffee shops,each with there own individuality. a must for any traveller |
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by asl50027272
| 18 Nov 2007 | 60% |
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The real culture of Amsterdam is outside its notorious red light district. If you go there soley for the red light district, then you´re probably the type of person who could make that kind of scene fun. If you want to see some amazing architecture and great culture go outside of this crummy area and check out the real Amsterdam that most people miss out on. You won´t be disappointed. |
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by jediknt6979
| 17 Nov 2007 | 100% |
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Nothing more to say but everyone should really come here. Try the brownies at BABA their great. Oh yeah the FEBO is not as bad as they say. |
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| 19 Nov 2007 | 20% |
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Great Experience for meeting friends. Did like all the strait people that we met. |
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by Plagu3
| 18 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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Awsome city. great experience, a little too touristy, but thats understanable. Loved all the coffe shops (except Free Adam, very rude). The place has a very surreal feel to it, which is great (especialy when hi). The only downer is the how hard it is to find real food. Ther is prefect munchi food everywhere (lived off of it for a week) but sometimes you need more substance. Fun : 10/10 |
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by sobosov
| 22 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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If you can\'t find your niche in the history or arts, and not there for drug or sex tourism, perhaps you wouldn\'t find it so fantastic. You must visit it once, of course, but as for returning... as mentioned above. |
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by zewookie1655
| 19 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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i took in a great many of amsterdams \"cultural\" highlights, had a wonderful time speaking english to everybody and only got wet once. it was like being at home, but with lots of drugs and better weather... |
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| 20 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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I love amsterdam, for the weed! For the laid back attitude and the gorgeous women! There are several sites to see, so, grab a joint, take a walk, and take it all in!! |
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| 21 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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As it was our first time visiting Amsterdam... we didn\'t really know what to expect, but it\'s just like you see on the TV. A beautiful city, the red light district and smokes. As for the crime, we didn\'t see any of it to be honest. It was weird bieng able to smoke while the police just walk by, and as for seeing half naked women in the window at 2 in the afternoon... it was just normal by the end of the trip. Beware of the bicycles... They are worse than your usual traffic! I would say that a trip to Amsterdam is suitable for any age group becuase I believe everyone should try anything once! Its a gorgeous city in itself and we can\'t wait to visit again :o) |
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by rcannon2911
| 22 Nov 2007 | 100% |
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I had a wonderful time in amsterdam and am planning on coming back soon! |
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by jordigrz9627
| 22 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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Agreat city with a great people. Walk around and try to get to know how people lives. |
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| 23 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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Watch out for the bicycles! Great city with a definite darker side....you\'ll almost certainly come away feeling you\'ve experienced a very different atmosphere in this cultured city. |
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by Alejandrofu
| 21 Nov 2007 | 80% |
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Walking through Amsterdam is almost a surreal experience. Its canals, its building, Its nigh life... you must visit it! |
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| 17 Nov 2007 | 60% |
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Initially, I have to admit I was pretty scared to stay in a room with another 18 people, but it wasn\'t like that at all. I travelled to amsterdam with one of my girlfriends for the cannabis cup and we were worried we\'d be stuck in a room full of guys, but the majority of people in the room were girls. I really liked the vibe of the hostel and the beds were really comfy. The bathrooms on the top floor were wicked nice but they only had two tiolets and two showers, which wasn\'t actually that bad. ummm... it was right in the red light district which was pretty fun, but we also enjoyed going down town to get away from all the prostitutes and lights haha. i\'d definately go back to the hostel. |
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by tassin
| 17 Nov 2007 | 100% |
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There was so much to do and see that I\'m glad I had at least a week. Shorter trips might leave someone with regrets that they didn\'t get to see or do something. The dollar to euro conversion isn\'t favorable, but it\'s worth it. Just be prepared. There are things to do during the day and things to do at night. Either way, you will have a great time. |
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by abg18320
| 23 Nov 2007 | 40% |
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Basically it\'s a hotel because most hostels if not all hostels in amsterdam are hotels. so the reception was very welcoming and they had a free continental breakfast as well as linens (blankets as well) and towels included. Not only that but they were changed on a daily basis. :) its a bit far but he that\'s why there\'s public transportations and everyone speaks english |
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by aisling
| 12 Dec 2007 | 80% |
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Amsterdam is a great city and also very pretty, I can now see why it is called “The Venice of the North”. It is very compact so is quite easy to get around by foot, although many choose the most popular mode of transport- a bike! In fact your more likely to be knocked down by a bike than you would a car or tram! There are a few main areas such as Dam Square (just off it you will find the infamous red light district), Rembrandtplein which has a number of nice restaurants and is home to one of the more famous nightclubs in Amsterdam – Escape and of course Leidseplein which is best known for its shopping! If fact I found the best shopping to be just off Munt Plein, rows and rows of shops! While there were hundreds of shops I found the shopping ot be only ok as most of it was the same as home! As it was the run up to Christmas when I was there there was a small ice skating rink on Leidseplein. There is lots to do in Amsterdam from a boat trip along the canals (you can do a number of boat trips including brunch or dinner trips or shopping hop on hop off trips), a visit to Anne Franks House, and of course the numerous bars and café’s that this city has to offer! One negative I would have to say about the place is that the service is terrible, maybe their attitude is a little too relaxed!! |
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| 12 Dec 2007 | 80% |
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Easy enough to cover by foot. Watch out for bikes! Do the free tour. Red light district is interesting, although it is an expensive city pot was cheaper than i thought, didnt go to any nightclubs so dont know how they are. Its a beautiful city which has been unfortunatley destroyed by commercialism. Anne frank house is good, and Madam Tusseuds was great fun. Watch out for bikes! Was freeeeeezing when we were there but it didnt rain. Has the possibility to be a fantastic city, but unfortunately I wasnt blesses with the right company! Will i go back? Definitely |
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by Uku
| 27 Dec 2007 | 80% |
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Loved my time in Amsterdam, but spent a little more than expected. not that it\'s an expensive city though. Found the transport system to be brilliant, especially the trams. The Anne Frank house was very moving, and the You Choose exhibit there is thought provoking |
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by ladyezza6014
| 18 Dec 2007 | 160% |
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Great location situated on the canal in the nice part of the red light district. Staff are awesome. Very helpful and friendly. Breakfast is included and served in the bar/restaurant. There is no kitchen but cheap meals are available at the restaurant. We stayed in a 12 bed dorm and it was comfortable and spacious with lockers. The bathroom is also good but could use a curtain on the shower... overall an AWESOME hostel and we will definately be back! Do expect your clothes and hair to smell like weed though! |
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| 4 Jan 2008 | 180% |
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Absolutely great time in \'the dam\', its our 2nd time in 2 years and it just gets better!! |
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by mtfwebster
| 1 Feb 2008 | 100% |
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Great city which always causes a buzz and not only in the coffee shops!!! Something for everyone whether wishing to see the sights or just chill out. Would recommend it at any time of year. Splifing! |
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by dstratto2094
| 1 Feb 2008 | 20% |
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a place everyone should visit at least once (or 2x, depending on your level of debauchery). A beautiful city, with one of the most unique (if not absurd) cultures in Europe. |
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by Nee
| 6 Feb 2008 | 200% |
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I love this place. If you enjoy nightlife, good time, meet people, and drinking. This place is definately for you but if you care about taking a nice good, clean shower than it will not serve you justice. |
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by PixieVonDust
| 19 Feb 2008 | 100% |
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I had barely two days to explore the city but it is easy to get around on foot and everything is within walking distance. I did the usual touristy stuff like visiting the Anne Frank house, which was an amazing experience, especially being able to touch the actual bookcase that hid two families there from the Nazis for so lone. I also went to both the Van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum - both well worth a visit. Rembrandt's Nightwatch is so much more impressive in real-life. Nightlife is great and it felt pretty safe walking through the Red Light District at night. There are so many great coffee houses and restaurants - all with a relaxed vibe. I didn't get to go to a Jazz club, but hopefully will make it this year. Just walking around the city of Amsterdam on a clean, crisp Spring day surrounded by canals and with tulips for sale on every corner as cyclists whizz by is an experience in itself. This city has a great mix of culture, fun, relaxation, shopping and craziness. Perfect weekend city break. |
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| 26 Jan 2008 | 160% |
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Amazing city even if youre not into drugs and sex. Absolutely beautiful. buildings are crooked and cute and its just a greta place |
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| 27 Jan 2008 | 160% |
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Gorgeous, everyone must go sometime, whether or not its for activities illegal elsewhere, its amazing |
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| 22 Feb 2008 | 160% |
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Bring your walking shoes \'cause you won\'t want to miss an inch of this city! |
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by berkerturk
| 21 Jan 2008 | 40% |
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it is not just about hookers and joints. Its much more than that. Culture, party, shop, vondelpark!, Van gogh, Ajax, etc. etc. |
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by shikbot6005
| 15 Jan 2008 | 40% |
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its a hostel, so considering that i cant complain.... room had tv, so was good. friendly staff and good location.. |
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by azemar7990
| 29 Feb 2008 | 80% |
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I\'ve been in february/march and the weather was cold with a lot of wind...except this, the city is very kind, people is nice, very good museums. |
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| 2 Mar 2008 | 200% |
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i\'ve been to amsterdam for countless of times and i should say i know it like the back of my hand. i\'ve stayed in all thinkable budget accommodations and i believe, the horror stories about decrepit and execrable rooms are true. so when i booked this accommodation because of course of its really cheap accommodation, i didn\'t expect anything better than the usual. but what a breathe of fresh air! this little hotel rocks!!! the whole place is clean, roomy and lively! benjamin, the all-around reception guy, goest to extra length just to help out! my laptop broke down and asked him where i could have it fixed and he asked if he could take a look. in a few moments, he made it work again and didn\'t charge me at all :) and yes, they have free internet. so handy for someone like me on the go. the neighborhood has a laid-back atmosphere and everything is just within walking distance or a short tram or bus ride away. we checked out the nearby dapper market the next morning and we were just amazed in the selection of stuff available on sale there. and the prices are really cheap and haggling is always possible. we ended up buying nice souvenirs for our friends back home. we noticed later that the goods were made in india. but the quality is really good and who cares anyway? we bought it in amsterdam :) i will definitely be staying in this place again on my next visit next month! |
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by mgross022085
| 19 Mar 2008 | 160% |
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If you want a place to go to chill out, Amsterdam is it! Food, shopping, and accomodation are not overly expensive. It is easy to get around and is very low stress. The city is clean and beautiful, and the natives are quite nice! |
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by ChristyC3341
| 2 Apr 2008 | 120% |
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Enjoyed the \"coffee shops\", the people were so friendly, everyone spoke some sort of english, tourist information was extremely helpful, all transportation (bus, train, tram) easy to catch on to, great cultural diversity (restaurants, clothing, etc) |
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by abruna
| 6 May 2008 | 60% |
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I didn't feel very safe in Amsterdam. I was followed by beggers or drug dealers at least three times (I stayed one day there). But is very easy to get around on foot. |
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1 out of 1 members found this review useful
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by emalda4727
| 5 May 2008 | 160% |
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Went for a three days trip with a friend. Walked a lot, went to museums a lot, shopped a lot. Awesometh, I\'d say. Locals seemed nice (specially those after the 1st one we saw wanking in the train, m-mm) and the weather was more than on our side. Superb! |
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by lauraann6580
| 18 Apr 2008 | 180% |
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Amsterdam is a wonderful city where you can explore 100% tolerance. Partying goes without saying - it\'s fabulous and you can go all out or find a coffeeshop and just chill with friends. But don\'t forget there are some wonderful museums in the city as well. Van Gogh, Anne Frank, and lots and lots of other art and culture related museums. However, make sure you have a lot of money saved up because this city is EXPENSIVE - but well worth it. Keep in mind there are no student discounts for museums, but they are worth the 10 euros to get in. |
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by lauri124
| 19 Feb 2008 | 140% |
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This is quite a beautiful city to visit, quite different from anything else I had visit before. It is easy to move from one point to the other with the tram and most people would gladly help you in english if you have questions. Just beware of the bycicles, as the guy from the hostel said, it is easier to be run over by a bike than a car. If you are good riding a bike I strongly recommend to do so as soon as you can and enjoy the city, amsterdam style! |
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by esmallen6423
| 11 May 2008 | 60% |
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I came to Amsterdam expecting non-stop parties and weed, but was surprised to see that it was actually a beautiful city full of culture. It was easy to walk around, but I wouldn\'t trust the public transportation. The trams wouldn\'t stop and it\'s hard to know where they\'re going due to the structure of the city. The red-light district is a must, as it is a unique experience that is much safer than you\'d expect, as it is filled with more tourists than actual customers. The museums were great, and the library is phenomenal. I loved Amsterdam. |
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