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04-11-2003, 04:33 AM
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#1
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Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
Hello All,
I am planning on taking my first trip to Europe as an adult (and I use
the term loosely) over the holidays. I will be going from December
29th to January 7th. I am a 33-year old male, and will be travelling
alone. I would like some tips on this time of year and things to do
in the city; any advice would be very much appreciated.
1. Is it generally easy to meet young people in Amsterdam during this
time of year? I am a bit concerned about loneliness. I would like to
go there and be social/party. Do people my age tend speak English?
Are the people there generally friendly? Is the city thick with
tourists this time of year?
2. What is New Year's Eve like in Amsterdam?
3. What is a good, cheap place to stay? It doesn't need to be fancy,
just safe, private, and clean. Being allowed to smoke would also be a
plus. Is it possible to stay in Amsterdam for under $50/night?
4. I have looked up average temperatures, but what are the possible
extremes I might see? Might it get so cold that navigating the city
by foot will be a hassle?
5. How easy is the rail system to navigate for someone who doesn't
speak Dutch? Can you generally just walk in and buy a ticket, or do I
need to plan that all out before I leave the States? I am planning on
visiting family near Bremen (Germany) for 1-2 days.
6. Do U.S. Cellular phones work in Europe? I have Sprint PCS.
7. What are some good day trips that can be taken from Amsterdam via
the rail system?
8. What are some "must see" events/locations in the city?
Again, thanks in adavance for any tips. I bought a book on Amsterdam,
but I wanted to get some personal perspectives as well. I realize the
above questions are fairly general, but the trip hasn't completely
taken shape yet.
If you want to reply via email, send it to
"psandler70*DO*NOT*SPAM*ME*@yahoo.com.
Cheers,
Phil
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04-11-2003, 05:44 AM
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#2
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
"Phil Sandler" <psandler70@hotmail.com> wrote ...
> 1. Is it generally easy to meet young people in Amsterdam during this
> time of year? I am a bit concerned about loneliness. I would like to
> go there and be social/party. Do people my age tend speak English?
Most people understand and speak English and more the younger generation. It
wouldn't be that difficult to meet people in the popular bars, cafes and
discos. Most of them are located around Rembrandtplein or Leidseplein.
> 4. I have looked up average temperatures, but what are the possible
> extremes I might see? Might it get so cold that navigating the city
> by foot will be a hassle?
The city centre is easily walkable and if it really is too cold, you could
always walk into a shop for browsing and warming up. Otherwise take a tram
if you have to walk a great deal.
> 5. How easy is the rail system to navigate for someone who doesn't
> speak Dutch? Can you generally just walk in and buy a ticket?
Yes. All domestic destination on can just walk up to the counter and buy
one. For international travel there is a special counter (in Amsterdam
Central on platform 2A) where one can also buy tickets. The English site of
the Dutch Railway Company: http://www.ns.nl/international/index.cgi
doesn't give you the prices.
> 7. What are some good day trips that can be taken from Amsterdam via
> the rail system?
Check also:
http://www.holland.com/us/
http://www.goamsterdam.nl/uk.html
http://www.eatdrinketc.com/amsterdam/
Good lukc & have fun.
Greetz,
*others can give you better info*
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04-11-2003, 06:14 AM
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#3
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
In article <3c5d9515.0311030833.649512d8@posting.google.com>,
Phil Sandler <psandler70@hotmail.com> wrote:
>1. Is it generally easy to meet young people in Amsterdam during this
>time of year? I am a bit concerned about loneliness. I would like to
>go there and be social/party. Do people my age tend speak English?
>Are the people there generally friendly? Is the city thick with
>tourists this time of year?
There will be quite a few English tourists. But if you really want to meet
people, probably your best bet is staying in one of the hostels with other
single travellers. If you go to a normal hotel you're unlikely to be able
to hook up with anyone else.
Everyone in Holland speaks English. The locals often speak it better than
us natives!
>2. What is New Year's Eve like in Amsterdam?
Good fun! But dangerous :-) People let off fireworks and bangers in
the street, so you need to have your wits about you. I think Berlin is the
most dangerous place in the world for this, with Amsterdam a close second.
At midnight there isn't usually a fireworks show though, so if you're hoping
for that, go to Berlin instead.
>3. What is a good, cheap place to stay? It doesn't need to be fancy,
>just safe, private, and clean. Being allowed to smoke would also be a
>plus. Is it possible to stay in Amsterdam for under $50/night?
It is, but you'll need to go for a hostel.
If you want to go this year, I fear you are too late! Most places get booked
up in the August or September!!!
>4. I have looked up average temperatures, but what are the possible
>extremes I might see? Might it get so cold that navigating the city
>by foot will be a hassle?
If often gets down to -5 C or so. No, navigating by foot will be fine, but
you will need to take a warm coat + sweater and gloves.
>5. How easy is the rail system to navigate for someone who doesn't
>speak Dutch? Can you generally just walk in and buy a ticket, or do I
>need to plan that all out before I leave the States? I am planning on
>visiting family near Bremen (Germany) for 1-2 days.
Very very easy! Everyone speaks English, and the train system is simple to
use. Yes, walk in and buy a ticket. For an international night train you
should book in advance, but for a day train just turn up before and you
should be ok.
>6. Do U.S. Cellular phones work in Europe? I have Sprint PCS.
If they are tri-band, yes. Otherwise no. Everywhere in the world apart from
Japan and the US use 900/1800 phones. The US and Japan chose to go their own
way. So you WILL need tri-band.
>7. What are some good day trips that can be taken from Amsterdam via
>the rail system?
Delft is nice.
>8. What are some "must see" events/locations in the city?
It depends on when you go! Do have a look around the red light district as
there's nowhere else like it in the world. The art galleries are very good
too, although most places are closed from about 4pm on NYE, and all day NY Day.
phil
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04-11-2003, 06:29 AM
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#4
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
> Everyone in Holland speaks English. The locals often speak it
> better than us natives!
That is generally true, but it says a lot about the American education
system.
To the OP: buy a day-pass for the tram/bus/metro. It is cheap and
so convenient to never have to worry about a ticket. Day passes
are sold in 1, 2, & 3 day increments, I believe. They are sold in the
building just outside the Central Station.
Casey
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04-11-2003, 08:13 AM
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#5
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
"Casey" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:68xpb.5352$qh2.1632@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > Everyone in Holland speaks English. The locals often speak it
> > better than us natives!
>
> That is generally true, but it says a lot about the American education
> system.
>
> To the OP: buy a day-pass for the tram/bus/metro. It is cheap and
> so convenient to never have to worry about a ticket. Day passes
> are sold in 1, 2, & 3 day increments, I believe. They are sold in the
> building just outside the Central Station.
Can this also be bought at Schiphol?
dennis
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04-11-2003, 09:02 AM
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#6
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
Phil Sandler <psandler70@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 1. Is it generally easy to meet young people in Amsterdam during this
> time of year? I am a bit concerned about loneliness. I would like to
> go there and be social/party. Do people my age tend speak English?
Yes, people your are all fluent (unless they're Spanish tourists, in which
case they just wish they were).
> Are the people there generally friendly?
Yes, very.
> Is the city thick with tourists this time of year?
There is no shortage of tourists around New Year's. Also lots of people come
from smaller towns in the Netherlands and elsewhere in the region to whoop
it up in the big city.
> 2. What is New Year's Eve like in Amsterdam?
Under a light drizzle, with the temperature a few degrees above freezing,
crowds begin to throng into the streets around 8pm. In the background you
hear the pops of amateur fireworks around every corner. People are wandering
from bar to bar, while final sound checks are going on at large outdoor
stages in Dam square and Rembrandtplein. The first musical acts come on the
stage, and some people come out of the bars and into the squares, while
others hunker down in the warm indoors for the night. The fireworks are more
and more frequent. By midnight everywhere is packed solid with people, and
at the stroke of twelve, there's a flurry of do-it-yourself fireworks in the
big squares that rivals the blitzkrieg in the 1940s. However the survival
rate will be slightly higher.
> 3. What is a good, cheap place to stay? It doesn't need to be fancy,
> just safe, private, and clean. Being allowed to smoke would also be a
> plus. Is it possible to stay in Amsterdam for under $50/night?
That's one night when you really need reservations. Since the train doesn't
run after 6pm on December 31, and it's freezing cold outside, everyone
visiting the city needs a place to stay.
Bob's Youth Hostel (no private rooms that I know of) distinguishes itself by
not accepting reservations, so it's first-come, first-served every morning.
Anyway, while it's possible to get a private room for $50 most of the time,
that's a tricky time. Unless you manage to find a reservation ASAP, you'll
probably have to fork out closer to $100 or share a dorm room with other
drunken tourists for the couple nights right around New Year's. Before and
after that it'll be easy.
> 4. I have looked up average temperatures, but what are the possible
> extremes I might see? Might it get so cold that navigating the city
> by foot will be a hassle?
No. I hate cold weather and I'm out there every year. Make sure you have a
hat and gloves, and that your coat and shoes are relatively waterproof.
There won't be a downpour but drizzle is always likely.
> 5. How easy is the rail system to navigate for someone who doesn't
> speak Dutch? Can you generally just walk in and buy a ticket, or do I
> need to plan that all out before I leave the States? I am planning on
> visiting family near Bremen (Germany) for 1-2 days.
Super-easy. Everyone who works in the train station speaks perfect English.
Many signs are in both Dutch and English.
> 6. Do U.S. Cellular phones work in Europe? I have Sprint PCS.
I'm quite sure that phone won't work.
> 7. What are some good day trips that can be taken from Amsterdam via
> the rail system?
Depends on what you're after. Countryside, history, other big cities...?
miguel
--
See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/
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04-11-2003, 11:55 AM
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#7
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
Philip George <phil@ox.compsoc.net> wrote:
> In article <3c5d9515.0311030833.649512d8@posting.google.com>,
> Phil Sandler <psandler70@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >6. Do U.S. Cellular phones work in Europe? I have Sprint PCS.
>
> If they are tri-band, yes.
That's rather sloppy, actually. You mean _GSM_ tri-band (900/1800/1900).
There _are_ CDMA/TDMA tri-band phones in the US, and they will _not_
work in Europe, obviously.
> Otherwise no. Everywhere in the world apart from
> Japan and the US use 900/1800 phones.
Again, no. Plenty of countries don't use GSM 900/1800. I think you need
to read up on this. Hint: will your GSM 900/1800 phone work in Canada,
Chile, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and so on.... A lot of countries in the
Americas have GSM networks on 1900. 900/1800 bands were already taken
up.
Don't lump Japan and the US together though- Japan has no GSM network
whatsoever. They do, however, have 3g networks, which technically could
get roaming agreements with other 3g networks. How many discrete 3g
networks are live in the world just now? Not many.
There are now quad band GSM phones (NEC has one) because to increase
capacity, some US networks now operate on 850 GSM, so a traditional GSM
tri-band phone won't work there.
David
--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.co.uk
davidhorne (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
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04-11-2003, 12:19 PM
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#8
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
> > To the OP: buy a day-pass for the tram/bus/metro. It is cheap and
> > so convenient to never have to worry about a ticket. Day passes
> > are sold in 1, 2, & 3 day increments, I believe. They are sold in the
> > building just outside the Central Station.
>
> Can this also be bought at Schiphol?
Maybe, I don't know. But I'd probably still wait to buy it just
outside Central Station. Schiphol is the airport that most reminds
me of a mall during Christmas. I've never seen such a menagerie
of signs, shops, escalators down to trains, phones, ticket purchasing
machines, etc. It is the first airport where I had to look very intently
to find the proper location to check-in for my flight (the airport seems
to be broken down into two sections and I had to walk to one of the
sections to find out which one was for me).
Oh yeah, don't be stupid like me and try to buy your train ticket at
the first machine you see, which will be just before customs. Wait
until you pass customs and then you will see many ticket machines.
Someone at Schiphol must have a warped sense of humor, watching
the long line of people trying to buy a ticket at that first machine.
Casey
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04-11-2003, 01:47 PM
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#9
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
"Casey" <nospam@nospam.com> schreef in bericht
news:9gCpb.5938$qh2.4271@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> Oh yeah, don't be stupid like me and try to buy your train ticket at
> the first machine you see, which will be just before customs. Wait
> until you pass customs and then you will see many ticket machines.
> Someone at Schiphol must have a warped sense of humor, watching
> the long line of people trying to buy a ticket at that first machine.
>
Actually, that first machine in the luggage claim area is a *very* good
idea. While waiting for your bags, you can use your time usefully and buy
your train ticket. I always buy my train ticket there. I have never
encountered queues of more than 2 or 3 people, but I guess longer queues are
possible. And I always volunteer to help the poor souls who have no idea
about the buttons they need to push!
Sjoerd
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04-11-2003, 02:02 PM
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#10
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
"Sjoerd" <sjoerdhahahaha@xs4all.nl> wrote in message
news:3fa704f3$0$58716$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
>
> "Casey" <nospam@nospam.com> schreef in bericht
> news:9gCpb.5938$qh2.4271@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > Oh yeah, don't be stupid like me and try to buy your train ticket at
> > the first machine you see, which will be just before customs. Wait
> > until you pass customs and then you will see many ticket machines.
> > Someone at Schiphol must have a warped sense of humor, watching
> > the long line of people trying to buy a ticket at that first machine.
> >
>
> Actually, that first machine in the luggage claim area is a *very* good
> idea. While waiting for your bags, you can use your time usefully and buy
> your train ticket. I always buy my train ticket there. I have never
> encountered queues of more than 2 or 3 people, but I guess longer queues
are
> possible. And I always volunteer to help the poor souls who have no idea
> about the buttons they need to push!
>
It would be nice if they:
a) had instructions in English
b) took notes not just change.
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04-11-2003, 02:09 PM
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#11
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
"Miss L. Toe" <missltoemissltoe@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
news:bo71gs$196ftl$1@ID-201440.news.uni-berlin.de...
> It would be nice if they:
> a) had instructions in English
They have. In small print.
> b) took notes not just change.
>
Agreed. Most local people pay by debit or chip card, but acceptance of
banknotes and/or credit cards would be a good idea.
Sjoerd
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04-11-2003, 02:10 PM
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#12
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
Casey <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
> It is the first airport where I had to look very intently to find the
> proper location to check-in for my flight (the airport seems to be broken
> down into two sections and I had to walk to one of the sections to find
> out which one was for me).
There are big displays near the entrances that say which counter (balie) to
go to for each flight. As you enter the terminal proper, those numbers are
cross-referenced on static signs to the main check-in zones (1,2,3).
> Oh yeah, don't be stupid like me and try to buy your train ticket at
> the first machine you see, which will be just before customs.
If you have checked baggage to wait for, it makes sense, otherwise not.
miguel
--
See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/
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04-11-2003, 04:27 PM
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#13
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
> 3. What is a good, cheap place to stay? It doesn't need to be fancy,
> just safe, private, and clean. Being allowed to smoke would also be a
> plus. Is it possible to stay in Amsterdam for under $50/night?
I've stayed at Arena Hostel (would not recommend) and The Greenhouse Effect
(highly recommended, but fills fast). Also, the Bulldog looks good and has
a decent location.
www.greenhouse-effect.nl
www.bulldog.nl
> 5. How easy is the rail system to navigate for someone who doesn't
> speak Dutch? Can you generally just walk in and buy a ticket, or do I
> need to plan that all out before I leave the States? I am planning on
> visiting family near Bremen (Germany) for 1-2 days.
I'd research www.raileurope.com for the best deals. Maybe combining the
Netherlands day trip w/ the Germany rail pass might be cheaper. This would
have to be purchased ahead of time.
> 7. What are some good day trips that can be taken from Amsterdam via
> the rail system?
I've been to Haarlem a short 10km or so from Amsterdam; extra smoke, less
people and traffic. Or Rotterdam
> 8. What are some "must see" events/locations in the city?
If you can avoid the crowds (try late evening except NYE), the Anne Frank
House and Van Gogh museums should not be missed. Redlight district,
Centraal Station (I think it's very beautiful), and Leidensplein are where I
send most of my time.
Have a great trip.
Millie
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04-11-2003, 04:34 PM
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#14
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
> Actually, that first machine in the luggage claim area is a *very*
> good idea. While waiting for your bags .....
There's the rub. If you do not have any bags, it is a bad idea.
The airport should post a sign that lots of ticket machines reside
just outside customs.
Casey
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04-11-2003, 11:13 PM
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#15
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Re: Advice Wanted: Amsterdam Over New Year's
Thur wrote:
>>5. How easy is the rail system to navigate for someone who doesn't
>>speak Dutch? Can you generally just walk in and buy a ticket?
>
>
> Yes. All domestic destination on can just walk up to the counter and buy
> one. For international travel there is a special counter (in Amsterdam
> Central on platform 2A) where one can also buy tickets. The English site of
> the Dutch Railway Company: http://www.ns.nl/international/index.cgi
> doesn't give you the prices.
You can buy tickets for many destinations in Germany at the domestic
counters. Bremen is one of those destination for which this is possible.
You cannot reserve a seat there, but this is usually not necessary.
Being able to buy this ticket at the domestic counter avoids the long
queues at most international counters in the Netherlands.
You can even buy tickets for Bremen at the new ticket vending machines
(the ones with the touch screen) but these don't take cash. You need a
card with the "maestro" logo on it.
Krist
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