Don't Believe the Hype: Overrated Things to Do in Amsterdam
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- Don't Believe the Hype: Overrated Things to Do in Amsterdam
This week, we're taking you with us to Amsterdam to share 10 of the most overrated things you can do there. We're talking about food, sites, and even transportation methods. We're also providing you a few alternatives you can do instead. What do you think are the most overrated things about Amsterdam? Drop us a comment!
If you like our video please subscribe for more food, travel, and life as an ex-pat! / tandtgodutch
We're Tracey and Travis, an American couple who moved with our Miniature Husky, Tabasco, from our home in Houston, Texas to the city of Leiden, The Netherlands. We love food, travel, history, and exploring our new home. We hope you enjoy us sharing our adventures all around The Netherlands with you!
If you'd like to see more:
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#overrated
#amsterdam
#thenetherlands
00:00 - Introduction at Amsterdam Centraal
01:12 - Damrak Street
03:21 - Love Locks
04:06 - Big Touristy Boat Tours
05:51 - Dam Square
06:58 - Fake "Museums"
08:06 - Full English Breakfast & Touristy Foods
09:54 - Floating Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)
11:27- Gawking in the Red Light District
13:19 - Driving in Amsterdam
14:33 - Heineken Experience
17:03 - Don't Forget to Subscribe!
Unpopular opinion: Amsterdam in general is overrated. There are many other interesting Dutch cities where tourists usually don't go. Yes, Amsterdam is still beautiful and worth a visit, but don't forget the rest of the country. I was living in Amsterdam before, but I do enjoy other cities more, as they are less crowded and focused on tourism.
Completely agree. We definitely see the draw as a foreigner though. Cities like Haarlem, Leiden and Delft are really only a short distance away, and provide a much better experience.
@@TAndTGoDutch Yeah exactly, they also give a more authentic view of what the country looks like. Delft is also a bit of a tourist hotspot. I've never visited Haarlem and Leiden myself, but they seem beautiful. Utrecht is also less touristy, but definitely beautiful. But then again, there are many interesting cities all over the country, from Groningen to 's-Hertogenbosch, from Maastricht to Deventer, etc.
Its a shame though, because it really can be beautiful. I for one love exploring Amsterdam Noord. Its such a different vibe. With the docks and the marinas, noorderpark and tuindorp. Its so different from the rest of adam.
And there are many other parts of adam where most tourists never (not even Dutch tourists) venture out to, but can be amazing
Amsterdam is a parody of itself. That is all.
By all means, visit it, just beware it is a tourist trap. As bad as Las Vegas, unless gambling is your hobby, then stay away from Amsterdam too.
I totally agree
I think this is spot-on. I was born and raised in Amsterdam, but don’t like it anymore. I’ve seen the center change from a old city to a overrated open-air museum filled with tourist shops. If you move away from the city center it gets better.
True! Klopt helemaal.
thats so Truth, we´re are from Frankfurt, Germany. we drive with our car to Maastricht Venlo Alkmaar, Den Helder all the small cities and we Love them. in This Moment we´re sitting in our Hotel in hoofdoorp and thes small Cities are so authentic. at tuesday we ride for 4 Days to Den Haag, and we hope its much prettier than Amsterdam
Oh my darlings .. if ONLY you could have visited Amsterdam in the early 70s. I lived in the city center as a young lady and could even walk through the streets in the early, early mornings after a night out on the town without being accosted. How the times have changed. I did love that city back then. ☮🕊
I guess 60's and 70's were the best. But the early 80's were not bad either. I had the time of my life! Never felt unsafe, because I knew where to go. Party every Friday and Saturday in my favorite bars and clubs. Yes, times have changed, but young people still find their spots to go to and enjoy.
It has been invaded by commercial aspects and is more foreign than Dutch nowadays. I lived in Amsterdam in the 90s, my sis already arrived in the 80s, and it went down hill since than as well so I can imagine how amazing it could have been;-) There's more English than Dutch on the streets and neon really screwed up the atmosphere imo. Those are the least of the problems though... ouch... so glad I moved away to give my daughter a good childhood.
@@angelavm84 And the neon was even worse then it is now. Shops had to take it down. But a lot happens below the surface; Thousands of parking spots for cars and bikes. Some new living area's have car-free streets, due to parking spots out of sight. Public transport has improved a lot with the Noord-Zuid-lijn. Stations are beautiful. I can imagine you're glad you took your daughter elsewhere to grow up, for sure.
@@jacquelineb3475 Noord-Zuid was a nightmare for the ppl living in houses under which it was built though.🙃 However, Amsterdam can still be appreciated as a visitor. As former residents we have to upside of knowing where it's at!
@@angelavm84 Absolutely, it was a nightmare. Houses were badly damaged. With a final budget around 3 billion, it has cost more then over 10 times the budget estimated at the start of the project. In the end, it's a fast and clean way to travel. At Rokin station there is an exhibition of the various things found while digging for the tunnels. Amazing!
Nice video, glad you mentioned this. I live half an hour from A'dam and used to go to A'dam regularly but not anymore. If I have to go there, for example for a museum or something, I go straight there and then after I leave A'dam as quickly as I can. It's not what it used to be. The tourists have done the same with Venice Italy, which has also lost its charm.
There’s definitely an opportunity for more responsible tourism efforts in cities like Amsterdam and Venice. Thank you so much for watching!
@@TAndTGoDutch I agree and you're welcome.
As a Dutchie I totally agree with you, most things are overated in Amsterdam, just overprized tourists traps, the(real) museums and architecture are very nice tough.
The museums and architecture are wonderful, couldn’t agree more!
That was a wonderful and informative vlog on the dos and don'ts when visiting the Amsterdam area. Many will benefit from your advise on places to visit and miss the traps of tourist industry. Great job Tracey and Travis.
thanx for the nice video, you nailed all thetourist traps! ;-) . a trip to Vlissingen or Goes is so much nicer. ps. in Arcen is the Hertog-Jan Brewery. see u on the next one.
I think Amsterdam has had to deal with so much tourism over the last 20 odd years it turned into a tourist industry! It got dirty and the Amsterdam council has great difficulty keeping up with it. Doesn't take away if you walk away from all of that Amsterdam is still beautiful. Shame the feeling of 20 years ago isn't there anymore unless you know where to go to. Find the locals go where they go. It still is a special feeling. Nice blog though.
Great video T&T! Nice that you give suggestions on what to do instead of visiting those overrated places. I also love the tip "Don't feed the pigeons" (on Dam Square).
Born and raised in Amsterdam this video makes me so happy! You mentioned many things I try to avoid when there is no escaping getting into town. Thank you so much!
So glad you mentioned the Heineken Experience, one of the biggest fakes in A'dam.
There are indeed so much more fun craft beer breweries to explore, like Brouwerij ' IJ, but this one has already grown so much that they opened a larger brewery 700m further. So the mill and old bathhouse is now just a tastingroom, and a small brewery. Same with JopenKerk in Haarlem, the real brewery is on the industrial area near Ikea Haarlem.
So it will be more challenging to find genuine craftbeer breweries, but there are much more to explore like the Prael or Oedipus.
As someone who was born in Amsterdam, and still loves the city a lot, I was a bit scared going into this, but I think you did quite well by not only showing the overrated things, but also showing that within the city, there are great alternatives.
Personally I have always seen Damrak as just a road from the train station to get into the city, there are a few nice things there, but most is indeed really tourist traps, because the tourists who don't know the city are all more or less required to come through it.
The Dam itself, apart from the monument and Madame Tussaud, it does of course also have the palace and the church, which are really worth a visit at least once in your life, but apart from that, it's also more just a space that people pass through.
The flower market, kinda agree, but last time I was there (probably around 20 years ago) in the springtime, they did have better quality flowers than you would get at a supermarket like Albert Heijn, so it may be seasonal, or it may have just lost the roots, but that might be something for you to check out again.
The red light district, if it comes up in your mind to take pictures of the ladies working there, you fully deserve to end up in the canal. No argument there. But it is unfortunate what has happened to the area, because sexworkers are an important part of the service industry in a good society, because they can provide service to people who can't get intimacy through another way because of for instance physical or mental disabilities, but with all the tourism around it, it has become a hotspot for problems that have absolutely nothing to do with the service that is provided.
Then the last one I want to react to, the Heineken experience. Heineken, is almost the same word as hinniken, which is the Dutch word for the sound a horse makes. Many Dutch people, call Heineken horse piss. I haven't done the Heineken Experience yet, although I am familiar with the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, so hearing it's worse than that definitely gives me an impression. I also haven't been to the Brouwerij 't IJ that you showed as alternative, where I only got at the store on the edge of the red light district to bring some beers home with me. If you really want to experience beer in Amsterdam, altough it's just a shop and not a place where you can sit down and drink some beers, I recommend Sterk, in the De Clerqstraat. They always have over 2000 different beers in stock.
i am just a tourist (well, for 15 years now) and i avoid those places
Well, except some tourist shops who sell t-shirts at 5€ instead of 25 on Damrak
I’ve been to Amsterdam several times but don’t feel the need to go again. You are right there is so much more to the Netherlands. Great video!! 👍🏼😀
Hi T & T,
Thank you for your video. As someone from the province 😂 Amsterdam is not my favorite place to visit to start with. But the
whole tourist crap makes it a real embarrassment for all the Dutch, cause it is still is our capital. Amsterdam is not the Netherlands and the Netherlands is not Amsterdam. And Heineken is not a beer. So many more and much better beers you find here. Thank you for bringing some nuance to that.
A'dam is as Dutch as Dutch can be.
Just look with your eyes and scip the current commerce and tourism.
During covid when the city was empty it really opened itself.
🌹
Learnt a lot. What about the PC Hooftstraat with designer shops? Or the Science Park in the East? How do you get an OV card?
You were right on every point. I'd add the Kalverstraat, as a shopping destination. Nothing but generic shops you can find everywhere else. Instead, opt for the Negen Straatjes.
As a history guy, I would actually recommend going to Dam square with an actual tour guide. It’s the place where Amsterdam started, and it’s full of stories to tell, and things to see if you know where to look. Visit the Royal Palace(former Amsterdam city hall), and the Nieuwe Kerk(New Church). Not even the Amsterdam or Rijksmuseum can tell the stories as good as these places can.
Dam Square you can go into the palace...quite nice. Open air small canal boat tour is excellent ..walking thru wandelpark...so many incredible museums.
This was a fun video and agree with much, but there is only one important question... Did you get Vermeer Rijksmuseum ticket in time! That's worth going to Amsterdam for.
Totally agree with you. Try some cities above Amsterdam. My hometown Hoorn has nice things to see, a steamtram to neighbouring place Medemblik and the a boottour to Enkhuizen. Just a tip for later this year.
nice location, i was there with my wife last year (included Den Helder and Alkmaar, this week we will drive to Castricum, schagen and st Martinzee
I can also share your impressions, we were yesterday in Amsterdam. it was extremely touristy we were only in the Ripley's Museum and after 2 hours we are back in our hotel, must say my girlfriend is traveling with a wheelchair and the shops etc are only partially accessible. then love so smaller places like Venlo Maastricht or Alkmaar.
You can visite the palace on the Dam, its build to be the town/maire house and Napoleon 's Brother Lodewijk/Louismade it his palace
Love your videos. Love Amsterdam. Love the Netherlands. Keep on trucking, guys!
Like the videos. Hate Amsterdam. Like the Netherlands. Love does not care about anything but love itself.
Thank you for this, well balanced review. Like other comments stated: the city centre (Centrum) is today more or less a tourist trap with real people living and working there in between. And like other cities: there is more to Amsterdam than just that! Take the (free!) ferries to Noord, or a tram to Nieuw-West, or the metro to the Bijlmer. All Amsterdam, all different vibes. But some one has to tell you these tip, and I am happy you are helping with that 👍🏻 Linda (born in Amsterdam, living in Purmerend, working in Amsterdam)
I like the English breakfast and I’m Dutch. 😀
The tallest windmill in the WORLD is in Schiedam in South Holland BTW (Molen De Noord). Excluding modern wind turbines. Schiedam has a brewery that you can visit called the Nolet brewery. But they don’t make beer there but Ketel One gin and vodka. Interestingly it is powered by a wind turbine that is built like a classic windmill.
As I recall Eric and Tammy were there last year!
Brouwerij het IJ has really nice beer too, much better than anything Heineken produces. Some of the places you mention I wouldn't even see as "things to do in Amsterdam". Damrak is for me a passage from CS to the centre, and Dam Squire is nice if you want to visit the Nieuwe Kerk or the "Paleis op de dam". And if you like the waterview you can go with the free ferry to Amsterdam North :)
I concur with all of it. Those boat tours used to have live commentary, which made it a bit better, but yeah, they are a big no.
Another nice park where they have a good selection of restaurants and cafes is Westerpark, it’s a nice walk from the station and takes you through Haarlemmerstraat which has some really great little shops, small restaurants etc. However, Haarlemmerstraat sees too many tourists to my liking too these days. Shame.
If you are walking in the red light district, it would be nice to visit the house-church museum ‘onze lieve heer op solder’. It is an old hidden Roman Catholic church. It is only a short visit but I really recommend it.
That’s a great tip, thank you so much for sharing.
Glad u made this video!
I'm from Belgium and went to Amsterdam a few times in the far past. I'm glad I've seen it but I've been to many other cities and towns in The Netherlands that I like much more. What I did like was a huge fleemarket I went to one of the times I went to Amsterdam. No idea if it's still done now because I'm talking about the late 80's.
The one thing I regret I didn't see was the Anne Frank house... every time I went there was a huge line of people waiting to get in and I really didn't feel like waiting outside for hours to get in.
You should watch a video about fishing for bikes in those canals they are full of bikes, thousands, seriously :)
I was February 3. Still in Amsterdam, for a concert at the Maritime Museum. Rock by candlelight.
We’ve seen ads for that, sounds like a fun time. Did you enjoy it?
Hey guys, you’re doing such a great job in exploring and logically thinking and reviewing about all kind of things.
You give me ideas to explore! 😂👍🏻🌷
Thank you so much, Simone! Your comment made us smile. 😊
ICE sculptures are in the plan 😉
I have lived in the Netherlands for a few years now and have been to Amsterdam as many times as I have been to the Airport.
I have not really seen much of the country in general. Only places I have really been to is Utrecht, Nunspeet, Zwolle, and Harderwijk.
Spend most of my time here in happy Elburg.
the irony is that the RLD area is one of the most interesting, historically and architecturally, because you can get a good look at what medieval Amsterdam was like, before the canals were built at the "New Side". It is the most historical part of Amsterdam and really worth a visit for that alone.
And the Oude Kerk, it is really beautiful
It's funny though when it comes to Heineken and people calling it canal water or slootwater in Dutch, but most people like me, that grew up in Amsterdam basically grew up on Heineken.
Enschede area has Grolsch, in Brabant it's mostly Bavaria, Brand bier in Limburg and I think it's just what you are used to that has your preference. And yes mine is Heineken for just a regular beer at home or friends.
Don't get me wrong, I realy like your video's. In fact, next weekend I booked a B&B near Zwolle to visite the ice sculpture festival thank's to your video. But it is such a pitty you never go see more little villages. You were at the efteling. Just next to the efteling you have the " Loonse en Drunense duinen" . A beautyfull sandy/ foresty nature reservate. Not so fare from there you can find Oisterwijk. Famous for its ponds and larg forrest. You can walk there for hours ( I did very often when I was a teenager). And it is all close to my hometown Dongen. Where we have a prehistoric settelment where people reanact life in the ironage. ( but that opens in April) . And then there is Heusden , Brielle, and a lot of small places in Limburg like Thorn. They are the onknown gems of this country. We have nice litlle hotels and B&B's in the area. I'd be more than happy to show you around ( and do take Eric and Tammy whit you)
Hi Sylvia! Thanks so much for watching. For us, RUclips, and filming are a hobby/part time gig for us. Travis and I also have full time jobs, so traveling to the smaller villages isn’t always an option for us (they aren’t always the easiest to get to, as we don’t have a car.) It also requires a bit more planning, care for our pup, and oftentimes accommodations, which cost money. We have a long list of places to get to, so sit tight! We also haven’t made it to Efteling quite yet, hopefully soon! We hope you understand.
@@TAndTGoDutch well, we have a geastroom and you are welkom to visit any time you want. We'l show you around. Dongen is easy to get to by public transport. Train to Tilburg ore Breda and from there on 20 minnits by bus. ( ore we can just pick you up from the trainstation)
The Damrak used to be full of advertisement banners and 'money spinners' so in my memory, it was the place to keep walking till you were past it.
My advice to tourists would be to just explore all the canals because there is so much history to be seen that we Dutch don't even notice anymore.
Japanese tourists were known to take photos of every single 'grachtenpand' or canal house.
And if you wish to see beautiful canals without all the other tourists, why not visit De Pijp, if you take the metro (underground/subway) it's near Amsterdam Zuid.
I agree with all you say, but I think the full English is for the stag parties from England - drink, smoke weed, go to the red light district, eat breakfast, sleep repeat for 3 or 4 days!! I do like Amsterdam but hate the English spoiling it
Amsterdam? Go to café "Dwaze Zaken", ( great café, seriously), near the central station, get a nice apple pie, and a hot chocolate with cream, and than take a train to Leiden or the Hague... :)
Basicly unfortunatley you are correct in a number of things, I mean I am from Amsterdam but most things you mention are real bad! Good vlog! 👌👍
I love your honesty. The truth needs to be told for those who want to visit Amsterdam. Amsterdam isn’t so much Disneyland as it is Las Vegas. When i’m thinking Dutch Disneyland i’m thinking of Efteling. Good clean fun. Amsterdam not so much. But to each his own. You do what you like. Leiden is much better. 😘❤❤❤
Vegas is a great comparison! Thanks so much for watching!
Yes, you should definitely go to Efteling, T and T. I’ve been to Disneyland in California and I wasn’t that impressed with it because I knew Efteling, which is a larger park than Disneyland. It’s also older than it. Efteling has some very cool rides (especially today) and it has a nice forest-like fairy tale atmosphere. Just watch the countless videos of English speaking people who visited it from out of the country.
why the hell is Amsterdam, Disneyland? good god... i understand America doesnt have historic buildings but if you see a historic european city that doesnt make our cities ''Disneyland'' it makes yours fake trying to copy European architecture.
@whitelite, it was a comparison based on adults acting like children in Amsterdam, just like a child would be excited about spending time at Disney. It was not at all based on architecture. I think you misunderstood the comparison. Obviously the beauty and architecture of Amsterdam doesn’t compare…
Tourist tip.
Rent a bike and go on a guided bike tour.
Those are insane good.
Stay away from the hell center.
Try visit the dam Palace .
Insane Nice.
Hi Guys, great video. Myself Dutch, born A'dam, now live in DK. My children always want to visit A'dam (Mokkum). I am reluctant, as the tourist industry brings a lot of good things (income)! Also cheap , nothing to do with A'dam at all! Also many places are, as you emphasize, 'Disney for adults'. These places do not get any respect by most tourists unaware of privacy!. As you suggest, get a little further exploring to some really nice not tourist things (although of course you are a tourist.) Talk to the locals, they are at any time open to good comments!?! Mokkumers love a good joke, as my old old grand farther used to say !!!!!!
Mokum is with one K
The Real Dutch Flower Market is in Aalsmeer and is selling to flowershops and whoseldale companies, who are selling flowers all over the world within 24 hrs.
The flower auction, right? We definitely would love to go and see it in person.
Amsterdam can be fun for a day, but it's not for nice living anymore. I used to live in the city center. No decent hair-dresser, no cobbler, over-prized supermarkets and poop on my doorstep in the morning. I think the walk from CS along Rokin and Damrak towards the flower market is the worst, next to Kalverstraat. That entire area is horrid. Cities in the area that are a better choice are Haarlem, Den Haag, Leiden, Delft and Utrecht imo, but I think you guys already know;-) More amazing cities further away! Hanzesteden and more. Don't discount the North with Leeuwarden and Groningen.
I agree with your picks there! There are some nice museums though and that really is one of the main reasons to go to Amsterdam. Also theater and performances: great things to be found there. Greenwoods used to be good when it comes to English Breakfast, but I've been out of the loop for a long time;-)
Near Damrak you can find Chimera, one of the most amazing shops in Amsterdam imo & strangely out of place in the commercial Amsterdam area. Little bit of magic:D. If you avoid the tourist traps and a large part of the city center, there are more bits of magic to be found! Worth it? Nah, just for a day and move on to other, nicer places in NL.
Scammers exposed. Good video.
Nice video from Ams
Thanks so much!
Concert in het scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam. 3 Feb 2023. / Gerben T van de Veen
ruclips.net/video/3sNkVDTi6Oc/видео.html
Thank you. You've done a good job. 👌🎹🍷✨
Aww, thank you, we appreciate you watching! ❤️
Heee Tracey and Travis maybe this YT video would be interesting for you to watch: "American Gets FULL Dutch Carnival Experience (Oeteldonk 2023)" by the channel "EXPLORING THE FOREIGN"
Bedankt! We’ll check it out!
And yet, Amsterdam is beautiful and unique. The palace on the Dam square is interesting to visit.
It is beautiful and unique, you just need to know what to avoid, and what to do instead.
Again a nice video but must say that Amsterdam has changed the last 10 year and not in postive way. Its sad to see what happend to Amsterdam and i don't see it change soon. unless politics will change in Amsterdam.But Amsterdam has a rich history and worth to look in to it. and traffic.. well try Jakarta or Bangkok ;-)
All imaginable.
Only when you're into history and architecture
and music you'll find A'dam to be unique in the world.
19th-century made almost every european capital very big and left Europe a lot of city-grandeur that didn't yet exist in the
late middle-ages and
a bit later on.
A'dam became poor that's why it has kept so much early history.
Can you imagine that during the 17th century
A'dam was the biggest city in Europe ?
That's why Napoleon made it the second capital of his empire.
Thanks for sharing, always nice to learn new things.
And if you want to bring bulbs overseas, order ‘m online. And think it through: most bulbs require a cold spell, for them to start growing and flowering.
Great tips!
Have you seen this ? From not just bikes : ruclips.net/video/EqwasBTzZS8/видео.html 👍🏻
The excess of tourism has not done the city any good, many lousy shops indeed and an atmosphere around Dam Square that I no longer enjoy. I lived there with my family for a long time, but mainly in Old South and Old West. I still like it there. Fortunately, there are still plenty of beautiful places in the city and there are still those beautiful museums and good affordable restaurants you can visit, even in the city center, but you need to know which one. This for instance is beautiful, it is between Damrak and the Nieuwendijk : Passage ruclips.net/video/Qf89uLLvO5A/видео.html
There's 20 million tourists a year in Amsterdam. Like the bridge isn't full in a month of lovelocks. I'm pretty sure they do this in every country. Dam square isn't pretty i agree, but it has the first stockmarket. For history purposes it is worth to see it. If you take photo's of the redlight girls it's your own fault your camera ends up in the canal. The redlight district is considered the safest streets in Amsterdam because of police, security and camera's. Always go at night to the redlightdistrict by the way.
How can you say it takes forever from point a to point b. Amsterdam is mostly one way street for cars and not for bicycles. It's also small. A bike is faster than a car for sure. The whole city is designed that way. It's extremely easy to navigate, the canals go in a half moon around the city. If you know this looking at a map you'll find it's really easy. A piece of cake really. It's a really nice bike ride too. Take a uber outside of those canals! You'll rarely be there because most things are inside of it. Do not rent those electric scooters!!! They are too big for a cycle lane if you're a tourist. We absolute hate when tourist ride those. You'll be stopping a lot and scooters aren't stable at low speeds. People of Amsterdam are in a hurry and you'll be blocking them.
Not biking in Amsterdam is like never being there. The biking infrastructure is incredible in the Netherlands. It would be a shame not to see it.
It's true that Amsterdam is too crowded with tourists. But as a resident, one place I never go is the Damrak. I haven't walked there for 20 years. You should start off early and visit the beautiful parks in the city - Amstel Park, Vondel Park, Beatrix Park, and stay out of the center - unfortunately it has become overrun. What I like about Amsterdam, is the diversity of people, the wonderful museums. But, you are right, there are other, much less hectic, dirty cities in the Netherlands.
Agree about spending time there early in the day. We typically try to go in the early morning hours on Sunday’s. So much more peaceful.
Well, I am from Rotterdam so I guess I am biased in a way, but there is almost nothing in Amsterdam that can not be found anywhere else in the Netherlands...
Great museums? Haarlem, Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden and Utrecht have them and there are many more
Canals? Utrecht, Leiden, Delft to name a few.
Historic buildings: Pretty every other city over 50k residents except Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Almere.
Go to places like Deventer, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Leeuwarden, Hoorn or Dordrecht... cities steeped in history.
Red light districts? Haarlem and The Hague have those too
Tulips? They can be found pretty much everywhere in the coastal provinces of North Holland, South Holland and Zeeland, and if you need bulbs: just go to a garden center like Intratuin. They will be cheaper and of better quality!
Beer? Almost anything but Heineken. Brouwerij 't IJ is a good one, but as a Rotterdammer, I stick to the Kaapse Brouwers
Cheese: go to Gouda or Alkmaar for the big cheese markets.
And hotels:I always say: stay in Haarlem or Leiden, and take the train.. and you will still be cheaper off...
Don’t park in the center of Amsterdam, it is very expensive. Instead park at the transferium of the Johan Cruyff Arena, it’s only 8 euro’s for the first 24 hours! This is only when there are no soccer matches or music concerts in the Arena or the nearby Ziggo Dome. You can take the metro, tram or train from there to the center of Amsterdam.
That’s a great tip.
Allthough I would like prostitution not to exist and don't like being in red light districts in any Dutch city, I've lived next to several, "De Wallen" used to be a night life area with window prostitution on the side. My favourite restaurant was there too, called Centra. The one good thing about prostitution is that it's a fair deal between two consenting adults, there is respect in that. With the overtourism, the red light district has become a zoo, with the visitors resembling the animals. Of course people don't have to consider prostitute a respectful job, but this is lacking respect at a whole different level.
The Damrak is also ruined by overtourism. I used to love it since the first time I arrived by train and the rumble of all those feet, not overpowered by car sounds like in other big cities. It felt like the centre of the world with all people being busy and buzzing, going somewhere to do something. Tourists just don't give that vibe, they are like a line at Disney World or a ski lift. In these masses tourists don't enjoy cities, they consume them, they all leave a bit less city behind than they found.
We just read that starting mid-may, they’ll be cracking down on smoking marijuana on the streets of De Wallen. Hopefully the residents there will be able to get a bit more peace.
OK I have seen this video and you are not wrong ! Amsterdam is loved all over the world and that's why there are A LOT OF TOURISTS! So as Tracy and Travis already indicated: Not all is beautiful and authentic. There are a lot of trash shops, Crowded places, Places where the only intent is to get your money and empty your pockets and at some places people with bad intentions hang around. In general I would not tell Amsterdam is an unsafe place but you will have to keep your eyes open and be careful as you would in poplular places.
One thing for sure: DO NOT DRIVE INTO Amsterdam by car. It is crowded, there are a lot of people not paying attention to the traffic (tourists ;-) ) And parking is REALLY EXPENSIVE ( think like 60 Euro or more a day) If you park your car stupid you can expect your car to be clamped or taken away (both options are bloody expensive!)
Park outside of Amsterdam or take the train or bus to arrive into Amsterdam. The Amsterdam trams are superconvenient and will take you anywhere!
The hop on/hop off buses are expensive but they do take you around and I used them in other cities to just see something without having to walk another day. Walking around Amsterdam will get you to the quiet and more authentic stuff : And Yes there are still many really charming places with a good view and great drinks and food. A word about "coffeeshops" : These are also potential tourist traps! Not all the "stuff" is the real stuff. Joints have little or no "special spices" and if you believe the "spicy cakes" are going to give you a bit more party vibe... it is just the same: no special ingredients! ;-)
Yay! So happy to get the Hans “seal of approval!”
@@TAndTGoDutch hahahahah I did not doubt you ! I just love Amsterdam still even though the old lady has been gangbanged by too many tourists 😛
A tip, go to Amsterdam North and visit De Ceuvel
Thanks, we’re planning on going to film a video there soon. Appreciate the tip!
Heineken is canal water! Enjoy!
Born and raised in Amsterdam, but everything you say is true. This is the reason I almost never return to my birthcity.
OK , Not seen it yet... challenge it is as I am Amsterdam born!!
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Amsterdam is NOT overrated, @Markus Erikse! It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Only Venice tops it, for me. But indeed you have to avoid Damrak, red light district, flower market, Heineken Experience, most canalboats, and the so called Tulip Museum, Sex Museum and Cheese Museum. These are tourist traps, you have them in every tourist destination. But that doesn’t make the city less beautiful! Yes, there are other beautiful Dutch cities, like Delft, Gouda, Haarlem, Groningen, Maastricht, Deventer. I love them all, but really: Amsterdam is still a class of its own. No other city has so many beautiful 17th-century canals and houses.
TIP: An attraction which is probably overrated is the Amsterdam Lookout (across the IJ, near the Central Station). You pay for a view you can get for free elsewhere. But some people I know really liked the swing that peeps over the roof, which is quite scary.
Oh gosh, we’ve seen those videos of the swing. We’ll definitely pass on that one!
Have you ever had your pocket picked in Amsterdam? It's a caution of something that's overblown and, while sure it can happen, it rarely does. Knock on wood, but I've lived and worked here 23 years now with no problems of this sort. And, of course, if you're on the mainstream tourist streets you'll find a tackiness that you're describing in any country. Locals frequent lovely areas, such as the Jordaan, Rembrandt Square and around the university, which is south of the train station.
At night the best boat cruises are indeed the smaller, more intimate and lovely ones that offer an open bar and snacks as you cruise along the canals watching the pretty lights at a pleasant pace.
You're probably not still touring Amsterdam, but in the sidestreets there are lovely restaurants of authentic Dutch and Indonesian menus that are reasonably priced. But again you are discussing the very touristy main areas that are not all that pretty. Yet, in the redlight district is a Buddhist temple with a delicious Chinese restaurant just opposite it. Also, the oudekerk, Old Church, is lovely to tour, especially around the time they're ringing the bells.
And the Brouwerij 't IJ is a good tip for some tasty beer sampling. The reason it is called this is because of its location, which if you Google you will see that it's on the IJ (streets Funenkade & Zeeburgerstraat). Cheers and I hope you guys had fun!
We haven’t had any pickpocketing happen to us personally, but we’ve heard from others that it does happen. Better to be safe then sorry.
Thanks for your suggestions for our next visit! We live in Leiden, so not terribly far away.
Appreciate you watching!
Awwh, well then you know. 😊
Ah... cloudy beer is the best beer.
The slogan "Heerlijk Helder Heineken" did not refer to the beers taste. Seriously.
Back in the day, all beers were cloudy and Heineken was the first to produce a beer without cloudiness. It was 'helder' or clear beer.
'Heerlijk' can be mistaken for delicious, even Dutch make that mistake.
But it's really Deliciously Clear meaning the clarity of the beer should speak for itself.
It doesn't even have to taste good!
The only good reason to go anywhere near the Heineken building is that Paradiso is right around the corner. Catch a show there... whoever's playing while you're there. It's a magical place. Artists tend to rise above themselves when they play Paradiso. Just type in the name in RUclips if you don't believe me.
Awesome! We’ll take your word for it.
It’s not really right around the corner. Paradiso is just off Leidse plein and Heineken Experience is Stadhouderskade. Still a 10 minute walk. But Paradiso has an almost legendary cult status, you’re right about that.
Amsterdam overrated...? Yes it is! It is known to be the tourist Zoo. And yes tourists actually come to Amsterdam with the foolish idea that it actually is a theme park, which obviously is not the case, it really is just another town where people live and work, that is.... for as long as this will be the case... More and more true Amsterdammers leave the town since they are fat up with all of the tourists and they tend to go live somewhere else. And so more and more global operating companies tend to settle down in the touristy Zoo of Amsterdam and so the self for-filling prophecy is a fact; Slowly but surely Amsterdam is actually turning into a Touristy Zoo Theme park with Global operating International companies (Nothing Dutch here) (Like Starbucks indeed) selling their products to Tourists, and to tourists only. No local will even consider to purchase the products which are especially made in Asia for the tourists in Amsterdam.
One more thing: The name of this country is: The Netherlands. There is no such a thing as a country called: Holland! --> Pleas try to understand that the country of The Netherlands consists out of 12 provinces called: Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, Flevoland, Noord-Brabent, Limburg, Zeeland, Utrecht and....yes here they come: South-Holland and North-Holland.
So guys...calling the country of The Netherlands--> Holland is exactly
the same as calling the country of The USA--> Carolina.
And that my friends is plain old stupid, right..?
Go to the Hema for 1 euro breakfast :-p
I totally agree, Amsterdam is worth a visit, but go to parts of the city that are not or less touristy.
Streetfood tours, aka "bitterballen and poffertjes'
you are becoming real Dutchies 👍 A lot of Dutch citizens avoid the capitol of their country, it's overcrowded and the center is focussed on mass tourism. To get the best experience of Dutch culture one should visit the midtowns in The Netherlands like Alkmaar, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Dordrecht, Gouda, Breda, 's-Hertogenbosch, Amersfoort, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Deventer, Zwolle, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Middebplburg, Goes, Zierikzee, Venlo, Roermond, Hoorn, Enkhuizen, ...
So much to see!
Dont forget
90% of All tourist from other places then germany...want to visit Amsterdam.
Thats why the center is so bad.
Stay away there and go to the areas Where the Dutch are.
Go to Rotterdam! So much nicer, so much wider! A harbour city with modern architecture inhabited by down-to-earth people. But don’t spread the word! Let al the the (young) pot smoking, beer drinking, screaming, vomiting, urinating people go to theme park A’dam with its cheese, nutella, coffee and what kind of tourist shops there are anymore to make a quick buck, to celebrate their anniversaries or their last days as a bachelor.
I hope you hit your goals. We did what we could. Cheers.
I hope you like our geeky new channel name. We are rebranding to fit better with our mission to promote environmental and cultural preservation on our upcoming carbon-neutral UNESCO world tour. Cheers and keep up the fun. - Turtle
I much prefer to hang out at the Target Super Store in Pasadena, Texas than be in Amsterdam.
Lol, in all fairness, it’s a nice Target. 😂
@@TAndTGoDutch They got some good hot dogs!
Maybe good store but once leaving the place you are still in Passadena. Ooow!
I was born in Amsterdam, the city has great history. That said, it's not nearly as great as some people abroad make it out to be. If you really want to visit the Netherlands, take about a day or two to see Amsterdam (and mostly the Rijksmuseum and van Gogh museums at that), but please go to other cities and towns to get the actual Dutch experience. It doesn't help that Amsterdam is mostly inhabited by tourists, expats and exchange students, so you're even hard pressed to actually hear people speak Dutch in the street.
What do you think are the best cities for people to explore instead? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
There are almost 900.000 people living in Amsterdam, mostly Dutch. When you don’t hear Dutch on the street, you’ve clearly not been out of the tourist traps in the city centre. Walk a little bit further next time, Erwin Mulder!
@@TAndTGoDutch Have you visited Hindeloopen yet? It is the best on a sunny day. So beautiful!!
Go visit the village Broek in Waterland .so beautiful . close to Amsterdam .
And Kinderdijk
And Molenaarsgraaf and Bleskensgraaf ,villages around the littel river the Graafstroom .🙂🌷
@@TAndTGoDutch Veere, Hoorn, Deventer.
Get used to it it is like living in njc
Thankfully we don’t live in Amsterdam!
Amsterdam, the city where you can only listen to your carradio on the way there.
To Tracey: I love your make-up in this video! (Really offtopic, sorry)
Thank you so much, Lilian. You made my day. ❤️
A definitely DO thing: Wynand Fockink!
That definitely will be on the list for our next visit! Thanks for the suggestion.
Amsterdam hasnt been a fun town since the late 90s , since then it slowly turned into a tourist trap.
This was not real-Amsterdam, this was tourist-Amsterdam. Trust me: real-Amsterdam is not at all like this, but it is never far away from all these touristtraps. Real-Amsterdam has sweet quiet canals where real people live who drink coffee in front of their houses. It has parcs where kids play and it has cafes and reastaurants where the inhabitants eat and drink. Next time ask a native to show you around, and tell you where we buy our cheese. Pick a nice day so you can enjoy parc life and do not visit a museum in Amsterdam. Real-Amsterdam, only two minutes walk from tourist-Amsterdam.
Very disappointing clickbaity video. Absolute nonsense about Dam Square. First of all the Royal Palace, the former city hall of course, is aguably the most important building in the country. It is very beautiful on the inside and completely free with a Museumkaart. The Nieuwe Kerk is the location of many great exhibitions that change once or twice a year so there is always a reason to come back, right now there is a very interesting exhibition about Queen Juliana. With a Museumkaart you can get in with only a small upcharge of 2,50. Absolutely worth it.
Lastly the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky is an absolute joy. The wintergarden from 1880 is very beautiful. The cafe serves one of the best high teas in the city in my opinion, the hotel has their own patissserie so everything is made in-house. The cocktail bar The Tailor is also very good. It was run for years by one of the best bartenders in the country who paricipated in all sorts of global competitions from China to Cuba. Cant believe you talked about Dam square and literally failed to mention all its most important sights, to a point its bordering on disingenuous. To me this video is a very cynical attempt to capitalise on a certain sentiment.
We enjoy our visits to Amsterdam quite a bit. Our opinion is that yes, of course, there are worthy things to do/see in Dam Square, but a lot of what you see is overshadowed by wax museums and a sea of protesters. Of course, there are worthy things to do there. We have a video in the works discussing some of the museums/sites in Amsterdam, with the Royal Palace being one of them. We'll add the Nieuwe Kerk to our list as well.
We've been to the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, and honestly, we had an odd experience. We love cocktail bars, and Bar The Tailor was ok. There are other places we enjoy more not too far from there. We haven't tried the high tea though, we're fond of The Duchess in the W Hotel. Further in the video, we highlight what we think is one of the best cocktail bars in the city, Rosalia's Menagerie (ranked on the top 500 bars in the world list.) We really do feel that the common person will only see tourism and have to really dig for the good things. Thank you for sharing your opinion and keep watching!
@@TAndTGoDutch Well yes, but pointing out that you fail to mention the three most important buildings on the square isn't exactly an "opinion" and a rather cynical attempt to fit it into the theme of your video. Maybe one day you actually get to live here so you can form an actual informed opinion on the real city, instead of just visiting the touristy part a few times.
Amsterdam is awesome ❌❌❌
It is! There are a few things to do/see there that we think are overrated, however. We’ve provided some awesome alternatives (we hope) instead!
@@TAndTGoDutch You did a great job, thanks for the tips guys!
Another over rated subject is living in one of the big cities in the west of the Netherlands.
You’re spot on. But Amsterdam on a Sunday morning, before the tourists have woken up, is great though.
Also overrated in Amsterdam is drunk+stoned swimming in the canals, it’s really not that funny
Sunday mornings are a little more peaceful, absolutely.
One word for what is overated: AMSTERDAM
The area you visit in Amsterdam is since the opening of the cruise terminal tourist hell.
If you aks All Dutch to raise hands you find 5 of them next to 7000 tourist.
Amsterdam is much better after the first two Grachten gordels.
Stay away fro. Tourist hell.
Dam square has the war monument and old Town hall , where people would be executed .
As soon as you 2 both tackled the shittiest city we have i gave a like.
Nothing is worse than those big cities with false popularity.
De steden in Brabant zijn veel en veel leuker om te bezoeken. Amsterdam sucks...🥴🫣
Brabant is such a different experience! We’ve loved our visits there.
Elke plek heeft zijn eigen charme... En Amsterdam heeft zijn plek. Nederland heeft gelukkig genoeg andere ook interessante plekken! Zeker weten!
Don't forget to visit the Efteling! 😊 Love your video's by the way
Feed the pigeons … they are animals and they are dependent on us humans … it’s like saying don’t feed your dogs
I’m sure they get plenty fed.
@@TAndTGoDutch not when you tell people don’t feed them … we’re not Americans we care about wildlife we don’t go killing them as a pest ….
I’m not sure our channel telling people not to feed the pigeons in going to put a dent in the pigeon population, but thanks for your input.