@@nicschintee1511 Yeah Nick, that's not going to happen bro. For cyclists to get back to speed again takes longer than it does for pedestrians. So in general it is accepted that cyclers won't stop. Cars should stop though, but they won't always, so be carefull.
So glad you mentioned the bike thing it's super annoying for locals. We use our bikes to go to work/school or whatever and for tourists it's often just a fun thing to do. We take cycling very serious.
My number 1 dont for Amsterdam.... Dont stay in Amsterdam your whole trip. There are lots of beautiful towns and cities, beaches , lakes etc etc... There is so much to do and its really a waste to spend all your time in the tourist ghetto. Trains are very clean, cheap, frequent and go everywhere. Visit Haarlem, Utrecht , Leiden or Delft and enjoy the countryside while going there from your comfy train seat. You can get to all those towns within the hour from Amsterdam Central Station. Go out there and go see stuff!
@@keesvandermeer8156 For a tourist on a tourist budget I consider 26 euro's for a daytrip cheap yeah. If you think about what hotels , food and drinks in Amsterdam City Center cost at least. And the quality you get for that money is great, at leats compared to the UK for example where train tickets are even more expensive and the trains are usually alot older and less comfortable.
@UC00z2v3KbRcqNvjqtynjonA It has a nice castle with gardens. Renting a bike and tour the countryside is always nice, especially along the river. Its a bit out of the way but if you need a larger city to do some shopping Nijmegen is very nice, and has an historic old town. I would avoid Venlo if possible, they have a problem with people from Germany looking for drugs. Was there recently and saw some pretty dodgy stuff going on at the railway platforms.
As always your advice is wise, practical and worldly. I find your travel videos are the most realistic and personable on RUclips. Thank you for making them.
Two tips, if you're a north american don't complain about the small hotel rooms or lack of lifts. Many buildings are old and narrow, and you are in Europe now so expect things to be different and embrace it! Also don't take photos of the prostitutes because ultimately, it's pretty disrespectful. These women are working; and while it's legal they are still sometimes still exploited and treated badly enough by clients.
@@JM-fo1te Interesting comment, however it has nothing to do with the topic under discussion. And how many of the video viewers know enough Dutch history to even begin to understand it?
Another dont : DO NOT THINK ITS FUN TO BIKE IN AMSTERDAM. You dont know the rules. You dont know the biking culture. And lets be honest. These people come from a culture where they bike maybe few times a year. Then how busy amsterdam is + people walking everywhere... You willl die when unexperienced on that bike. Im dutch and i dont eaven wanne bike in amsterdam centre and i bike everyday to everywhere
AMEN, it should be forbidden to ride a bike in the city centre for tourists. They really don't know the rules and it's extremely annoying seeing them biking on the roads for the cars, where people walk, like there in England and driving on the left side. People don't seem to understand how dangerous it is to bike here (especially in the centre). I know Dutch people who don't like to bike here. That says a lot.
Yes, I love the american use of the word restaurant. We in the Netherlands use restaurant for the leisurely long dining establishments where you can dine for hours. Febo is just a fast-food joint. A cafetaria. Americans might even call a foodtruck a mobile restaurant.
I've never seen a beggar in Amsterdam, maybe it's because I'm not a tourist. But begging is illegal in Amsterdam and there are enough organizations to help homeless people.
Also a don't: If you're going to rent a bike, that's fine. Have fun with it! But don't go biking in clutters of six people expecting not to get yelled at by a burnt-out salaryman who's trying to get somewhere.
Haha, going to Amsterdam next week so I'm trying to become prepared and not be seen as one of those irritating tourists, these things really do help thank you ❤️
We were just in Amsterdam three weeks ago at the Ann Frank house and they were telling everybody in line that you could not buy tickets there you had to buy them online. Love your videos.
Susan Doeberl yes, that is true. Thank goodness someone told us this before we went to Amsterdam the first time because that was one of our main reasons for going. And they won’t even let you get in line before the time on your ticket. Of course, we found that we loved the city enough to go back!
Great video Mark! I'm from Amsterdam and always love to see the perspective from an outsider in to my city. I do think theres so much more then the things you say. Amsterdam is a beautiful city as you say. And the cheesy canal tour is a must! I think things people should do (because 90% of the tourists do the same things with in the city centre) is: - Going to other neighborhoods in the city (de Pijp: hip/student district, great food places and a lot of amazing places to grab a drink), Oud-Zuid: the poshest area of the city, a bit quiet but with amazing food places and just around the corner with the biggest park, the Vondelpark and it's at the Museumdistrict, Noord: for more industrial sight seeing and a lot of art and hidden bars, The Amstel, it's the biggest river and i love most of the bars there) - Grab the tram/subway. The system is great in Amsterdam and almost every place is within 30 minutes from the centre. - Go to a 'bruine kroeg', or a typical Dutch café. If you want to meet and really know the locals, it's a must-see - Don't go out in at the touristy bars/clubs. They are awful. Amsterdam has a great club scene and festival scene. If you like clubbing or going to festivals, in the summer there are A LOT of great festivals around the city. djguide is a site where you can find clubs and in the summer the festivals. - Go to festivals across the city. Amsterdam has a festival almost every week somewhere in the city. Can be something as a food festival, neighborhood festival, wine festival, kids festival. Don't think Amsterdam is an 24/7 city. It isn't. Cafe's and bars close around 1 outside the city centre and a lot of them also do within the city centre. Clubbing is more a thing in the weekend, 80-90% of the clubs are not open from monday til thursday/friday. Don't ask every Dutch person if they smoke weed (90% don't, it's quite boring to be asked every time). Don't ride a bike if you don't want to follow the rules. It can be really dangerous and i've had a lot of accidents because a tourist suddenly stops on the middle of the road, suddenly turns or just don't know how to ride a bike. We use a bike for transportation and not for fun (most of the times), so be cautious about that. You don't like it when somebody in the car is driving on the pedestrian side or suddenly stops in the middle of the road in rush hour. I think Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful city's in the world. But only if you try to do more then the Heineken experience, visiting Damsquare and the Red Light District.
@@atheistweirdo for me the beauty of amsterdam is just in the streets, i recommend to walk the city centre and just see all the wacky and awesome stuff amsterdam has to offer
DjofDeVos Idk where you are from In the netherlands, if you have a €122.32 check, and the stuff was good, you’ll say ‘make it 125’ that’s it Not 10%, that is a lot
My friends and I were there 3 weeks ago, and whenever we will cross a bike path, I'd call out "red is dead" to remind them to watch out for bikes. Haha I remembered your warning in another video! Thanks, Mark!
I will say one of the best memories I had was sitting on a canal at sunset after enjoying my €5 purchase. I think I sat there for a solid hour just people watching and it was marvelous. But agree - if you don't regularly do it, this is not the time to start. :)
There's parks,museums,libraries in our home countries. So you think we would get on a plane just to visit the Van Gogh museum or Heineken production warehouse!? You are out of your mind. 😴
@@MarcoTube98 nope. It's quite normal to do. It's just that the drugs culture isnt appreciated much by people that dont do drugs. Just smoke your weed if you want to smoke weed, no one will stop you
@@jamie36 i thought this as well but I hate that the poster of the comment has to define himself as normal just for not using weed. I felt like he addressed marijuana users as weird or as abnormal and I don't think it's a correct definition.
Nice video man, i am born in amsterdam and live right next to it in a village. And you are totaly true about everything. You doing great giving tourist this info. They think we all dutch peaple take drugs. But that's is totaly wrong. Maybe 10 procent or less does weed or something different😂
As a law enforcement officer doing a lot of first aid, I have an addition. Guy and girls, if you take spacecace only eat a small peace. It can take up to 2 hours to feel the effects of it. So take it easy on the cacke! Or you gonna have a bad day.
Lots of good tips! Another tip for anyone considering accommodation outside of Amsterdam: Utrecht, a smaller but bustling and beautiful historic city just under 30 minutes away by train!
There is quit good accomodation available for a decent price if you think out of the box. The public transport is great and a lot of towns are within 20 minutes with Subway, light rail or train. Amstelveen, Haarlem, Amsterdam North, Almere for example. And just half an hour from Amsterdam is another beautiful city: Utrecht, its city center is much older and it has very special old canals with warfs: platforms that are just on water level. And intercities are going at least four times an hour from Amsterdam CS as well as Schiphol Airport. Travelling is cheap so you can even combine several towns and cities and still have much more value for your money. Another tip if you don't like long lanes and want to visit the top museums in Amsterdam: travel outside the busy season. September is for example a very nice month will still acceptable temperatures (no it is not Spain or Italy) but a friendly 15-20 degrees is still very common. Notice that no other city in europe has so much art galeries and just a very few have the combination of having really top museums (Centraal, Stedelijk, Van Gogh) next to one of the best classical orchestras in the world (Concertgebouw), ballet next to a popular music scene that is absolutely top. Whatever your taste is, you can find it in Amsterdam. Drugs and right light districts are also in lesser and cheaper cities available around Europe.
As a dutchman I'd recommend Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder as a museum trip. I'd recommend it over Anna Frank House honestly, but we have a lot of exposure to that part of history here so it may vary for others
Don't know if someone already said this, but just in case don't hang around drinking beer (or any other alcoholic drink) in public. Even in parks that is forbidden, unless you stop at some picnic area.
I've been to AMS twice and the first time I went in early June and it was wonderful. The second time was the end of July during a heatwave and it was incredibly crowded and hot. Lesson learned.
justinvh depends on the year really. last year july hit 38° degrees in my hometown, Zutphen. I have lived in Indonesia and did my internship in the Philippines but there’s something about Dutch weather that’s making you feel so dirty and energy drained throughout the whole day...
good video Mark...I visited the Nederlands last year and I confirm all you said. If I might suggest one more thing I did rent a city bike in Amsterdam and cycled through Waterland up to Volendam...I am not a biker and the bike wasn't great so I was a bit tired when I came back....but guys if you can give it a try...the landscape is beautiful...the air is so fresh...green fields all around with cows and a couple of mills on the way...
Great suggestions. Been to Amsterdam numerous times. I like the spring and autumn (October); less tourists. The Riks and Van Gogh museums are not to be missed. If you go to the Van Gogh museum, go early when it first opens. Take the trams. Love the FEBO automat. And watch out for the bikes … silent killers … “ring” “ring”! Just be cool.
I'm from Belgium. I went to visit Amsterdam 2 years ago, since Amsterdam is a neighboring country from Belgium. Alot of people come for the weed.( The weed is very good!). You can enjoy visiting museums, or friends and at the same time enjoy the weed.
also if you are riding a bike you don't always have the right of way when dealing with cars like you don in North America - almost found this out the hard way just outside of Amsterdam
There are little triangles indicating priority. If they point at you, you don't have priority, and have to let the others pass. These triangles are on both, the car and the bike lanes. So watch out for these!
Another don’t: Don’t just take the first taxi you see. Dowload Uber on your phone and book your taxi that way. The regular taxidrivers ask way too much for short trips. Uber is reasonably priced.
@@woltersworld Not a bad video, but I'll hang out with Rick Steves instead when I'm in Amster-scam. Canna-friendly tours at their finest! (chill out and smoke a friggin' bowl, Mark!)
Don't hesitate to visit outside the Randstad (where the main tourist attractions are). The other 9 provinces have so much to offer as well, and it's all easily accessible.
@@woltersworld my dream is to travel around and learn about all of these beautiful cultures as you have. It's an amazing thing to get to understand how everyone lives in different parts of the world. Again thank you! Much love!
@@cianelt9963Pot is a drug yes but it is not illegal inside Amsterdam's Coffee Shops. Each shop is permitted to sell the customer a certain amount per day. In addition each coffee shop is only permitted to have a certain amount on hand to sell. This is heavily regulated by local government. It is illegal to consume pot on the streets but not at home. The Dutch view pot as a "soft drug" similar to how nicotine and alcohol are viewed in the United States. I posted that it's important to say pot (or marijuana) because other drugs are illegal. People (by in large) don't come to Amsterdam to consume drugs besides pot.
@@Kevin_Finch Cianel had it right: www.government.nl/topics/drugs/toleration-policy-regarding-soft-drugs-and-coffee-shops. "the sale of soft drugs in coffee shops is a criminal offence but the Public Prosecution Service does not prosecute coffee shops for this offence." Permitted = technically legal.
@@cianelt9963Pointless arguing. Go visit Amsterdam and walk by the coffee shops, particularly if they have a window open. It is legal in the Netherlands just as window prostitution is. In places like Sweden they have made it illegal to pay to visit a sex worker.
Just returned and this was on point. Be careful of bikes, and scooters. Scooters are a menace. Rent a bike a see the city. A damaged ankle prevented me from renting a bike, but on a previous trip i explored. Truely the best way to see city. The "IAmsterdam" Sign...has been moved to another location...thankfully. Too many tourists. Used 'Flagship" boat tours for 2 boat rides and loved them. Boat leaves opposite Anne Frank house. Did "Watertank" for a late sunset beer. We took a small tour to Giethoorn... The wife did damage 2x's at the Noordemarkt. Really ..too much to list. Great city. Ill Be Back!
when did you visit Amsterdam? as the "IAMsterdam" letters on the background have been removed since December 2018 ;) So, must be somewhere around no later than september '18? and next to that: go see the rest of the Netherlands, in Example, the Oldest town of "Holland", Dordrecht! it's a REALLY beautifull city, with a very nice city core, and A LOT of history!
@@abel5695 yes... But I was stating, the oldest town of "Holland", not the Netherlands ;) that, indeed is Nijmegen :) Which, by the way, is ALSO a very beautiful city to visit!
Don't harm or annoy the ducks/ birds or any animals in the parks in the city or outside and around. Some people visit Amsterdam just to have some peaceful time in the nature please don't ruin it for them - you can party without making others suffer :)
My favorite day trip from Amsterdam would be Scheveningen, the beach outside Den Haag (the Hague). Although the locals will laugh at your pronunciation of it (and they used that in the war to ferret out Germans who also can't pronounce it) there is a palace there, and lots of other neat stuff. If you don't know where you want to go, Medurodam is also in Den Haag. It's everything in the Netherlands worth seeing in miniature. You could plan where you want to go by what you see there.
Question- when is tulip season in Holland? And I totally agree about taking the canal tour! I can’t imagine going to Amsterdam and not seeing it from the canals.
Jake Dean that’s not correct. Holland is the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. www.holland.com/global/tourism/information/netherlands-vs-holland.htm
Pre book any ticket to something you want to go to. It usually is cheaper and like you said, you skip a lot of the line! Riding a bike is fine, just remember to stay at the most right side of the road and DONT JUST STOP. It will annoy the hell out of locals. The same with crossing the road, don't stop in the middle of the road.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, visit a bakery whilst under the influence of the infamous munchies. I swear, I almost had to remortgage for all the sugary goodness!
The "do's" of Amsterdam... do go!!! I was so skeptical as I thought it would be full of weed smokers and drunk English tourists (I am English) but my god was I wrong; it's a brilliant city and one that I am SO thankful I went to. It is worth the hype.
Awesome city, full of high culture and nice people. My problem was that the two guys I went with just wanted to trawl the red light district all day and night. Not to employ the girls but just to look like they were two children in a sweetshop instead of grown men. You'd have thought they'd never seen a scantily clad woman before. I mean, you've got to see the red light district but once you have either use the place or leave. I'm no prude but I got irritated at that. There's more to do. Next time I'll go with different mates who'll embrace more of the city. No weed for me. Drug tests at work and blow stays in your system able to be detected for ages. Beware of this. Your job might depend on it.
@@tomli5416 cause our culture is getting whiped away by our government. Like changing the name of our golden age. Or pretending that without the EU we'd be starving to death cause we as a country don't have any leverage. Also mass immigration without a integration program. This will effectively whipe out our culture
@@hendrik457 Thank you for your insights. For sure I noticed some complaints like this after I studied a little further about this topic. Just in terms of tourism tho, it seems like the government did quite a bit of effort, things like banning beer bikes, strict rules on Airbnbs, and limitation on new tourism centric businesses like souvenir shops in the city center, and so on. Do you think these can help preserve the local identity?
Crossing the road in Amsterdam is certainly quite a challenge, as first you have to cross the bike path, then the tramlines, then the actual road. Always use the proper crossings as not doing so is not at all smart. In terms of the beggars, i found Paris to be worse, but as with everywhere, it's best just to say no and keep on going, and as long as you're sensible you'll be fine.
Went to Amsterdam for the First time in 1992, visiting Anne Frank Huis in pre-Internet times. Now Queues reach back to Westerkerk… Now I rather choose Zandvoort and Haarlem to visit occasionally, much more relaxed.
Hey, Mark! I've been living in A'dam for 10 years (I live and work very close to Nieuwmarkt/ the Red Light D.) and never ONCE I encountered beggars. I think you might be referring to a) drunk people (usually not living permanently here) or b) dealers. Just don't go to the RLD after 11pm. Everything else in Amsterdam is so so soooo beautiful! Why bother being anxious in that part of the city? I love your videos!! :D
Even if you do smoke weed, be very careful what you buy in Amsterdam. The strongest weed in Amsterdam is very likely stronger than anything you've ever smoked. Start with some mild hash and work your way up. The first time I went I made the mistake of going into the first coffee shop I saw and ordering the strongest weed there - it wasn't a pleasant experience.
Graham Black not only that, he also forgot to mention be careful with scams. I went to that bulldog coffee shop and I got a pack of joints for 12 euros, I gave the woman a €50 bill and I got distracted by my friend, she didn’t give me the change. When I realised it I went back to her and asked for my money but she didn’t want to give me the change. So you need to be very attentive, learnt a hard lesson.
@@Riyoshi000 Absolutely, Amsterdam is an amazing place but you have to be very careful. People are trying to rip you off or get you into some dodgy situation.
The first is in Amsterdam Zuidoost at Station Bijlmer ArenA (Hoekenrodeplein). It will be there until June 3 2019. The second is in Amsterdam Noord right in front of the A'dam Lookout (Overhoeksplein 5). Easy to get there with the free ferry (3-minute) from Amsterdam Central Station. This one will be there until May 16 2019. A permanent one is at Schiphol airport. Snap your I amsterdam selfie right when you arrive! By the Sloterplas lake in West, but because this set was designed as an outdoor free-running and parkour track, some of the letters are upright and others lie flat, making it hard to get that Instagram-perfect picture.
Born in the Red Light District where Dad had a small business. After serving in the compulsory Army, I fulfilled my dream since age 3, becoming a Police Officer in my famous district (until age 29.) And yes, be careful with the ladies of "Horizontal Pleasure". Their pimps may warn you not to take pictures. Ignore them and they may throw you into the canal. (No Joke). Enjoy your stay.
Tourists, please don’t cycle & don’t stop midway on the sidewalk to check your location. Thanks!
Dont randomly stop please mind ur surroundings !!! Gvd stepp aside
Ah tourists being in the way surely is annoying
You should also stop for pedestrians to cross. Apparently, in Holland the cyclists don’t know when to stop at a pedestrians crossing.
@@nicschintee1511 Yeah Nick, that's not going to happen bro. For cyclists to get back to speed again takes longer than it does for pedestrians. So in general it is accepted that cyclers won't stop. Cars should stop though, but they won't always, so be carefull.
DjofDeVos echt he
So glad you mentioned the bike thing it's super annoying for locals. We use our bikes to go to work/school or whatever and for tourists it's often just a fun thing to do. We take cycling very serious.
Dat zeker!!
Of dat een van je vrienden in de bosjes pleurt na een avond stappen 😂
Verstandig dan de Auto !
Same thing here in Cambridge
thanks for mentioning this Floris. I live close to the Amsterdam city centre and the clueless tourists on the bike lanes are super annoying indeed
one more don't, don't think that amsterdam is the netherlands
Amsterdam is the Netherlands but every tourist comes there
@@caitlin6947 wat?
@@pepperlook okay sorry for my bad english Im Dutch sorry just forget it its nightime right now and yes my brain is dead😂
@@caitlin6947 proceeds to speak english anyway........ bravo👏
Amsterdam is Nederland.
My number 1 dont for Amsterdam.... Dont stay in Amsterdam your whole trip. There are lots of beautiful towns and cities, beaches , lakes etc etc... There is so much to do and its really a waste to spend all your time in the tourist ghetto. Trains are very clean, cheap, frequent and go everywhere. Visit Haarlem, Utrecht , Leiden or Delft and enjoy the countryside while going there from your comfy train seat. You can get to all those towns within the hour from Amsterdam Central Station. Go out there and go see stuff!
Trains are cheap???????????????? Weet je hoeveel toeristen moeten betalen voor een kaartje pik?
als ik van den haag naar Amsterdam ga heen en terug ben ik al bijna 26 euro kwijt
Provinciaal
@@keesvandermeer8156 For a tourist on a tourist budget I consider 26 euro's for a daytrip cheap yeah. If you think about what hotels , food and drinks in Amsterdam City Center cost at least. And the quality you get for that money is great, at leats compared to the UK for example where train tickets are even more expensive and the trains are usually alot older and less comfortable.
@UC00z2v3KbRcqNvjqtynjonA It has a nice castle with gardens. Renting a bike and tour the countryside is always nice, especially along the river. Its a bit out of the way but if you need a larger city to do some shopping Nijmegen is very nice, and has an historic old town.
I would avoid Venlo if possible, they have a problem with people from Germany looking for drugs. Was there recently and saw some pretty dodgy stuff going on at the railway platforms.
Waarom kijk ik dit
ik heb geen idee
Ja drm
Echt he waar ben ik beland
Prc
Vraag het mezelf ook af
Your excitement and enthusiasm are infectious. I love your personality! Best wishes and safe travels to you and your family! 🥰
Thank you
yes it is 🖤🖤🖤
Yeaaaa👍👍
As always your advice is wise, practical and worldly. I find your travel videos are the most realistic and personable on RUclips. Thank you for making them.
Two tips, if you're a north american don't complain about the small hotel rooms or lack of lifts. Many buildings are old and narrow, and you are in Europe now so expect things to be different and embrace it! Also don't take photos of the prostitutes because ultimately, it's pretty disrespectful. These women are working; and while it's legal they are still sometimes still exploited and treated badly enough by clients.
@SayWhat IThink Make Netherlands Spanish Afain
@SayWhat IThink I've seen plenty of tubby Europeans.
I'll be in the red light district the majority of my stay
@@JM-fo1te Interesting comment, however it has nothing to do with the topic under discussion. And how many of the video viewers know enough Dutch history to even begin to understand it?
So prostitutes/ tha ho*s get treated with some dignity and a little respect in Amsterdam. Ha, not in America? 🤨
Another dont : DO NOT THINK ITS FUN TO BIKE IN AMSTERDAM. You dont know the rules. You dont know the biking culture. And lets be honest. These people come from a culture where they bike maybe few times a year. Then how busy amsterdam is + people walking everywhere... You willl die when unexperienced on that bike.
Im dutch and i dont eaven wanne bike in amsterdam centre and i bike everyday to everywhere
Thomas Elzinga yeah biking in the metropolitan area is alright but why bike in the centre where it’s easy to walk and there’s good public transport
I'm non-Dutch bike whatever you want.
AMEN, it should be forbidden to ride a bike in the city centre for tourists. They really don't know the rules and it's extremely annoying seeing them biking on the roads for the cars, where people walk, like there in England and driving on the left side. People don't seem to understand how dangerous it is to bike here (especially in the centre). I know Dutch people who don't like to bike here. That says a lot.
@@dena4983 your a Dutch supremacist?
@@wkdravenna nah just a typical complaining Dutchie, that's also very Dutch, complaining ;)!
As a Dutchie (I live in Haarlem) I would totally agree with your don'ts and suggestions! Great video :)
Thanks Jessica!
Everything except the tipping, Dutch people don't tip
*Don''t swim in the canals!*
English & Russian Friends 😊
Why not
@@HonderdtachtigCC Becouse I piss there
@@HonderdtachtigCC you can get HIV
@Hisfavor1 bet
The canals are actually quite clean. They have an anualy canal swimming where even the Dutch queen competes
Guilty as charged - I've never done the canal tour!. Because of your video, I will change than next time I'm in Amsterdam. Great video.
Sounds like a plan :)
thanks for this! amsterdam is going to be my first trip abroad alone and this helped a lot :)
"Vending machine restaurants" ahahahah febo, het restaurant
Yes, I love the american use of the word restaurant. We in the Netherlands use restaurant for the leisurely long dining establishments where you can dine for hours. Febo is just a fast-food joint. A cafetaria. Americans might even call a foodtruck a mobile restaurant.
Lol, recommending FEBO.. that cracked me up
I never eat in restaurants wherever I go so i'm glad he said that.
I've never seen a beggar in Amsterdam, maybe it's because I'm not a tourist. But begging is illegal in Amsterdam and there are enough organizations to help homeless people.
I had a junkie bump into me, drop his rock, then tell me to give him 20 euros. When I said no, he threatened to stab me, lol.
Also a don't: If you're going to rent a bike, that's fine. Have fun with it! But don't go biking in clutters of six people expecting not to get yelled at by a burnt-out salaryman who's trying to get somewhere.
Haha, going to Amsterdam next week so I'm trying to become prepared and not be seen as one of those irritating tourists, these things really do help thank you ❤️
We were just in Amsterdam three weeks ago at the Ann Frank house and they were telling everybody in line that you could not buy tickets there you had to buy them online. Love your videos.
Thanks for letting me know. I knew it was a good idea to buy online. Good to know its required
Susan Doeberl yes, that is true. Thank goodness someone told us this before we went to Amsterdam the first time because that was one of our main reasons for going. And they won’t even let you get in line before the time on your ticket. Of course, we found that we loved the city enough to go back!
Great video Mark!
I'm from Amsterdam and always love to see the perspective from an outsider in to my city. I do think theres so much more then the things you say. Amsterdam is a beautiful city as you say. And the cheesy canal tour is a must! I think things people should do (because 90% of the tourists do the same things with in the city centre) is:
- Going to other neighborhoods in the city (de Pijp: hip/student district, great food places and a lot of amazing places to grab a drink), Oud-Zuid: the poshest area of the city, a bit quiet but with amazing food places and just around the corner with the biggest park, the Vondelpark and it's at the Museumdistrict, Noord: for more industrial sight seeing and a lot of art and hidden bars, The Amstel, it's the biggest river and i love most of the bars there)
- Grab the tram/subway. The system is great in Amsterdam and almost every place is within 30 minutes from the centre.
- Go to a 'bruine kroeg', or a typical Dutch café. If you want to meet and really know the locals, it's a must-see
- Don't go out in at the touristy bars/clubs. They are awful. Amsterdam has a great club scene and festival scene. If you like clubbing or going to festivals, in the summer there are A LOT of great festivals around the city. djguide is a site where you can find clubs and in the summer the festivals.
- Go to festivals across the city. Amsterdam has a festival almost every week somewhere in the city. Can be something as a food festival, neighborhood festival, wine festival, kids festival.
Don't think Amsterdam is an 24/7 city. It isn't. Cafe's and bars close around 1 outside the city centre and a lot of them also do within the city centre. Clubbing is more a thing in the weekend, 80-90% of the clubs are not open from monday til thursday/friday. Don't ask every Dutch person if they smoke weed (90% don't, it's quite boring to be asked every time). Don't ride a bike if you don't want to follow the rules. It can be really dangerous and i've had a lot of accidents because a tourist suddenly stops on the middle of the road, suddenly turns or just don't know how to ride a bike. We use a bike for transportation and not for fun (most of the times), so be cautious about that. You don't like it when somebody in the car is driving on the pedestrian side or suddenly stops in the middle of the road in rush hour.
I think Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful city's in the world. But only if you try to do more then the Heineken experience, visiting Damsquare and the Red Light District.
I am so clumsy that I never ride a bike. It might be a bit tougher for me but if a local can show me places to do and stay nearby, I would be OK>
Really? At 1am????
I am going to Germany and Amsterdam in July and been watching your video to get prep for it so thank you for the videos
We're glad to have you. I'm from amsterdam and i love tourists
@@thijsfb awesome and what would you recommend to see, I like to do non tourist and hang with locals
@@atheistweirdo for me the beauty of amsterdam is just in the streets, i recommend to walk the city centre and just see all the wacky and awesome stuff amsterdam has to offer
@@thijsfb awesome man i do plan on doing that and hope to enjoy your beautiful city and country
@@amano4755 Thank you any recommendation in germany? i will be doing berlin, nuremberg and munich
Great Video. Thank you for posting.
How did you get to the 10% tip statistic, Wolter? In The Netherlands, tipping is not necessary and is on an entirely voluntary basis.
Its kinda 10 peecent or a nice round number when ur with a group or its nice servicce fast , dont tip when its mhe guys
No need ro break ur wallet
NEVER TIP IN EURASIA!
DjofDeVos
Idk where you are from
In the netherlands, if you have a €122.32 check, and the stuff was good, you’ll say ‘make it 125’ that’s it
Not 10%, that is a lot
Its totally voluntary! But if you really liked the service, make it a round number (8.80>10, 52.78 >55)
Either don't tip or round up to the nearest €5 for larger amounts or €1 or €2 for smaller amounts
HEY THANKS! AND GREETINGS FROM BOGOTA COLOMBIA!...... THANKS A LOT!
My friends and I were there 3 weeks ago, and whenever we will cross a bike path, I'd call out "red is dead" to remind them to watch out for bikes. Haha I remembered your warning in another video! Thanks, Mark!
Awesome:)
Great info....appreciate it...👍....keep the vids comings.
Thanks Z
Look, cannabis is fine but if you need it to enjoy Amsterdam you need help. The city is a drug of its own.
I will say one of the best memories I had was sitting on a canal at sunset after enjoying my €5 purchase. I think I sat there for a solid hour just people watching and it was marvelous. But agree - if you don't regularly do it, this is not the time to start. :)
Mason Hancock A little inhalation do not harm, everthing is much nicer than😄
If misery is a drug to you perhaps
The people can be snobby towards Americans, though.
There's parks,museums,libraries in our home countries.
So you think we would get on a plane just to visit the Van Gogh museum or Heineken production warehouse!? You are out of your mind. 😴
I live in Amsterdam we don't all do drugs. BELIEVE ME WE ARE JUST NORMAL
I mean we only drink.. aggressively
is smoking weed abnormal?
Ik woonde in Amsterdam en ben er achter gekomen dat ze zoveel meer drugs gebruiken in Limburg enzo
@@MarcoTube98 nope. It's quite normal to do. It's just that the drugs culture isnt appreciated much by people that dont do drugs. Just smoke your weed if you want to smoke weed, no one will stop you
@@jamie36 i thought this as well but I hate that the poster of the comment has to define himself as normal just for not using weed. I felt like he addressed marijuana users as weird or as abnormal and I don't think it's a correct definition.
Nice video man, i am born in amsterdam and live right next to it in a village. And you are totaly true about everything. You doing great giving tourist this info. They think we all dutch peaple take drugs. But that's is totaly wrong. Maybe 10 procent or less does weed or something different😂
Was literally right where you were standing in this video a couple days ago! Still out here and loving it! Thanks for all the advice 💕
You are very welcome
Good video Mark, you should come to Yorkshire and do the do's and don'ts there 👍
Van Gogh museum was very nice place. I liked the museumplain park area 😄
As a law enforcement officer doing a lot of first aid, I have an addition.
Guy and girls, if you take spacecace only eat a small peace. It can take up to 2 hours to feel the effects of it. So take it easy on the cacke! Or you gonna have a bad day.
I love. Your energy
Lots of good tips! Another tip for anyone considering accommodation outside of Amsterdam: Utrecht, a smaller but bustling and beautiful historic city just under 30 minutes away by train!
Going there this summet
Or Haarlem or Den Haag isn't even that far via train
There is quit good accomodation available for a decent price if you think out of the box. The public transport is great and a lot of towns are within 20 minutes with Subway, light rail or train. Amstelveen, Haarlem, Amsterdam North, Almere for example. And just half an hour from Amsterdam is another beautiful city: Utrecht, its city center is much older and it has very special old canals with warfs: platforms that are just on water level. And intercities are going at least four times an hour from Amsterdam CS as well as Schiphol Airport. Travelling is cheap so you can even combine several towns and cities and still have much more value for your money. Another tip if you don't like long lanes and want to visit the top museums in Amsterdam: travel outside the busy season. September is for example a very nice month will still acceptable temperatures (no it is not Spain or Italy) but a friendly 15-20 degrees is still very common. Notice that no other city in europe has so much art galeries and just a very few have the combination of having really top museums (Centraal, Stedelijk, Van Gogh) next to one of the best classical orchestras in the world (Concertgebouw), ballet next to a popular music scene that is absolutely top. Whatever your taste is, you can find it in Amsterdam. Drugs and right light districts are also in lesser and cheaper cities available around Europe.
I’m flying home from Paris today. I love Amsterdam much more than Paris. Do go to Amsterdam.
As a dutchman I'd recommend Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder as a museum trip. I'd recommend it over Anna Frank House honestly, but we have a lot of exposure to that part of history here so it may vary for others
I was just there a few days ago and I enjoyed myself . My favorite thing we did was thd canal tour.
I love the canal tours too
I hit the like button in the middle of the first "dont" this guy is awesome!
Go to zaandam there you have the zaanseschans look it up its nice
Don't know if someone already said this, but just in case don't hang around drinking beer (or any other alcoholic drink) in public. Even in parks that is forbidden, unless you stop at some picnic area.
1. Don't go to Bulldog. 2. Don't rent a bike for fun.
The weed from Bulldog was actually pretty good when i was there, but the location sucks
Biking in Amsterdam is just for the Dutch. Tourists aren't used to our biking system.
@@wva6809 :D
@haberfeldtreiber72 Only the first Bulldog café is good, the other's are not, but the others along the canal are really big tourist traps
I've been to AMS twice and the first time I went in early June and it was wonderful. The second time was the end of July during a heatwave and it was incredibly crowded and hot. Lesson learned.
What do you classify as hot just wondering
justinvh yeah everyone feels different... I was there in February and since I came from Russia I was sweating at +10
@@Riyoshi000 I'm going there in July from Australia just wondering what to expect
justinvh depends on the year really. last year july hit 38° degrees in my hometown, Zutphen. I have lived in Indonesia and did my internship in the Philippines but there’s something about Dutch weather that’s making you feel so dirty and energy drained throughout the whole day...
@@justinvh7661 I live in Florida so hot to me is anything above about 32c / 90f.
good video Mark...I visited the Nederlands last year and I confirm all you said. If I might suggest one more thing I did rent a city bike in Amsterdam and cycled through Waterland up to Volendam...I am not a biker and the bike wasn't great so I was a bit tired when I came back....but guys if you can give it a try...the landscape is beautiful...the air is so fresh...green fields all around with cows and a couple of mills on the way...
I am with you on this one. Jocelyn did a similar thing with her sister and a friend and loved it
I went to De Wallen at night time & still felt very safe even though I use a wheelchair.
Amsterdam is a very beautiful city ❤
Thank you..am going in end of july of 2019
Great suggestions. Been to Amsterdam numerous times. I like the spring and autumn (October); less tourists. The Riks and Van Gogh museums are not to be missed. If you go to the Van Gogh museum, go early when it first opens. Take the trams. Love the FEBO automat. And watch out for the bikes … silent killers … “ring” “ring”! Just be cool.
Hi how much is the train and where do we take it to
I'm from Belgium. I went to visit Amsterdam 2 years ago, since Amsterdam is a neighboring country from Belgium. Alot of people come for the weed.( The weed is very good!). You can enjoy visiting museums, or friends and at the same time enjoy the weed.
How often do you go?
Great video. I’m going next year pre-cruise in June. How do I find an apartment to book? Where did you stay? Do you have a link??
also if you are riding a bike you don't always have the right of way when dealing with cars like you don in North America - almost found this out the hard way just outside of Amsterdam
There are little triangles indicating priority. If they point at you, you don't have priority, and have to let the others pass. These triangles are on both, the car and the bike lanes. So watch out for these!
Another don’t: Don’t just take the first taxi you see. Dowload Uber on your phone and book your taxi that way. The regular taxidrivers ask way too much for short trips. Uber is reasonably priced.
And to add to that: Don’t take the biketaxies. They’ll rip you off aswell unless you agree on a price before the ride starts.
tipping is NOT needed here!! its nice to round up a bill of say €67 to €70, but you dont have to.
Here is a tip: Don't go.
Very Professional great video
Great advice once again, Walter!
Thanks
Rishi Cassim I thought his name was Mark. He always starts his videos by saying “this is Mark from Wolter’s World.”
@@debpabetz9730 my name is Mark Wolters :)
Wolters World thanks.
@@woltersworld Not a bad video, but I'll hang out with Rick Steves instead when I'm in Amster-scam. Canna-friendly tours at their finest! (chill out and smoke a friggin' bowl, Mark!)
Don't hesitate to visit outside the Randstad (where the main tourist attractions are). The other 9 provinces have so much to offer as well, and it's all easily accessible.
I live really close to Haarlem and I prefer Haarlem over Amsterdam, because Haarlem does not have that many tourists.
TheChosenWaffle Waffle en Haarlem lijkt wel enigszins op Amsterdam, Haarlem is rustiger, vind ik beter eerlijk gezegd.
Wow. Thanks for the great info! You would be a great travel buddie!
You are very welcome
@@woltersworld my dream is to travel around and learn about all of these beautiful cultures as you have. It's an amazing thing to get to understand how everyone lives in different parts of the world. Again thank you! Much love!
Important to mention it as pot and not “drugs”. Pot is legal in coffee shops. Other drugs are not.
@@cianelt9963Pot is a drug yes but it is not illegal inside Amsterdam's Coffee Shops. Each shop is permitted to sell the customer a certain amount per day. In addition each coffee shop is only permitted to have a certain amount on hand to sell. This is heavily regulated by local government. It is illegal to consume pot on the streets but not at home. The Dutch view pot as a "soft drug" similar to how nicotine and alcohol are viewed in the United States. I posted that it's important to say pot (or marijuana) because other drugs are illegal. People (by in large) don't come to Amsterdam to consume drugs besides pot.
@@Kevin_Finch Cianel had it right: www.government.nl/topics/drugs/toleration-policy-regarding-soft-drugs-and-coffee-shops. "the sale of soft drugs in coffee shops is a criminal offence but the Public Prosecution Service does not prosecute coffee shops for this offence." Permitted = technically legal.
I meant Permitted does NOT = technically legal.
@@cianelt9963Pointless arguing. Go visit Amsterdam and walk by the coffee shops, particularly if they have a window open. It is legal in the Netherlands just as window prostitution is. In places like Sweden they have made it illegal to pay to visit a sex worker.
Hello.....pot is a drug period.
Just returned and this was on point. Be careful of bikes, and scooters. Scooters are a menace. Rent a bike a see the city. A damaged ankle prevented me from renting a bike, but on a previous trip i explored. Truely the best way to see city. The "IAmsterdam" Sign...has been moved to another location...thankfully. Too many tourists. Used 'Flagship" boat tours for 2 boat rides and loved them. Boat leaves opposite Anne Frank house. Did "Watertank" for a late sunset beer. We took a small tour to Giethoorn... The wife did damage 2x's at the Noordemarkt. Really ..too much to list. Great city. Ill Be Back!
when did you visit Amsterdam? as the "IAMsterdam" letters on the background have been removed since December 2018 ;) So, must be somewhere around no later than september '18?
and next to that: go see the rest of the Netherlands, in Example, the Oldest town of "Holland", Dordrecht! it's a REALLY beautifull city, with a very nice city core, and A LOT of history!
Yeah it got removed cause it aint inclusive enough
Nijmegen is the oldest city of the netherlands
@@abel5695 yes... But I was stating, the oldest town of "Holland", not the Netherlands ;) that, indeed is Nijmegen :) Which, by the way, is ALSO a very beautiful city to visit!
great video
Perfect timing! I’ll be in Amsterdam in two weeks 👍🏼
Kimberly Sisti I'll be visiting in July!
Great posts 💕
If you visit Amsterdam, you should DEFINITELY check out the Rijksmuseum, as you said, but visiting the Paleis op de Dam is totally worth it too!
Do most people speak English in The Netherlands? 6:17
Don't harm or annoy the ducks/ birds or any animals in the parks in the city or outside and around.
Some people visit Amsterdam just to have some peaceful time in the nature please don't ruin it for them - you can party without making others suffer :)
I don't think this is only a don't for Amsterdam. Why would you want to harm ducks outside of Amsterdam?
Thank uuu once again
The 'I AMsterdam'-sign in front of the Rijksmuseum (at Museumplein) has been removed unfortunately, love your videos sir!
Thanks for the heads up. Glad I got this filmed before it disappeared
Yeah I went looking for it on my winter vacation and I only found it at the Schiphol airport.
And good riddance to that ugly marketing sign.
Good video!
Is this a re-upload? The I Amsterdam sign in front of the Rijksmuseum was removed quite a while ago. (Still a nice video tho!)
Yes it is. With updated graphics.
Yes, but they also have one sign at the Schipol Airport aswell.
My favorite day trip from Amsterdam would be Scheveningen, the beach outside Den Haag (the Hague). Although the locals will laugh at your pronunciation of it (and they used that in the war to ferret out Germans who also can't pronounce it) there is a palace there, and lots of other neat stuff.
If you don't know where you want to go, Medurodam is also in Den Haag. It's everything in the Netherlands worth seeing in miniature. You could plan where you want to go by what you see there.
Probably a typo, it's Madurodam.
Question- when is tulip season in Holland?
And I totally agree about taking the canal tour! I can’t imagine going to Amsterdam and not seeing it from the canals.
April
Jake Dean that’s not correct. Holland is the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. www.holland.com/global/tourism/information/netherlands-vs-holland.htm
@@TheWanderingWife which is coincidentally where most tulip fields are😂
Pre book any ticket to something you want to go to. It usually is cheaper and like you said, you skip a lot of the line! Riding a bike is fine, just remember to stay at the most right side of the road and DONT JUST STOP. It will annoy the hell out of locals. The same with crossing the road, don't stop in the middle of the road.
8:36 Dutch people give tips? This is news to me, and I *am* Dutch.
Greetings from USA!
That was my thought too 😂😂
Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs must have been Dutch.
We tend to tip in restaurants after dinner - but only then and only if we were really happy with the food and service.
but Bert Visser you make lot's of money with your show you greedy Groninger
Your awesome..! Good explanation
Great video :)
Thank you
Only watching this as its my birthday and I usually go but covid stopped it this year-so sad
1:00 don't walk on the road..
I was in Amsterdam and everyone was on the road. You cant really expect people not to when the sidewalk is so small
@@nericohen-muaythai8875 I can and I will, if locals can do it, so can tourists
This is very helpful! My kids and I will be in Amsterdam in just a few weeks.
oh dear oh dear. I wish you would not.really.I live on a small canal and have now learned to despise. tourists.
@@emjdeckwitz6949 grow up
Always enjoy your videos.
Thank you
It would be amazing if you did a video on Groningen! I might go to uni there next year and I would love to see what to do! Love your videos!
DO NOT, under any circumstances, visit a bakery whilst under the influence of the infamous munchies.
I swear, I almost had to remortgage for all the sugary goodness!
The "do's" of Amsterdam... do go!!! I was so skeptical as I thought it would be full of weed smokers and drunk English tourists (I am English) but my god was I wrong; it's a brilliant city and one that I am SO thankful I went to. It is worth the hype.
Awesome city, full of high culture and nice people.
My problem was that the two guys I went with just wanted to trawl the red light district all day and night.
Not to employ the girls but just to look like they were two children in a sweetshop instead of grown men. You'd have thought they'd never seen a scantily clad woman before.
I mean, you've got to see the red light district but once you have either use the place or leave.
I'm no prude but I got irritated at that. There's more to do. Next time I'll go with different mates who'll embrace more of the city. No weed for me. Drug tests at work and blow stays in your system able to be detected for ages.
Beware of this. Your job might depend on it.
I went to see the red light district once just to see it, but I was more interested in the swans swimming in the canals LOL
Full of high culture? Give it a decade and our culture will be dead
@@hendrik457 I am curious why do you think so?
@@tomli5416 cause our culture is getting whiped away by our government. Like changing the name of our golden age. Or pretending that without the EU we'd be starving to death cause we as a country don't have any leverage. Also mass immigration without a integration program. This will effectively whipe out our culture
@@hendrik457 Thank you for your insights. For sure I noticed some complaints like this after I studied a little further about this topic. Just in terms of tourism tho, it seems like the government did quite a bit of effort, things like banning beer bikes, strict rules on Airbnbs, and limitation on new tourism centric businesses like souvenir shops in the city center, and so on. Do you think these can help preserve the local identity?
Thanks man! Going June 13th-24th. Woooo hoooo
Haha I'm going on the 13th too :-)
@@stephen9869 Hell ya. See ya at the bar!
@Jake Dean My pleasure !! ;)
My Parents was there 2 weeks ago. I cant wait to go there.
It's a fun city
It’s my first time going pretty soon. Am I okay to take a picture of myself say in a coffee shop?
When did you record this? The I Amsterdam sign was removed last november..
Lunatic Ostrich It’s a re-upload
Just go to the letters near the arena
Thanks mate for all the tips. One quick question: exactly where do we NOT buy the drugs on the street? An exact location would be much appreciated.
Crossing the road in Amsterdam is certainly quite a challenge, as first you have to cross the bike path, then the tramlines, then the actual road. Always use the proper crossings as not doing so is not at all smart. In terms of the beggars, i found Paris to be worse, but as with everywhere, it's best just to say no and keep on going, and as long as you're sensible you'll be fine.
Don't say anything, just keep walking.
Great info on things I didn’t know about Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Thanks.
Thank you
I could just spend the day walking around Amsterdam... or biking!
It's a beautiful city.
I walked a lot..and loved every minute of it..Amsterdam is one giant open museum..and the locals are awesome
Awe, I love tulips.
Also, its not recommended to take young children to the red light district. It is so mindboggeling to see entire families just walking there.
Most families that walk through there i've seen were dutch lmao
It is not Disney World.
Went to Amsterdam for the First time in 1992, visiting Anne Frank Huis in pre-Internet times. Now Queues reach back to Westerkerk…
Now I rather choose Zandvoort and Haarlem to visit occasionally, much more relaxed.
Hey, Mark! I've been living in A'dam for 10 years (I live and work very close to Nieuwmarkt/ the Red Light D.) and never ONCE I encountered beggars. I think you might be referring to a) drunk people (usually not living permanently here) or b) dealers. Just don't go to the RLD after 11pm. Everything else in Amsterdam is so so soooo beautiful! Why bother being anxious in that part of the city? I love your videos!! :D
I have sadly bumped into them on every visit so that is just my experience. Probably because I'm a fat tourist they figure I can't get away
Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht are big places that people may want to visit on a Day trip from Amsterdam.
Even if you do smoke weed, be very careful what you buy in Amsterdam. The strongest weed in Amsterdam is very likely stronger than anything you've ever smoked. Start with some mild hash and work your way up. The first time I went I made the mistake of going into the first coffee shop I saw and ordering the strongest weed there - it wasn't a pleasant experience.
Graham Black not only that, he also forgot to mention be careful with scams. I went to that bulldog coffee shop and I got a pack of joints for 12 euros, I gave the woman a €50 bill and I got distracted by my friend, she didn’t give me the change. When I realised it I went back to her and asked for my money but she didn’t want to give me the change. So you need to be very attentive, learnt a hard lesson.
@@Riyoshi000 Absolutely, Amsterdam is an amazing place but you have to be very careful. People are trying to rip you off or get you into some dodgy situation.
山本美巌 e
I don't do drugs.
Went last year was amazing, just booked today to go out there September 😁 no weed unfortunately because of the job I work in 🙄
Good luck getting that I Am/sterdam selfie now...
OlofTheOrange I find is extremely sad how the leftist removed it
The first is in Amsterdam Zuidoost at Station Bijlmer ArenA (Hoekenrodeplein). It will be there until June 3 2019.
The second is in Amsterdam Noord right in front of the A'dam Lookout (Overhoeksplein 5). Easy to get there with the free ferry (3-minute) from Amsterdam Central Station. This one will be there until May 16 2019.
A permanent one is at Schiphol airport. Snap your I amsterdam selfie right when you arrive!
By the Sloterplas lake in West, but because this set was designed as an outdoor free-running and parkour track, some of the letters are upright and others lie flat, making it hard to get that Instagram-perfect picture.
Born in the Red Light District where Dad had a small business. After serving in the compulsory Army, I fulfilled my dream since age 3, becoming a Police Officer in my famous district (until age 29.) And yes, be careful with the ladies of "Horizontal Pleasure". Their pimps may warn you not to take pictures. Ignore them and they may throw you into the canal. (No Joke). Enjoy your stay.