Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with amsterdam

Avoiding a bed bugs infestation

grrarrgh00 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:14:13 -0800

I just woke up from a night in my Amsterdam hotel room and realized my bed has bed bugs in it. How do I make dead certain these things don't return with me to the US? Also, what should I expect from the hotel? I've spent the last two nights in a boutique hotel in Amsterdam.

Last night, I came back to my room and relaxed for a while reading on the bed. When I got up, I saw that there were bites down the back of one arm, but I didn't pay much attention; I thought an ant might have gotten into my jacket or something. I slept through the night, but when I woke up, I discovered another bite on my other arm. I suspected something was up, got up immediately, and inspected the sheets. I saw one dead bed bug, and several more live ones crawling around. (Ick.)

I'm downstairs in the lobby now, waiting for the hotel's housekeeping manager to arrive. I imagine I need to get all of my clothes laundered; they were on a seat touching the bed all night. What should I do with my luggage? How do I get into a set of uninfested clothes (I'm currently wearing the outfit I wore last night when I got in)? What other steps can I take?

Also, do you have any tips on interacting with hotel management about this? What should I expect from them? If they offer to launder my things, should I let them?

I had originally planned to transfer to another hotel today (this hotel was covered by the conference I was speaking at; I had previously reserved another room for myself at a place in a different part of town). Should I call them and explain the situation? Is there a chance I could get my things treated well enough today that bringing the infestation with me wouldn't be an issue?

Thanks much for your help with this. These things are so nasty.

What to do for wedding anniversary in Amsterdam?

schwa — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:00:03 -0800

What are some top romantic wedding anniversary options in Amsterdam in November? I've been asked to speak at ICE '09 Amsterdam iPhone conference the week of thanksgiving. Because our 11th wedding anniversary falls on the same week I'm obviously bringing Mrs. Schwa and we're going to turn the trip in our a wedding anniversary vacation (we've both been to Amsterdam before many years ago).

What are some really good ideas for romantic and/or fun wedding anniversary activities to do in Amsterdam in a cold and probably wet Late November?

(The City of Amsterdam is apparently already providing speakers with dinner on a boat on the canal as part of a thanksgiving dinner - so the obvious activity is already taken care of)

Where is the german version of the montreal plateau!

Smegoid — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:25:07 -0800

Berlin-Leipzig-Amsterdam filter. Visiting all three for a conference on a record shopping (minimal, electro, german techno) and cool neighborhood finding adventure. Any ideas? I looked through previous threads but this rather specific. At a conference, first time in germany (and flying out of amsterdam). I'd love to find some good vinyl, especially all the old 2000-2005 minimal/microhouse/electro german music that I've never been able to find back in Canada (labels like bpict, force tracks, kompakt, ware, gigolos). Any hints (for berlin mostly, but leipzig and amsterdam wouldnt hurt).

Also I have some mates with me who are interested in good tips on where to shop for good euro fashion (mid designer stuff, g-star, energie, whatever). Neighborhoods where records and clothes unit would be a plus! Many thanks mefi! Multiple people here appreciate it!

Time travel to New Amsterdam - for kids!

suzeQ — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:12:07 -0800

Going bonkers trying to remember the title of a favorite children's book that I read growing up in the late 1960s. The story takes place in NYC and the main characters are 2 children, a boy and a girl. The children stand in the first car of a subway train and as the train moves faster and faster through a Bowery tunnel, the children travel back in time to NY when it was New Amsterdam. They meet Peter Stuyvesant and other characters in Manhattan when it was a Dutch colony. Sound familiar to anyone?

What to do in Northern Europe?

wayofthedodo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:41:44 -0800

TravelFilter: Amsterdam, Cologne, Copenhagen, Oslo. 2-3 days each. Mid-November. What to do? I'm going to those cities in Mid-November, and spending 2-3 days in each. What should I do? Where should I eat? Cheap is good, but I'm more interested in interesting/exciting/fun/unique. Where should I stay for cheap?

Also, how cold will it be? Should I bring a light jacket + sweaters? Heavy jacket? I live in LA, so cold for me is having to wear jeans.

My friend is continuing on to Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Moscow, then taking the train to Beijing. Any suggestions for him?

Ideas for a challenging google-based rescue mission

vizsla — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:21:20 -0800

You're on an island in the middle of nowhere. You need to locate a used motorbike in a faraway country (Netherlands) where you don't speak the language for a next to nothing price. All you have is the internet. How do you proceed? A friend of mine was awoken in the middle of the night to find her 17 year old son crying in the bathroom. He had set his sights on a used motorbike he found advertised for 100 Euros. He took too long getting the necessary paperwork together and the owner had sold it before he could pick it up. He was devastated. In his mind, this was like the start of a new future for him. I offered to help set his mind on the right path again. Recently lost his father.

Amsterdam Layover...at night!

jus7brea7he — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:20:56 -0800

I have an 11-hour layover in Amsterdam on my way home to the states - great! ...'cept it's from 9pm to 8am - yikes?! So I ended up with an interesting itinerary for my trip home from Europe: an 11-hour layover in Amsterdam! I've read some helpful, day-time suggestions for a 9-hour layover here, but I'm afraid some of the 'to-dos' might not apply to me since I'll be arriving 9pm on a Saturday and departing 8am the next morning. I'm definitely interested in venturing out of the airport, as it'll be my first time in Amsterdam, and I'm hoping the hivemind could provide some suggestions as to what a solo, female traveler (in her early 20s) might do during the wee hours of the night! I'm planning to power through and stay up all night, but if this strikes you as a potentially insane/unfruitful endeavor, please tell me! Any/all tips would be much appreciated! :D

What's worth seeing at Open Monumentendag?

Gortuk — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:59:42 -0800

Is there anything worth going out of my way to see at Open Monumentendag in the Netherlands? So it turns out I'm going to be in Amsterdam the weekend of September 12-13th, which coincides with Open Monumentendag:
European Heritage Days in the Netherlands. It looks like the Doors Open events here in Canada, where you get to tour cool buildings that are usually not open to the public.

It seems like a great opportunity to see something unique, but not knowing the country very well, nor being able to read or speak Dutch, I'm not sure what is worth going to. Any Dutch folks see anything on this list that is unmissable? (Linking to the list of Amsterdam locations, but if there's anything a short train ride out of the city I'd be open to that too).

How to find a chef for a night in Amsterdam?

davidvan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:33:49 -0800

How can I find a chef/cook in Amsterdam to cook in our apartment one night? I'm renting an apartment in amsterdam in October, with a few friends, and was thinking about hiring a chef/cook to make dinner for all of us there one night. Any advice about finding someone who might be interested in doing this?

No particular preference in terms of cuisine (just yummy, local food). there will be about eight of us. Would expect to pay... not sure $200 or so plus cost of the food?

Ideas? Thanks...

Don't try to shampoo a shampooer!

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:47:32 -0800

Flying back to Canada via US - from Amsterdam. Will US Customs hassle me about coffeeshop visits? I've booked a trip through Europe, passing through several countries but flying back to Canada from Amsterdam via a major US airport. As I understand it, I will have to pass through US Customs during my layover.

I'm not an active smoker of anything, but during my time in Amsterdam I just might want to stop in at one of the legal establishments in that city and sample substances that are allowed in the Netherlands, and condoned in Canada.

My only worry is that, coming back through the US, I'll say I was coming from Amsterdam and get a steely-eyed customs officer who asks specific questions about my activities there and uses the opportunity to search my luggage and/or person, causing me to miss my connecting flight.

For what it's worth, I'm a fairly young, Caucasian (half-Dutch in fact), short hair, clean-shaven, button-down-shirt wearing nerd. Not sure if that fits any profiles or not. I'd also prefer to not lie to anyone, so if it's going to be a big deal I'll just stick to poffertjes.

Anyone had negative encounters with customs after returning from Amsterdam? Is this a legitimate concern or just (ironically, drug-induced) paranoia?

Suggestions for an overnight trip from Amsterdam.

SNACKeR — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:01:46 -0800

Suggestions for an overnight trip from Amsterdam. I will be travelling to Amsterdam on vacation for several days and then on to Utrecht for several more. I would like to do an overnight trip to another town before I go to Utrecht, and am looking for suggestions as to where to stay for one night, as well as some don't-miss activities. I will probably rent a car and visit several towns along the way but I am hoping to get a slightly more, ah, focused agenda.

Interests: food, nature, architecture, art, music, history...whatever! Open to any and all suggestions.

Cheap Cell Phone Service in Europe

mahoganyslide — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:52:05 -0800

What is the cheapest option available for using my iPhone (AT&T) in Europe? I will be traveling to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg in the coming summer and am curious what the best option is for voice and data usage on my (unlocked) iPhone. I would love to use Google maps to get around and be able to call family back home as well as friends coming along with me. However, if data prices are exorbitantly high, I can forgo my beloved Google maps and settle for voice usage alone.

So far, AT&T offers a $6/mo. + $1/min. under its World Traveler plan. Data is far worse at $25/mo. for 20MB and $0.005/KB thereafter. I do not know if incoming calls are free as they are under certain European plans (I doubt it).

Can I get anything cheaper if I were to use European providers? Would it be possible to use the same service/SIM/number throughout the 3 nations without having to switch with each one? I would like to purchase a non-contract only service (e.g. pre-paid).

Furthermore, if it is possible to get better voice/data rates using a European provider, where can I purchase service? I will be landing in Amsterdam Schipol Airport and will also be passing through Amsterdam Central Station.

Thank you so much for your help!

Help me get from Santiago to Serbia.

acidic — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:03:06 -0800

What's the cheapest or best way to get from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia? Optional: a detour through the Netherlands. I'm backpacking through Spain this summer and ending up in Santiago de Compostela or thereabouts. From there I have the option to go to the Netherlands for a month and then Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia etc for a little less than a month, then flying out of Prague, or going straight to central/eastern Europe and spending a bit more time there. Wherever I go I'll be WWOOFing for part of the time but also camping and couchsurfing in larger cities. I'm interested in:
- The best way to get out of Santiago, and
- Thoughts on spending a month in the Netherlands-- how expensive is it? For a young female traveling solo how does it compare to central/eastern Europe? Would it be worth it to skip the Netherlands and spend almost 2 months in Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia and other surrounding countries? Eventually I need to end up in Prague, although I don't plan to spend much time there at all.

Any additional advice regarding any of my destinations would be appreciated as well, of course! Previous threads about Dubrovnik and Ljubljana are what convinced me to head to that part of the world in the first place.

Packing and Leaving

Unred — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:09:49 -0800

Say you want to move to Europe for just a few months. What logistically should I be preparing for? Do I give up my apartment (in case I want to stay longer than a couple of months)? How much money should I have saved? If you're in your 30's is it possible to find work without a work visa? Is it possible to get a work visa without a job beforehand?

Has anyone ever done this and want to share the things they wish they'd thought about before they did it? BTW the place I'm thinking of going is Amsterdam. I like the idea of actually living there, but I think trying it out first is a better idea than just jumping ship on America.

Guide me to a travel guide.

waltzing astronomers — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:48:13 -0800

What are the best guidebooks for exploring Stockholm, Berlin, and Amsterdam? I'm going to be spending 4 or 5 days in each city this April. I'm looking for guides that are easy to carry around and give a good overview of each city.

When I went to Rome I had the Lonely Planet Encounter book and liked it because it could fit in my coat pocket, gave me some history, and was put out fairly recently so all of the awesome gelato places mentioned were still open. I didn't like it because of its ridiculous overuse of the words "nosh" and "filthy-fresh," because it considered under $20 for a meal, not including wine/water, to be cheap (uh, more like $10), and because all of the shops mentioned were super high end.

For Amsterdam, this Get Lost! guide sounds cool to me, but it was put out in 2006 and I am worried that it will only cover the seedy/underground parts of Amsterdam, which although I'm interested in many such aspects, I also want to see the more "conventional" stuff.

Unique Amsterdam

Unred — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:05:00 -0800

Please help me create the greatest scavenger hunt in Amsterdam ever! I'm traveling to Amsterdam in April with some friends for a bachelor party (3 girls and the two bachelors). I want to create a scavenger hunt of a mix of both historical Amsterdam spots, unique dutch/Amsterdam experiences, and oddball things that people have come across in the city. Clearly I'll be putting in things like trying Pomme Frites with mayo, visiting the sex museum, torture museum, the oldest brown pub (Chris Cafe), the bloemengarten, etc. We're really not interested in visiting the museums but I'd still like them to get a taste of the history there. Also, I'd like to keep everything within Central Amsterdam. Does anyone have special places or events that they want to share? I've waded through other questions about Amsterdam - I'm looking for things that aren't in the guide books.

Going Dutch on Electronics

ZenMasterThis — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:53:02 -0800

Best place to buy consumer electronics and accessories in (central) Amsterdam? My company will have a new booth at a trade show at the RAI Center in a few weeks, and I need a "Radio Shack"-like place, preferably within walking/tram distance where I can make last-minute purchases of AC/audio/video cables/adapters/media etc. if needed. There's no actual Radio Shack within a reasonable distance. Any recommendations?

Sing a Song of Amsterdam

Unred — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:29:12 -0800

Are there any songs about the city of Amsterdam? Either using the name "Amsterdam" or references to things in the city? The only ones I know are Guster and Coldplays "Amsterdam".

Where can I ice skate a canal in or near Amsterdam?

paul_smatatoes — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:59:12 -0800

I'm visiting Amsterdam this winter, and I'd love to go for a pretty afternoon skate on a frozen canal, like so. How can I go about it?

Dutch, English, both...

kalapierson — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:23:38 -0800

Walking down the street one day in Amsterdam, you encounter an art-thing (sculpture/installation) that's broadcasting audio. The audio includes spoken poems. Would you expect these poems to be in Dutch? Would you feel alienated if they were in English, or if some were in English and some in Dutch? (And if there were a paper handout available for people who cared, with the texts in both languages, would that affect your opinion?)

Next summer I'll be making three temporary installations like this -- one each in Vienna, Munich and Amsterdam. I've visited each of these cities and I know that many people in each city (especially younger generations) speak beautiful English. But for the Vienna and Munich installations, I know I want the spoken language in the audio to be German.

For the Amsterdam installation, I don't have a clear sense of whether English would be fine or alienating. My main concerns: I want the installation to feel inviting to people of all ages, and I'm focused more on permanent inhabitants of each city than on any tourists who happen to be around. "Permanent inhabitants" does include expats from other countries, which I know are a larger percentage of Amsterdam than of Munich or Vienna. I know my audience on mefi skews young and obviously skews non-Dutch, but I'm sure there are people here who have better, deeper knowledge of the Netherlands than I do.

Adam up in smoke

Goofyy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:29:24 -0800

AmsterdamFilter: Decent hotels w/smoking rooms? Looking for centrally located hotel with smoking rooms. All hotels we find claim new legislation doesn't allow smoking. But the official site contradicts that (had the same thing in Paris, actually, where the official word is, hotel rooms are exempt).

Looking for something mid-upper quality, close to Central Station. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Your thoughts on upcoming Amsterdam visit, pls?

filmgeek — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:18:58 -0800

Where to stay in Amsterdam? Fun times, easy and inexpensive (see inside)...help? I'm due to take about four days of vacation on my way back home in Amsterdam early in August. I'd like to have 'fun' (red light district to gawk, not to patronize, but everything else is fair game)...but I don't know about the hotel/location/fun.

First, I'm not sure in what part of the city I should aim to stay? I want to be able to be near fun (but not 'frat boy', drink till you puke fun), which leads to...

Second, I need something more secure than a hostel, but not a 4 star hotel (is it best to contact them directly? Or use an online booking site? I'm in the states - and know of Kayak, hotels.com, etc.) Any advice here? I'm looking for a 2-3 star hotel. Ideas? I'm mostly concerned about my laptop. A hotel with free wifi would be great

Any recommendations of things *not to be missed*. Yes, I know - anne frank, van gogh...but how about a specific shop (coffee or otherwise), or a place where the people are really friendly. I'm willing to pose as a canadian if necessary.) Assume I've read the prior questions on Amsterdam.

related meetup here.

What should I do in Amsterdam?

CElijah — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:24:45 -0800

What should I do in Amsterdam? I'm going to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks and it will be my first trip there. I'll be there for just short of two weeks and really want to take advantage of the time I have. I'm interested in unique, offbeat and even weird things to do. Money isn't really a limitation, I just don't want to spend my entire trip in the same places every tourist in the city will inevitably gravitate toward. Any lodging suggestions, especially near the University, would greatly be appreciated as well.

Amsterdam for stoners?

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:26:17 -0800

Amsterdam for stoners? Please recommend your favorite cafes, hash bars, head shops, and other destinations for bud enthusiasts in Amsterdam. Also, especially fun things to do in Amsterdam whilst baked?

Netherlands Travel

maxg94 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:38:05 -0800

Recommendations of things not to miss in Amsterdam on trip this month I have about 6 days in Amsterdam and 2 days in Belgium with a 14 year old boy and 15 year old girl. What sorts of things should we not miss on our travels including touristy things, scenery, museums, food? Since the US dollar vs Euro is so bad, bonus for ideas that are not too expensive.