r/Amsterdam • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago
Question Weekly Q&A - All Questions Go Here (Especially Tourists)
This is the place for anyone to ask questions about Amsterdam. If you are a tourist visiting Amsterdam, you are moving to or recently arrived in Amsterdam, or you just have a basic question about life in Amsterdam and want some advice, this is the place to post your question. This post is refreshed every week on Sunday. Please feel free to repost in subsequent weeks.
READ THE WIKI FIRST. The people answering questions are locals who want to share the city they love with visitors, but only with people who make an effort. Read at least the Essential Tourist Information in our world-famous wiki before you ask a question. Otherwise, you may be told to go back and read it. The wiki is written by us, and updated when relevant. If the entries are old it's because nothing has changed. There are no "hidden gems" that we have not already included in the wiki. You may also check wikivoyage for more general tips on everything that is Amsterdam.
HOTELS ARE EXPENSIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE GOOD ADVICE ON THEM. Because we live here, we don't know what the best hotels are. Amsterdam is one of the most touristed cities in the world and has the highest hotel prices in Europe and prices go up every year. The city is deliberately trying to reduce tourism by raising the prices. There really isn't a secret "cheap" solution. Most "Airport" hotels are not connected to the Airport and will be more trouble getting to than it's worth.
TOURISTS CAN PURCHASE MARIJUANA, DESPITE WHAT YOU READ IN FOREIGN PRESS. Understand that the coffeeshops are just a tiny part of Amsterdam, so posts that treat Amsterdam like it's the Las Vegas of drugs sometimes get a negative response. We're happy to give you advice about coffeeshops and to discuss drug policy. The experts are our friends at /r/AmsterdamEnts, ask them the big questions.
WE DON'T HELP WITH ILLEGAL STUFF AND WILL BAN YOU FOR ASKING. We will not help you with things that are clearly illegal. Coffeeshops caught selling to minors get shut down and everyone loses their jobs. Authorities check for people smuggling marijuana out of the country. Hard drugs are illegal and so is asking for or selling them on Reddit.
WE DON'T ALLOW TICKET SALES OR TRADING. We do not allow selling, buying, or trading tickets on /r/Amsterdam due to the high rate of fraud. You should do everything on ticketswap.nl. We're aware that is difficult to get tickets to Anne Frank, van Gogh, etc. We have no solutions for you, sorry.
RED LIGHT DISTRICT Please be respectful and keep in mind this is a citysubreddit, and not your personal kink google. You can also can get some good tips from these threads of RLD sex workers: here and here.
USE PUBLIC TRANSIT TO GET AROUND 9292.nl is a great resource for plotting your movement around the city and between Amsterdam and other places. We strongly recommend against using taxis or Ubers.
DOE AARDIG. There is Dutch directness and there is rudeness. The people coming here don't know how we do things, and are usually well-meaning people who just want to enjoy the city we love. Be kind to them. For the tourists and new residents, please remember that we are not Google; respect our time by doing some basic research first and then asking your questions like you're speaking to a real human who is volunteering to speak to you.
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u/Holiday_Cup_430 14h ago
I want to order something from a dutch website and will be near amsterdam for a week so I was wondering if there is a place I can ship the package to so I can pick up? I don't think I'll be able to use my air bnb as an address and I'm not sure what shipping service the website is using.
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 10h ago
You should be able to use the Airbnb as an address if you make sure the delivery will occur while you're there. This is a fairly normal thing to do. Some hosts will even hold packages that arrive before you do, but you'd have to arrange that with them in advance.
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u/Holiday_Cup_430 48m ago
I was trying to avoid that because the airbnb is a small house behind their house (but on their property) so I assume the package would go to their house and I didn't want to bother them or inconvenience them. If that ends up being the only way, I'll ask but I was hoping to find another way.
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u/spaceguydudeman Knows the Wiki 14h ago
Plenty of websites let u deliver something at a 'postnl pickup point' or something similar, from there you can just pick up with your ID
You cannot, AFAIK, just order at one of those addresses though, the webshop has to offer it as an option.
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u/Holiday_Cup_430 14h ago
Ya that's it the problem, the websites I'm looking at do not offer these as an option. I found this when googling and some other things but I don't think it would work for me and some of it is confusing.
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u/spaceguydudeman Knows the Wiki 5h ago
See the other reply about just ordering at the airbnb, but maybe you can just find the same product on a different website.
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u/Fruit2061 16h ago
Hii! I have a few questions about Truffles in Amsterdam as my friend and I would like to try them there for the first time? What do we need to know and what would the effect likely be like? Also does anyone have any recommendations where to buy and what to do after? Thanks a lot for any replys!!! :)
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u/Heritagefestival 17h ago
Good afternoon! Canadian musician here, I’ll be playing a one off concert in Amsterdam in December and struggling with sourcing rentals.
Are there any music stores that rent? Or, any good communities for finding friendly lenders?
For context, we’re playing as a trio (guitar, drums, bass) and are hoping to find an electric guitar; bass and a drum kit without absolutely breaking the bank.
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u/pala4833 Knows the Wiki 16h ago
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u/Heritagefestival 13h ago
This is super helpful! Somehow we didn’t find this while googling. Sent them a message!
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u/pala4833 Knows the Wiki 13h ago
For your reference, "te huur" is "to/for rent" and I googled "muziekinstrumenten te huur"
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u/Low-Ad283 18h ago
Hello coming to Amsterdam been a few times but never around the jordaan region (I know) I am staying there with my partner and would like to know the closest coffee shops in that region
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u/Juliusque Knows the Wiki 3h ago
One I'd recommend is 1e Hulp, which I think is technically just outside the Jordaan, but close enough and really good.
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u/KatAsh_In 21h ago
Hey amazing folks! Canadian here, who has a 4 and a half hour layover at AMS. I really wish to step out and see a glimpse of your city. May be smoke cannabis and compare the difference across the pond :) How viable is this, considering the exit process, and then the re-entry and security process takes time? Is it okay, or am i taking too much risk of missing my flight. I wont have luggage. Just a small day bag with a laptop.
I will be landing around noon. In Oct, 1st week. Responses are much appreciated!
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u/spaceguydudeman Knows the Wiki 20h ago
You'll have maybe 30 minutes in town if you want to play it safe so i wouldn't go for it
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 22h ago
Is it usually okay to book a hotel room for 2 adults and bring a young child as well, without adding them to the room booking?
The child wouldn’t need an extra bed, bedding, towels or anything else in the room — they’d just sleep with us using the existing setup.
The only extra I’d need is breakfast for the child, which I’m perfectly happy to pay for separately at the hotel at the child rate.
Has anyone done this before? Is this normally acceptable, or do hotels generally require the child to be added to the booking even if no extra bed or room facilities are needed?
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 10h ago
If you look up the hotel on booking.com, even if you aren't booking the hotel there, it will normally tell you if there's no extra charge for children. It may vary by room category.
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u/IncaThink 22h ago
You really need to check ahead. Some places might be fine with it, and other places might refuse to allow you to check in.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 22h ago
Cheers. Yeah, I think I might do that nearer the time. I don't really understand the model as the three-person room and the two-person room is exactly the same room. The only difference is if I book a three-person room, they'll provide me with the extra bed and I don't need the extra bed. So I'd rather pay for the two-person room and use it as we need it rather than forking out an extra 150 euros for a bed that I won't use.
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u/pala4833 Knows the Wiki 20h ago
So then the only difference is not, in fact, the extra bed.
I've never encountered an accommodation anywhere in the world that didn't charge by the number of persons.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 4h ago
Search for a room for one person and look at the price. Do the same search for the same room for two people, you'll get the same price.
But the price of a double room for one person is the same as the price of the same double room for two people.
Of course, if you add breakfast, then there will be a slight difference in the price and that price difference will be the additional breakfast for that extra person.
The only thing that sways the price in my case is the number of beds in the room, not the room itself. By searching 3 ppl, they recommend me the same bedroom, same layout, same decoration, but slight change in configuration where it has an extra bed, which is a pull-out bed for a small child, which I won't use. Otherwise, the room size, its dimensions, the photos are identical. And of course, the price for three people goes up, because of the extra bed.
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u/IncaThink 21h ago
I assume there are city rules about this. They might be legally prohibited from putting three people (and a child counts) in a room.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 4h ago
I hear you. The thing that I don't fully understand is the room that is a two bed for 3 ppl, and the room that is a one bed for two people are exactly the same room. The layout is different but it's exactly the same room. The size of the room that's marketed is identical, as are the photos
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u/Scary-Push-5286 22h ago
My daughter, who is nearly 4, and I are coming to Amsterdam to visit friends and have a whole day just the two of us. Does anyone have an recommendations of where to visit/eat? Recommendations of cafes with playspaces are particularly welcome!
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u/enirih24c Amsterdammer 17h ago
It's a bit out of the way but there's a very fun goat farm in Amsterdamse Bos, as well as a pancake restaurant and several playgrounds. You can also do a daytrip to Utrecht (short train ride) and visit the Nijntje/Miffy museum
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u/spaceguydudeman Knows the Wiki 20h ago
Op. Wiki.
Cafes with playspaces I wouldnt know myself, never seen one. But I don't have a kid.
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u/bert1600 [Zuid] 3h ago
they pop up occasionally but usually go out of business pretty quickly. A mom drinking one cappucchino and a kid with a ranja and a tosti is not really enough volume to keep a business afloat.
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u/OptionIndependent861 1d ago
Offer of help on strike day.
If you're an arriving/departing passenger, and are elderly/have limited mobility and the train isn't going to work for you message me.
About me - I am motivated by 'paying one forward' since my elderly mother has been helped on numerous occasions by strangers when she's been travelling. Also, I work as a tour guide during the tulip season and want you to have a positive experience when you're here.
I have a tiny car (Skoda Citigo - google it) so max 2 people, reasonable luggage.
About you - you're arriving at Schiphol, have a hotel reservation in the city and are concerned about travel from the airport to your hotel. Your hotel can't help, and you've been unable to pre-book a taxi.
Cost - free - I am not insured to drive for hire/reward and won't accept payment.
PM me. We can talk flight details and see if you're arriving when I am available.
If you're worried I'm a scammer then I'll send you the link to my boss's website where I work as a tour guide and you can message him to verify I am who I say I am. Similarly, if I arrive at Schiphol and it turns out that you're a young couple who just can't be assed waiting for a taxi then I'll simply walk away.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 1d ago
Hi. Could someone tell me a bit more about Overamstel and what it's like to stay there as a tourist in terms of commuting, location, proximity to the centre?
I found a hotel near the station called Leonardo and it seems to be significantly better priced than anything else in the city so i'm tempted but not sure. Is there anything I should know before booking and anything to watch out for?
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 10h ago
I've biked by there, it's a bleak/boring area but there's nothing really wrong with it except that it's a bit far out.
I think the hotel has bikes so you can use one of those to get to town.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 4h ago
We're going to have a five-year-old of us, so there's no way we're biking quite happy to use the Metro as long as it's quick and direct. Our main concern is, is it a safe enough hotel, because everything else we do, apart from breakfast, will likely be outside of the hotel, in Amsterdam itself. We'll just be coming back to the hotel for showers, sleep, breakfast in the morning and maybe the odd change of clothes if we have to, but very unlikely.
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u/notassigned2023 1d ago
I recall seeing it and it looks fine from the outside. Check online reviews. The neighborhood is forgettable. You will use it to sleep only. It feels a little lonely at night but I anticipate it is as safe as most non-central areas. Few services around there.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 23h ago
Yeah, to be honest, we will probably get back to the hotel post 8pm and use it for sleeping and breakfast. It's likely we'll spend the whole day out in Amsterdam and I can't envisage spending any part of my day at the hotel unless something goes wrong. So really, I just need it to be a safe space to go back to and a decent enough hotel that my luggage doesn't disappear or get raided.
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u/notassigned2023 21h ago
Agreed the there are probably better options. You might look up the Accor chain (Ibis, etc). They have some affordable options.
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u/IncaThink 21h ago
It has a Metro stop, so you can get to Centraal Station in 15 minutes. But man, it's an industrial wasteland. Safe enough, but there is a lot to be said for staying in or at least adjacent to the city
Look up Conscious Hotels Amsterdam. It looks like (depending on the date) the one by Vondel Park is much the same price as Leonardo , and the one in the Westerpark is just a bit more. Friends just stayed there and they loved it.
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u/i-dm Knows the Wiki 4h ago
Thanks so much for coming back. This was the type of useful reply I was really looking for. So I did see that hotel, but I haven't properly looked into it, so I'll go and do that now. And I did also think, price-wise, they're very similar, but I just had no idea whether or not it would be comparable.
The only thing about Leonardo is they're running a 25% discount. So at the moment, three people (2 adults, 1 child, booked in a 2-person room and paying for 2 adult breakfasts and 1 child breakfast) can have a bed & breakfast for six nights for the price of around €650 all in, and that's quite hard to beat.
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u/Ok-Profession-8520 Knows the Wiki 1d ago
Hi
Im looking for a reputable place to buy gold bullion in amsterdam.
A store that is trust worthy with low premiums.
Any suggestions?
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u/lu4414 1d ago
Hey ;)
I used a bike as my main commute for a long time where I lived and now I will be visiting Amsterdam for 5 days.
My idea is other than the airport ride, use bikes.
What are some of the most knows? I realized that most bike sharing is dockless and the expectation is that I lock the bike at an para cycle and stay with the bike for long periods.
Any recommendations on where to rent a bike?
Best way to navigate? Google maps?
Any safety or overall best practices recommendation? Want to be as respectful as possible in the way that u ride there.
Tks !
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u/dullestfranchise Amsterdammer 1d ago
most bike sharing
There really isn't a lot of bike sharing possibilities, because almost all locals have their own bikes.
There's OV fiets, geared at Dutch commuters and day visitors. You can't use OV Fiets without a personalised public transport card.
And there's Donkey Republic (use with an app), but they don't have a lot of bikes. If there's a hub near where you're staying this would be the best option
I think most tourists rent a bike from a bike shop or their hotel and drop it off back there after they're done
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u/According_Water_5774 1d ago
Best place to rent - the one that's easiest to drop off at when you leave - there are many many bike rental shops. Tips - cycle on the right side of the cycle paths and give way to the right unless the sharks teeth (painted triangles) are pointing towards you in which case you have to give way. Also - don't blindly follow the locals - if the light says red - treat it as red.
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u/lu4414 1d ago
What about parking? Any tips?
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u/According_Water_5774 1d ago
"most bike sharing is dockless and the expectation is that I lock the bike at an para cycle and stay with the bike for long periods" - not sure I understood that part of your post?
Regardless - parking will be obvious - just park next to the other 100 bikes.
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u/IncaThink 21h ago
just park next to the other 100 bikes.
As prey animals, bikes naturally feel safer when parked in big herds with other bikes.
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u/dringendneef 1d ago
Hi there! I'm looking to get a custom kitchen designed- the previous owners bought a kant-en-klaar set that doesn't really fit. Anyone have any recommendations of Amsterdam-based kitchen designers? Google only goes so far..
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u/cnbll1895 19h ago
How much do you want to spend? One I spoke to in Rotterdam started around 40k for a custom kitchen and that was excluding appliances and I assume also excluding all of the prep and finish work (that general contractor would do).
If you don't want to spend that much just go to a kitchen place like KVIK after taking measurements. They will guide you through everything and make it fit. It's really not that difficult in the end. And you can pay a bit extra for them to take their own measurements and prepare drawings.
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 1d ago
Honestly IKEA is a good starting point. It's hard to beat their value.
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u/dringendneef 22h ago
What I'm really looking for is a person right now.. We may well end up at IKEA, but currently I'm looking for a person to tell me where to put the IKEA, if that makes sense.
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u/RoderickJaynes67 4h ago
I custom designed my kitchen using the IKEA Keukenplanner last year. The result was magnificent. Just give it a shot. The only non IKEA part is the marble counter top. I ordered that separate from a specialist and they installed it on top of the IKEA components.
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 14h ago
Have you been there? There's a whole custom kitchen service centre. You can go in with photos and measurements from your current kitchen, and they will sit at the computer with you to plot out how you could arrange a new one.
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u/Dem3EK 1d ago
Goedendag!
Im going with a special person (date) on a weekend trip to Amsterdam and im looking for a place to take her for a nice date/dinner.
We are interested both in asian/korean culinary, but i think everything with nice romantic touch will work too(and prob a cheap one cause were both students😭)
If someone knows a place (korean place with some romantic taste could be the best) im gonna appreciate that!
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u/Certain_Bug_1275 Live, Laugh, Lelylaan 1d ago
Sounds like Jeju might fit the bill (haven't been). If all else fails, maybe takeout and (respectfully) eat by the canal, depending on when you're going. Best of luck
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u/RoderickJaynes67 3h ago
JEJU is good. Romantic enough, more so than The Bab which is a popular chain.
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u/Zilma3 1d ago
Hello, I am currently visiting Amsterdam and I just saw about the GVB strike on Wednesday. Will there be any other alternative that's not Uber/taxis or am I basically doomed that day? Thanks in advance!
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u/fraying_carpet Knows the Wiki 1d ago
If your legs work okay you should be fine with just walking?
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u/Zilma3 1d ago
Well yes but where I'm staying is 2+ hours from the centre so that would quite a lot just to get there
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u/fraying_carpet Knows the Wiki 1d ago
2+ hours from the center is actually outside Amsterdam. Where are you staying, if I may ask? Anything within the A10 ring shouldn’t be more than an hours walk to anywhere of interest.
But, like others suggested, just rent a bicycle and you’ll be good.
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u/Zilma3 1d ago
By Johan Cruijff Arena
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u/fraying_carpet Knows the Wiki 1d ago
Ah okay, fair enough. A bike is your best bet but if you are a solo female traveler it may not be pleasant to bike back to your hotel after dark as you’ll have to traverse a rather solitary industrial area.
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u/Zilma3 1d ago
It's two of us and we're almost pretty settled on renting the bike but we are a bit scared of them being stolen as we'd be charged 100€ each. I think in the centre it would be fine as chances of it happening are probably slim but it's never 0 hahaha
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 10h ago
Rental bikes are very rarely stolen if locked up properly (ring lock in wheel, plus chained to a fixed object).
Also €100 is the price of 2 or 3 taxi rides so you're still probably ahead of the game if it happens.
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u/mateigri 2d ago
How can I get from the airport on the 9th when the strike is happening
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 1d ago
The train someone else mentioned also stops at Lelylaan and Sloterdijk stations in case one of those is closer to your accommodation.
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u/DistractedByCookies Knows the Wiki 2d ago
schiphol information page. Long story short, there will still be 4 trains per hour to Amsterdam Central station, otherwise it's by car.
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u/Bitch_in_heart 2d ago
Hi, I'm moving to Amsterdam temporarily & looking for a Airbnb for 15 days. My work is in Zuid (The pulse building to be exact). What are potential areas well connected with public transport that I can search airbnbs in? Airnbnbs in Zuid seem too expensive
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u/Adventurous-Echo-366 1d ago
There' this longstay hotel called Numa, a lot of people in your situation go there.
It's on cruquius island, the busstop is right in front so the commute to Zuid is pretty easy I'd think•
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u/Bitch_in_heart 1d ago
Can someone please let me know what I did wrong? I'd love to correct myself if something was insensitive, as I'm getting down voted crazily.
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u/IncaThink 21h ago
There are some sour-heads with absolutely nothing going on in their life besides waiting impatiently for the opportunity to downvote someone with the temerity to ask a tourist type question here in (of all places!) the thread that is designated for tourist type questions.
Look above and below to the other questions and see for yourself.
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u/DashingDino [Nieuw-West] 1d ago
Don't take it personally, it's just that the company AirBnB is hated and heavily restricted here, (apartment) hotels are what you should be looking for instead
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u/Bitch_in_heart 1d ago
Makes sense! I'll look for hotels instead with kitchen options. I really donot want to enable anything that makes the locals lives hard
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u/bert1600 [Zuid] 1d ago
you did nothing wrong here, relax. The downvote (single downvote as I'm seeing) might be because it's a bit lazy because it shows you haven't done any research. If you did you would have known Amsterdam is both small and very well connected public transportwise.
Lots of people also don't like airbnb because of the disruptive effect it has on the housing market.
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u/captain_ppc 1d ago
I'm not gonna lie, what an insufferable board. Somebody asks a genuine question. People go like: "Oh nooo AirBNB, oh nooo "lazy" because Amsterdam is so small how dare you to ask this, take a downvote you dont understand" 😂
The endless policing of the reddit hivemind is fascinating.
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u/bert1600 [Zuid] 1d ago
that's kind of the whole point of the up and downvote system on reddit isn't it?
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u/crackanape Snorfietsers naar de grachten 1d ago
I don't think the point of it is to passive-aggressively attack innocent well-meaning people who just didn't happen to understand all the spoken and unspoken rules before posting.
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u/captain_ppc 1d ago
Is it ment to judge people based on subjective hivemind knowledge to make people feel weird about asking a genuine question...? It's corny.
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u/Unusual-Fuel3001 1d ago
Fill in the address on 9292.nl and you will see how well a place is connected.
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u/luiguild Knows the Wiki 23m ago
hey! I’m a brazilian guy, part of the queer community, who’s been living in amsterdam for literally 5 years now, yesterday was actually my 5-year anniversary here! hoera!
I’m currently shifting my career toward becoming a tattoo artist, and I’d love to leave an open invitation here for anyone who loves the art and appreciates black(or red)work. especially queer people and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
my books are currently open for brave souls who are into blackwork and would like to get tattooed in this style (specially flowers!). since I’m still a beginner, I’m charging a learning rate per session. that means we can potentially do more than one tattoo in the same session, depending on the size you choose.
I have my own space and I’m very open to ideas, so feel free to reach out!
you can dm me here on reddit or on instagram at luiguild. you can also check out some of the tattoos I’ve already done there, I have a highlight right on my instagram profile with my tattoo work.
let’s get hotter with bold tattoos! thaaaanks ;*