I work part time with young offenders for a charity. I am doing a diploma in counselling. Have left ...
I work part time with young offenders for a charity. I am doing a diploma in counselling. Have left teaching. Enjoy internet, travel, socialising, eating out. Have one cat.
Member since:08.08.2003
Reviews:13
Members who trust:4
I've been travelling to Holland for holidays for 15 years. I love the country. It's friendly, good value for money, there's plenty to do, and the different cities have their own distinct character.
The capital is, of course, Amsterdam. Plenty to do here apart from sex and drugs. There are decent restaurants (try some away from the main tourist areas. Good international, cheap eating in De Pijp area). Bars are, of course, lively. There are pretty "brown cafes" (try the Cafe'tSmalle in the Jordaan.) There are some great markets Noordermarkt/Westermarkt (monday) Albert Cuypstraat (daily) Waterlooplein(daily). Trams are easy to use - buy a Strippenkaart to get around. Don't forget the Anne
Frank Huis (arrive early to avoid queues). The Red Light area is safe, but watch your bags, and do NOT take photographs - the ladies object very strongly.
I have reviewed Rotterdam separately. Also worth visiting: Den Haag (seat of government) , Delft (pretty, visit the churches), Leiden, Haarlem, and Utrecht. Haarlem is near to Amsterdam but the pace of life is much more sedate. I love the different cities, and train travel between them is easy.
Travelling by train is a much better experience than in England. Trains are reliable and generally comfortable, as long as you avoid the rush hour. There is a variety of discount schemes available - in the summer 2 people can travel on one ticket for 3 days within any 10 within the Netherlands. Ask for a Zomertoer ticket. You can travel back at anytime up to 4am the following day. Trains run all night between Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Utrecht?The Hague.
You can get a great variety of food. Much of it is international, and the indonesian and surinam food is superb. Plenty of cheap, fast food, and the chips are great. You'll find a Vroom and Dreesman store in every major city, and their food is fresh, cheap and reliable. The Dutch serve superb coffee (ask for a "koffie verkeerd" if you like it milky.) Don't forget the apple pie! Drinkwise, if you ask for a beer you'll get a small glass, a lot of it froth. A wide variety of continentalbeers is now available. Remember many of the "coffeeshops" don't serve alcohol. If you've never been in one before, I'd recommend somewhere like the Baja (Warmoestraat, Amsterdam). It's light, bright and airy. The friendly guy at the end of the bar will explain the "menu" to you. They have their own souvenir shop across the street. Remember not to use soft drugs without checking the establisment first. Other cities are less liberal than Amsterdam. Remember also that hard drugs are not tolerated anywhere.
Money is easy. Get Euros before you go, and if you need to top up, you can use credit cards in machines everywhere. If you want to pay by card in some shops, they might ask to see your passport. Shopping is fantastic. Dutch markets are friendly, buzzing places, and in the summer, there are great bargains in the shops. Look for "opruiming" "alles moet weg" "laaste ronde" in the windows! Some shops are open on Sundays in major cities. Everywhere has one late night shopping night, where shops are open till 9pm and the streets are buzzing. Many shops, banks etc are closed until 13.00 on Mondays. Also, if you need a chemist, you can buy ordinary items in places such as Etos or Kruidvat, but for prescriptions etc you need an "apotheek".
If you get tired of shopping, there are some wonderful museums, some small and not so well known. If you plan on visiting a lot of them, a museum card is good value. They are valid for a year, available at the museums, and you will need a passport photo. Also, Holland has some very impressive zoos (the Blijdorp (Rotterdam) and the Artis (Amsterdam) as well as a smaller one at Amersfoort and some great wildlife (Arnhem and other places). There are some good theme parks too - Efteling is popular. You can buy a book called "Er-Op -Uit" at VVV (tourist information ) and bookshops, which is in Dutch but will give you loads of ideas. In fact it's a good idea to hit the VVV in most major cities. It's nearly always near the station. (Avoid the one in Amsterdam, it's really busy). In there you will find English speaking staff, maps and information. They will also be happy to tell you how to use the transport system, and can find you a hotel.
The climate can be unpredictable - take an umbrella! And don't take your car. It's difficult to park, car crime is rife inAmsterdam, and public transport is very efficient anyway. Or you could do as the Dutch do: get on yer bike!
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Advantages: Only an hour from London, Cheap deals available, Lots to do no matter what your tastes Disadvantages: Too much to do within a couple of days! Expensive alcohol
Aug 12th, 2004
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