Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

AmDamMan wrote:My general advice would be to relax and go with the flow... as a general rule if you try to order a drink in a coffeeshop and they force weed on you, think twice, any decent coffeeshop wont need to force it on you. I tend to decline and leave.

Betty Boop right near your hotel is a nice place to sit outside if the weathers nice. A little slice of heaven.

I am in town 2nd-7th, but plan to be spending some time out of Dam visiting Wijk ann Zee where I used to live and Beverwijk as well as hopefully Haarlem and Alkmaar but I can try and squeeze a couple of hours in for a quick tour.

MagicFloyd wrote:

balou1999 wrote: Coffeeshop 420/de kuil is maybe a 5 minute walk down the alley. Great atmosphere and clean Roor bongs if that's your thing. Betty Boop is opposite the hotel. Homegrown Fantasy about 5 minutes from the hotel. Resin is less than 10 minutes away on foot. Great bud, plenty of seating including a swing There is also Ben about a 2 minute walk, it has changed for the not so good on my last two trips. If you stay away from buying at the Grasshoppers and Bulldogs you should be okay.

stay away from Grasshoppers and Bulldogs? Is that due to price, quality, or atmosphere/environment?

balou1999 wrote:Your best bet is to sleep as much as possible on the flight. I usually take a couple of Benadryl unless I remember to get Xanax from my Dr. I would take my time making out the airport and on the train. It's rush hour and will be pretty busy. You should also be able to store your bags at the hotel until you can check in. When you do make it to your first coffeeshop go for the sativas. When you do get your room try NOT to go to sleep. If you do you'll miss the rest of your trip on the wrong sleep schedule.

Thanks I will try to sleep on the plane. I have prescription sleep meds and xanax so it shouldn’t be a problem. Im arriving on Saturday morning though so im assuming there wont be a rush hour?

Im also into culture so can anyone recommend a good museum or art gallery to check out? Assuming I find time between my coffee shop stops.

balou1999 wrote:The Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Anne Frankhuis, Resistance Museum, Sex Museum, or The Cannabis & Hemp Museum.

Since ill probably only have time for 1 or 2 stops which would you recommend? I was thinking the Van Gogh, but I didn’t want to overlook anything.

Considering my location what places would you recommend for food? Are there any places that I should absolutely try before I leave

balou1999 wrote:You fortunate or maybe cursed to have Burger Bar, one of the best I've had, a few minutes walk toward Coffeeshop 420. There is also Wok to Walk a couple of doors before Burger Bar.

Ive seen a few people mention the Burger Bar so I think I will give it a try. Thanks for your advice!

Hi MagicFloyd,

as you arrive at Schiphol you can buy the following chipcard and come in town by train! Taxi is too expensive in Amsterdam and the taxis there have a bad reputation! Having a chipcard is the cheapest way to get around in town by tram, bus or nightbus!

Amsterdam All-in-1 Ticket - This ticket type is very useful for tourists coming by air as it includes a return ticket (2 singles) between Schiphol airport and Amsterdam as well as an unlimited travel pass for up to 4 days. This saves a little money off the train fare and you won't have to queue further for tickets.

24 hours (1 day) €13.20
48 hours (2 days) €17.25
72 hours (3 days) €20.85
96 hours (4 days) €24.45

This ticket can only be purchased at the Holland Tourist Information desk at Schiphol Airport near Arrivals Hall 2. They are open between 07:00 and 22:00.

Shops that are a must for the first visit maybe imo Greenhouse Centrum, Dampring near Spui, Abraxxas, Barney's
all this shops have a very fine interior! You must have been there at least once imo.

But there many other high class shops like Mellow Yellow, Amnesia, Barney's Lounge, Basjoe's, Green Place,
Russland, Grey Area (for take aways) HomegrowFantasy, Katsu, Hill Street Market, Rookies, Rokerij, 420Cafe and many more!

The most important thing will be the first contact and not to miss .
The rest will be the easy way... what I know from Amsterdam the most is never to make to many plans!

I'll pm a pic of me later, so you know my face, but please keep that save!
We should start your trip anywhere in centrum, what's your must have seen shop? Question

MagicFloyd wrote:edit: actually things im worried about travelling solo for the first time anywhere outside the US:

-Finding the ATM

-Hoping the ATM actually works (I already called my bank so they know)

-Finding the train ticket counter

-finding the place to buy tram passes.

-Getting on the right train

-Finding my hotel (Inntel--formerly Golden Tulip) and leaving my suitcase there

-Hitting up my first coffeeshop (probably Barneys). Just nervous about ordering my first smoke and how to borrow/use a house bong... or if I should go to a head shop first and buy a glass pipe to keep with my during my stay.

MagicFloyd wrote:...
The reason for my post is that I was hoping I could get some pointers to go along with my research on the forums. Being a first timer, and a first timer outside of the US I want to make sure I dont make any false assumptions about behavior or how to greet people, budtenders, patrons, strangers etc. I have common sense so I know whats rude, but id rather be safe and not make any assumptions.
...

MagicFloyd wrote:im not coming with any cash so I need to use the ATM at the airport so I can buy a ticket for the train. Im guessing the fees will be a bit higher, but ive called around and cant find any euros here without paying outrageous fees for the bank to order them. I suppose I could use my credit card but id rather pick up some cash and just get it out of the way. And from my reading/research most people say just wait until you get there to get your cash.

tron wrote:

MagicFloyd wrote:...
The reason for my post is that I was hoping I could get some pointers to go along with my research on the forums. Being a first timer, and a first timer outside of the US I want to make sure I dont make any false assumptions about behavior or how to greet people, budtenders, patrons, strangers etc. I have common sense so I know whats rude, but id rather be safe and not make any assumptions.
...

I am certainly no expert, just another visitor, but there are a few things I learned that allowed me to enjoy later visits more.

- first off - research - google maps is great for finding places. i just center it on amsterdam, search for "gallery" for example, find some places, read reviews, look at links, and if want to go there, I click the star and/or add it to a "My Map". Amsterdam is an absolutely beautiful and romantic place. I was shocked when I first arrived....

- i'm not a doctor, so i can only speak for myself here - i like to use melatonin to regulate my sleep when changing time zones. i start taking it each night a couple nights before the flight, when it is 12am in AMS

- i lucked out my first stay, and was outside of the center, and visited some smaller, quaint coffeshops for my first few times (except for rookies, that was a different beast), and they were not so touristy. You can find some real idiots at some coffeeshops that ruin the good vibes

- if the sign says "coffeeshop", then there is cannabis

- if you want cannabis, but don't see a menu, then ask for one. some places keep the menu hidden. they will gladly show you the menu

- don't buy too much to start. cannabis is plentiful, and there will be opportunities to try other kinds at other CS. I was in line behind a guy ordering everything on the menu, raving how you can't do that in the US, and the budtender told him to relax.

- if you already have something to smoke when you go into a coffeeshop, still buy something to eat or drink, to maximize good vibes and good karma

- budtenders are usually friendly and helpful

- depending on what you're used to smoking, and the environment you're used to smoking in, take it easy during your first smoke in a coffeeshop. be well-fed before smoking, order something to drink with your smoke, and relax.

- i like to stick to joints (hash / cannabis), it feels more casual, and didn't feel comfortable smoking a pipe in a CS. Bongs are different, I did see people using them occasionally, but I didn't bother with them.

- ATM's are simple, just call your bank and tell them where you will be so they don't cut off access to your account, also ask them what the transaction fees will be abroad. Some banks are 3%, others are 0%.

- transport - transport in most EU cities is surprisingly simple, even when it's in the native language. There are common formats, signs and maps that help. Amsterdam is pretty easy to get around by foot, bike, tram, and if you have a GPS / pda phone, you're golden.

- customs - just be polite, don't be a stereotype. learn a couple basic dutch phrases out of courtesy (hello, thank you, etc), and then English is fine. it is very safe in amsterdam, so no worries

Enjoy your trip!

tron wrote:

MagicFloyd wrote:im not coming with any cash so I need to use the ATM at the airport so I can buy a ticket for the train. Im guessing the fees will be a bit higher, but ive called around and cant find any euros here without paying outrageous fees for the bank to order them. I suppose I could use my credit card but id rather pick up some cash and just get it out of the way. And from my reading/research most people say just wait until you get there to get your cash.

I walked into a Wells Fargo and got some Euros and Danish Kroners for an upcoming trip at a reasonable cost for the convenience. I like hitting the ground with cash, until I can find a reasonable ATM.

MagicFloyd wrote:Basically im coming in for my first trip to Amsterdam in under two weeks (9/4-9/7).