Best time to visit?

Herbal Hunter · Post by **Herbal Hunter** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 01:53 pm

Im planning to go to a'dam but was wondering what people think is the best time of year to do so? I dont mind socialising with other people but dont want to find everywhere is packed n the nice bud has run out etc. Also, are the decent shops u talk about on these forums all in the city centre? I ask because ive been told that further away from the centre the coffee shops are less tourist based and can be cheaper with nicer produce. And has any1 got any recommendations for areas to stay in? I dont mind stayin in a quieter area, but of course that depends where the quality bud is at

Thanks for your time and any advice or opinions would be much appreciated!

sh@dy · Post by **sh@dy** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 02:29 pm

its not that important where you stay, because although Amsterdam is a famous city, its not that big, you can easily walk from one end of the centre to the other in between of 20-30minutes so all the good shops most people recommend here are in a range of 20 minutes from every point in the centre. Trams and bikes are cheap and easily available (just go to the VVV and they will give you a nice map where they show what trams go where).

The question about time isnt that easy to answer....usually when the Cannabis Cup is about to happen the shops are a bit more full than the rest of the year, same goes for new year eve and 420. I would suggest to go in the (european) summer time from May to August, because smoking a J sitting at the beautiful canals is much better than smoking it in the cold winter we have

Ghost · Post by **Ghost** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 02:52 pm

I prefer the week days as they seem quieter then, and the weekend is normally packed, like Shady said summer is good for sitting next to the canal with a nice spliff of your favourite smoke.
Autumn is also good as the leaves are falling and its nice in the Dam at this time, can be a little chilly though,but you can g=have some good days to.

Herbal Hunter · Post by **Herbal Hunter** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 03:12 pm

so is the centre what its all about or is it worth looking outside of there for some other coffee shops? Between may n august sounds great, it was what i was hoping u would say

thanks

sh@dy · Post by **sh@dy** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 07:05 pm

depends on what you count into centrum. for me the centrum ends where Mellow Yellow and Noon are because it always seems to me there is the end of the shopping malls, big coffeeshop-streets and so on and the "normal" look of a city starts there. for other people the centrum ends around the DAM.....but yes, I would say if you find the time try some coffeeshops not mentioned that often

geoffk · Post by **geoffk** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 07:11 pm

I've been in winter (March) and it was cold, wet and dreary. That being said, the coffeeshops and sites were not crowded and that in itself was great. We spent much of our time inside coffeeshops and museums, so no worries. I've been in the Summer and must confess that while its more crowded, you can't beat sitting in the sun and burning one. I wouldn't want to rent a bike in the winter either. Everyone knows ya gotta rent a bike.

Herbal Hunter · Post by **Herbal Hunter** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 08:57 pm

alrighty then

so does any1 know of any coffee shops outside the centre that are worth visiting? coz im assumin as with most places, u get away from the tourist areas n it gets much cheaper. Even nicer bud if i dare say. Some that the locals are puffin on out of the way of everything

also nothing beats a smoke or 2 in the hotel, at bedtime or when u get up etc so who knows the hotels u can get away with this in? How cautious do u have to be? Thanks all

Bifton · Post by **Bifton** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 09:26 pm

Haarlems always worth a visit and only 15 minutes by train. Two shops in Haarlem I have tried are Willie Wortel's Sativa and Koffieshop Birdy.
As to Hotels, well most of the 'nice' hotels won't allow toking but you could try The Old Nickel on Nieuwebrugsteeg. Its a basic hotel with shared toilets and showers but as the Barman said to me 'It's a smoke detector not a dope detector' so I just smoked out of the window and all was fine.

cheese · Post by **cheese** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 01:51 pm

i would say your better off staying within the centrum and having little day trips to the outskirts if thats what you want to do. at night time it will be much easier to party and get around if you are staying within walking distance of the centrum. unless you have lots of coin for taxi's and such or you are in bed before 11 or 12 PM.

the buds are just as good throughout the city and you wont have a hard time getting to the outskirts to try the more local shops.

also the best time of year depends on what you want... my last few trips have been in february and i have lucked out with some amazing weather... its also much cheaper to travel at this time and everything is much less busy. i am from canada and could care less about weather.. i mean its nice to have the sun shining but i dont need 25C + weather to have a good time.. it can be 10 degrees or so and i am feeling fine with the sun shining.

i have also been in the summer and that is really nice to because more people are out and the terraces are full etc. however its much more busy and crowded. but and this is a big but... if you like nicer weather and shorts and t shirts and all that. summer is the time to go.

evergrey1968 · Post by **evergrey1968** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 01:56 pm

...not this Thursday

StonedSince67 · Post by **StonedSince67** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 02:59 pm

Herbal Hunter wrote:Im planning to go to a'dam but was wondering what people think is the best time of year to do so?

within the last few years i have been at the end of july, the end of october and the middle of january, a couple of times each

one other difference between summer and winter is the length of the day, in summer the days are long and you can do things outside in the evening such as visiting vondelpark, in the winter the sun doesn't come up until 8am and it is dark by 5pm, and it can be cold and rainy

if the things you like doing are indoors things, then the short days of winter would not be an issue for you

the weather in winter can be cold of course, but it also can be misty, and in the mist the amsterdam canals can become magical, the normal background disappears and things in the foreground become the new objects of interest, so the views of amsterdam in winter you can find by wandering around the city can often be completely captivating and unique

but i'm a winter person anyway and love amsterdam in january

titus wong · Post by **titus wong** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 03:16 pm

Personally I favor the spring right around Good Friday because it usually marks the end of the low season, and hence, cheap tickets. Secondly, it's right around the time the tulips are in bloom, the weather is getting nice, and it's still not crowded with hordes of summer visitors.

liquidSwords · Post by **liquidSwords** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 03:40 pm

I like going in the Winter times, because when it gets too cold outside there nothing better than poppin into a coffeeshop and smoking a J and drinking a Hot Chocolate. When thats done, its off to explore the city until it gets too cold again and time for another coofeeshop stop

Prices vary in Dam, but you can find all the top strains for around 10E a gram if you look about.

Herbal Hunter · Post by **Herbal Hunter** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 03:47 pm

thanks for your thoughts, its a great help! What im after is quality bud but not as expensive, thats why i was wondering if its worth venturing out of the centre or not. I dont mind payin the prices in the centre, but when it averages about £10 a gram it isnt the cheapest really is it! So any hidden gems please let me know

Herbal Hunter · Post by **Herbal Hunter** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 03:54 pm

so in short will i get any real bargains if i go for a walk or is it not really worth the hassle?

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