Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

Is it just me or does Amsterdam feel like one of the best Eurpoean cities for walking? Having many trips under my belt and getting excited about one on the radar; I'm realizing I've taken very few trams & have opted to walk around the city or take the occassional taxi. Walking allows me to view the beautiful architecture as I stroll along, hear the sounds & smell the aromas (good & bad) and find those out of the way cs/places that have enriched the experience of traveling, BUT perhaps it has something to do with growing up in suburbs of Connecticut where public transportation is very sparse/poor. I think this has led to a strange fear of using public buses/trams during my travels...afraid I'll be brought to some strange remote location and not to my intended destination. On the upside, I've used the immense amount of walking as a way to 'work off' those extra calories consumed during these trips. Obviously, pub crawling & street food can really bump the calorie count. Having said this...I'm thinking I've wasted a lot of time getting from here to there and could do/see more if I took advantage of Amsterdam's affordable/efficient public transportation system. So...a question for any of the locals.... if I'm staying at the Westcord City Centre Hotel @Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 50 and I want to go to Brouwerij 't IJ @ Funenkade 7...is there an easy tram route that would save a substantial amount time vs. walking and without multiple line changes. A taxi would be easiest, but I'll be traveling with 5 other guys. Thanks for the help..

Get a bike, it's the best way to get around.

Tram 10 goes right past the brewery, stop Hoogte Kadijk.

Also, if you ride Tram 10 to the end (Azartplein at KNSM Island) there is some seriously interesting modern architecture to be seen. At the end, there is a cafe (not weed friendly, this is the suburbs :-) that's great for a quick snack and a beer. The cafe also has an amazing system of belts, pulleys, and cams to drive the ceiling fan system.

Coffeeshop Nogal Wiedes is along the way after the brewery as well, but it is mostly a grab and go after a remodel perhaps three years ago. It will be on the right hand side of the tram as you head out to Azartplein, two stops after Hoogte Kadijk IIRC.

I always take the tram if it is more than a 10-15 minute walk. My feeling is when in Amsterdam, I can always get more cash at the ATM if I need it, I can get more smoke, but the one thing I can't buy is more time, and that's important to me. Get an unlimited GVB pass for 1-7 days and do some exploring.

From your hotel, walk either to Centraal Station or Dam Square stops. Trams 4 and 25 will take you to Fredericksplein, and you can pick up 10 there. Don't worry if you make a mistake, just get off somewhere and cross the street to catch the next one in the other direction. I find the tram easier than the bus, but YMMV.

Boner's advice is good as well although I have never gotten up the nerve to bike whilst stoned :-)

I would walk! or like boner says get a bike,If your really brave that is,KD.

I walk, maximizes the weed spending money.

I like your thought process stulid.

stulid wrote:I walk, maximizes the weed spending money.

But surely if you walk everywere and want to do some outer coffeeshops then the extra exercise will hit you quicker when you smoke?. The result being after a few mile of walking you get the "I cant be fucked" voice in your head when you hit the second or third distent coffeeshop.

Nar, think I'll be getting the tram pass. €16 odd is money well spent if it gets you round more of Amsterdam than you would otherwise do by foot.

Afraid to say it's always the tram for me as I prefer to sit in them and view the city, rather than dodge the fuckers

I like walking tbh you come across wee gems doing that, but if it's chucking it down or I'm tight for time then I'll tram. Going to risk the bike in July

I'll walk, or Bike.....only ever been on the Trams once.....Bongdude was not gonna carry that coffee machine.

I almost always walk or bike while I'm in Amsterdam. You miss way too much whizzing buy on a tram.

Peace,
Balou

balou1999 wrote:You miss way too much whizzing buy on a tram.

Peace,
Balou

Not after 20+ trips.

Not after 20+ trips.

Same here. Everything I ride past in Centrum, I have walked past scores of times.

I (personally) see no reason to walk up Damrak from CS to get to Dam, if I have a pass.

It's a bit of a conundrum for newbies. While it's great fun to get blazed and explore, there is also the possibility of really missing something worthwhile if one does not know where they are and what's about. OTOH newbies may not know about certain things or how to go about getting to them.

The De Pijp crawl is a perfect example. It's a far enough walk to be sure, but there are also things to see on the way. And for newbies, walking from CS area (for example) offers enough opportunity to make a wrong turn, certainly at Muntplein. Go left and head out Amstel, take the center street and go to Rembrandtplein, take the right and head out Vijzelgracht. To be fair one could get to De Pijp with any of these, but it's just confusing in the beginning, in my experience.

And, valuable time has been used. I once spent a whole day lost as fuck, on my first trip, trying to get back to Centrum. It turns out I had somehow walked from Apollolaan over to where Westerstraat intersects Marnixstraat and had no clue where I was. And this was on a two day trip. I vowed I would never make that mistake again. I kept seeing trams go by but somehow could not figure out what to do. Perhaps my mental faculties were less than optimal, but I digress... :-)

I admit to being a tram fan-boy, but as Boner says after so many trips it becomes a valuable asset, unless you wish to use a bicycle, which I have not yet done. But I need to fix that :-)

I talk to so many on holiday that never leave a relatively short radius around CS, and don't take advantage of the rest of the easily accessible city. Their loss, IMO :-)

No, it's not just you, Amsterdam is arguably the best international city to get around by foot. Every major attraction, not to mention C/S and related establishments, are within a 3.2kms/2mi. circle of the Dam Square. For those interested, and for some added perspective, open up the following link (http://www.de.map24.com/) and using the measuring tool (looks like a ruler), measure 3.2kms/2mi. from the center of Dam Square.
For those who choose to do so, the city is easily doable by foot. Been there, done that, etc... The measurement is a direct line and the actual distance(s) between two points will be somewhat longer, but the gist is there, one just has to get it.

Walk, bike, scooter, taxi, bus, tram, metro, boat, or ferry - choices, choices, choices.

As said before the location of your hotel and the places you want to visit are impotant for your decision. F.e. in summer I always stay in the north at vliegenbos camping ground, and a tram ticket is a must. It's just 10min by bus/nightbus form/to the camping ground. To get a warm jacket in the evening is just a 30min job. By foot it's not possible to go back to the camping ground at night at all, as no ferrys go at night!

When I stay in the Pijp in winter I also need a tram ticket, I want to go back to the hotel at least once during the day. And the loss of time is too much.

But I don't mind walking on the other hand, f.e. go by tram to Bij and Boerejogens and have a nice walk back to the city or the Pijp via Vondelpark and Museums plein if the waether is nice it's just great. A walk to het Ballonnjete is great too. And exploring the Jordan by foot is a must at least once in summer.

I never got a bike in Amsterdam, dutch bikes look urgly and not really safe imo. Only the girls look well when on a dutch bike. The only bike I could imagine to rent in Amsterdam are the http://www.mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com cruisers. I love biking (did BMX racing and still do lots of mountainbiking) that's not the point but the dutch bikes are really frightening to me.

there are many pros and cons all depends on personal aspects (time, range of motion, the place you stay and so on)... I hope it helps you to make your personal best decision...