Foreign Office advice ; Sept '11

[TheGinSoakedGirl]

Reading in the Independent the other day some travel warnings about Amsterdam.

Gist of it was there are pickpocket and bag jacking gangs operating between Schiphol and Centraal as well as on the trams and in restaurants. Am sure I'd heard the one about tourists being targeted on the train before but not the trams. I'd also not heard the one about 'fake' police asking for cc checks and counterfeit money flashing some sort of badge (Dutch police apparently don't have them )

Here's the link to the FO advice (scroll down a fair bit)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-liv ... etherlands

I wasn't aware of any particular issue I've had in the past, always kept my wits about me (or as much as you can after an evening in a CS) but then again I rarely wander down to the RL environs where I'd expect it to be edgier.

Anyone else got a view? for what's it's worth I don't think A'dam is any worse than other cities for this type of thing and certainly better than say Rome Paris or Barcelona where tourists are targeted

[StonedSince67]

Reading in the Independent the other day some travel warnings about Amsterdam.

Here's the link to the FO advice (scroll down a fair bit)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-liv ... etherlands

thanks for this link, i have had a read and will print a copy too and re-read later ... this is useful information and it never hurts to be reminded of the dangers while travelling ... i think amsterdam as a city is safer than many i have been in, but being stoned at the same as being totally aware of the world around oneself can be tricky at times ... good stuff, thanks again

[Uncle Ron]

Thanks for the post. Good info.
I think Amsterdam is one of the safest if not the safest international (read global) city in the world.
I learned from Day 1 that pic pockets frequent Centraal Station, Dam Square, and the shopping streets Nieuwendijk/Kalverstraat (bump and run) to name a few.
Some sage advice:
- Travel in pairs or better whenever possible, especially at night.
- Shoulder bags are easy to snatch; If the strap is long enough, hang cross shoulder.
- When traveling on the tram, sit close to the operator or the attendant.
- When traveling on the train, sit in a compartment that is crowded. Stay away from the semi-isolated areas like the cubbyhole seating on some trains.
- etc...
Relax and enjoy yourself, but remember situational awareness.

Chillin...