Maastricht

[Bobke]

I have visited Maastricht for 2 weeks each year for the past 10 years. However as an American I understand that I am no longer welcome in coffeeshops in Maastricht. That being the case I still suspect I would not have much of an issue scoring smoke in Maastricht.

The reason I ask is I have the option of flying in Brussels and hopping the train to Maastricht. The airfare is much cheaper than flying into Amsterdam but I wanna make sure I can purchase gear before I book the Brusells flight. Also is Sittard still allowing Yanks in their coffeeshops?

[xxbkrawkxx]

sittard is ok

maastricht ...forget bout it..

[papillondenuit]

Why can't you fly into Brussels and take the train to Amsterdam? There's a train that goes straight there... (well you have to take the train from the airport train station to the Brussels north station). It takes 3 and a half hours if you buy a regular return ticket at 54 euro, and 2 and a half hours if you buy tickets for a Thalys high speed train at 154 euro.

[squarehead]

Yes Maastricht is definitely shut to people with the wrong passports. I checked out 'Easy Going' and they have a turnstile fitted and only certain people are allowed in. Signs clearly spell out that if you are from, say Luxemburg, you can forget about it. So they weren't very Easy Going after all!

It does seem completely bizarre and silly when the hordes from Belgium and still welcomed. I do not think that a load of tokers in cars from the UK were causing traffic problems.

I think it's a case of being seen to 'do something'.

I wasn't bothered as my pockets were not empty but it does seem worrying.

[Uncle Ron]

Yes Maastricht is definitely shut to people with the wrong passports. I checked out 'Easy Going' and they have a turnstile fitted and only certain people are allowed in. Signs clearly spell out that if you are from, say Luxemburg, you can forget about it. So they weren't very Easy Going after all!
It does seem completely bizarre and silly when the hordes from Belgium and still welcomed. I do not think that a load of tokers in cars from the UK were causing traffic problems.
I think it's a case of being seen to 'do something'.
I wasn't bothered as my pockets were not empty but it does seem worrying.

Hmm, Easy Going is fairly easy going when one is allowed entry. But when a knob who knows the policy but still tries to get in, now who's not very easy going after all? Just saying...
Stupid is as stupid does, every time.
Next...

[squarehead]

There is a misunderstanding by uncle Ron here.

I didn't make any effort to go in but observed what hapenned to a couple of people who attempted to do so who were from the 'wrong country'. The large signs were pointed to and the persons were denied entry. I didn't wish to have that experience and besides that, the rules are clear.

Maastricht is shut, unless you are Dutch, Belgian or German.

The folks running Easy Going are perhaps not in a position to behave in an easy-going manner but rather a very uptight and anxious one, obsessively squinting at passports and worrying that someone from a 'wrong country' might manage to sneak in. It's all a bit sad.

[xXEXCALABERXx]

WOW THIS IS BULL SHIT so the german and belgium government complain about the drug smuggling and the locals in mastrich complain about traffic and how place is taken over by germans and belgians YET THEY ARE STILL ALLOWED IN !!!!


HOW DUMB ARE THESE PPL WHO MAKE THE RULES

[papillondenuit]

It's also open to people residing in those countries, not just citizens. For example my friends have gone up there and used their Belgian residence card and had no problems at all.
Or they won't until May, that is...

[Marok21]

@ xXEXCALABERXx the coffeeshops made that rule... the problem is when the belgium and german guys are banned from the coffeeshops there are not enough customers for the the 13 shops. So many of them had to close...
The goverment of maastricht told them that when the number of customers not will fall the shops have to close. So I think that was the last option they had to save their business (staff..).
But I totaly agree with you that rule sucks and is discrimination.

[BudsMcKenzy]

My wife and I will be heading to Maastricht next weekend. I hold a US passport but will try to get in using my international drivers license. There's no mention of the US on there, only Germany. I'll let everyone know how it went. If all else fails my wife can go in a buy, but she always buys cheap shit instead of a good haze strain. It will suck if we can't relax and get our smoke on in one of the shops. We only live 2.5 hours from there and make a run about ever 4-6 months. It's like our little get away, I hope these damn polititions don't completely ruin it for us casual smokers.

[BudsMcKenzy]

Ok, here it is. My wife and I were in Maastricht 17-19 Feb 12 for Carnaval and also to visit a few coffee shops. As you know in the post above, I am a US passport holder. My wife, a German passport holder. I am not concidered a resident of Germany because I work for the Americans here. Anyway.....I was able to get into the Easy Go, the Mississippi twice, and Cool Running. I used my International Drivers Licence to get in. There is no mention of where you are from on it, only where it was issued, which in my case was Germany. This probably won't work for you Brits and French though. The licence doesn't scan in their machines. The Easy Go was the easiest to get in, they didn't scan my wifes ID either, just waved us through when we flashed them. In the Mississippi I had my wife go through first so they know we are a couple, they tried to scan my ID and then said this is a big ID and let me through. Cool Running asked me if I had a passport or other ID, I said that was all I had at the moment (in German of course). He told me he'll let me in this time but he could get in trouble if he did. The lady at the head shop near the Easy Go said the Rasta Fari is usually no problem to get in.

The prices in Maastricht have definately gone up. Amnesia used to run around 10.00 a gram is now up to 13.50. Prices were up across the board. Cool Running was about the same but also had the cheapest gram we found for 7.50. It was actually pretty good but I forget the name.

If you have problems getting into the shops you can already buy very easily from the street dealers who are out in force already. At the steps leading down to the river by the boats we were propositioned 4 times. I have no idea what they were selling or how much they are marking it up, but I imagine you are going to get crap at a horrible price.

At Cool Running we spoke with the guy behind the bar about the weed pass. He thinks it is coming and said he'll probably have to resort to selling on the street soon as their shop would probably be one to close. BTW, they make a damn good banana milkshake in there with frech vanilla ice cream, real bananas and milk.

If you've never been to Maastricht for Carnaval it is well worth the trip. We've never seen the city so full. All the pubs were spilled out into the streets. Pick yourself up a crazy hat and join the fun. We found a great deal at the Hip Hotel by the train station for 58.00 Friday night and decided to stay another and found a room at the Novotel for 79.00.

[RvanSteensel]

Cool running now has stuff called Acapulco .
Smells like the AG i had from barneys long ago : pineapple goodness... really dank.

Easy going now has Sweet Haze .
Smells like crap , looks like crap , tastes great . VERY long high

[Marok21]

@RvanSteensel yes man the Acapulco was great!!! But it´s not on the menu anymore...
now Blue Cheese is on the menu again. I tried their Jasmina hash (9€/g) and it was great this time...
very fresh, bubbles like crazy when u heat it and that for only 9€/g.

For me the Cool Running coffeeshop is one of the best coffeeshops in the whole NL. The staff is so
unbeliveable friedly and the smoke area downstairs with the big sofas is the best spot to chill and smoke
a joint. Especially the staff is the friendliest I ever saw in a coffeeshop!

It would be a shame when they had to close because of the weed pass

[Jesscass]

@RvanSteensel yes man the Acapulco was great!!! But it´s not on the menu anymore...
now Blue Cheese is on the menu again. I tried their Jasmina hash (9€/g) and it was great this time...
very fresh, bubbles like crazy when u heat it and that for only 9€/g.

For me the Cool Running coffeeshop is one of the best coffeeshops in the whole NL. The staff is so
unbeliveable friedly and the smoke area downstairs with the big sofas is the best spot to chill and smoke
a joint. Especially the staff is the friendliest I ever saw in a coffeeshop!

It would be a shame when they had to close because of the weed pass

Agreed! A pity I had to leave Maastricht behind several years ago ! Really comfy and reasonably priced milkshakes! My kind of place!

Hill Street Blues on Warmoestraat in Amsterdam reminds me of it a bit though.