purpgold718
| Favorite team: | LSU  |
| Location: | Amsterdam, NL |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 763 |
| Registered on: | 9/1/2008 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
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re: Is Dublin a dangerous city?
Posted by purpgold718 on 7/29/25 at 5:30 pm to Zappas Stache
Ironically, something loosely akin to the fear mongered demographic of this thread.
That said, to that regard - in general fears of what the OP worries about in Europe come from sensationalist and exaggerated news sources.
Lived in Europe nearly 15 years, 11 of those in Amsterdam which by many accounts in “overun”.
I won’t pretend it hasn’t slowly gotten to feel a bit less safe over that span; that would be a disingenuous claim - nonetheless, I still feel a lot safer here than most parts of the US, for sure any of the same level of urbanization and for sure all of Louisiana - I’ll walk around most parts of the city at all hours of day/night without too much worry (dare anyone to say that about BR). Lastly , this marginally decreased sense of safety is certainly not all attributable to the demographics you might think (drunk and drugged up Eastern block types do a number on the city at times).
And furthermore, as stated elsewhere in this thread, in Dublin it’s indeed the local grown pasty Paddy types in Adidas track suits and murses you should be wary of rather than your “immigrant” types…
That said, to that regard - in general fears of what the OP worries about in Europe come from sensationalist and exaggerated news sources.
Lived in Europe nearly 15 years, 11 of those in Amsterdam which by many accounts in “overun”.
I won’t pretend it hasn’t slowly gotten to feel a bit less safe over that span; that would be a disingenuous claim - nonetheless, I still feel a lot safer here than most parts of the US, for sure any of the same level of urbanization and for sure all of Louisiana - I’ll walk around most parts of the city at all hours of day/night without too much worry (dare anyone to say that about BR). Lastly , this marginally decreased sense of safety is certainly not all attributable to the demographics you might think (drunk and drugged up Eastern block types do a number on the city at times).
And furthermore, as stated elsewhere in this thread, in Dublin it’s indeed the local grown pasty Paddy types in Adidas track suits and murses you should be wary of rather than your “immigrant” types…
1
re: Is Dublin a dangerous city?
Posted by purpgold718 on 7/29/25 at 4:41 am to Teddy Ruxpin
The newest terror unleashed on the citizenry of Amsterdam is the beloved “fat bikes” (fat tire/frame electric bikes than can run high-speed with only throttle/no pedaling) - which are basically silent but deadly electric mopeds - often manned by a predictable demographic that only adds more malice and nuisance to an already dangerous two-wheeler…
re: Anywhere in the world, what is the best place to go at the end of May/early June
Posted by purpgold718 on 7/22/25 at 3:17 pm to Nole Man
Just circling back to circle jerk Slovenia again.
Sitting here scrolling through all the pics and vids of our time there, daydreaming about going back.
It might’ve bit me harder than Greece & Portgual (which are recent favored mistresses to my OG loves Spain & Italy) - indeed the hearty, yet also refined cuisine, the trendy avant-garde wine scene (they’re on to of the orange wine game if that’s your bag), the charming cities err city and towns, the stunning nature - mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, caves and gorges galore.
The crossroads and venn-diagram of cultural influences - Austro-Hungarian, Alpine, Slavic, Balkan, Italian, Yugoslavian - how this is reflected on the lovely people…
Sitting here scrolling through all the pics and vids of our time there, daydreaming about going back.
It might’ve bit me harder than Greece & Portgual (which are recent favored mistresses to my OG loves Spain & Italy) - indeed the hearty, yet also refined cuisine, the trendy avant-garde wine scene (they’re on to of the orange wine game if that’s your bag), the charming cities err city and towns, the stunning nature - mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, caves and gorges galore.
The crossroads and venn-diagram of cultural influences - Austro-Hungarian, Alpine, Slavic, Balkan, Italian, Yugoslavian - how this is reflected on the lovely people…
re: Anywhere in the world, what is the best place to go at the end of May/early June
Posted by purpgold718 on 7/21/25 at 9:21 am to Nole Man
Just go back from Slovenia, it was epic and easily earned a slot among the elite revered pantheon of my favorite countries trodden, to-date.
That said, I think it’s probably a bit better second half of June - the Alpine climate has had just that much longer to warm up.
End May/early June is perfect for Southern Europe - Greek islands, Portugal, Southern Spain, Sicily et al, IMHO - most countries on either side of the pond are still in school, spring foliage is still in bloom, the weather is warm-to-hot, but not unbearable and the sea chilly but refreshing and those in tourism/hospitality are at their freshest and most eager as the peak season approaches, rather than overworked and over it on the other shoulder season (mid September onwards).
That said, I think it’s probably a bit better second half of June - the Alpine climate has had just that much longer to warm up.
End May/early June is perfect for Southern Europe - Greek islands, Portugal, Southern Spain, Sicily et al, IMHO - most countries on either side of the pond are still in school, spring foliage is still in bloom, the weather is warm-to-hot, but not unbearable and the sea chilly but refreshing and those in tourism/hospitality are at their freshest and most eager as the peak season approaches, rather than overworked and over it on the other shoulder season (mid September onwards).
re: Southern Italy Advice
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/19/25 at 12:12 pm to VABuckeye
quote:
Great post until this. Southern Italian food is tomato laden. The further north you go the less the tomato is used and the more refined the food becomes. Much superior and varied food in the north of Italy.
While my connections to Italy lie in the north of the country, and while I vouch for the culinary standards of the north to both Southern Italians and non-Italians alike; I think it’s not so simple as you state and there’s much more nuance.
Suffice to say the food is also at least equally excellent in the north, and indeed Bologna IMHO is the culinary capital of the country. Though as someone with connections to a “regione” north of Emiglia-Romagna, I consider E-M to be as much central Italy as the north as it to me has as much or more in common with Toscana than the Veneto for example; though many firmly established definitions of the North-South dichotomy would disagree (and I’m fine with that, my perception remains wholly unchanged).
Edit: expanding on my controversial classification, I think the regions of E-M and Lazio and the transitionary borders of “Central Italy” with E-M being practically the north (and all but officially considered so) and Lazio being practically the South (less unanimously considered as such, though the Romans often refer to themselves as Southerners).
re: Just returned from Spain / Portugal
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/19/25 at 8:34 am to CidCock
What is it your looking for out of this trip?
Beaches? Historical cities? Good food? Mountainous/foresty nature?
And how long can you spare for the trip?
I think it’s great you’ve seen so many places per trip, but as if often recommended taking a bit more time per stop (minimum 2 full days for smaller spots and minimum 4 full days for more time consuming stops), more often than not - will make the experience much more relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding.
I mentioned Lake Garda in another post ITT, I just came back from there and I think it really has a lot to offer, I think it’s a great place to base yourself out of for a solid 4-7 full days.
If you want an extended itinerary to work with taking some of your mentioned stops in mind - i.e. Slovenia (where I’m headed to myself for the first time in 2 week’s time) you could do something like:
- Fly into Venice (1 night/full day)
- Head to Lake Garda and stay yourself there for 4+ days, my advice would be to base yourself in either Garda town or Malceisine - from there you can enjoy the lake shore beachy vibes, visit other charming lakeside towns (Limone sul Garda; Riva del Garda; Sirmione); visit surrounding wine regions (Valpolicella, Soave, Franciacorta, Bardolino); day-trip to Verona; take the kiddos to the lake’s amusement or waterparks - Garda Land & Caneva World
- Head to Slovenia - on the way stop in Trieste (day trip); head to Piran on the Slovenian coast for a day/night enjoy the Slovenian seaside and the city’s well-preserved Venetian architecture.
- from Piran stop at the Škocjan caves and Predjama castle before settling in Ljubljana, Lake Bohinj or Bled areas, enjoy the nature and scenery of the Triglav national park before headed to Ljubljana for a day or two and flying out of there.
The other alternative I propose would he the same post-Garda (Trieste + Slovenia) but instead start in Pula & Rovinj in Croatia and allocate time to see a little bit more of Slovenia.
Both of these itineraries easily fill up 2 whole weeks if done at a semi-leisurely pace
Beaches? Historical cities? Good food? Mountainous/foresty nature?
And how long can you spare for the trip?
I think it’s great you’ve seen so many places per trip, but as if often recommended taking a bit more time per stop (minimum 2 full days for smaller spots and minimum 4 full days for more time consuming stops), more often than not - will make the experience much more relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding.
I mentioned Lake Garda in another post ITT, I just came back from there and I think it really has a lot to offer, I think it’s a great place to base yourself out of for a solid 4-7 full days.
If you want an extended itinerary to work with taking some of your mentioned stops in mind - i.e. Slovenia (where I’m headed to myself for the first time in 2 week’s time) you could do something like:
- Fly into Venice (1 night/full day)
- Head to Lake Garda and stay yourself there for 4+ days, my advice would be to base yourself in either Garda town or Malceisine - from there you can enjoy the lake shore beachy vibes, visit other charming lakeside towns (Limone sul Garda; Riva del Garda; Sirmione); visit surrounding wine regions (Valpolicella, Soave, Franciacorta, Bardolino); day-trip to Verona; take the kiddos to the lake’s amusement or waterparks - Garda Land & Caneva World
- Head to Slovenia - on the way stop in Trieste (day trip); head to Piran on the Slovenian coast for a day/night enjoy the Slovenian seaside and the city’s well-preserved Venetian architecture.
- from Piran stop at the Škocjan caves and Predjama castle before settling in Ljubljana, Lake Bohinj or Bled areas, enjoy the nature and scenery of the Triglav national park before headed to Ljubljana for a day or two and flying out of there.
The other alternative I propose would he the same post-Garda (Trieste + Slovenia) but instead start in Pula & Rovinj in Croatia and allocate time to see a little bit more of Slovenia.
Both of these itineraries easily fill up 2 whole weeks if done at a semi-leisurely pace
re: Just returned from Spain / Portugal
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/18/25 at 9:12 am to LSUShock
All of Southern Europe is where it’s at - Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain aka the PIGS.
Spain is admittedly my favorite of the bunch but I was just in Italy after several years of not visiting and it definitely holds its own.
To OP, consider Lake Garda area which is where I was, stunning clear blue waters, epic dramatic mountain vistas, and dotted with insanely charming towns and villages (Malcèsine, Riva del Garda, Limone sul Garda), and some of the country’s best wine country (Valpolicella, Franciacorta, Soave) and most beautiful cities (e.g. Verona) a stone’s throw away, oh there’s an amusement park and water park on the southeastern part of the lake.
Spain is admittedly my favorite of the bunch but I was just in Italy after several years of not visiting and it definitely holds its own.
To OP, consider Lake Garda area which is where I was, stunning clear blue waters, epic dramatic mountain vistas, and dotted with insanely charming towns and villages (Malcèsine, Riva del Garda, Limone sul Garda), and some of the country’s best wine country (Valpolicella, Franciacorta, Soave) and most beautiful cities (e.g. Verona) a stone’s throw away, oh there’s an amusement park and water park on the southeastern part of the lake.
re: Iran positioning missiles to target U.S. bases - NYT
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/17/25 at 4:06 pm to Tigerdew
Am I really witnessing the camel’s back-breaking straw here?!
I lurk this board as a barometer of the ethos of MAGA and this is most I’ve seen this board in doubt about Trump.
There’s clearly some lifers, till-the-bitter-end loyalists types in the fray here, but this is fascinating.
And it’s only mildly laced with schadenfreude in all honesty. I am genuinely worried and disdain for Trump notwithstanding hope for cooler heads to prevail and a third world war to be avoided (even if a shred of credit or a neutrally approving nod has to be given to Trump), but alas these jooz seem hellbent on dragging us into one, like Gollum sinking into the depths of damnation…
I lurk this board as a barometer of the ethos of MAGA and this is most I’ve seen this board in doubt about Trump.
There’s clearly some lifers, till-the-bitter-end loyalists types in the fray here, but this is fascinating.
And it’s only mildly laced with schadenfreude in all honesty. I am genuinely worried and disdain for Trump notwithstanding hope for cooler heads to prevail and a third world war to be avoided (even if a shred of credit or a neutrally approving nod has to be given to Trump), but alas these jooz seem hellbent on dragging us into one, like Gollum sinking into the depths of damnation…
re: Your favorite city in Germany sans Berlin...beautiful /historical/romantic
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/16/25 at 2:55 pm to Dry Prong Wildcat
Echoing mentions of Garmisch-Partenkirchen & Heidelberg
re: Greek Island Before Cruise from Athens
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/6/25 at 4:34 pm to AbitaFan08
Tbh I almost hesitated to add that shout out, greetings fellow Paxiophile
re: Greek Island Before Cruise from Athens
Posted by purpgold718 on 6/6/25 at 12:59 pm to 62zip
quote:
I will go on record right now and predict that you will really like Corfu.
I just got back from Corfu not too long ago, lovely island.
Curious why you said this though (I’m not OP)?
Anyway, I can also highly recommend the small neighboring island of Paxos (not to be confused with Paros, which neighbors Naxos in the Aegean Sea) - absolute gem of an island, I think I even preferred it to Naxos & Milos, which I also loved.
re: Black guy visited Nashville for 1st time and my thoughts
Posted by purpgold718 on 5/27/25 at 12:30 pm to PelicanState87
Wow, my dumbass was reading through this thread thinking it was the Travel board (where I usually hide out on TD these days for reasons that follow) and the excessive political and racial nature of the comments was really jarring for being that board, only to click “return to board” and realize it was the OT (lightbulb aha moment, this is not where I parked my car) and then it made sense, followed by the remark that this place is no Politard board (dodges incoming bricks) but Travel board is simply GOAT’d on TD for most civil board, god bless that board!
re: advice on a Europe itinerary (show tour)
Posted by purpgold718 on 5/14/25 at 2:55 pm to LemmyLives
If you have to fly look at London City airport, it’s quite central compared other…five? …in the city
Edit: BA or KLM for a nicer experience, otherwise check Transavia and Easyjet (both still better than Ryanair) for a more budget option - which with the short flying time between London & AMS probably wouldn’t be too painful
Edit: BA or KLM for a nicer experience, otherwise check Transavia and Easyjet (both still better than Ryanair) for a more budget option - which with the short flying time between London & AMS probably wouldn’t be too painful
re: Gummy Users
Posted by purpgold718 on 5/2/25 at 2:50 am to Mandtgr47
If you buy those “Delta 9” (not 8) gummies the THC is extracted using industrial grade hemp which through a loophole law created in 2018 is federally legal (but keep in original packaging for these), barring that indeed NV is a recreational legal state so just pick up there
re: Big Summer Family Trips - Where is Everyone Going?
Posted by purpgold718 on 5/2/25 at 2:47 am to RummelTiger
Me and the missus have:
- Copenhagen, this weekend - sitting on Schiphol tarmac to fly that way now. While it’s not officially summer Amsterdam has been sunny and in the upper 70s-80s all week so it has begun here.
- mid-May, Greece for 10 days - Corfu & Paxos
- early June, Veneto region of Northern Italy - Venice, Vicenza Verona and Lake Garda for 10 days
- late June or early July - Slovenia - Ljbujana and Lake Bled, this trip still TBC and we might add on Rovinj, Croatia and/or Trieste, Italy (probably also 10ish days)
- mid-September thru early October Japan - Tokyo, Azu Islands, Miyazaki prefecture and Nikko (2 weeks)
- Depending on what we do with the still to be booked Slovenia trip, I/we might try to sneak one more cheeky trip in there as well.
- Copenhagen, this weekend - sitting on Schiphol tarmac to fly that way now. While it’s not officially summer Amsterdam has been sunny and in the upper 70s-80s all week so it has begun here.
- mid-May, Greece for 10 days - Corfu & Paxos
- early June, Veneto region of Northern Italy - Venice, Vicenza Verona and Lake Garda for 10 days
- late June or early July - Slovenia - Ljbujana and Lake Bled, this trip still TBC and we might add on Rovinj, Croatia and/or Trieste, Italy (probably also 10ish days)
- mid-September thru early October Japan - Tokyo, Azu Islands, Miyazaki prefecture and Nikko (2 weeks)
- Depending on what we do with the still to be booked Slovenia trip, I/we might try to sneak one more cheeky trip in there as well.
re: Barcelona, Milan, Bellagio - a few trip notes
Posted by purpgold718 on 4/25/25 at 8:54 pm to dirtsandwich
- in Barcelona the city beach (Barceloneta) is decent enough but you absolutely have to have somebody watching your shite when you’re in the water or it can get snatched up real quick - (barring that a waterproof bag to take your most valuable items with you also works).
If you have enough time for a day trip (or overnighter even) check out the beaches or “calas” (coves) of the Costa Brava to the north. Tossa de Mar is a close enough spot and a crowd pleaser with it’s medieval fortification old town atop a hill and crystal blue water lapped calas.
If you have more time and want more refined vibes head a bit further to Cadaques.
For food try El Cañete in Raval if you can get a table you won’t regret it.
If you have enough time for a day trip (or overnighter even) check out the beaches or “calas” (coves) of the Costa Brava to the north. Tossa de Mar is a close enough spot and a crowd pleaser with it’s medieval fortification old town atop a hill and crystal blue water lapped calas.
If you have more time and want more refined vibes head a bit further to Cadaques.
For food try El Cañete in Raval if you can get a table you won’t regret it.
re: Spain Trip Report
Posted by purpgold718 on 4/25/25 at 5:53 am to jfw3535
Ah that’s a shame but you’ve already seen some great spots. Sevilla is great, a place that just oozes local flavor and charm.
Granada is arguably the crown jewel of the entire country, but Cádiz competes with it as a comparably sized city and is much more off the tourist radar which is nice, plus unlike all the other major Andalusian cities (except Málaga) it’s on the coast so the beach is right there for ya.
I love all of Spain but Andalucía is special, no doubt.
For Madrid make sure you do el Retiro park and at least one or two of the main art museums, Prado is worth it just for the Bosch painting and its grandeur alone.
Past that book a bath and massage/hamam visit at Hamam al Andalus for a unique spa experience.
Get cocktails and bites at Salmon Guru, word class cocktails, chic vibe and decor and unique gastronomical bites to go along with it all.
¡Qué lo pases genial en Madrid!
Joder, echo de menos España…
Granada is arguably the crown jewel of the entire country, but Cádiz competes with it as a comparably sized city and is much more off the tourist radar which is nice, plus unlike all the other major Andalusian cities (except Málaga) it’s on the coast so the beach is right there for ya.
I love all of Spain but Andalucía is special, no doubt.
For Madrid make sure you do el Retiro park and at least one or two of the main art museums, Prado is worth it just for the Bosch painting and its grandeur alone.
Past that book a bath and massage/hamam visit at Hamam al Andalus for a unique spa experience.
Get cocktails and bites at Salmon Guru, word class cocktails, chic vibe and decor and unique gastronomical bites to go along with it all.
¡Qué lo pases genial en Madrid!
Joder, echo de menos España…
re: Spain Trip Report
Posted by purpgold718 on 4/25/25 at 3:08 am to jfw3535
Since you’re down in Andalucía already, I imagine Granada might be on your list?
But don’t sleep on Cádiz which is a little over an hour south of Sevilla by train - truly a stunning and unique city.
Cádiz, Granada and San Sebastián are my three favorite small-medium cities in Spain.
But don’t sleep on Cádiz which is a little over an hour south of Sevilla by train - truly a stunning and unique city.
Cádiz, Granada and San Sebastián are my three favorite small-medium cities in Spain.
re: Brussels, Belgium
Posted by purpgold718 on 3/23/25 at 1:52 pm to purpgold718
quote:
Hope this helps, restaurants and bars to follow (with some overlap from suggestions above)
As promised see below, note the restaurant Parakeet will have permanently closed by the time you arrive, all other info should still be relevant:
quote:
if you’re a confident urban cyclist do rent a bike as it’s the best way to get around, point your fingers intuitively left or right as turn signals (none this weird 90 degrees angle with your left arm shite).
Visit and cycle through the Vondelpark, do some sort of canal cruise - self-piloted with Sloep Delen or Mokum Boot are good bets.
If you’re really an avid cyclist and want a relaxing excursion away from Amsterdam’s hustle and hustle you can cycle northward to the quaint fishing villages of Monnickedam, Marken, Volendam and Edam the whole circuit can be done in a day.
For drinks and food I can throw some tailored recommendations in you let indicate your interests, OP, but a few favorites:
- Aarenssnest a quaint pub in the heart of the canal belt specializing in Dutch beers
- Brouwerij ‘t IJ, Amsterdam’s oldest and most well known craft brewery, there original brewpub is in the shadow of/attached to a historic windmill on the eastern fringes of the city center. They have another location called “Het Blauwe Theehuis” (the blue tea house) in the middel of Vondelpark which I prefer.
- Café Brecht - a Berlin style quirky cafe, modeled after a turn of century living room, they have a good rotating selection of German Beers and snacks, as well as some nicely priced seasonally rotating cocktails and natural wines. Slightly eccentric artsy crowd, but also yuppy-ish and trendy.
- Sins of Sal - trendy cocktail bar with high end bites inspired by latin American fare with a twist (primarily Mexican)
- Hannekes Boom - a favorite of locals and tourists alike, sporting a large waterfront terrace with several docks and lovely views onto the city center , on sunny days patrons arrive on foot, by bike or boat.
- FUKU Ramen - a high-end Ramen joint serving a very excellent value for money tasting menu, and hosting walk-in ala carte days on Sundays.
- Luminair - trendy rooftop cocktail perched atop the Hilton Doubletree next to Centraal Station, unparalleled views over the city center.
- Tales & Spirits - another excellent cocktail bar.
- Blauw - high-end Indonesian cuisine, which the Dutch have colonized/claimed as their own.
- China Sichuan - a formerly Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant boasting multiple locations around the RLD. They may have lost their star some years ago, but the food is still excellent and mouth numbingly spicy in true Szechaun style fashion
- Sea Palace - the big floating pagoda, near the central station, it’s not all gimmick they serve excellent Dim Sum here for lunch (Amsterdam has some top-notch Chinese restaurants if it wasn’t already apparent)
- Mozzico - serving up delicious authentic Italian (Roman-style) pizza, I recommend the Diavola
- Parakeet - a gourmet Nachos bar, American owned, they fry their totopos up in house. Inventive tasty cocktails and homemade salsa queso blanco
- A-Fusion - Asian fusion fare served in tapas style sharing/small plates. Not Michelin starred but accoladed (“Bib Gourmand”)
- Box Sociaal - an Aussie style brunch place with two locations. Good cocktails especially their house bloody mary.
- Plantage - an attractive elegant but not overly expensive institution. French influence pan modern European fare.
- De Kas - haven’t been but it’s a very highly regarded and Michelin-starred restaurant. kas means greenhouse and the idea is that they produce most of their food
- La Oliva - serving the best pintxos (tapas) in Amsterdam
- Café Soundgarden - a divey bar with a lovely canal-side patio/terrace, which is 420-friendly for those so inclined . Vibe is an eclectic mix of local Dutch and internationals, with tinges of punk and grunge. Great place to enjoy the fruits Amsterdam in the sunshine.
- Skatecafé + Garage Noord - two adjacent techno clubs in the North of Amsterdam (Noord), younger-ish crowd but this is one of the more popular clubs or pairs thereof, locally.
Stacks - American owned, the concept and decor is diner-style but it’s more high end with an emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients and experimental dishes
re: Brussels, Belgium
Posted by purpgold718 on 3/23/25 at 1:12 pm to Merlin1200
Hey,
So I think you’ll have most of the year-round things already on your list and a lot of things are weather dependent, i.e. you’ll want mostly sunny weather and minimum 65°F to truly enjoy is them, these denoted with an asterisk
- Rijksmuseum
- Van Gogh musuem (buy your ticket/book your timeslot at least couple days in advance, more if planning to go on a weekend day)
- Stedelijk Museum (modern art, located in the Museumplein (Museum square) near the other two.
- Renting a bike and cycling around town especially through the Vondelpark* bring a blanket/sarong and a light picnic (beers, weed, bites, whatever) and find an inviting plot of grass to plop down and people watch; and/or alternatively go to the Blauwe Theehuis, it’s a brewpup owned by the Brouwerij ‘t IJ (sometimes referred to as the “windmill brewery” - because of their OG brewpub location in a windmill on the eastern side of the cuty center) - enjoy a cold one right in the middle of the park.
- Generally just strolling around the grachtengordel (canal belt) and Jordaan districts.
- The Hague - visit the Mauritshuis & MC Escher Museums
- Delft - quaint classically Dutch town, easy enough to combine with the Hague due to its proximity
- Utrecht - the country’s 4th largest city, it has a unique double-tiered main canal in which houses and bars, restaurants and businesses are built into the canal wall, with a second embankment of “werf” in front of them.
- Noord-Holland cycling circuit* - rent an bike (or e-bike if you want to exert less effort) and cycle to the North of Amsterdam to the villages of Broek-en-waterland, Monnickedam, Volendam, Marken and Edam; it’s ambitious but all can be done in a day, you’ll see lots of traditional quaint Dutch countryside along the way; alternatively you can also get to these places by private tour or self-guided using the local bus network
For hall in the wall pubs, I recommend Café Belgique, Café Soundgarden, Checkpoint Charlie, De Nieuwe Anita and Café Brecht - all of these places have a nice mix of Dutch & International (mainly resident locals vs tourists) clientele, so they won’t feel overly touristy.
For food let me copy paste what I have in several other posts and add below.
Not sure what pre-paid options are offered specifically for the trains (NS, not GVB which is the local Amsterdam city transport provider) for non-residents. Without overthinking the easiest is if you have a Apple Wallet or chipped card with contactless then you can use that to “check in and out” when boarding/disembarking - then it will just be charged directly to your card.
If you want the convoluted answer we need to backtrack a bit. You can by a Museumkaart (museum card) which allows you access to 100s of museums nationwide including most of the most famous ones (Moco Museum in Amsterdam and Escher in the Hague are notable exceptions) for a whole year for only €60.
Problem is you need a Dutch address for the card to be sent to, so you could try and register and ask your accommodation if they’ll receive the mail on your behalf - at most museums you’ll still need to go to the online ticket booking platform and book a €0 ticket/time-slot (this will definitely be the case for Rijks and Van Gogh at least).
If you do this with success then scrap the city card and either use your contactless card pay as mentioned or you can by the 24, 48 hour multi-day passes from GVB which will give you unlimited rides on GVB operated buses, trams and metros for the indicated period - but obviously you need to make adequate use of it to make it worthwhile.
Not sure the fares - I have a special OV chipkaart (Dutch Oyster Card, basically) with a subscription that gives me 40% discount on standard fares weekends and non-peak hours and pay a monthly bill for it.
Hope this helps, restaurants and bars to follow (with some overlap from suggestions above) - any more specific followup questions based on my feedback so far, just asi!
quote:
I am heading to Amsterdam for a week in early May. What are some can't miss things you'd recommend doing while there?
So I think you’ll have most of the year-round things already on your list and a lot of things are weather dependent, i.e. you’ll want mostly sunny weather and minimum 65°F to truly enjoy is them, these denoted with an asterisk
- Rijksmuseum
- Van Gogh musuem (buy your ticket/book your timeslot at least couple days in advance, more if planning to go on a weekend day)
- Stedelijk Museum (modern art, located in the Museumplein (Museum square) near the other two.
- Renting a bike and cycling around town especially through the Vondelpark* bring a blanket/sarong and a light picnic (beers, weed, bites, whatever) and find an inviting plot of grass to plop down and people watch; and/or alternatively go to the Blauwe Theehuis, it’s a brewpup owned by the Brouwerij ‘t IJ (sometimes referred to as the “windmill brewery” - because of their OG brewpub location in a windmill on the eastern side of the cuty center) - enjoy a cold one right in the middle of the park.
- Generally just strolling around the grachtengordel (canal belt) and Jordaan districts.
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and want to do some day trips within an hour of the city.
- The Hague - visit the Mauritshuis & MC Escher Museums
- Delft - quaint classically Dutch town, easy enough to combine with the Hague due to its proximity
- Utrecht - the country’s 4th largest city, it has a unique double-tiered main canal in which houses and bars, restaurants and businesses are built into the canal wall, with a second embankment of “werf” in front of them.
- Noord-Holland cycling circuit* - rent an bike (or e-bike if you want to exert less effort) and cycle to the North of Amsterdam to the villages of Broek-en-waterland, Monnickedam, Volendam, Marken and Edam; it’s ambitious but all can be done in a day, you’ll see lots of traditional quaint Dutch countryside along the way; alternatively you can also get to these places by private tour or self-guided using the local bus network
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Love food, hole in the wall pubs, art, and just exploring new places/things.
For hall in the wall pubs, I recommend Café Belgique, Café Soundgarden, Checkpoint Charlie, De Nieuwe Anita and Café Brecht - all of these places have a nice mix of Dutch & International (mainly resident locals vs tourists) clientele, so they won’t feel overly touristy.
For food let me copy paste what I have in several other posts and add below.
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Would you recommend a pre paid train card or just pay per ticket? Any tips are appreciated!
Not sure what pre-paid options are offered specifically for the trains (NS, not GVB which is the local Amsterdam city transport provider) for non-residents. Without overthinking the easiest is if you have a Apple Wallet or chipped card with contactless then you can use that to “check in and out” when boarding/disembarking - then it will just be charged directly to your card.
If you want the convoluted answer we need to backtrack a bit. You can by a Museumkaart (museum card) which allows you access to 100s of museums nationwide including most of the most famous ones (Moco Museum in Amsterdam and Escher in the Hague are notable exceptions) for a whole year for only €60.
Problem is you need a Dutch address for the card to be sent to, so you could try and register and ask your accommodation if they’ll receive the mail on your behalf - at most museums you’ll still need to go to the online ticket booking platform and book a €0 ticket/time-slot (this will definitely be the case for Rijks and Van Gogh at least).
If you do this with success then scrap the city card and either use your contactless card pay as mentioned or you can by the 24, 48 hour multi-day passes from GVB which will give you unlimited rides on GVB operated buses, trams and metros for the indicated period - but obviously you need to make adequate use of it to make it worthwhile.
Not sure the fares - I have a special OV chipkaart (Dutch Oyster Card, basically) with a subscription that gives me 40% discount on standard fares weekends and non-peak hours and pay a monthly bill for it.
Hope this helps, restaurants and bars to follow (with some overlap from suggestions above) - any more specific followup questions based on my feedback so far, just asi!
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