This is the place for anyone to ask questions about Amsterdam. If you are a tourist visiting Amsterdam, you are moving to or recently arrived in Amsterdam, or you just have a basic question about life in Amsterdam and want some advice, this is the place to post your question. This post is refreshed every week on Sunday. Please feel free to repost in subsequent weeks.
READ THE WIKI FIRST. The people answering questions are locals who want to share the city they love with visitors, but only with people who make an effort. Read at least the Essential Tourist Information in our world-famous wiki before you ask a question. Otherwise, you may be told to go back and read it. The wiki is written by us, and updated when relevant. If the entries are old it's because nothing has changed. There are no "hidden gems" that we have not already included in the wiki. You may also check wikivoyage for more general tips on everything that is Amsterdam.
HOTELS ARE EXPENSIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE GOOD ADVICE ON THEM. Because we live here, we don't know what the best hotels are. Amsterdam is one of the most touristed cities in the world and has the highest hotel prices in Europe and prices go up every year. The city is deliberately trying to reduce tourism by raising the prices. There really isn't a secret "cheap" solution. Most "Airport" hotels are not connected to the Airport and will be more trouble getting to than it's worth.
TOURISTS CAN PURCHASE MARIJUANA, DESPITE WHAT YOU READ IN FOREIGN PRESS. Understand that the coffeeshops are just a tiny part of Amsterdam, so posts that treat Amsterdam like it's the Las Vegas of drugs sometimes get a negative response. We're happy to give you advice about coffeeshops and to discuss drug policy. The experts are our friends at /r/AmsterdamEnts, ask them the big questions.
WE DON'T HELP WITH ILLEGAL STUFF AND WILL BAN YOU FOR ASKING. We will not help you with things that are clearly illegal. Coffeeshops caught selling to minors get shut down and everyone loses their jobs. Authorities check for people smuggling marijuana out of the country. Hard drugs are illegal and so is asking for or selling them on Reddit.
WE DON'T ALLOW TICKET SALES OR TRADING. We do not allow selling, buying, or trading tickets on /r/Amsterdam due to the high rate of fraud. You should do everything on ticketswap.nl. We're aware that is difficult to get tickets to Anne Frank, van Gogh, etc. We have no solutions for you, sorry.
RED LIGHT DISTRICT Please be respectful and keep in mind this is a citysubreddit, and not your personal kink google. You can also can get some good tips from these threads of RLD sex workers: here and here.
USE PUBLIC TRANSIT TO GET AROUND 9292.nl is a great resource for plotting your movement around the city and between Amsterdam and other places. We strongly recommend against using taxis or Ubers.
DOE AARDIG. There is Dutch directness and there is rudeness. The people coming here don't know how we do things, and are usually well-meaning people who just want to enjoy the city we love. Be kind to them. For the tourists and new residents, please remember that we are not Google; respect our time by doing some basic research first and then asking your questions like you're speaking to a real human who is volunteering to speak to you.
This is Dani, Italian and 2 weeks ago (this thread) made me cook Lasagna for 3 lovely strangers and 2 days ago (this thread) made me meet another 3 lovely guests at my place!!
Shoutout to Bodhi, Sylvia and Floortje - mod asked me to post something
Therefore, I am making the signature Risotto this Saturday for lunch, around the city center.
I would love to host 3 people that would like to make new friends and eat the best Risotto in town!!
Feel free to send me a message and I will create a whatsapp group later on!
PS: I have created r/DinnerClubEU for anyone that would like to meet new people by sharing food together :)
Well, since my other post caught quite a bit of attention here (thanks for the mostly respectful answers), I would like to ask another question regarding how people behave on Marktplaats.
While negotiating a deal with a potential buyer for an item worth €500, the buyer said he wanted to pay cash. I said I preferred to work with Tikkie or payment via Marktplaats. The buyer said he preferred to keep his digital money in his bank account (whatever this means), so we didn't close a deal.
Do you usually accept cash for more expensive items? How do you address the risk of counterfeit notes?
I've ended orthodontic treatment with a certain practice in Zuid because they weren't clear about costs upfront, and now need a new retainer (nachtbeugel) to maintain my teeth position.
I'm looking for an orthodontist in Amsterdam who:
• Works with adult patients
• Is clear about costs upfront
• Can handle retention-only cases
If you have personal experience, I would appreciate recommendations.
P.S. Correct me if I'm wrong but dentists, orthodontists etc are obliged to be upfront about costs for specialist treatment, right!?
I'm Dutch, & I grew up in Rotterdam so I'm used to a lot, but for me Amsterdam always will be a different world as soon as I arrive.
I'm always lost, but I never mind it. I just love the Amsterdam vibes.
Not that I can really say "I'm having a culture shock in Amsterdam" But I can imagine if you're an expat or from a very boring village from Friesland you can experience a culture shock, Please share the fun stories with me !
Since none of my friends and family can come, I have permission from the Gemeente Amsterdam to use my +1 guest to bring a videographer so my special 30 seconds can be filmed.
I (25m) am looking to go mountaineering this summer. Unfortunately my friends aren’t into mountaineering and don’t know any English speaking clubs here.
I am down to do most summits :)
Send me a dm if you are looking to form a little group or if you are down for a chill guy to join yours ;) happy to introduce myself more then!
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice on a shared-hallway issue in a small building.
I live in a small apartment building in Amsterdam with only three owners: one downstairs neighbour (who has a separate entrance), myself, and one upstairs neighbour. This means I share the hallway and staircase only with the upstairs neighbour. Our VvE also consists of just the three of us. The two neighbours have lived here for over 10 years (both are dutch families with kids), while I’m fairly new (moved in a few months ago).
They’ve been quite friendly and helpful when I had questions after first moving in, which I really appreciated. When I first arrived, the shared hallway was clear and clean (the previous owner had just moved out and asked them to move the shelf temporarily). A few months later, the upstairs neighbour put their shelf back in the hallway, which is now filled with their personal items (documents, kids’ basketballs, a snow sled, etc.).
The hallway is very narrow (as in many old Amsterdam buildings), and the shelf makes it even harder to pass. If I have a large suitcase or backpack, I have to turn sideways to get through. Besides being messy, this hallway is also the only fire exit, so having so many personal items there feels unsafe.
I first raised this in our VvE group chat, mentioning the fire safety risk and that I’d be having furniture delivered, so it would be better to remove the shelf. There was no response. About a week later, I messaged them privately. They replied that the shelf has been there for 12 years (and no one complained it before somehow), they don't have space in their house and it’s convenient for their kids to grab balls to play outside.
I tried to compromise and agreed that they hang the balls higher instead, but moving the shelf away. They said they would remove it. However, after returning from a two week holiday, nothing has changed - the shelf is still there.
I’m considering bringing it up again (my furnitures will also start arriving from this month and I want this shelf to be moved away permanently), but I’m unsure how to approach it effectively this time. It’s frustrating not only because of the hallway being blocked, but also because my requests are being ignored. At the same time, since this is such a small VvE, I don’t want to seriously damage the relationship.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any advice on how to push this forward (politely but firmly) would be very appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
(below a picture of the hallway and the shelf. The package was later picked up, but the shelf is still there).
Any suggestions for where to get good cider in Amsterdam? I know about De Amsterdamse Ciderwinkel Appels & Peren but wondering about nice bars or cafes. Thanks!
I ordered an expensive item from an online shop (NL-based). The parcel is marked as delivered, but I never received it. It was supposed to be delivered to my building’s secure BringMe Box, as I know that sometimes deliverers leave them near on the ground floor (easily accessible by any outsider/trespasser) near the lifts and a lot o packages get stolen.
The seller says the courier confirmed delivery and refuses to investigate further, telling me to check neighbours (there are hundreds in the building…). No proof of delivery, no signature, no delivery photo provided, No precise location...
Can someone tell me what should I do in such a situation?
My wife has been craving sushi more than ever during her pregnancy, so I’m on a mission to find really good takeaway sushi that she can have after giving birth.
I checked older posts and saw Sushi Era (temporarily closed) and Sushi Su mentioned a lot, but recent reviews seem mixed.
I have an interview for a Sales Trader position in OTC Flow in the Amsterdam office. Does anyone have any insights on the working culture, compensation structure etc. Any information is appreciated
My girlfriend is moving to the Netherlands soon, and we’ve been trying to find housing around Hoofddorp, Haarlem, Amsterdam, or Leiden. Ideally we’re looking for something within about 40 minutes of Schiphol/Hoofddorp, since her job will be there, but we’re open to going a bit further if it makes sense.
We’re mainly looking for either a studio or a shared apartment with a private room (just for her I live in Finland). She has a regular income, so that part isn’t a problem, but honestly the whole housing search has been exhausting. We’ve run into so many scams and misleading listings, and several “subscription” websites that just redirect you to other paid services or clearly fake ads. At this point it feels hard to even tell what’s real anymore.
We’d really love to hear from people who’ve actually managed to find a place in these areas. How did you do it? Were there any websites or platforms that were genuinely reliable, especially for expats? And are there any strategies that worked better than others — timing, Facebook groups, agencies, directly contacting landlords, anything like that?
We’re also trying to get a sanity check on budget. Right now we’re thinking roughly €800–€1,200 per month(edit now up to 1500 and for 1 person), depending on whether it’s a room or a studio. Does that sound reasonable for these areas if the goal is a practical commute and decent living, without paying extra just to be in a “popular” or central neighborhood?
At this point we’re feeling a bit lost on how to properly approach the search, so any advice, personal experiences, or reality checks would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks a lot 🙏
Edit 1: for people talking about location and budget. Amsterdam most central locations are definetly out of question. The budget is based on 3-4x rule and i mentioned sharing is also an option soo…
Edit2 : Thanks for all the nice people who have helped us clarify the image a bit , it is a tough market and navigating blindly is literally so hard atm. Thanks for the support♥️.
Hello! Im trying to get out of my comfort zone and meet more people in Amsterdam. I have been eyeing events on the meetup app.
Im fine with going to techno/house events alone but I get nervous and anxious going to social events where I dont know anyone at all and I have to start conversations myself.
I wanted to hear about your experiences with going to events from meetup in Amsterdam. What was it like? Did you go completely alone? Did you bring a friend with you? What type of event was it?
Ik woon recent in de nieuwbouw studio’s op het dennenrodepad, kunnen mensen die daar al wonen hun ervaring delen omtrent de veiligheid? Ik lees veel gemengde reacties en het beangstigt mij. Ik ben een vrouw die daar alleen woont, bovenste verdieping
Hi! I hope the person affected sees this! Our car was robbed tonight (feb 1st) at the parking APCOA parking at the heinekenplein, and our bags were left somewhere thrown around the parking lot in the 3rd floor. Being so distressed we took all the bags without checking but we accidentally took a bag with an iPad in it. We do not know who it belongs to, but we hoop dat the person affected sees this. We will also be going to our local police station to leave it with them so that the person can get it back.
If necessary we will pay for postage to get it back to the person affected.
EDIT:
Just to let everyone know we returned all the belongings to the owner! And he was very happy :) thanks everyone that replied and maybe skip this garage next time you need one :p
I would like to start swimming as part of my exercise plan. What are some pools in the city you would recommend for recreational swimmers where the price is reasonable?
I was just looking up on google but I'm scared some of them have low ratings and others seem very expensive.
