Amsterdam

Katexx

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Amsterdam is a lovely city to walk around. The train from schipol whisks you right into the heart of the City. Dont worry about the red light area. It is very tightly bordered into a particular area an d really, its nothing like the streets full of crack !!!!!s that you might see in seedy parts of our big cities. In fact ,the girls in the windows dress normally and its more like a model parade. Some of the shops are a bit obvious. Aside from that,when visiting the Anne frank haus,get there early as they can have big queues.

Dressed normally? If tight, tacky lingerie and leather corsets are normal then perhaps, lol. I found it really seedy there, easily the worst part of my Amsterdam trip. Wouldn't go again or recommend it, personally.

I found the Anne Frank Haus interesting, I'd recommend it. I would avoid Rijksmuseum personally if it's still under construction - when I went in March there was barely anything there but they still charged full entry, bit overpriced! The Tropenmuseum was far more interesting and better value IMO. The zoo was overall pretty good, although a handful exhibits needed definite improvements.

kiss_me_now9

dickydonkin wrote: »

Disneyland it isn't - but (this is only my opinion) I think it is important to teach our kids about Anne Frank and what lessons we have (hopefully) learnt from history.

Auschwitz is another place which some may find depressing, but brings to the fore how evil the human race can be and I believe is a place that should also be visited.

I'd like to visit Auschwitz one day but like McKneff said, I knew what happened to her and have actively avoided reading her diary as I knew it would upset me far too much, being a bit of a Germanophile I'm definitely not unaware of what happened (on all sides) in two devastating wars. Just not what I want to see when I'm on holiday really... Felt a bit odd wandering around the red light district in the morning and then going there in the afternoon.

I agree with the Rijksmuseum, wait until it's redone to go there!

knightstyle

Our Dutch friends showed us some old steam pumping stations just outside Amsterdam, this is one http://www.stoomgemaalhalfweg.nl/ and there were two more close by.

C_Mababejive

Katexx wrote: »

Dressed normally? If tight, tacky lingerie and leather corsets are normal then perhaps, lol. I found it really seedy there, easily the worst part of my Amsterdam trip. Wouldn't go again or recommend it, personally.

I found the Anne Frank Haus interesting, I'd recommend it. I would avoid Rijksmuseum personally if it's still under construction - when I went in March there was barely anything there but they still charged full entry, bit overpriced! The Tropenmuseum was far more interesting and better value IMO. The zoo was overall pretty good, although a handful exhibits needed definite improvements.

Well i know what you mean. Theres the whole chocolate box choice of !!!!!s from young preppy student types right through to big black mammas as some girls who..err...arent girls but the thing is,they stay in their windows and so are non threatening. I think its a bit like being in a human zoo or art gallery and i guess men and women who want to avail themselves of their services can do so without feeling in danger. as for me,well i have no interest in them from that point of view. It is just another part of the amsterdam scene. By the way, if you do walk round the RLD in the evening and people approach you or whipser in your ear about any wares they might be selling..just ignore them and keep walking.

hartcjhart

take a look at these guides and make a list of what you may like

http://traveldk.com/amsterdam/shared-guides

also good for other cities

MacD_2

jm2926 wrote: »

We really enjoyed the boat tour and the visit to the canal boat museum, which didn't take long but was very interesting. Also a great insight into the history and people of Amsterdam was the Chapel in the Attic and the museum Van Loon.

Hi this may be a silly question, but is it possible to make it over to the Netherlands from the UK in a canal boat?

adouglasmhor

The resistance museum it's near the zoo and also has an exhibit on the Indonesian Campaign aftert he war.http://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/museum/


Get an Ams card and it gives you public transort, bus, tram and underground, and entrance to museums and discounts to other atractions. http://www.iamsterdamcard.com/

adouglasmhor

The maritime Museum is worth a vist as well, not far from Stopera.

hartcjhart

MacD wrote: »

Hi this may be a silly question, but is it possible to make it over to the Netherlands from the UK in a canal boat?

Hi yes it is, there was a tv programme a few years back about a couple that did it

Voyager2002

MacD wrote: »

Hi this may be a silly question, but is it possible to make it over to the Netherlands from the UK in a canal boat?

Look up the book "We Didn't Mean to go to Sea", which tells the story of that journey. Not something to be attempted lightly: the North Sea is not exactly a duck-pond.