Please comment on my Amsterdam weekend itinerary.

[oldschoolsmoker]

Hi all, I'm planning on spending a weekend in Amsterdam sometime between December and February. Why a weekend? Because it's all the time I'll have off, but I'd like to get to Amsterdam soon just to say I've done it.

Anyways: the flights I'm looking at all leave midday on Thursdays, flying from my hometown to a hub before changing planes to an AMS-bound flight. Airfare is averaging $900.00 round-trip at the moment.

After landing around six on a Friday morning, and collecting my luggage, I'll take the metro line from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal Station. From there to Warmoesstraat (your advice on how requested here - foot? bus? taxi?) where I'm hoping to stay at the Greenhouse Effect hotel or somewhere nearby.

After checking into my hotel room I'd have the rest of the day Friday, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday to fool about, leaving Monday around midday, arriving in my hometown Tuesday.

Here's where I request your advice and comments.

... Among the coffee shops I'm interested in are Baba, Stone's Corner, and the Bulldog coffeeshop, as well as any others close to the Oude Kerk. The Greenhouse Effect also has an in-house coffeeshop. I'll be looking for cannabis and coffee in the shops, so high-quality both would be great.

... Bars and places serving alcohol beverages near the Oude Kerk would also be great. It's my understanding that places that sell cannabis cannot also sell alcohol, is that true?

... I'm contemplating the ladies of the Red Light District. Any experience here would be interesting to hear.

... Has anyone brought back a CLEAN glass piece from Amsterdam? I have no interest in breaking the law but would love to bring back a cool pipe from a headshop in the 'dam.

... Your advice concerning restaurants around the Oude Kerk would be especially nice. Gotta eat, of course.

... Other random advice also appreciated.

Thanks guys!

 

[biteme]

make sure your hotel is booked before you leave home. adam is one of those great party towns that may seem quiet during the week but jamming on weekends and the rates reflect this fact. central station is old adam which is where you want to be and depending on your hotel location, you can cab or ride the trolley or walk even. the coffee houses you mentioned are all in old adam as is the red lights which is a class act imo. it's the blue lights that are strange. and i would not worry too much about eating in the short time you are there as there is plenty of street food for all tastes. you need to figure a way to spend more time there than a long weekend. hell you could well fall into a deep sleep after your first round with the nederhash and wake up only in time to leave. peace-biteme

 

[hom]

Lovely place to visit. Wouldnt bother with the coffeeshops you mentioned tho.... overpriced and too touristy. The greenhouse effect is a cool spot to stay. Try to get the apartments. more room and still in the centre. takes abòut 5 mins to walk to the GHE from the station. Try to stop in at the prix d'ami coffeeshop on your way. think its down an alley on your right once you cross the tram tracks and roads and land on the damrak(main drag). Look for the pink neon signs. They have a good selection of weed and hash. As for other good smoking spots try Katsu... Bluebird for their beautiful black hash(go for the kashmir...tasty)....Tweede Kamer...follow your nose. Great sushi restaraunt beside niewmarkt square.... mmmmmm..lucky bastard.

 

[STRAINZ]

Coffeshop Recommendations: Greenhouse (good bud, great variety, crowded), Barneys (Good all around), Grey Area (good & unique herb), Abraxas (for good bud & chill spot), The Dolphin (for the chill spot downstairs).

Restaurants: Savini (Italian), Los Pilones (Authentic Mexican.....right by The Dolphin coffeeshop)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that places don't sell alcohol and bud!

 

[oldschoolsmoker]

What's a reasonable per-day coffee shop budget?

A lot of the pricing guides I've found online concern 2006/2007 ... €7 per g. for Dutch Skunk buds, €8 per g. for Nepali 'temple ball' hash. I typically smoke 2 g. per day of good weed. Maybe €20 per day for the coffee shops? (€60 [$82] for my three day trip)

 

[Hazyfontazy]

What's a reasonable per-day coffee shop budget?

A lot of the pricing guides I've found online concern 2006/2007 ... €7 per g. for Dutch Skunk buds, €8 per g. for Nepali 'temple ball' hash. I typically smoke 2 g. per day of good weed. Maybe €20 per day for the coffee shops? (€60 [$82] for my three day trip)

if this is your first trip i'd treble that ,
your first morning or few hours u will spend that much finding some weed u like, ,then u will get the munchies in probably the best munchie city in the world,then you'll try some hash and get the munchies again, then more weed and then u may be brave enough to have a beer and watch the footie on tv ,then more munchies ,then bed and then get up and do it all again

just to give u an idea of whats in town ,theres plenty of recent prices here,,
http://www.csfroghollow.nl/

have fun

,browsing through the above site it appears a lot of the coffeshops prices are lower than before

 

[Hazyfontazy]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that places don't sell alcohol and bud!

u can smoke bud in plenty of bars ,some coffeshops have a bar next door or opposite ,barneys and kadinsky come to mind,,
kadinsky is in a perfect location
http://www.coffeeshop.freeuk.com/Kadinsky2.html
their bar is opposite,
burger bar is 100 yds and crapdonalds and kfc close by and loads of other eateries and bars

 

[titoon29]

coffeshops you are mentioning are way too commercial and don't provide the best quality buds.

follow the recommendations in the previous posts...

no alcohol sold in coffee shop, but there are so much good buds around to try that I reckon you won't be able to drink anyway

Many friendly people in amsterdam, always nice to share some experiences and buds !

but your trip will def be too short... I'ld say at least 5/7 days to adjust would be nice...

++

 

[oldschoolsmoker]

No worries titoon, I'm planning this short trip as a way to get a little taste of the city before committing to spending the full month of April there.

hazy - thanks for the links + info. Bookmarked the coffeeshop price site first thing.

 

[Gastro]

Dont go to baba and the bull dog. You will be in the Red Light district, it will be busy, and expensive, remember you are in the place that is meant to be touristic.
If you want to go to a shop near RLD, the stones is ok and the green place, green house oudezijds, and at sensi's you can buy beer and smoke. which is all on the RLD side of damrak. Go to the Haarlemmerstraat for Barney's and the Dampkring.
Go for a minimal spending budget of 100euros a day for food and herb, and that means you wont be doing anything else like musea or parties. If you wanna go to either add atleast another 15 euros for a museum visit, or 50e for partying.

 

[mr.haze420]

sorry to say there is no coffeeshop selling both beer and smoke, the sensi cafe is closed and is now just a seed shop

 

[macamus33]

Will be there in 4 days. I reccommend Grey Area, Barney's, Amnesia, Mellow Yellow, Rookies, Greenhouse just to name a few.

 

[Gastro]

sorry to say there is no coffeeshop selling both beer and smoke, the sensi cafe is closed and is now just a seed shop

Boooh, So where do all the growers hang out nowadays? Used to be so nice at Sensis to actually smoke some homegrown and talk weed with people that had knowledge of it. And drink beer ofcourse

 

[Hempyfan]

When I went I just like to wander and coffeeshop hop. I had the wildest time doing that. The rest are just tourist traps great for a minute but then get out and about and see the sights of the wonderfully weird in the tucked away corners.