Travelling to Amsterdam in January?

[sash]

Hi guys,
I'm dreaming about going for a holiday January next year... Of course, I'd love to spend a week or so in Amsterdam. It seems the weather is rather cold that time of year. Just wondering if anyone had any experiences to share about travelling to Europe around that time, and if the cold had an impact on their travels?

Thanks.

 

[mriko]

yup, January is cold season in A'dam, definitely ! Shouldn't prevent you from travelling, but climate is going so berzek that anything is possible !
Just bring in warm woolen cloth and you'll be fine. And, well..., if you walk from a coffeeshop to another, then cold won't be a problem heheh !
I like cold weather in A'dam, nice to sit on a canal side and light on a good imported-hash joint. nice to feel the warming effect and the tasty hashy waves filling the body and mind.
Hmmm, long time not been there, I think I'll try to go before netxt spring !

Irie !

 

[Guest]

Any Amsterdam tips....?!

Any Amsterdam tips....?!

Im tryin to go in mid to late Jan. I like the thought of staying at places with a coffeeshop on premises, i.e. greenhouse effect, le canna. Or a cheap hotel close to red light and central station. Still searchin, will be by myself, is it possible to hire a stoner host of some sort when ya get there, lol, I prolly just roam myself. Would like advice on cheap hotel, though from peeps who been. Thanks, and any other important tidbit, let her fly. Still wrappin my head around a 10 hr plane ride.

 

[Guest]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=31979

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=32985&highlight=Amsterdam+vacation

 

[CCronik]

I will be in Amsterdam from Jan 3rd till Jan 12th, Plane tickets on card and hotel reserved NO GOING BACK NOW!!!! Heres my thread about it , PM me if you got any questions or wanna meet up for a smoke

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=39763

 

[Alan Wake]

A cheap hotel near CS = Perfection

A cheap hotel near CS = Perfection

It seems like a few of us Ic'ers like Dam in Jan, I will also be there (only for two days), check CCronik's thread for more details.

I've got great memories of Amsterdam during Jan and I make it a MUST to go every year.

I love it when it snows and I don't mind the rain (being from the UK), the wind however is a different story, I got a very bad headache from the icey wind this year because I left my hat in a Coffeeshop (I will not be making that mistake again) so my tip would be bring a hat unless you have alot of hair

Hope to see you there

 

[AzLaker]

The wife and I will be there from 12/27 to 1/04/07. Staying at Uptown/Rookies Hotel. Nice place, with Rookies coffeeshop downstairs.
Rented a single last April for ACD's 4/20 hook-up. Clean rooms, good breakfast, and prices are decent. Plenty of Coffeeshops near by, like Noon, Dolphins, and Rokerji, just to name a few. Plus your in Leideplein's with many resturants, clubs, and museums.
Hooking up with some folks from Channel's, and ACD/VDF. Really looking forward to New Years Eve, one BIG party, all night long. Anybody going and want to hook-up, give me a PM.
AzLaker

 

[waydee]

I always make my trips to Amsterdam in December/January mainly because its real quiet in the city, flights are cheaper for the most part as well as accomodation.

Most things are open and you'll still find other people making the pilgrimage but you're also likely to find yourself being the only foreigner in a coffeshop!

The weather isn't so bad, especially for a brit - climate is very similar at that time of year, likely to rain and a bit cold but nothing bad and the city can look beautiful in the winter mornings, sun shining and crisp air - no better climate to go out and sit in a nice cosy coffeeshop and enjoy a joint with your morning coffee.

 

[waydee]

Im tryin to go in mid to late Jan. I like the thought of staying at places with a coffeeshop on premises, i.e. greenhouse effect, le canna. Or a cheap hotel close to red light and central station. Still searchin, will be by myself, is it possible to hire a stoner host of some sort when ya get there, lol, I prolly just roam myself. Would like advice on cheap hotel, though from peeps who been. Thanks, and any other important tidbit, let her fly. Still wrappin my head around a 10 hr plane ride.

http://www.hotelutopia.nl/

Take a look at that place man, i've stayed there before with a buddy and while the accomodation is simple its more than adequate. You get your own locking room with sink, tv and some pretty basic furniture, a key to the outside door, each floor has 4 rooms which share a bathroom and shower which seemed to work out fine, the utopia coffeshop is right next door (they run the 'hotel' too) and you get a free coffee and croissant in the morning if you're staying there the weed aint bad either and its easy to meet people staying at the place because everyone is down in the coffeeshop in the morning having a quick joint with breakfast. Good conversation from the owner and staff too.

Best of all its really cheap for what you get which is basically more privacy than any hostel will provide for you - no sharing a dorm with a bunch of noisy italians here! although that can be fun.

check it out.

edit: just to make it clear, this is hostel style accomodation and thus is what is affectionaly known as basic, its basically fine if you just need a bed to sleep on at night and maybe somehwere to sit and chill (watch some dutch tv when you're baked, for some reason we found a few of the gameshows absolutely hillarious) after a night out. Its a bit of a stretch to describe this place as a hotel but as long as your expectations are on par with the €25 a night price you'll be fine its clean and warm and thats what you need.

 

[Alex-F]

^^ yea Utopia is fine if you're not picky I would stay there again if I was going by myself, if the missus was coming however we'd go for something else

 

[KC420]

My wife and I go to A'Dam every year. The last couple of years we have rented an apartment in the Centrum near the Zuiderkerk, between The Bluebird and CS Basjoe (two really good coffee shops...). When we retire, we will spend six months every year there unless we can get permanent residency, and wil lmove there for good.

Not much more cost than a decent hotel, and with full kitchen, we can "wake and bake" while the muffins are baking in the oven! We never left the apartment without a doob and some hash...

We stay for a week or two, and we can wash and dry clothes for free. In all, I think the apartment is cheaper in the long run. I couldn't stay in a hotel for a week at a time!

The visitors in the apartment even "pay it forward"... there were grinders, pipes, papers, even some hash left from previous guests. A roach clip we left last year was still there this year!

Next year, however, we are going to rent a houseboat.

www.simplyamsterdam.com was where we found our apartment.

As for cold, it could be a bitch. We have been there in Spring for 4/20 and Queen's Day, and it was bitter cold at night. That wind coming off the water bites right through you. Heck, I got caught in a downpour in August this year, and got chilled to the bone walking from Puccinni Chocolates back to the apartment! Of course, the Puccinni bon-bons and some hot coffee and I was good to go all over again.

Damn, I need to check flight costs! All this talk about A'Dam is making me "home sick"!

 

[AYA]

Utopia is great , very good Oldstyle Orange bud they had, perfect for that wake'n'bake along with a nice espresso...mmmm....
The hotel as said is basic but clean and dirt cheap ; 6-8 dorms in A'dam hostels will run you for minimum 20€, go to Utopia add 5 and you've got your own room!
Otherwise as KC420 said rent an appartment, i got one with 2 friends for 3 days we had a blast!!!!! Black leather sofas, bronze statues, enough space and mattresses for 5-7 people and right accross the street from the Dolphin! If i'm correct it was in 2002 and i think we paid the 35-45m² flat about 110 or 120€ a night.MUCH better than going to the hotel when you're with mates! You can go crazy no maid to wake you up at 10am and check the room! Think raoul duke....