Thepurplem0nkey
New Member
Ok, I've seen so many threads go off topic and turn into panning sessions for traveling to Amsterdam, I decided to create in depth thread about it for those interested in the subject. I have been to Amsterdam 3 times and traveled months at a time throughout Europe, always the student backpacking style as I am not rich.
First, you need to plan a TIME to go. I have ONLY been to Europe during the winter months, due to my visual impairment (Light makes me sick, literally). But winter, while very cold, snowy, and wet, offers some excellent advantages. First of all, it is a L O T less crowded. Prices are CHEAPER for lodging. Europeans abound, not tourists from OTHER countries/continents.
Summer time, however, offers a much larger crowd, with the stress if lines and competing for rooms with the other millions of travelers seeking accommodation. It is much warmer, some say prettier, and you won't have any problem meeting fellow Americans or other travelers.
Spring is probably one of the best times to go, especially to Amsterdam, due to the beauty and cultural events. Amsterdam and the Netherlands are known for their beautiful Tulips and flowers, and this is the time to see them
Fall is also an ideal time to go. You can hop over to Germany for Oktoberfest, the weather isn’t too hot and it's not too cold yet.
I'll reiterate that the most AFFORDABLE time to go is winter, after New Years.
Ok, so once you have a time decided, you need to start planning on how you are going to get there. Most suckers will simply shell out money for a standard ticket. That’s good if you have an unlimited budget. For those of us with less disposable assets, we want to find better deals then the outrageous amounts they charge at the airlines. Your BEST BET for affordable tickets is to buy a student fare. Even if you are not a student, you might still be able to get away with telling whatever company that you ARE a student. One time, when I was out of school after graduating, I merely went to my college’s web page and copied my transcripts into a word document. I then changed the date of the semester to show I was currently a student, and that got me a student ticket. A student ticket round trip to Amsterdam, will run you around 600 bucks after taxes, maybe a bit less if you get it early enough.
Here are two of the best sights for student tickets I know of:
www.statravel.com
www.studentuniverse.com
Well, let’s say you don’t want to or can not possibly pass for a student. No problem. There are many other options. If you are going to be spending less than two weeks in any given location, you can get courier passage. What's a courier? Well, companies are shipping things all the time. It’s cheaper to send an item with an individual, such as papers, documents, or whatever, than it is to ship it. So a courier agrees to fly to whatever destination the item is going to, deliver it to the designated individual at the airport of destination, and then travel back with ANOTHER item a week or so later. This has been a popular way for CHEAP travel since the 60's. I'm sure I'm not explaining it very well because I have never used the service (My father has numerous times) but it's common practice, nothing shady, anything like that. The tickets usually run you 100-250 bucks. There IS a catch, however.. Generally speaking, courier flights are not set in stone. In other words, if you MUST leave on December 20th for Amsterdam, and you have NO leeway, then you can’t do a courier flight. A courier flight would state, you are leaving anytime on December 18, 19th, 20th, or 21st. SO, SOME flexibility is required. Also, if you are planning on spending a month or so abroad a courier flight, round trop, is fairly short, a week or s at the most.
Ok, so you don’t want courier OR student flights. Your next best bet is to scour the internet for good deals. My buddy was able to find a flight on Luftstansa (A German airline), without claiming he was a student, for cheaper than I got my STUDENT ticket on US Airways. He looked around better than I did. Look at all the airlines that go to Europe, many f which are based in Europe so you might not have heard of. Visit their pages and look for specials. Also, go to all of the bargain websites you can possibly find. Google searching for "cheap tickets" or "cheap flights" will probably bring up a wealth of these web pages. Some offer amazing deals, some are obviously shite.
Now you have your ticket, what next? Now you need to make arrangements for your lodging. I can NOT stress enough the greatness of Hostels. I know there has been a movie out recently about torture that involves hostels, but I have stayed in over 30 hostels in Europe, most of which are the same as hotels, just designed for young travelers. Don’t think hostels are scummy, dirty, torture palaces, that’s ridiculous. Hostels have been a European tradition for over a hundred years, maybe even longer. I’m going to lay out exactly what a hostel IS, for those not in the know.
A HOSTEL is basically affordable lodging for young travelers. In Europe, and much of the rest of the world, young people are encouraged to travel abroad before going to university. But because they are young, they obviously do not haven a lot of cash. Thus, the hostel system was created. Hostels also encourage cultural diversity, as most young travelers stay at them. A hostel is generally a dorm style accommodation. Every hostel I have stayed at has a few options: 12 bed dorm. This is a large room with 12 beds in it that you share with 12 other travelers. I have stayed in these in Germany when I forgot to make a reservation and the other rooms were filled. Not the most fun, because ASSHOLES are found in EVERY country, and in a room that you share with 11 other people, there's bound to be an asshole from some country in the group. This asshole will come in when everyone is sleeping at 1am, drunk, noisy, and oblivious, turning on lights and waking everyone up. Not the most fun, but at 12-18 bucks a night, how can you go wrong? Next, there are 8, 6, 4, and 2 bedded rooms. The less beds, generally speaking, the higher the price. TO share a room with 3 of your buddies (IE: Get a 4 bedded room) would run each of you about 30 bucks a night. When I travel alone, I generally make reservations for 6 beds and below, just because the 12 bedded rooms are generally louder, and I can afford spending the extra 5-10 bucks for less people.
Hostels usually have a shower and bathroom on each floor that everyone on that floor ahs access too. Some hostels, particularly in Amsterdam, have showers and bathrooms PER ROOM! In a hostel, you get a bunk bed, but you must bring your own (recommended) or rent sleep sheets. A sleep sheet is basically a sleeping bag made out of sheets. Every hostel I have been too also provides you with a locker next to your bed (bring your own lock and chain) to store your valuables, a washing machine/dryer, a bar, a restaurant, and a travel information center. Every hostel has a time period where you must be out of your room. This is to not only allow the people to clean it up (like maid service), but it also encourages you to get out and explore.
Hostels are run by the GOVERNMENT in most countries, such as Germany. But there are MABNY privately owned hostels as well. For example, there's a group called HOSTELING INTERNATIONAL, an American based group that has hostels in every country. Their hostels have specific standards, such as no smoking indoors, cleanliness requirements of rooms, required smoke detectors in each room (Which I covered with a zip lock bag to enjoy my marijuana) and other standards most Americans have grown accustomed to. Their hostel in Amsterdam, which is located near Vondelpark (South West Amsterdam), is no different than a hotel. Each room has its OWN toilet and shower. Each room has its OWN electronic door lock activated by a credit card type key. They have a downstairs bar/eatery, travel information, internet access, and they are very clean and polite. No torture, No roaches. And....no dugs ;-) All Hostel International’s do not allow drug use....even in Amsterdam. You smoke outside. I smoked inside all the time and no one bothered me, but it's just something to be aware of.
Then there are the privately owned hostels, such as another hostel in Amsterdam, located right near the city square, train station, and every coffee shop in the city, called THE FLYING PIG. Their cleanliness level left something to be desired, in my opinion, but they ENCOURAGE pot smoking. They have a downstairs DVD room with a large TV and huge DVD library. They play FREE movies, while you hit the bong, eat a space cake, drink some Rum, gobble some fungus, or do whatever it is you do in Amsterdam. Their rooms ALSO have a private toilet and shower, although not as nice or big as Hostel Internationals.
Home
Finally, you can sty in a HOTEL, but what a WASTE OF MONEY that is, in my opinion. If your goal is to spend time in your room, then by all means waste your money on a hotel room. If your goal is to TRAVEL, spending time in your room to sleep, then go to a HOSTEL. I have nothing to really say about hotels. The only difference between an American hotel and a European hotel is size. Their bathrooms are tiny, their rooms are much smaller. Neff said.
If you are traveling in the wintertime, after New Years, Hostel's wont be a problem checking into. If you are traveling during the summer time, a reservation is a MUST if you want to stay there. Id recommend making reservations ANYWAY, there’s nothing worse than showing up, tired and grouchy, to a new place and learning that the place you planning on staying at is booked up because a local high school was on a field trip. Hostel International is the way to go, but spending on your personality, you may want to go somewhere else (such as the Flying Pig Downtown). That's where the internet comes into play. LOOK AROUND ONLINE, for hostels in Amsterdam, and then look for reviews of people who have stayed there. For example, I originally was going to stay at "Bobs Youth Hostel" in Amsterdam, because they were the most affordable. When I began reading reviews of people who have stayed there, I quickly cancelled my reservation. Complaints of dirty mattresses, fucked up bookings, and unsanitary rooms saved me from a possibly miserable stay. Just like hotels, there are always going to be shady, bad Hostels. That shouldn't villanize the 99% of the other ones that are excellent accommodations. DO YOUR RESEARCH! I have little sympathy for people who wind up staying in lousy hotels/hostels when a simple internet search would have told them it was shite in the first place.
Ok, so you have everything set....ticket and accommodations. NOW WHAT??? Well, now you get your as over there man!!! The most disorienting feeling is landing in a different country whose language you don’t speak. I usually land in Paris, and make my way over to Amsterdam. Fucking terrified the first time I did this, because while it may seem simple enough in your mind to exit a plane, it’s terribly difficult when every sign is in French and no one speaks English. How do you even FIND the freaking exit to get out of the Airport?? I took me a good HOUR to even exit the damned building the first time I was there. Then when you get outside, how do you find the train? There are busses, but which one LEADS to the train? Prepare yourself as much as you can BEFORE you get on the plane. Print out DETAILED DIRECTIONS on how to get to your hostel/hotel/point of destination. This will save you some headaches and lost time that could have been spent getting to know your area of interest, as opposed to stressing out and trying to figure out how to even GET there. Amsterdam is a good place for First timers to begin, as almost everyone there speaks English. Even still, the street signs are NOT like they are in the US. Street signs are much smaller, and are placed sporadically in Amsterdam. For example, one time I was following a street and the tiny sign was posted on the side of a building. At first glance, I assumed it was a plaque that went to the building. Another time, the street I was following was posted on the canopy of a local business. At first glance, it looked like the name of the business! Another thing to consider is that even if you can see the signs, they are much different. "Hollywood Way" "The Old Road", names like that don’t exist. More like, "Dkjrollt" and "Stpfhinglok" which look the same after a while and are confusing to those who don’t speak Dutch. So...HAVE DIRECTIONS, with mileage, at the ready so you at least have SOME idea of where you are supposed to go.
Also, prior to leaving, study up on the local customs. In Paris, it is the custom to say "Bonjour" when you enter an establishment to the owner, or if it's night time, "Bonsoir", which means good day/ good night. I said that EVEYR time I entered a store, and never had ANY rudeness from anyone, even though I didn’t speak French. I noticed SEVERAL Americans who entered the store, and unaware of the cultural norm, said nothing. They were treated very rudely. So, are the French rude people, or were the Americans? In this case, the Americans were. It would be like someone sitting next to you letting out a huge fart and not saying anything. A crime? No. Rude enough to piss you off? Yes. The same principle applies here. Learn the customs of where you are going, including the BASIC "Thank You", "Hello" and "Goodbye". Not only is it the CONSIDERATE thing to do when entering another country, but it will help you get by.
Keep in mind also of where you come from and how you represent that place. When in America, there is NOTHING wrong with acting like an American. When abroad, you should act like the locals. In Amsterdam, for example, it is expected that you sit in an empty seat....regardless if that seat is at a table where strangers are already sitting. I always have to chuckle to myself when I’m in Amsterdam and I'm sitting down enjoying a smoke; there are usually about 3 empty seats scattered throughout the place. An American will always walk in, and look around, noticing no empty booth or table, and stand there like a putz for 30 minutes, sometimes even an hour...until a table opens up and they scurry over to it, only to have strangers sit next to them LOL. The thing to do is to go up to a table, and ask politely if it's ok for you to sit there. I have N E V E R had anyone say no, and many times they don’t even speak my language. The only people I have seen no (and it wasn’t to me) was...surprise...a group of young American's.
Along the same subject, DO NOT...I repeat...DO NOT expect people to speak English to you. In other words, it's terribly rude to go up to a stranger in another country and begin spouting off English at them. It's the same principle as if some Mexican dude acme into your place of business and began jibber jabbing to you in Spanish. You’d probably be a little ticked. Always learn the phrase "DO you speak English" in whatever language the country uses. If it's too difficult, at the very least ASK the person "DO you speak English” in English before getting into a talk. Most people DO know it, and will appreciate you asking them first, as opposed to assuming EVERYONE speaks English. If they say NO, you can still communicate, just be creative. The point is, you extended a courtesy, and it's been my experience traveling that most people are polite and nice you are polite and curious as well. I have NO PROBLEM with a Mexican coming into my business and speaking broken English to me, or asking me if I speak Spanish. At least the dude is making an effort, or giving me the courtesy of letting me know he doesn’t speak English.
Well, that’s all I could think of to write down. Post here any questions you might have, Ill try my best to answer them.
On a final note, I'd greatly appreciate it if responses to this thread were limited to questions on travel to amsterdam, as opopsed to the usual "Wow, sounds like fun, I want to go bad'. There are enoguh threads about AMSTERDAM to post that in. The idea is to make this thread a mecca of information for people wishing to travel to Amsterdam. Thanks.
-PM
First, you need to plan a TIME to go. I have ONLY been to Europe during the winter months, due to my visual impairment (Light makes me sick, literally). But winter, while very cold, snowy, and wet, offers some excellent advantages. First of all, it is a L O T less crowded. Prices are CHEAPER for lodging. Europeans abound, not tourists from OTHER countries/continents.
Summer time, however, offers a much larger crowd, with the stress if lines and competing for rooms with the other millions of travelers seeking accommodation. It is much warmer, some say prettier, and you won't have any problem meeting fellow Americans or other travelers.
Spring is probably one of the best times to go, especially to Amsterdam, due to the beauty and cultural events. Amsterdam and the Netherlands are known for their beautiful Tulips and flowers, and this is the time to see them
Fall is also an ideal time to go. You can hop over to Germany for Oktoberfest, the weather isn’t too hot and it's not too cold yet.
I'll reiterate that the most AFFORDABLE time to go is winter, after New Years.
Ok, so once you have a time decided, you need to start planning on how you are going to get there. Most suckers will simply shell out money for a standard ticket. That’s good if you have an unlimited budget. For those of us with less disposable assets, we want to find better deals then the outrageous amounts they charge at the airlines. Your BEST BET for affordable tickets is to buy a student fare. Even if you are not a student, you might still be able to get away with telling whatever company that you ARE a student. One time, when I was out of school after graduating, I merely went to my college’s web page and copied my transcripts into a word document. I then changed the date of the semester to show I was currently a student, and that got me a student ticket. A student ticket round trip to Amsterdam, will run you around 600 bucks after taxes, maybe a bit less if you get it early enough.
Here are two of the best sights for student tickets I know of:
www.statravel.com
www.studentuniverse.com
Well, let’s say you don’t want to or can not possibly pass for a student. No problem. There are many other options. If you are going to be spending less than two weeks in any given location, you can get courier passage. What's a courier? Well, companies are shipping things all the time. It’s cheaper to send an item with an individual, such as papers, documents, or whatever, than it is to ship it. So a courier agrees to fly to whatever destination the item is going to, deliver it to the designated individual at the airport of destination, and then travel back with ANOTHER item a week or so later. This has been a popular way for CHEAP travel since the 60's. I'm sure I'm not explaining it very well because I have never used the service (My father has numerous times) but it's common practice, nothing shady, anything like that. The tickets usually run you 100-250 bucks. There IS a catch, however.. Generally speaking, courier flights are not set in stone. In other words, if you MUST leave on December 20th for Amsterdam, and you have NO leeway, then you can’t do a courier flight. A courier flight would state, you are leaving anytime on December 18, 19th, 20th, or 21st. SO, SOME flexibility is required. Also, if you are planning on spending a month or so abroad a courier flight, round trop, is fairly short, a week or s at the most.
Ok, so you don’t want courier OR student flights. Your next best bet is to scour the internet for good deals. My buddy was able to find a flight on Luftstansa (A German airline), without claiming he was a student, for cheaper than I got my STUDENT ticket on US Airways. He looked around better than I did. Look at all the airlines that go to Europe, many f which are based in Europe so you might not have heard of. Visit their pages and look for specials. Also, go to all of the bargain websites you can possibly find. Google searching for "cheap tickets" or "cheap flights" will probably bring up a wealth of these web pages. Some offer amazing deals, some are obviously shite.
Now you have your ticket, what next? Now you need to make arrangements for your lodging. I can NOT stress enough the greatness of Hostels. I know there has been a movie out recently about torture that involves hostels, but I have stayed in over 30 hostels in Europe, most of which are the same as hotels, just designed for young travelers. Don’t think hostels are scummy, dirty, torture palaces, that’s ridiculous. Hostels have been a European tradition for over a hundred years, maybe even longer. I’m going to lay out exactly what a hostel IS, for those not in the know.
A HOSTEL is basically affordable lodging for young travelers. In Europe, and much of the rest of the world, young people are encouraged to travel abroad before going to university. But because they are young, they obviously do not haven a lot of cash. Thus, the hostel system was created. Hostels also encourage cultural diversity, as most young travelers stay at them. A hostel is generally a dorm style accommodation. Every hostel I have stayed at has a few options: 12 bed dorm. This is a large room with 12 beds in it that you share with 12 other travelers. I have stayed in these in Germany when I forgot to make a reservation and the other rooms were filled. Not the most fun, because ASSHOLES are found in EVERY country, and in a room that you share with 11 other people, there's bound to be an asshole from some country in the group. This asshole will come in when everyone is sleeping at 1am, drunk, noisy, and oblivious, turning on lights and waking everyone up. Not the most fun, but at 12-18 bucks a night, how can you go wrong? Next, there are 8, 6, 4, and 2 bedded rooms. The less beds, generally speaking, the higher the price. TO share a room with 3 of your buddies (IE: Get a 4 bedded room) would run each of you about 30 bucks a night. When I travel alone, I generally make reservations for 6 beds and below, just because the 12 bedded rooms are generally louder, and I can afford spending the extra 5-10 bucks for less people.
Hostels usually have a shower and bathroom on each floor that everyone on that floor ahs access too. Some hostels, particularly in Amsterdam, have showers and bathrooms PER ROOM! In a hostel, you get a bunk bed, but you must bring your own (recommended) or rent sleep sheets. A sleep sheet is basically a sleeping bag made out of sheets. Every hostel I have been too also provides you with a locker next to your bed (bring your own lock and chain) to store your valuables, a washing machine/dryer, a bar, a restaurant, and a travel information center. Every hostel has a time period where you must be out of your room. This is to not only allow the people to clean it up (like maid service), but it also encourages you to get out and explore.
Hostels are run by the GOVERNMENT in most countries, such as Germany. But there are MABNY privately owned hostels as well. For example, there's a group called HOSTELING INTERNATIONAL, an American based group that has hostels in every country. Their hostels have specific standards, such as no smoking indoors, cleanliness requirements of rooms, required smoke detectors in each room (Which I covered with a zip lock bag to enjoy my marijuana) and other standards most Americans have grown accustomed to. Their hostel in Amsterdam, which is located near Vondelpark (South West Amsterdam), is no different than a hotel. Each room has its OWN toilet and shower. Each room has its OWN electronic door lock activated by a credit card type key. They have a downstairs bar/eatery, travel information, internet access, and they are very clean and polite. No torture, No roaches. And....no dugs ;-) All Hostel International’s do not allow drug use....even in Amsterdam. You smoke outside. I smoked inside all the time and no one bothered me, but it's just something to be aware of.
Then there are the privately owned hostels, such as another hostel in Amsterdam, located right near the city square, train station, and every coffee shop in the city, called THE FLYING PIG. Their cleanliness level left something to be desired, in my opinion, but they ENCOURAGE pot smoking. They have a downstairs DVD room with a large TV and huge DVD library. They play FREE movies, while you hit the bong, eat a space cake, drink some Rum, gobble some fungus, or do whatever it is you do in Amsterdam. Their rooms ALSO have a private toilet and shower, although not as nice or big as Hostel Internationals.
Home
Finally, you can sty in a HOTEL, but what a WASTE OF MONEY that is, in my opinion. If your goal is to spend time in your room, then by all means waste your money on a hotel room. If your goal is to TRAVEL, spending time in your room to sleep, then go to a HOSTEL. I have nothing to really say about hotels. The only difference between an American hotel and a European hotel is size. Their bathrooms are tiny, their rooms are much smaller. Neff said.
If you are traveling in the wintertime, after New Years, Hostel's wont be a problem checking into. If you are traveling during the summer time, a reservation is a MUST if you want to stay there. Id recommend making reservations ANYWAY, there’s nothing worse than showing up, tired and grouchy, to a new place and learning that the place you planning on staying at is booked up because a local high school was on a field trip. Hostel International is the way to go, but spending on your personality, you may want to go somewhere else (such as the Flying Pig Downtown). That's where the internet comes into play. LOOK AROUND ONLINE, for hostels in Amsterdam, and then look for reviews of people who have stayed there. For example, I originally was going to stay at "Bobs Youth Hostel" in Amsterdam, because they were the most affordable. When I began reading reviews of people who have stayed there, I quickly cancelled my reservation. Complaints of dirty mattresses, fucked up bookings, and unsanitary rooms saved me from a possibly miserable stay. Just like hotels, there are always going to be shady, bad Hostels. That shouldn't villanize the 99% of the other ones that are excellent accommodations. DO YOUR RESEARCH! I have little sympathy for people who wind up staying in lousy hotels/hostels when a simple internet search would have told them it was shite in the first place.
Ok, so you have everything set....ticket and accommodations. NOW WHAT??? Well, now you get your as over there man!!! The most disorienting feeling is landing in a different country whose language you don’t speak. I usually land in Paris, and make my way over to Amsterdam. Fucking terrified the first time I did this, because while it may seem simple enough in your mind to exit a plane, it’s terribly difficult when every sign is in French and no one speaks English. How do you even FIND the freaking exit to get out of the Airport?? I took me a good HOUR to even exit the damned building the first time I was there. Then when you get outside, how do you find the train? There are busses, but which one LEADS to the train? Prepare yourself as much as you can BEFORE you get on the plane. Print out DETAILED DIRECTIONS on how to get to your hostel/hotel/point of destination. This will save you some headaches and lost time that could have been spent getting to know your area of interest, as opposed to stressing out and trying to figure out how to even GET there. Amsterdam is a good place for First timers to begin, as almost everyone there speaks English. Even still, the street signs are NOT like they are in the US. Street signs are much smaller, and are placed sporadically in Amsterdam. For example, one time I was following a street and the tiny sign was posted on the side of a building. At first glance, I assumed it was a plaque that went to the building. Another time, the street I was following was posted on the canopy of a local business. At first glance, it looked like the name of the business! Another thing to consider is that even if you can see the signs, they are much different. "Hollywood Way" "The Old Road", names like that don’t exist. More like, "Dkjrollt" and "Stpfhinglok" which look the same after a while and are confusing to those who don’t speak Dutch. So...HAVE DIRECTIONS, with mileage, at the ready so you at least have SOME idea of where you are supposed to go.
Also, prior to leaving, study up on the local customs. In Paris, it is the custom to say "Bonjour" when you enter an establishment to the owner, or if it's night time, "Bonsoir", which means good day/ good night. I said that EVEYR time I entered a store, and never had ANY rudeness from anyone, even though I didn’t speak French. I noticed SEVERAL Americans who entered the store, and unaware of the cultural norm, said nothing. They were treated very rudely. So, are the French rude people, or were the Americans? In this case, the Americans were. It would be like someone sitting next to you letting out a huge fart and not saying anything. A crime? No. Rude enough to piss you off? Yes. The same principle applies here. Learn the customs of where you are going, including the BASIC "Thank You", "Hello" and "Goodbye". Not only is it the CONSIDERATE thing to do when entering another country, but it will help you get by.
Keep in mind also of where you come from and how you represent that place. When in America, there is NOTHING wrong with acting like an American. When abroad, you should act like the locals. In Amsterdam, for example, it is expected that you sit in an empty seat....regardless if that seat is at a table where strangers are already sitting. I always have to chuckle to myself when I’m in Amsterdam and I'm sitting down enjoying a smoke; there are usually about 3 empty seats scattered throughout the place. An American will always walk in, and look around, noticing no empty booth or table, and stand there like a putz for 30 minutes, sometimes even an hour...until a table opens up and they scurry over to it, only to have strangers sit next to them LOL. The thing to do is to go up to a table, and ask politely if it's ok for you to sit there. I have N E V E R had anyone say no, and many times they don’t even speak my language. The only people I have seen no (and it wasn’t to me) was...surprise...a group of young American's.
Along the same subject, DO NOT...I repeat...DO NOT expect people to speak English to you. In other words, it's terribly rude to go up to a stranger in another country and begin spouting off English at them. It's the same principle as if some Mexican dude acme into your place of business and began jibber jabbing to you in Spanish. You’d probably be a little ticked. Always learn the phrase "DO you speak English" in whatever language the country uses. If it's too difficult, at the very least ASK the person "DO you speak English” in English before getting into a talk. Most people DO know it, and will appreciate you asking them first, as opposed to assuming EVERYONE speaks English. If they say NO, you can still communicate, just be creative. The point is, you extended a courtesy, and it's been my experience traveling that most people are polite and nice you are polite and curious as well. I have NO PROBLEM with a Mexican coming into my business and speaking broken English to me, or asking me if I speak Spanish. At least the dude is making an effort, or giving me the courtesy of letting me know he doesn’t speak English.
Well, that’s all I could think of to write down. Post here any questions you might have, Ill try my best to answer them.
On a final note, I'd greatly appreciate it if responses to this thread were limited to questions on travel to amsterdam, as opopsed to the usual "Wow, sounds like fun, I want to go bad'. There are enoguh threads about AMSTERDAM to post that in. The idea is to make this thread a mecca of information for people wishing to travel to Amsterdam. Thanks.
-PM
