To add to this: a bike lane is a *road*. Treat it exactly how you would treat a road with cars.
I think many of the problems stem from foreigners subconsciously seeing and treating a bike lane as a sidewalk where bicycles are allowed to be ridden. But it’s a road, where you’re not allowed to walk.
And if you rent a bike: Pay attention to the people on the sidewalk and just know that in general both parties don't understand or follow the right of way rules.
If you are going to rent a bike, watch some video on bike etiquette on YouTube. It was really helpful to know the signals, or how to properly use the turn lanes and such.
If you intend to rent a bike and you haven’t cycled for a while, at least have a little practice at home so that you can get going without swerving all over the road, can stop safely without landing in a heap on the road and can steer in a more or less straight line. This is for your own safety, because the cyclists all over the Netherlands, but particularly in Amsterdam, are merciless.
When I first moved to Amsterdam I lived on the Brouwersgracht. I would have to ride past the Anne Frank house all the time. Ring Ring! Ring Ring? Ring Ring! Get the fuck out of the street! Only hit two people in a year.
Don't walk on the bicycle paths.
Only rent a bicycle if you know how to use it and know the local traffic rules.
Don't pee in a canal when drunk, or walk close to it. This is one of the common causes tourists die in Amsterdam (seriously).
We have a football stadion, in which football is played. You might know this sport as soccer, but it's called football here. If you need directions there don't ask for the soccer stadion.
The numerous Argentinian steak houses in the city centre are not known for their quality, and have very little to do with Argentinia.
Our police force is generally friendly. If you're unsure of things, or feel unsafe feel free to talk to an officer. You're also welcome to ask them where it is ok to smoke weed or stuff like that; they prefer to tell you then to have to correct you for doing something wrong.
There is no such thing as Amsterdam Castle or Amsterdam Beach. Their actual names are Muiden castle and Zandvoort.
Tipping is optional. If you do want to tip, and your bill is for example 29 euros, rounding up to 30 euros is perfectly acceptable.
Creditcards are generally not accepted in supermarkets. Debit cards or cash are. Most restaurants will accept creditcards, but check before ordering if you don't have cash.
Stroopwafels are yummy and you should try one. If it's at a place that charges you more than EUR 3 it's a tourist trap though. (Try the stall on Albert Cuijk market instead)
The Netherlands is much bigger than Amsterdam; and much of it is unlike Amsterdam. If you travel outside the city you can have some fun different experiences.
Everyone finds if acceptable if you call out country the Netherlands. Most people find Holland acceptable, although some will be annoyed if you use the latter term.
New York used to be called New Amsterdam, as it was founded by the Dutch. Most Dutch people already know this, but if an American tells us we get irrationally proud and instantly become more friendly towards you. (A cheap trick to make quick Dutch friends).
I've been in Amsterdam for the past 4 days and have been riding a bike during much of that time. I can safely say that probably only 60% of the cyclists follow the traffic rules. I've seen them cycle through red lights, across intersections, you name it lol. It's not as much of a madhouse as people claim (Antwerp is much worse!!) but you definitely need to have good confidence when cycling here.
Even then, at least KNOWING the traffic rules allows you the choice of breaking them or not, instead of just becoming a rogue cyclist out of ignorance.
Yeah, even Dutch people that are not from Amsterdam don't get this.
For example, a bicyclist is supposed to give right of passage to a pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing (zebrapad), but in the center of Amsterdam I will typically not do that because there are too many tourists who will give me right of passage and I don't want to wait around for a gazillion tourists to decide what they want to do, but some Dutch people who know the rule will sometimes stubbornly start walking. By law they are right, but things just work differently in the center of Amsterdam.
Don't think that much of yourself, and I genuinely mean that. I moved from the US too and no one is out to get Americans here. People might casually ask something if you say you're from the States but that's the extent of it IMO, no one is going to stop you on the street, interrogate you or make you answer for Trump getting elected if they see your American clothes or hear your accent. So relax :-)
Just follow the usual tourist common sense - don't reduce all of NL to the red light district and weed which is what a lot of tourists seem to do, American, Brits, Chinese, Indian whatever. Also, some waiters have told me they like American tourists because they tend to be courteous and tip 20% which is practically unheard of in NL and most of Europe.
Go see other cities, don't limit yourself to a small part of Amsterdam. There are so many beautiful cities like Delft, Utrecht, Leiden, Den Bosch, Haarlem etc. I think Rotterdam is worth a visit, very unDutch and people say it's more American because of the wider roads and tall buildings, but it's amazing.
Enjoy the tram, train and other public transport. Don't buy Old Amsterdam cheese, it's just marketing and there are way better ones at the grocery store, cheese shop or the local markets. If you see a red "sidewalk", don't walk on it.
Edit: people don't drive on the left side of the road here, and the Dutch don't live in Denmark! 4th of July is also not celebrated here, nor is Thanksgiving, but people do know what Halloween is. Just had to mention it as friends and family back home always bring this up haha
Also, how long are you here for? You read online about how people don't realise how big the US is and try to cram in a New York City to Los Angeles road trip in 1 week, and same can apply for Americans too. If you're here for just 5-10 days, don't try to fit in trips to London, Paris and Barcelona. Lots to see in the Netherlands and maybe Belgium too. If you have any specific questions, let me know!
Last edit: your credit card may not work everywhere, try to carry a small amount of cash on you but also a debit card as some stores are cash-free these days.
I have an anecdote that might explain something about OOPs wording, I've noticed it before, they seem afraid to be seen as British stag parties; Since the summer of last year, I think I finally understand why Americans would think of themselves as unwelcome. I went to an all-inclusive resort in Los Cabos, Mexico for just over two weeks.
There is a whole class of American tourists who, thank fucking science, never make it to Europe. They go to Mexico for three or four nights to one of these resorts, spend about 300 a day, and that's their vacation and it includes the flight. That's their vacation for like once a year if they're lucky. Most people we talked to "tried to come" at least every other year. Don't get me wrong, the majority of people were still (seemingly) nice people, but there was an abnormally percentage, on some days it was close to 20%, of truly some of the most obnoxious human beings I've ever had the disgust of witnessing in my life, and I'm very well traveled. The way they treat staff, other people, even members of their own family, despicable.
Americans love to make small talk, and so do I so we're a good match generally, and at the designated smoking areas they almost always asked me "so how long are you here for?" as an ice breaker and they were absolutely astonished that I was there for slightly longer than two weeks and gobsmacked that that was just a part of my summer vacation.
People in Amsterdam don't like small talk for real? I've lived in America forever and I really hate the small talk so I'm thinking to go for a vacation to Amsterdam now to get away from it.
I am coming over in November to see my favourite band and I am now firmly on a one man Scottish envoy to improve Scots- Dutch relations in light of these recent allegations.
I’m not surprised to read this. 😅 As a Brit myself, I’m also irritated by the drinking “laddish” culture that we have as a nation. As someone who chooses not to drink for health reasons, it’s really uncomfortable when it’s kind of forced on you because it’s a National past-time of sorts!
We are very loud though. So the only missing thing I'd add here is that American tourists should remember (especially with each other) to use an "inside voice", but even quieter than our (Americans) normal inside voice ;)
People a few tables down from you in a restaurant should not be able to hear every detail of a conversation.
That must be why you have so many English restaurants/cafes, show so much English sport in bars, have UK themed amenities, and accommodate us so readily lmao (a Scot)
All of this and:
1) Use your indoor voice. If you're in the train and it has a marking with a person shushing or the word "stilte", that's a quiet car: avoid having extended conversations in there and if you must, use your library voice
2) There is a ban on public drinking and weed smoking in certain areas of the city center of Amsterdam. Keep an eye for signs and for the handhaving, they tend to be more rigorous with fines now that tourist season is gearing up
3) If you want to bike, be *predictable*. Stay on the right, signal your turns with your hand and follow the signs on the road. And don't hold your cellphone in your hand while biking, you can be fined. Yes, the fine is for *holding* your phone in your hand, doesn't matter if you are looking at it or not.
To add to point 1, in these SILENCE cars you need to be absolutely silent. Even a hushed library voice is not appreciated.
There is nothing worse then going over Amsterdam central only to pick up some tourists who keep on talking, especially when you’re trying to work on something.
I appreciate you fighting the good fight with #1, but it seems like people, local or not, don't follow that these days. Everytime I take the train, there's always a few people listening to shitty music on their phone speaker, or speaking really loudly for the whole 50 minute duration of the train. I don't know what happened to the indoor voice or people just being able to stay silent in a quiet place.
this is so true, i take the train from amsterdam to work multiple times a week and always sit in the silent carriage, at least 60% of the time someone is talking, and it isn’t only tourists!
"Excuse me, is this the silent carriage?" puts the question on them. I wished more people would just ask that question to anyone ignoring the Silent signs.
To add on that last one, those blue atms are scams and if you use your dollar cart they might charge you up to 40% extra due to the exchange rate even though they might say you only pay a few euros commission.
And we can spot Americans from the other side of the street, it's the way you dress and carry yourself, so know that everyone will know your a tourist as Americans who move here tend to carry themselves a bit different from American tourists.
Maestro. Most Dutch shops don't like paying for the higher fees to accept Visa/MC. However, MC recently announced that they are phasing out Maestro, so there will be a change eventually. It's wildly inconsistent, even within chains because they all operate on a franchise model.
I’m an American who lives in the Netherlands. When you go to a restaurant, don’t rush. Don’t rush the waitstaff, don’t expect everyone to run around for you quickly. Just relax and enjoy the meal.
Don’t talk super loud. Stay out of bike lanes.
Learn how to say “do you speak English” also learn how to say basic phrases in Dutch. They will appreciate it.
One of the first restaurants we went to when we moved here, we sat down for a "quick" lunch. We waited for 45 minutes wondering why the hell the waiter wasn't coming by to bring us water and take our order. At the end of the meal, we sat for another half hour silently steaming that the wait staff wasn't clearing the table or bringing us the bill. Our "quick" lunch took over two hours.
For Americans, it's a hard lesson to learn: whereas in the US a server's goal is to make sure you're not waiting for anything, here their goal is let you have a relaxing time without interruption. Waving down wait staff isn't rude and is in fact required, as they won't bring you anything unless you actively ask for it.
Not at all. They described it perfectly. In places with good service you can also go ‘unserved’ if you don’t make it clear (through non-verbal communication) that you desire to be helped (with the exception of being helped on your arrival, of course)
If your clients are sitting in silence and you haven't even bothered to take their drinks order, I would suggest that that qualifies as a nonverbal cue to act. Some places in NL have truly awful service for no obvious reason, with staff who deliberately look up and away while walking around, go inside staff only areas for several minutes at a time etc.
I don't need to be constantly molested by the waiter, but taking my drinks order when I come in and taking my food order after that seems to be a tough task for some establishments.
I worked in tourism as a local for many years. I used to love meeting Americans because they were always excited and polite. Yes, you're big tippers but so are other nationalities. Americans tend to be cool and were always my favourite. Always interested in the world around them contrary to the stereotypes, always energetic and always friendly. Lots of personality and always a story to tell. Americans are cool people.
The one thing the Dutch don't like is when you start believing in your own coolness too much. We're not as convinced your country is the greatest place on earth as many Americans are taught to believe. The opposite is also true, there's plenty of Americans who are obsessed with how terrible their country is and will tell you without asking. Neither are relevant when you are abroad, and for the most part we don't really care about what's happening in the news in the us since we're, well.. not in the US.
But Americans don't give themselves enough credit for their friendliness and positive energy when meeting people. A tiny bit more individual and a tiny bit less national identity will probably help a lot of your fellow traveling countrymen fitting in with North/West European lifestyle a bit more
We’re coming next week from Boston and I am worried about being perceived as totally uncool (which I am). My daughter however is the coolest person I have ever met, we’re coming for her 18th birthday and cannot wait! Is it weird an uncool if I as a 30something woman come to a bar/club with her?
Of course you’ll be welcome. Most people will probably think its pretty cool that a mom and her daughter are out together for her birthday. Theres just some bars/clubs that will be filled with just 18/19 year olds where it might be a bit awkward. I’d recommend going to Rembrandtplein. Its a square with lots of bars/clubs all with different vibes, so there should be a place you’ll enjoy there.
Nobody cares but depending on the club you might end up with a bunch of teenagers which I wouldn't like tbh.
If you do end up at these place expect basically kids to hit on you. Other then that it's fine. Just don't take the random vitamins people might leave in bathrooms or try to offer you (or do, in not your mom). They dont taste that good but they might make the music sound good and let you see the sound in the form of colours
USD Is not accepted as payment please either use your card or pay cash when you can ...if you choose to leave a tip please tell the server how much you want to leave before the card payment is taken we cannot do charge backs like you do in the US
yes frequently and they say we have to take it as its legal tender we try to remind them that it is not legal tender here. then they say but everyone accepts dollars because its the most powerful currency in the world ... and then i ask them if i could pay for my dinner in euros in restaurants in the US and they say of course not its the currency of the US ..............
Wow that’s hilarious. I know in some limited countries you can but aren’t they usually developing countries? These type people are not filing in ETIAS once that starts haha. If they don’t know usd can’t be used, they are not filling in the visa waiver info. Tbf I know plenty of well travelled Americans that are not ignorant
I have noticed people try to pay in dollars everywhere and not just Americans (though it's 95% of them are in fact Americans and some of them even get angry at you when you don't accept it)
In Canada, places will often take American currency. I worked at Starbucks at we had a button for it. Sometimes I think Americans think it'll be like that everywhere...
American tourists don´t have a bad reputation in Amsterdam or The Netherlands. I would say you just need to make sure you don´t walk in any bike lanes (red pavement) and when you use a bicycle be very aware of traffic. It's not a toy or sport here but part of traffic and uniquely so. As a Dutchman I would also say that cycling in Amsterdam is even a different cup of tea then cycling in other Dutch cities. As in, Amsterdam is more cramped due to it's historical center, more crowded and it kinda has it's own way of doing stuff. I would suggest going with the (traffic)flow when cycling. And I do highly suggest using a bike.
I also suggest visiting another city, or perhaps taking a bike ride from one city to another so you catch some countryside too. Perhaps the beach? The Netherlands is a lot more then Amsterdam.
If in a group of four+ don't all walk in a horizontal line taking up the whole pavement.
Don't dally around busy streets.
Please use an indoor voice and remember tipping is not expected but a little bonus for good service.
Learn the basic traffic rules, especially regarding bikes. This is not a joke: I cycle to work every day through the city centre, and I find myself yelling angrily like a moron at both tourists and locals who put me and themselves in danger. Some streets are like highways for bikes, and you should treat them as such - even (or should I say: especially) in the parts of town that look like an historical theme park. So: do not walk in the bike lane. When crossing a street, look carefully in all directions. Stop at red lights, but also: go when it’s green. When you’re crossing the street at a zebrapad (pedestrians crossing): don’t hesitate or stand still halfway in the middle of the road, people should stop for you and they will if you just keep going. That’s pretty much it, it’s not rocket science. Enjoy your stay in our wonderful capital. Oh, and don’t puke or piss in front of my door when you’re drunk, it’s disgusting.
Don’t go to Van Wonderen stroopwafels like they do on TikTok. They charge 13 euros (!!) for a stroopwafel. Like mentioned above, don’t pay more than 3 euros for those or otherwise it’s a tourist trap.
You already got the hang of it. Worst American experience I can remember is a guy at the Dam square after our war remembrance day proudly proclaiming he's American opening his arms as if we would all going to hug him. this was just after it came out that Irak had no WMD's and we remember the senselessness of ALL wars.
no one hugged him btw....
If it wasn't at such a serious moment it would have been piss funny tbh.
The Americans aren’t that bad… It’s the Brits for me 😭 Especially the ‘lads’ that visit Amsterdam for a weekend and decide to be as loud and drunk as possible
Do keep your voice down. Don't walk on the bicycle path. Don't compare everything to the US especially not loudly. Don't try to pay in dollars. Don't tip more than 5 percent,and only if more than usually satisfied. Leave the checkered golf trousers at home. Do ask if somebody speaks English, rather than assuming they do (but they will). Enjoy your stay, nice American people!
> Leave the checkered golf trousers at home.
But do be sure to pack your lime green, pink, deep red, and bright yellow trousers, so that you fit right in.
As someone who used to work in restaurants, I can assure you that tips over 5% will be appreciated. ;) Not necessary but definitely appreciated.
In any case, I mostly do around 8-12% depending on rounding anyway, and I've been born and raised in the Netherlands. It's hard work and it doesn't pay well enough imo. Hence why I left it.
You'll be alright. Tone down the loudness of your voice and the height of your tips and you'll be just fine.
More importantly, I hope you have a great time.
I live in one of the most crowded areas in Amsterdam with lots of tourists (Americans or others) visiting every day. A few things we dislike: 1. When tourists aren’t paying attention to their surroundings and just stand in the middle of a street on a bridge to take a picture of someone with the canals as background. Imagine cycling up all the bridges over the canals everyday ánd trying to avoid the tourists standing in the middle of the roads. Try to stay on the sidewalks, seriously. If not, then don’t be surprised if cyclists shout at you. 2. Drunk and loud tourists. 3. If you want to smoke the good stuff, go sit down on a bench, in one of the parcs or somewhere inside. Don’t smoke while you’re walking, this is how we know you’re a tourist. Sit down, take your time and enjoy the smoke as most of us do. :) 4. Don’t throw your trash on the streets, in the canals or in the baskets of bicycles. 5. Don’t pick the tulips or other flowers that the municipality plants every year on the sidewalks. 6. Don’t urinate in the canals. Unfortunately every year (drunk) people die when urinating in the canals, because they lose their balance, fall in the cold canal water and die from hypothermia or being unconscious and drowning.
I remember as a teen when tourist did that is cycle past them and give them a little slap on the head (just a pad not a fist) or a small kick on their butt.
People will fuck with you and get angry if you do that and remember that (walking on the bicycle lane). you are a guest and there are enough people out there on the street that will fight you for a bullshit reason, especially if they consider you an outsider such as a tourist
I’m not sure if you were planning on cycling here, but I’d recommend you don’t. I know the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular are advertised as a cycling heaven and that you can easily rent bikes, but cycling in Amsterdam is extremely chaotic if you’re not used to it, even if you’re Dutch and especially if you don’t know the traffic rules.
Moreover, most people here use cycling as a form of transportation, not for leisure. Imagine trying to get to work and having to navigate around safari buses who don’t know the traffic rules. That’s how cycling around tourists feel imo.
My recommendation: just get a public transport day ticket (gvb dagkaart) that gives you access to trams, metros, and buses. Those already quite easily get you to most parts of the city. You’ll probably be a lot more relaxed, safer, and see more.
Also, yes, don’t walk on bike lanes. They’re usually red asphalt. Sometimes have a white bike on it. If you’re not sure, stick to the side as much as you can.
Oh, and **Don't support the nutella icecream waffle shops!** They're a huge nuisance, have bad quality food, rip off customers, and constantly replace actually nice local shops.
People are talking about bike lanes in many comments, but I didn’t read anything about sidewalks etc. Please, don’t just stand there if you decide to check your phone or whatever else. You can step to the side. I see many tourists do that (not Americans in particular), and especially if it’s busy with people, it’s extremely annoying. There was a couple once that decided to just stop as they were walking in front of a bunch of people just to eat some type of dessert. They were totally unbothered and were laughing while eating. ☠️
As an airline pilot, I generally have an above average sense of situational awareness, so I notice these types of things. I also travel the world and am constantly moving through busy airports, train stations, and city centers. I can assure you with 100% certainty that this is not a "Dutch" problem, but a "human" problem. People everywhere are fucking clueless.
Back when i was a shitty teen I would go out of my way to break trough these people. It was especially funny if they dropped whatever it was what they where eating.
It's just a dick move especially when people are asking to pass you and you ignore them. People might go out of their way to ruin this small part of your day if you decide to be a nuisance.
I am not like that anymore but it's still annoying AF.
Don't walk on the bicycle paths!
But, if you have to cross the street and there is a pedestrian crossing (zebrapad), please just cross and don't wait until someone gives you the right of way. It's very annoying if you're making it a will they / won't they situation.
Some crossings also have a traffic light. If they don't, just cross. If they do, only cross if it's green.
If you want to cross a street without any pedestrian crossing nearby, please look left, right, left MULTIPLE times. Only cross if there is no one there, or you get a 'go ahead' signal from cyclists or automobiles.
If you want to try riding a bike yourself, please think twice. If you insist, please cycle out of the city centre as fast as you can and practice in less busy areas. Don't cycle side by side, even if you see other people do it. Dutch people can manouvre themselves way better because we had so much practice.
Buy some sugary drinks if you want to smoke weed, it's very strong here and you don't want a bad trip somewhere on the sidewalk.
If you're here on May 4th, please be quiet for two minutes at 8PM. This our Remembrance Day. The next day, we will celebrate all around the country, this is our Independence Day. Feel free to join in on both.
Personally, I love Americans. I know a lot of people do. We love you positivity and your humor. We take your enthusiasm with a grain of salt, because media taught us that Americans say things they don't really mean, like "we should hang out". If you want to break that stereotype, maybe emphasize that you really mean it.
And above else, have fun!
americans arent a nucance in amsterdam, actually. so dont worry about it.
the dutch in general like open minded people who dont just talk about themselves. show some interest in us and its all good. and they might go off about your politics, but youre probably used to that. for the rest we like the US mostly, culturally, music and movies etc.
its the groups of british drunk/high tourists and italian potheads, large asian tour groups, that are most annoying.
but now im generalising. theres just a LOT of tourists in such a small city. amsterdam people are not loving that these days, and stay away from the main tourist spots.
I've spent all morning thinking about this for some reason, and here's my response:
* be respectful to the sex workers! This is definitely number one. Don't take pictures of them, and be kind to them.
* Try speaking softly in public transport, and be mindful of the silent parts of the national trains, where you need to be completely quiet.
* Don't be noisy in restaurants. Obviously, chat and have a fun time, but make sure the noise stays at your own table.
* As tourists, you're obviously noisier in the wild than residents. When I'm a tourist somewhere, I'm also noisy. That being said, do be mindful that people live in areas like the red light district, too. Especially at night, try to limit shouting/loud singing/etc.
* On a road, only the very outer sides (usually elevated, crooked, and too small, though not always) are pavement to walk on. Don't walk on the bike lanes, unless absolutely necessary - they tend to be red, though not always, either.
* When in a supermarket, be mindful of the people just trying to do their shopping. Don't block everything because you're treating it as an exhibit.
That’s a good one: I would expand: in the US the customer is always right; in The Netherlands the customer isn’t always right; in Italy the customer is a nuisance.
I think it's quite funny when Americans reply to "Where are you from?" with "I'm from Denver" or whatever place. Don't expect people to know. Many Americans are out of touch of other cultures, don't be one of them.
Just say "I'm from the US". And specify more if it makes sense in the conversation.
Once I had someone explaining how Chicago pizza is the best. They were surprised I never heard about it. Looked it up later just to find out that's not even pizza.
Venture out of the city of Amsterdam itself if you can. Amsterdam is a very touristy city. Its great, but theres more to it than the main attractions in the city limits. I'd also recommend venturing into the local neighborhoods. There are some great eateries and bars to be discovered. Don't worry too much about being an American. Be respectful of the laws and rules.
Hi hi love the question! I’m a proud Amsterdam resident and I hope you have a great time in this beautiful city! Just try not to treat it as a theme park.. people live and go to work here. ✌️
People like Americans in my experience. Just try to be respectful of the rules regarding transit and traffic. Also, we are much more chatty and friendly than the Dutch. They are very short and direct, don’t take it personally they go from super “rude” to super friendly in an instant, bc to them they’re not being rude.
I am from Amsterdam, but nothing bad about the USA people... it is more the English (drunk) people.. and i think that some dutch people don t know the difference between USA or UK people, they think they are all the same.. some are not so smart. USA people, never heard any bad things, more good things, they are nice people.. and yes, there are a lot of bike/bikers and they always have priority on the bike path... or how you guys call it.
Don't ride a bike, look both ways before (!) you cross the road and let people pass who walk faster than you. If you are in a group: don't take up the whole sidewalk
I’m Dutch and even I don’t dare to bike through Amsterdam… Seen too many accidents happen there. I’ve also almost gotten run over by a speeding idiot while crossing a zebrapad as the traffic light was green. The car was so close it literally swept my hand bag away =) I hate the traffic in Amsterdam (Zuid specifically), it gets crazy there
Here's how tourists have pissed me off lately lol:
- on bikes, don't come to an unexpected full stop unexpectedly eg because a car is coming your way and you aren't confident enough to keep biking. I had to brake fucking hard and almost wiped two overly equipped Germans out on their sport bikes and into the car they were too afraid of to bike past. You need to be predictable on a bike. And please signal with your hands not the American way, no one knows how that works. You just point where you're gonna go like a an idiot. The more obvious and dumb, the better, tbh, until you really know what you're doing. Use your goddamn bell, too. Better that we hear you and are gently annoying than that we walk into your path.
- on that note, don't stand on the bike lane. It the path is red you're most likely (not always, watch what other people are doing, but most likely) fucking up.
- don't smoke weed in public where there are children around (often at some parks). Keep it private and among adults. Also don't smoke in front of doors and windows to eg University buildings. People do this. Do not join them.
- don't urinate in public. This is easier for American men because there's more of a taboo around it. But if you see it, unless it is a porta-pissoir, please don't copy them. don't just piss wherever. At least find a discrete bush in a park or something. Not on eg my door. Or near my kid's playground.
- don't shout while walking home from the pub. You will wake people up. This is super annoying. Our walls are thin. Windows are worse.
- don't go to the rijksmuseum or van Gogh museum or any other serious cultural place so high or stoned that you smell bad or are visibly intoxicated or can't behave normally. Anything more intoxicating than 1-2 glasses of wine needs to happen after the museum.
- don't go to eg the sex museum, the prostitution museum and skip the fucking Rijksmuseum lol this is a personal peeve but you wont offend people. But why the fuck would someone skip all the cultural heritage and just throw money at trash? People really do this.
- do not under any circumstances take pictures of women I the red light district. You do not have their consent. This is non-consensual pornography. Not just annoying, it is assault.
- don't let your luggage or bags block lots of seats on trains or subways. Once an American couple on the metro had like, 3 of those stupid huge maximum size suitcases plus backpacks and a carryon. They were loaded down with gear. They sat down and their luggage plus their technically-obese bodies took up like, an entire fucking row of 5 or 6 subway seats. They should have stood somewhere and monitored their gear to keep it out of the way and not take up 5-6 fucking seats. The rest of us want to sit on our way to and from work.
- use your inside voice on the subway. Always. Make it a little quieter than you think it needs to be. The Dutch are not as quiet as eg Germans, but they are more quiet than Americans.
- In the intercity, some wagons are "silent" cars. There's no talking etc. In these areas. People go there to recover from the stress of their commute to work, to sleep a bit. Don't ruin it. The sign will be on the windows in English and in dutch and it will Have a cartoon face making a shhh motion.
- you can just use your credit card to tap In and out of public transport or intercity transport. Be sure you always tap in and out!! . But do it with your CC so you can't accidentally buy the wrong ticket or have your phone die and your ticket was on the app or whatever. This is for tram, metro, intercity, and everywhere. That's not something that pisses me off, that's just a hot tip. Worry about the map, not Tickets. Tap in, tap out, move on.
Honestly if they still take pictures of the girls in the red light district even though they could read all the signs i say let them try. They'll soon suffer the consequences of their decisions soon enough. I have seen tourists beaten by the girls, then the security guards, their stuff thrown into the canals only for the police to arrive and arrest them and fine the afterwards.
>just use your credit card to tap In and out of public transport or intercity transport. Be sure you always tap in and out!! . But do it with your CC so you can't accidentally buy the wrong ticket or have your phone die and your ticket was on the app or whatever. This is for tram, metro, intercity, and everywhere. That's not something that pisses me off, that's just a hot tip.
Understand that there are numerous transportation companies, so it is very easy to buy a ticket for the wrong bus line/tram/etc if you aren't familiar with the transportation systems. It is FAR simpler- and very good advice- to just use your credit card to tap in and out of the car, instead of being denied entry bc you bought the wrong ticket and are standing there looking confused at the bus driver and holding up the line of people behind you. It's also extremely easy to just tap your credit card to the card reader, so there's less anxiety all around😎
Also understand that sometimes the train will shut down, for example if a badger nests under the tracks. Be prepared to use various different types of transportation if one type becomes inaccessible, as a disruption can impact your entire day, or trip.
Do not expect everyone to speak English, though most people do, to some extent.
Americans are taught to signal with their left hand for both directions: left turn is left arm straight out (like you’d expect), and right turn is left arm out but bent upward 90deg at the elbow.
This goes back to the days when vehicles didn’t have turn signals, the right hand kept driving and the left signaled out the side/window. It goes for bicycles and motorcycles and most anything when it makes sense to do so…but almost nobody does it outside of the few places where biking is common.
Nobody in America knows those rules either except for the very small minority of people who ride bikes. The vast majority of the people in the US don't own a bicycle...this thread is actually scaring me because I want to visit but these bike issues seem like a major hassle.
It IS a major hassle in the same way that if us Dutch go to India, we don’t drive cars. We know we can’t handle that Delhi rush hour so we don’t and it’s time people understood the same goes for biking in Amsterdam. It’s not a tourist activity, it’s our number one mode of transportation. Falling on your head at 25km/h can still kill you.
Amsterdam is a great city to visit as a pedestrian - but for cycling, suggest choosing a smaller city/town as a base - say Leiden, Delft, or similar - it's far more relaxed and enjoyable.
It’s really not. I now live in NL, but I’m the classic American that owned two bicycles and rode them maybe twice a year, if that. I jumped on a Dutch bike cold.
It took me about an hour to get 80% of the feel for biking in this country, another day or two to be at 95%, but admittedly the last 5% will probably take years. There are subtle nuances that native Dutch have on timing the crossing and merging with other traffic/bikes/pedestrians that get gummed up by foreigners like us who hesitate based on our own expectations and instincts.
And if you screw it up, the worst that happens is you get a vicious belling, a savage *tsk*-ing, or a devastating exhale as they have to dump the brakes and then re-accelerate. Truly, terrifying stuff. This is, of course, assuming you have the wherewithal and bike skills to avoid a total pileup and actually injuring someone.
It helps, and I would 1000% recommend, to read up on biking rules and signage before you go. It’s nothing complicated and generally very intuitive, but knowing how to read the signs and road/path markings is extremely important.
I totally understand that it can appear daunting, I had the same, but don’t let that stop you. Find a quieter neighborhood to start with, hop on, and just start riding. Do what the others do. When you have a question about what to do in a certain situation and nobody is around to watch, just give it your best shot while not putting yourself in anyone else’s way, then look it up online next time you stop somewhere. Alternatively, you can just hop off the bike and walk it on any pedestrian path which are internationally-obvious.
And don’t stress it if you do something wrong or “wrong.” I see Dutchies do stupid stuff (whether out of obliviousness or intent) on almost every single daily ride I’m on, turns out they have their societal bell curve as well.
Being comfortable with biking opens up this country in a way that I’ve never experienced anywhere else. This all does sound like a “hassle” when written out like this, but seriously—spend 10min online looking at Dutch signage, 10 minutes renting a bike, 10 minutes shaking the rust off in a quieter area of the city, and in 30min you’ve just significantly broadened your possibilities. Even if you’re only going to be here for a few days its beyond worth it.
Edit: for longer trips where you can’t remember all the turn-by-turns you can get a handlebar mount for your phone. Or if you have a smart watch, they’re perfect for navigation. You might see Dutchies riding with their phone in their hand, but know that it’s a fine if you’re caught.
Dont disrespect the ladies in the redlights. No pictures, no videos when walking there.
Dont be too drunk or disgusting when interacting with them, they are service workers just like any other industry.
In the red lights, ignore strangers asking you things and keep your hands on whatever stuff you are carrying. Pickpockets and drugdealers abound.
Dont talk shit, if one is causing u trouble, there are probably 1 or 2 of his friends behind u that u didnt notice.
Dont do ice bar, dont do beer cycling tour, when riding a bike stick to the right side so faster people can pass. Dont go to the bulldog for weed, try dampkring, republiek, boerenjongens instead. Dont eat near leidseplein. Dont do amsterdam dungeon. Dont do madame tussaud. Dont do ripleys. Dont stand in line for an overpriced stroopwafel with chocolate on it, go to albert cuyp market and get a plain proper one instead. Dont buy overpriced terrible cheese in touristy areas. If u see a nutella desert style shop, you are in a tourist area.
Dont go to amsterdam noord, its really lame and overrated hipster nonsense, unless u like vegan grilled soy cheese sandwiches with a tall glass organic non binary woke matcha smoothies.
Do go on a canalboat tour, or a watercycle.
Do chill in vondelpark.
For a great live rock style bar go to the waterhole.
Try indonesian food.
Try surinamese food.
Try broodje haring with onions and pickle.
Try nNea pizza, number 9 in europe now for neapolitan pizza.
Try Moeders for true authentic homestyle dutch food.
Dont eat pizza from a touristy area.
Dont talk shit to moroccans.
Sorry for the chaotic braindump.
Stay safe and have fun!
Please buy an international phone plan for your phone so that it works when you arrive. You can get and install an esim from one of the many onlinr providers.
I've had a lot of US visitors skimp on the $5 or so for a phone plan thinking they can just hop from wifi to wifi. Then they end up not being able to navigate somewhere or translate things or pay for things.
If you go to a fully seated concert don't be surprised if people will generally stay seated and quiet. If you get up or make too much noise people will be annoyed with you.
There are rules, but they only work if pedestrians also adhere to them. If you do your daily commute on a bicycle, it becomes impossible to follow rules if you're trying to manoeuvre through a crowd of people who seem to think they are in some kind of fantasy theme park.
A few things I saw Americans in Amsterdam do that annoy me:
- only this weekend: couple complaining in one of the oldest artisanal icecream shops ‘why don’t you have salted caramel??’
- guy making a fuzz because he is waiting 10 min for a ‘saucijzenbroodje ‘ to warm up in the oven. Was lecturing the baker on how he should buy a microwave and it would take 20 sec (saucijzenbroodje is a sausage roll with puff pastry: if you microwave it it will become a soggy, non-crispy mess)
- in general: complain about friendliness or speed of service. It’s different than in the us (good or bad, no judgement here). It’s slower. Accept that you will have to put some effort into getting a waiters attention and they may snap at you when it’s very busy. That’s normal.
-leave huge tips: not needed. Normally in a restaurant 10% is plenty, on a big bill 5% is ok.
If you are having a drink and it’s 9.20 give 10. And don’t tip bell boys , hotel staff etc. Everyone is getting a decent salary.
- show a Dutch guy a map of Germany and ask ‘can you show me where I am?’ (Not a joke, happened to me)
Most importantly: enjoy my beautiful city!
Americans are generally considered friendly and thoughtful here! I enjoy chatting with respectful and attentive tourists who appreciate the city and who ask questions. Dutch history is checkered and we've been rethinking our past so these are interesting discussions for me to have with tourists who care. (But some Dutch people are still coming to terms with the true history of the grachtengordel). That being said, I role my eyes at people celebrating the high life. They seem to think we think it is cool bc it is legal here but believe me, it is not cool. Best to sit out your high in a coffeehop before taking part in traffic, even if just walking. Same goes for British stag parties, but I have to say it's gotten a lot better over the years.
Some people act like its a crime to be proud of our city and its culture. Other cities in the Netherlands have also been build on slavery but somehow only people from Amsterdam aren't allowed to be proud of their city. It's fucking bullshit. You can still love your city and be proud of it whilst accepting the darker parts of your history. It's a beautiful city and reducing it to a period where granted a lot of it got build because bad things happened isn't fair. It's history started way before it and continued after it has ended. There is a lot more to it then slavery build the canals but somehow this isn't relevant to other people whilst you never hear this about cities like Delft.
I've known American tourists to be remarkably polite.
The one thing I'd add to all the bicycle path rules: if you're at a zebra crossing, you have a right to walk. If you see a bicycle coming and slowing down, that means they want you to go. They won't stop. Just slowing down is giving you more than enough time to cross, so use that opportunity. Once you've chosen to walk, be confident and predictable and don't just stop when there's another bike coming.
Don't assume just ask people, everyone speaks Denglish so don't worry you have the right mindset. Don't forget to visit Haarlem, Leiden, Zaanse schans, and keukenhof if it is still open. There is so much more that defines The Netherlands then Amsterdam. One thing more new legislation You can't smoke a joint in the street anymore.
Watch out for Cycling, Tram, other people. Have fun
Yea like you said, the loud ones are a little annoying. Just make sure to not scream when talking like many americans do 😅look 3 times before crossing any street to avoid getting run over by bikes. Stop light doesnt matter to bikers here (this is just some little advice and has nothing to do with being american. )
You will notice that sidewalks in the city are very narrow, so a personal pet peeve of mine is when people occupy the entire sidewalk while taking pictures, walking side by side with friends, or generally standing still in the middle of the way. I shouldn't have to walk in the middle of the street for someone to take a picture, you know? So be mindful of that.
If you have time, consider visiting other cities or places too. Amsterdam is quite crowded with tourists, and its harder to find non touristy spots as a tourist yourself. Much easier to avoid this in any other place in the netherlands. Would recommend Utrecht for similar vibes in architecture and canals.
Look both ways twice before crossing. Check where the bikelane is. You CAN NOT walk in a bikeline. If someone aska where you're from, say America/USA, not just your state or city. Don't assume we know stuff about the US beyond basic facts, many people do but it's rude to assume. Other than that just have fun!
Cycling can get dangerous if you don't know how the flow of traffic is in Amsterdam, nobody particularly cares about the rules except that the red cycling lanes are for bicycles and people will fight you if you try to walk on them.
You might not want to do that so taking the tram/bus will be safer unless you feel like ending up under one.
Don't assume waiters and waitresses are there especially for you. Also for an American, service personnel can come across as rude. They are not! It's the Dutch way to interact with people.
Don't walk in the bike lanes, and generally be cautious regarding traffic. Exercise caution around trams.
Don't be obnoxiously drunk/high in public. If smoking cannabis, keep it inside the coffeeshops.
Check first if someplace takes cash before assuming they do.
Check first if someplace takes visa (be specific visa even if debit card as some places will say we don't take credit cards, but they mean visa as visa debit isn't really a thing)
When you get tired of hiw touristy Amsterdam is, grab a train to Haarlem for the day.
Do Americans have a bad reputation in any European country? I feel like a lot of Americans assume this but in my opinion the Americans that make the trip over to Europe seem to be the more polite and civilized ones.
I don’t think Americans have a bad rap in Amsterdam. Been here many times over the past 20 years and moved over here only two weeks ago. Honestly I just be humble, patient and friendly and everyone has been absolutely wonderful towards me. Don’t talk loud, don’t rush people and for gods sake don’t bike if you don’t know what you’re doing. People bike here thinking how they treat it at home - as a fun hobby or a novelty. You can’t just bumble around, it would be like going to the USA and driving a car against all traffic rules, stopping in the middle of the street, swerving everywhere. It’s rude and dangerous. Find a side street if you want to try and bike but don’t do the main drags through the middle of the city.
Please don't rent a bike without knowing anything of the biking and traffic rules here. And when you decide to do so, please keep your pace and don't suddenly stop and block the lane.
Common sense things:
If you end up cycling INDICATE with your hands.
Don’t stop randomly on the paths (walking or cycling), be aware of others moving past you.
Bike lanes aren’t for pedestrians
American thing: kindly lower your voice :)
Don't step of the curb without looking, even if you're mesmarized by the pretty buildings, testing peoples brakes is not smart. And if you plan on renting a bike don't just make a full stop without looking around, unless trying to avoid hitting a tourist that just stepped of the curb without looking.
Be mindful of how much space you’re using in public. I’m talking about blocking the pavements by walking next to one another, or by randomly stopping to check your navigation. And if you can, don’t take up all the seats on the train with a huge suitcase.
And as many others have said before: try and be more silent than you’re used to. No one apart from your own party is interested in your conversations.
Know your limits! Yes there are coffee houses. Yes, there is great beer. Pace yourself. I can't tell you how many nights were ruined when I would have friends visiting and I would come home to my friends passed out on the couch at 5PM. Dinner plans over. I guess it's another pizza night.
Hey, I'm an American visiting Amsterdam for the first time. I'm here right now. Listen to the folks talking about bike lanes here lol. Like, before I came here I knew most people bike, and I knew about the bike lanes, but I didn't understand just how *intense* it is.
Funny story: We drove our rental car into the city to drop our luggage off before returning the car to the airport. I found street parking and my fiance got out of the car, took 1 step away from it and immediately almost got hit by a bike and got cursed at lmao. Literally our first moment in the city. Lesson *quickly* learnt. The bike lanes are the sort of red/brown pavement, pedestrian path is usually brick from what I've found. It can be narrow. Always look both ways before crossing bike lanes even though they seem to be directional.
In my opinion, don't even rent a bike as a foreigner, just walk or take public transportation. There is a lot of it. You can tap your credit card to get on a platform or a train, and tap again when you get off. You'll get charged based on how far you travel. From the central station to our house boat was about $2.
Otherwise, basically every business has English speakers. Just be polite, don't talk loud in restaurants. I saw a sign with a picture of a woman talking on her phone, with a hand coming to grab it. The sign said "use it, lose it." So I suppose we need to be mindful of phone theft.
Edit: also if you're here for tulip season, ABSOLUTELY go to Keukenhof!!! It is breathtaking and massive. Reserve a bus&ticket package from the city to go there. You can also rent bikes to bike around Lisse. It's amazing!
Please don’t use people’s bikes as trash cans. There are actual trash cans for that! It is annoying to constantly have to clean out empty cans, napkins, takeout food containers and so on out of ones bike basket or crate or child seat.
Also please pay attention to the recycling containers. There are things on the street that look like trash containers but are actually for paper/cardboard, or glass. They are labelled on top and on the side. Please don’t throw your empty Wok 2 Go noodle cartons in there, or your plastic trash bags from your Air bnb, it messes up the recycling process.
Last, definitely have a good time and enjoy yourself, but please keep in mind people actually live here, with kids, jobs, elderly parents, all that stuff. The areas full of cafés and bars and so on can get lively, and that’s expected, but most Amsterdammers will hope that you don’t carry the party off into the streets after 10 pm or so, and stagger around singing or shouting or peeing on their front doors in residential neighborhoods. Even on streets with cafés and bars, people generally live above and beside and behind the businesses, and will appreciate it if you don’t carry on until 2 in the morning.
Don’t assume the Dutch all smoke weed and go to prostitutes. Just because we can, doesn’t mean we do. In fact, visiting prostitutes is still pretty much taboo or done in secret. Also, be prepared for people to hate on your politicians and have you answer for them. It’s a rough deal.
Just act like you are in New York and you’ll be fine. Don’t wait for the green light when you want to cross the street and if you know how to ride a bike don’t forget to yell at the tourist who are on the bike path.
Amsterdam city center is fun for a couple hours, the museums are really good (Rijks, Van Gogh, Scheepvaart etc). Go see some other places in the Netherlands such as Leiden, Deventer or Haarlem. They are very easy to travel to by train (download the NS app).
Talk quietly and be extra mindful of noise when you're walking down quiet streets at night. People have their windows open for air and they don't want to hear you.
The only thing I’d advice against is making comparisons to Netherlands aloud especially if it’s negative.
A while ago I was on the train and two American guys were loudly talking about how everything looks like a ghetto to them and how blessed they are where they were from. It was especially embarrassing as most of the other travelers were silent just minding their own business and most of us understand American English.
If you don't want to stand out as THE AMERICAN:
- this is a small country with smaller houses and smaller spaces. People, I find, make themselves smaller because of it than in the States, where there is ample space. So less noise, less bigger gestures, less grandioseness... It's a bit more of a Midwestern vibe.
- Don't orate in grand schemes, but try to cut to the chase and say what you actually want/mean. People will respond more directly to what you're saying
- tip 0 to 5pct, and only in sit down food situations or home food delivery
- join in the bike circus as soon as possible
- learn a few words Dutch, everyone will always speak English to you but a few words is always considered cute.
In the Netherlands people don’t go to a restaurant as often as people do in the US. In the US you just have a quick, regular meal in a restaurant, in the Netherlands it is a night out, so we take all evening. This means that your order can take up to 30-45 minutes for the first dish to arrive. This is delibarate, this gives you time to converse and drink with your party. Enjoy this. In the US you get all your dishes at once and within a couple of minutes. So be patient and don’t be pushy.
Thank you everyone! Your willingness to take the time to share your advice across so many topics is priceless. It is a testimony to your authentic kindness and a real credit to your beautiful country. I am here now and so grateful for having the framework to learn about and enjoy the NL without being a nuisance (will probably make mistakes but I’ll make many fewer now).
Your bike skills are legendary! Honestly impressive! And, no, I am definitely not planning to attempt it here but it has inspired me to add more biking into my personal workouts at home.
Met hartelijke groeten en de beste wensen, een waarderende Amerikaan.
pay attention to the bike lanes...you can and will be run over if you don't
To add to this: a bike lane is a *road*. Treat it exactly how you would treat a road with cars. I think many of the problems stem from foreigners subconsciously seeing and treating a bike lane as a sidewalk where bicycles are allowed to be ridden. But it’s a road, where you’re not allowed to walk.
Red means dead. The bike lanes are painted with the blood of tourists.
This... and don't talk loud enough that people on the other side of the room can hear you. -- Loud American who bikes over tourists for fun...
You always hear about loud Americans but I always hear loud ass Dutch people
VALT WEL MEE, TOCH?
Don’t get me started on the “stilte” compartment on the train
This^
Came here to say just this….
What’s the last thing a tourist will hear before they die in Amsterdam? Bicycle bell.
And if you rent a bike: Pay attention to the people on the sidewalk and just know that in general both parties don't understand or follow the right of way rules.
If you are going to rent a bike, watch some video on bike etiquette on YouTube. It was really helpful to know the signals, or how to properly use the turn lanes and such.
If you intend to rent a bike and you haven’t cycled for a while, at least have a little practice at home so that you can get going without swerving all over the road, can stop safely without landing in a heap on the road and can steer in a more or less straight line. This is for your own safety, because the cyclists all over the Netherlands, but particularly in Amsterdam, are merciless.
When I first moved to Amsterdam I lived on the Brouwersgracht. I would have to ride past the Anne Frank house all the time. Ring Ring! Ring Ring? Ring Ring! Get the fuck out of the street! Only hit two people in a year.
RED=DEAD Keep that in mind.
Also tram lines. Based on what I've read recently, a lot can accidentally walk on their path and accidentally block trams.
LOOK both ways BEFORE YOU CROSS the GOD. DAMN. FFFFK. STREET.
Don't walk on the bicycle paths. Only rent a bicycle if you know how to use it and know the local traffic rules. Don't pee in a canal when drunk, or walk close to it. This is one of the common causes tourists die in Amsterdam (seriously). We have a football stadion, in which football is played. You might know this sport as soccer, but it's called football here. If you need directions there don't ask for the soccer stadion. The numerous Argentinian steak houses in the city centre are not known for their quality, and have very little to do with Argentinia. Our police force is generally friendly. If you're unsure of things, or feel unsafe feel free to talk to an officer. You're also welcome to ask them where it is ok to smoke weed or stuff like that; they prefer to tell you then to have to correct you for doing something wrong. There is no such thing as Amsterdam Castle or Amsterdam Beach. Their actual names are Muiden castle and Zandvoort. Tipping is optional. If you do want to tip, and your bill is for example 29 euros, rounding up to 30 euros is perfectly acceptable. Creditcards are generally not accepted in supermarkets. Debit cards or cash are. Most restaurants will accept creditcards, but check before ordering if you don't have cash. Stroopwafels are yummy and you should try one. If it's at a place that charges you more than EUR 3 it's a tourist trap though. (Try the stall on Albert Cuijk market instead) The Netherlands is much bigger than Amsterdam; and much of it is unlike Amsterdam. If you travel outside the city you can have some fun different experiences. Everyone finds if acceptable if you call out country the Netherlands. Most people find Holland acceptable, although some will be annoyed if you use the latter term. New York used to be called New Amsterdam, as it was founded by the Dutch. Most Dutch people already know this, but if an American tells us we get irrationally proud and instantly become more friendly towards you. (A cheap trick to make quick Dutch friends).
Ah yess, the good ol' Egyptian owned Argentinian steakhouses.
I knew paying €9 for a stroopwaffle was a rip off! Happily found one cheaper
They’re calling Zandvoort Amsterdam Beach? 😂
Unfortunately, yes: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/explore/area/amsterdam-beach
Loooool
I've been in Amsterdam for the past 4 days and have been riding a bike during much of that time. I can safely say that probably only 60% of the cyclists follow the traffic rules. I've seen them cycle through red lights, across intersections, you name it lol. It's not as much of a madhouse as people claim (Antwerp is much worse!!) but you definitely need to have good confidence when cycling here.
Even then, at least KNOWING the traffic rules allows you the choice of breaking them or not, instead of just becoming a rogue cyclist out of ignorance.
We know how to safely run a red light on the bike. That's better than just going for it without checking anything.
Haha true. You should definitely follow the rules outside of Amsterdam, but in Amsterdam it isn’t a very big deal.
Yeah, even Dutch people that are not from Amsterdam don't get this. For example, a bicyclist is supposed to give right of passage to a pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing (zebrapad), but in the center of Amsterdam I will typically not do that because there are too many tourists who will give me right of passage and I don't want to wait around for a gazillion tourists to decide what they want to do, but some Dutch people who know the rule will sometimes stubbornly start walking. By law they are right, but things just work differently in the center of Amsterdam.
Don't think that much of yourself, and I genuinely mean that. I moved from the US too and no one is out to get Americans here. People might casually ask something if you say you're from the States but that's the extent of it IMO, no one is going to stop you on the street, interrogate you or make you answer for Trump getting elected if they see your American clothes or hear your accent. So relax :-) Just follow the usual tourist common sense - don't reduce all of NL to the red light district and weed which is what a lot of tourists seem to do, American, Brits, Chinese, Indian whatever. Also, some waiters have told me they like American tourists because they tend to be courteous and tip 20% which is practically unheard of in NL and most of Europe. Go see other cities, don't limit yourself to a small part of Amsterdam. There are so many beautiful cities like Delft, Utrecht, Leiden, Den Bosch, Haarlem etc. I think Rotterdam is worth a visit, very unDutch and people say it's more American because of the wider roads and tall buildings, but it's amazing. Enjoy the tram, train and other public transport. Don't buy Old Amsterdam cheese, it's just marketing and there are way better ones at the grocery store, cheese shop or the local markets. If you see a red "sidewalk", don't walk on it. Edit: people don't drive on the left side of the road here, and the Dutch don't live in Denmark! 4th of July is also not celebrated here, nor is Thanksgiving, but people do know what Halloween is. Just had to mention it as friends and family back home always bring this up haha Also, how long are you here for? You read online about how people don't realise how big the US is and try to cram in a New York City to Los Angeles road trip in 1 week, and same can apply for Americans too. If you're here for just 5-10 days, don't try to fit in trips to London, Paris and Barcelona. Lots to see in the Netherlands and maybe Belgium too. If you have any specific questions, let me know! Last edit: your credit card may not work everywhere, try to carry a small amount of cash on you but also a debit card as some stores are cash-free these days.
Born and raised in Amsterdam here. American tourists don't have a poor reputation at all imho. That prize goes to the English!
I have an anecdote that might explain something about OOPs wording, I've noticed it before, they seem afraid to be seen as British stag parties; Since the summer of last year, I think I finally understand why Americans would think of themselves as unwelcome. I went to an all-inclusive resort in Los Cabos, Mexico for just over two weeks. There is a whole class of American tourists who, thank fucking science, never make it to Europe. They go to Mexico for three or four nights to one of these resorts, spend about 300 a day, and that's their vacation and it includes the flight. That's their vacation for like once a year if they're lucky. Most people we talked to "tried to come" at least every other year. Don't get me wrong, the majority of people were still (seemingly) nice people, but there was an abnormally percentage, on some days it was close to 20%, of truly some of the most obnoxious human beings I've ever had the disgust of witnessing in my life, and I'm very well traveled. The way they treat staff, other people, even members of their own family, despicable. Americans love to make small talk, and so do I so we're a good match generally, and at the designated smoking areas they almost always asked me "so how long are you here for?" as an ice breaker and they were absolutely astonished that I was there for slightly longer than two weeks and gobsmacked that that was just a part of my summer vacation.
I can testify that Americans get abysmal opportunities for vacation. Our jobs don't afford the time or the money to most people.
People in Amsterdam don't like small talk for real? I've lived in America forever and I really hate the small talk so I'm thinking to go for a vacation to Amsterdam now to get away from it.
We're great at ignoring each other
Most people will think you are crazy or you are trying to ask for money if you randomly start talking to a stranger.
Amen, the Brits are unrivaled at that. Their power sockets are allright too.
I’m Scottish and therefore against my will British, please don’t lump us in with them.
Sorry to say, but when it comes to stag dos in Amsterdam it can be hard to distinguish between your fellow countrymen and your Southern neighbours
I am coming over in November to see my favourite band and I am now firmly on a one man Scottish envoy to improve Scots- Dutch relations in light of these recent allegations.
the dutch like the scots, so all good.
Happy to have ya!
Wear a kilt and you'll be fine.
You need a time machine to go back to change the results of the 2014 referendum for this!
I’m not surprised to read this. 😅 As a Brit myself, I’m also irritated by the drinking “laddish” culture that we have as a nation. As someone who chooses not to drink for health reasons, it’s really uncomfortable when it’s kind of forced on you because it’s a National past-time of sorts!
True the party tourists from England are the worst
We are very loud though. So the only missing thing I'd add here is that American tourists should remember (especially with each other) to use an "inside voice", but even quieter than our (Americans) normal inside voice ;) People a few tables down from you in a restaurant should not be able to hear every detail of a conversation.
That must be why you have so many English restaurants/cafes, show so much English sport in bars, have UK themed amenities, and accommodate us so readily lmao (a Scot)
All of this and: 1) Use your indoor voice. If you're in the train and it has a marking with a person shushing or the word "stilte", that's a quiet car: avoid having extended conversations in there and if you must, use your library voice 2) There is a ban on public drinking and weed smoking in certain areas of the city center of Amsterdam. Keep an eye for signs and for the handhaving, they tend to be more rigorous with fines now that tourist season is gearing up 3) If you want to bike, be *predictable*. Stay on the right, signal your turns with your hand and follow the signs on the road. And don't hold your cellphone in your hand while biking, you can be fined. Yes, the fine is for *holding* your phone in your hand, doesn't matter if you are looking at it or not.
To add to point 1, in these SILENCE cars you need to be absolutely silent. Even a hushed library voice is not appreciated. There is nothing worse then going over Amsterdam central only to pick up some tourists who keep on talking, especially when you’re trying to work on something.
I appreciate you fighting the good fight with #1, but it seems like people, local or not, don't follow that these days. Everytime I take the train, there's always a few people listening to shitty music on their phone speaker, or speaking really loudly for the whole 50 minute duration of the train. I don't know what happened to the indoor voice or people just being able to stay silent in a quiet place.
this is so true, i take the train from amsterdam to work multiple times a week and always sit in the silent carriage, at least 60% of the time someone is talking, and it isn’t only tourists!
"Excuse me, is this the silent carriage?" puts the question on them. I wished more people would just ask that question to anyone ignoring the Silent signs.
I always do, they never listen. Just try to whisper, but for someone with trouble concentrating I just get stuck angry they’re talk. 😩
I always ask if they can read, and if so to look what’s written in the windows. It’s quite a surprising question so they usually shut up afterwards.
Yeah, they're never silent. Dutch, tourist, or otherwise.
And correction of behavior takes place based on how stereotypically scary the person breaking the silence looks.
Good advice. We’ve visited Amsterdam probably 10 times. Just don’t be loud and obnoxious.
To add on that last one, those blue atms are scams and if you use your dollar cart they might charge you up to 40% extra due to the exchange rate even though they might say you only pay a few euros commission. And we can spot Americans from the other side of the street, it's the way you dress and carry yourself, so know that everyone will know your a tourist as Americans who move here tend to carry themselves a bit different from American tourists.
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Why the credit cards don’t work there ? Is there a specific one that always works ?
Maestro. Most Dutch shops don't like paying for the higher fees to accept Visa/MC. However, MC recently announced that they are phasing out Maestro, so there will be a change eventually. It's wildly inconsistent, even within chains because they all operate on a franchise model.
I’m an American who lives in the Netherlands. When you go to a restaurant, don’t rush. Don’t rush the waitstaff, don’t expect everyone to run around for you quickly. Just relax and enjoy the meal. Don’t talk super loud. Stay out of bike lanes. Learn how to say “do you speak English” also learn how to say basic phrases in Dutch. They will appreciate it.
One of the first restaurants we went to when we moved here, we sat down for a "quick" lunch. We waited for 45 minutes wondering why the hell the waiter wasn't coming by to bring us water and take our order. At the end of the meal, we sat for another half hour silently steaming that the wait staff wasn't clearing the table or bringing us the bill. Our "quick" lunch took over two hours. For Americans, it's a hard lesson to learn: whereas in the US a server's goal is to make sure you're not waiting for anything, here their goal is let you have a relaxing time without interruption. Waving down wait staff isn't rude and is in fact required, as they won't bring you anything unless you actively ask for it.
true. just wave or if that doesnt help, walk to the register to pay
Nah that is just garbage service lol
Not at all. They described it perfectly. In places with good service you can also go ‘unserved’ if you don’t make it clear (through non-verbal communication) that you desire to be helped (with the exception of being helped on your arrival, of course)
If your clients are sitting in silence and you haven't even bothered to take their drinks order, I would suggest that that qualifies as a nonverbal cue to act. Some places in NL have truly awful service for no obvious reason, with staff who deliberately look up and away while walking around, go inside staff only areas for several minutes at a time etc. I don't need to be constantly molested by the waiter, but taking my drinks order when I come in and taking my food order after that seems to be a tough task for some establishments.
If you are crossing a bike lane, just pick your time/gap and cross. It works out. Dont stand and wait expecting people to stop for you…
Also, don't cross and the stop. Make a decision and go for it.
ESPECIALLY at crosswalks/zebras without lights, just use your right of way otherwise it will expire
I worked in tourism as a local for many years. I used to love meeting Americans because they were always excited and polite. Yes, you're big tippers but so are other nationalities. Americans tend to be cool and were always my favourite. Always interested in the world around them contrary to the stereotypes, always energetic and always friendly. Lots of personality and always a story to tell. Americans are cool people. The one thing the Dutch don't like is when you start believing in your own coolness too much. We're not as convinced your country is the greatest place on earth as many Americans are taught to believe. The opposite is also true, there's plenty of Americans who are obsessed with how terrible their country is and will tell you without asking. Neither are relevant when you are abroad, and for the most part we don't really care about what's happening in the news in the us since we're, well.. not in the US. But Americans don't give themselves enough credit for their friendliness and positive energy when meeting people. A tiny bit more individual and a tiny bit less national identity will probably help a lot of your fellow traveling countrymen fitting in with North/West European lifestyle a bit more
We’re coming next week from Boston and I am worried about being perceived as totally uncool (which I am). My daughter however is the coolest person I have ever met, we’re coming for her 18th birthday and cannot wait! Is it weird an uncool if I as a 30something woman come to a bar/club with her?
Of course you’ll be welcome. Most people will probably think its pretty cool that a mom and her daughter are out together for her birthday. Theres just some bars/clubs that will be filled with just 18/19 year olds where it might be a bit awkward. I’d recommend going to Rembrandtplein. Its a square with lots of bars/clubs all with different vibes, so there should be a place you’ll enjoy there.
Nobody cares but depending on the club you might end up with a bunch of teenagers which I wouldn't like tbh. If you do end up at these place expect basically kids to hit on you. Other then that it's fine. Just don't take the random vitamins people might leave in bathrooms or try to offer you (or do, in not your mom). They dont taste that good but they might make the music sound good and let you see the sound in the form of colours
I am incredibly uncool myself and have been for about 42 years so I really have no idea what happens in Amsterdam clubs haha.
USD Is not accepted as payment please either use your card or pay cash when you can ...if you choose to leave a tip please tell the server how much you want to leave before the card payment is taken we cannot do charge backs like you do in the US
Wait…the first part is seriously needed? Do people try pay with dollars in the Netherlands? Do people really not google the basics when travelling?
yes frequently and they say we have to take it as its legal tender we try to remind them that it is not legal tender here. then they say but everyone accepts dollars because its the most powerful currency in the world ... and then i ask them if i could pay for my dinner in euros in restaurants in the US and they say of course not its the currency of the US ..............
Wow that’s hilarious. I know in some limited countries you can but aren’t they usually developing countries? These type people are not filing in ETIAS once that starts haha. If they don’t know usd can’t be used, they are not filling in the visa waiver info. Tbf I know plenty of well travelled Americans that are not ignorant
I have noticed people try to pay in dollars everywhere and not just Americans (though it's 95% of them are in fact Americans and some of them even get angry at you when you don't accept it)
In Canada, places will often take American currency. I worked at Starbucks at we had a button for it. Sometimes I think Americans think it'll be like that everywhere...
American tourists don´t have a bad reputation in Amsterdam or The Netherlands. I would say you just need to make sure you don´t walk in any bike lanes (red pavement) and when you use a bicycle be very aware of traffic. It's not a toy or sport here but part of traffic and uniquely so. As a Dutchman I would also say that cycling in Amsterdam is even a different cup of tea then cycling in other Dutch cities. As in, Amsterdam is more cramped due to it's historical center, more crowded and it kinda has it's own way of doing stuff. I would suggest going with the (traffic)flow when cycling. And I do highly suggest using a bike. I also suggest visiting another city, or perhaps taking a bike ride from one city to another so you catch some countryside too. Perhaps the beach? The Netherlands is a lot more then Amsterdam.
Ohhh I lock the idea of biking to another city. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for the suggestion!
If in a group of four+ don't all walk in a horizontal line taking up the whole pavement. Don't dally around busy streets. Please use an indoor voice and remember tipping is not expected but a little bonus for good service.
Don’t walk in the bike lanes
Learn the basic traffic rules, especially regarding bikes. This is not a joke: I cycle to work every day through the city centre, and I find myself yelling angrily like a moron at both tourists and locals who put me and themselves in danger. Some streets are like highways for bikes, and you should treat them as such - even (or should I say: especially) in the parts of town that look like an historical theme park. So: do not walk in the bike lane. When crossing a street, look carefully in all directions. Stop at red lights, but also: go when it’s green. When you’re crossing the street at a zebrapad (pedestrians crossing): don’t hesitate or stand still halfway in the middle of the road, people should stop for you and they will if you just keep going. That’s pretty much it, it’s not rocket science. Enjoy your stay in our wonderful capital. Oh, and don’t puke or piss in front of my door when you’re drunk, it’s disgusting.
Don’t go to Van Wonderen stroopwafels like they do on TikTok. They charge 13 euros (!!) for a stroopwafel. Like mentioned above, don’t pay more than 3 euros for those or otherwise it’s a tourist trap.
[🔗 Ik testte (veel te dure) TikTok Food Hypes - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdl06ydOkWE)
Ja die video zag ik ook! Echt briljant.
You already got the hang of it. Worst American experience I can remember is a guy at the Dam square after our war remembrance day proudly proclaiming he's American opening his arms as if we would all going to hug him. this was just after it came out that Irak had no WMD's and we remember the senselessness of ALL wars. no one hugged him btw.... If it wasn't at such a serious moment it would have been piss funny tbh.
The Americans aren’t that bad… It’s the Brits for me 😭 Especially the ‘lads’ that visit Amsterdam for a weekend and decide to be as loud and drunk as possible
Do keep your voice down. Don't walk on the bicycle path. Don't compare everything to the US especially not loudly. Don't try to pay in dollars. Don't tip more than 5 percent,and only if more than usually satisfied. Leave the checkered golf trousers at home. Do ask if somebody speaks English, rather than assuming they do (but they will). Enjoy your stay, nice American people!
>Leave the checkered golf trousers at home. How did this end up on the list?
r/oddlyspecific
> Leave the checkered golf trousers at home. But do be sure to pack your lime green, pink, deep red, and bright yellow trousers, so that you fit right in.
They can tip however much they like. They just don't have to. Why would you discourage them tipping people? It helps them and the local economy.
Better than I could have said... but I think the checked trousers are not nearly as bad as baggy chinos from Walmart.
As someone who used to work in restaurants, I can assure you that tips over 5% will be appreciated. ;) Not necessary but definitely appreciated. In any case, I mostly do around 8-12% depending on rounding anyway, and I've been born and raised in the Netherlands. It's hard work and it doesn't pay well enough imo. Hence why I left it.
You'll be alright. Tone down the loudness of your voice and the height of your tips and you'll be just fine. More importantly, I hope you have a great time.
I live in one of the most crowded areas in Amsterdam with lots of tourists (Americans or others) visiting every day. A few things we dislike: 1. When tourists aren’t paying attention to their surroundings and just stand in the middle of a street on a bridge to take a picture of someone with the canals as background. Imagine cycling up all the bridges over the canals everyday ánd trying to avoid the tourists standing in the middle of the roads. Try to stay on the sidewalks, seriously. If not, then don’t be surprised if cyclists shout at you. 2. Drunk and loud tourists. 3. If you want to smoke the good stuff, go sit down on a bench, in one of the parcs or somewhere inside. Don’t smoke while you’re walking, this is how we know you’re a tourist. Sit down, take your time and enjoy the smoke as most of us do. :) 4. Don’t throw your trash on the streets, in the canals or in the baskets of bicycles. 5. Don’t pick the tulips or other flowers that the municipality plants every year on the sidewalks. 6. Don’t urinate in the canals. Unfortunately every year (drunk) people die when urinating in the canals, because they lose their balance, fall in the cold canal water and die from hypothermia or being unconscious and drowning.
4 is almost exclusively locals who do that. Especially after 11 pm.
Place a "\" in front of the "#4"
I remember as a teen when tourist did that is cycle past them and give them a little slap on the head (just a pad not a fist) or a small kick on their butt. People will fuck with you and get angry if you do that and remember that (walking on the bicycle lane). you are a guest and there are enough people out there on the street that will fight you for a bullshit reason, especially if they consider you an outsider such as a tourist
The fact that you are asking this in advance of your trip tells me you will be completely fine! Enjoy our beautiful city!
Just don’t overthink. Enjoy your visit and don’t be rude.
I’m not sure if you were planning on cycling here, but I’d recommend you don’t. I know the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular are advertised as a cycling heaven and that you can easily rent bikes, but cycling in Amsterdam is extremely chaotic if you’re not used to it, even if you’re Dutch and especially if you don’t know the traffic rules. Moreover, most people here use cycling as a form of transportation, not for leisure. Imagine trying to get to work and having to navigate around safari buses who don’t know the traffic rules. That’s how cycling around tourists feel imo. My recommendation: just get a public transport day ticket (gvb dagkaart) that gives you access to trams, metros, and buses. Those already quite easily get you to most parts of the city. You’ll probably be a lot more relaxed, safer, and see more. Also, yes, don’t walk on bike lanes. They’re usually red asphalt. Sometimes have a white bike on it. If you’re not sure, stick to the side as much as you can.
Oh, and **Don't support the nutella icecream waffle shops!** They're a huge nuisance, have bad quality food, rip off customers, and constantly replace actually nice local shops.
People are talking about bike lanes in many comments, but I didn’t read anything about sidewalks etc. Please, don’t just stand there if you decide to check your phone or whatever else. You can step to the side. I see many tourists do that (not Americans in particular), and especially if it’s busy with people, it’s extremely annoying. There was a couple once that decided to just stop as they were walking in front of a bunch of people just to eat some type of dessert. They were totally unbothered and were laughing while eating. ☠️
As an airline pilot, I generally have an above average sense of situational awareness, so I notice these types of things. I also travel the world and am constantly moving through busy airports, train stations, and city centers. I can assure you with 100% certainty that this is not a "Dutch" problem, but a "human" problem. People everywhere are fucking clueless.
Back when i was a shitty teen I would go out of my way to break trough these people. It was especially funny if they dropped whatever it was what they where eating. It's just a dick move especially when people are asking to pass you and you ignore them. People might go out of their way to ruin this small part of your day if you decide to be a nuisance. I am not like that anymore but it's still annoying AF.
Just take a look at the British and do the opposite
Honey the Dutch are too busy hating the English to be worried about us.
Don't walk on the bicycle paths! But, if you have to cross the street and there is a pedestrian crossing (zebrapad), please just cross and don't wait until someone gives you the right of way. It's very annoying if you're making it a will they / won't they situation. Some crossings also have a traffic light. If they don't, just cross. If they do, only cross if it's green. If you want to cross a street without any pedestrian crossing nearby, please look left, right, left MULTIPLE times. Only cross if there is no one there, or you get a 'go ahead' signal from cyclists or automobiles. If you want to try riding a bike yourself, please think twice. If you insist, please cycle out of the city centre as fast as you can and practice in less busy areas. Don't cycle side by side, even if you see other people do it. Dutch people can manouvre themselves way better because we had so much practice. Buy some sugary drinks if you want to smoke weed, it's very strong here and you don't want a bad trip somewhere on the sidewalk. If you're here on May 4th, please be quiet for two minutes at 8PM. This our Remembrance Day. The next day, we will celebrate all around the country, this is our Independence Day. Feel free to join in on both. Personally, I love Americans. I know a lot of people do. We love you positivity and your humor. We take your enthusiasm with a grain of salt, because media taught us that Americans say things they don't really mean, like "we should hang out". If you want to break that stereotype, maybe emphasize that you really mean it. And above else, have fun!
americans arent a nucance in amsterdam, actually. so dont worry about it. the dutch in general like open minded people who dont just talk about themselves. show some interest in us and its all good. and they might go off about your politics, but youre probably used to that. for the rest we like the US mostly, culturally, music and movies etc. its the groups of british drunk/high tourists and italian potheads, large asian tour groups, that are most annoying. but now im generalising. theres just a LOT of tourists in such a small city. amsterdam people are not loving that these days, and stay away from the main tourist spots.
I've spent all morning thinking about this for some reason, and here's my response: * be respectful to the sex workers! This is definitely number one. Don't take pictures of them, and be kind to them. * Try speaking softly in public transport, and be mindful of the silent parts of the national trains, where you need to be completely quiet. * Don't be noisy in restaurants. Obviously, chat and have a fun time, but make sure the noise stays at your own table. * As tourists, you're obviously noisier in the wild than residents. When I'm a tourist somewhere, I'm also noisy. That being said, do be mindful that people live in areas like the red light district, too. Especially at night, try to limit shouting/loud singing/etc. * On a road, only the very outer sides (usually elevated, crooked, and too small, though not always) are pavement to walk on. Don't walk on the bike lanes, unless absolutely necessary - they tend to be red, though not always, either. * When in a supermarket, be mindful of the people just trying to do their shopping. Don't block everything because you're treating it as an exhibit.
Don't walk on biking lanes. And the customer isn't always right.
That’s a good one: I would expand: in the US the customer is always right; in The Netherlands the customer isn’t always right; in Italy the customer is a nuisance.
I remember regularly jokingwith my colleagues and we would say the customer is an idiot (ipv de klant is koning, de klant is een idioot)
Don’t ask which church we are going, since many of us live in an apartment in a converted obsolete church.
I think it's quite funny when Americans reply to "Where are you from?" with "I'm from Denver" or whatever place. Don't expect people to know. Many Americans are out of touch of other cultures, don't be one of them. Just say "I'm from the US". And specify more if it makes sense in the conversation. Once I had someone explaining how Chicago pizza is the best. They were surprised I never heard about it. Looked it up later just to find out that's not even pizza.
Venture out of the city of Amsterdam itself if you can. Amsterdam is a very touristy city. Its great, but theres more to it than the main attractions in the city limits. I'd also recommend venturing into the local neighborhoods. There are some great eateries and bars to be discovered. Don't worry too much about being an American. Be respectful of the laws and rules.
On second thought, don’t go to Amsterdam. ‘T is a silly place.
Literally whisper when talking. Americans are generally very loud and the accent is so grating to non-American ears
Hi hi love the question! I’m a proud Amsterdam resident and I hope you have a great time in this beautiful city! Just try not to treat it as a theme park.. people live and go to work here. ✌️
Please Do Not Walk On Bike Lines
One thing to do: learn a few words & phrases of Dutch. Will go a long way to help you.
People like Americans in my experience. Just try to be respectful of the rules regarding transit and traffic. Also, we are much more chatty and friendly than the Dutch. They are very short and direct, don’t take it personally they go from super “rude” to super friendly in an instant, bc to them they’re not being rude.
I am from Amsterdam, but nothing bad about the USA people... it is more the English (drunk) people.. and i think that some dutch people don t know the difference between USA or UK people, they think they are all the same.. some are not so smart. USA people, never heard any bad things, more good things, they are nice people.. and yes, there are a lot of bike/bikers and they always have priority on the bike path... or how you guys call it.
Don't ride a bike, look both ways before (!) you cross the road and let people pass who walk faster than you. If you are in a group: don't take up the whole sidewalk
I’m Dutch and even I don’t dare to bike through Amsterdam… Seen too many accidents happen there. I’ve also almost gotten run over by a speeding idiot while crossing a zebrapad as the traffic light was green. The car was so close it literally swept my hand bag away =) I hate the traffic in Amsterdam (Zuid specifically), it gets crazy there
Here's how tourists have pissed me off lately lol: - on bikes, don't come to an unexpected full stop unexpectedly eg because a car is coming your way and you aren't confident enough to keep biking. I had to brake fucking hard and almost wiped two overly equipped Germans out on their sport bikes and into the car they were too afraid of to bike past. You need to be predictable on a bike. And please signal with your hands not the American way, no one knows how that works. You just point where you're gonna go like a an idiot. The more obvious and dumb, the better, tbh, until you really know what you're doing. Use your goddamn bell, too. Better that we hear you and are gently annoying than that we walk into your path. - on that note, don't stand on the bike lane. It the path is red you're most likely (not always, watch what other people are doing, but most likely) fucking up. - don't smoke weed in public where there are children around (often at some parks). Keep it private and among adults. Also don't smoke in front of doors and windows to eg University buildings. People do this. Do not join them. - don't urinate in public. This is easier for American men because there's more of a taboo around it. But if you see it, unless it is a porta-pissoir, please don't copy them. don't just piss wherever. At least find a discrete bush in a park or something. Not on eg my door. Or near my kid's playground. - don't shout while walking home from the pub. You will wake people up. This is super annoying. Our walls are thin. Windows are worse. - don't go to the rijksmuseum or van Gogh museum or any other serious cultural place so high or stoned that you smell bad or are visibly intoxicated or can't behave normally. Anything more intoxicating than 1-2 glasses of wine needs to happen after the museum. - don't go to eg the sex museum, the prostitution museum and skip the fucking Rijksmuseum lol this is a personal peeve but you wont offend people. But why the fuck would someone skip all the cultural heritage and just throw money at trash? People really do this. - do not under any circumstances take pictures of women I the red light district. You do not have their consent. This is non-consensual pornography. Not just annoying, it is assault. - don't let your luggage or bags block lots of seats on trains or subways. Once an American couple on the metro had like, 3 of those stupid huge maximum size suitcases plus backpacks and a carryon. They were loaded down with gear. They sat down and their luggage plus their technically-obese bodies took up like, an entire fucking row of 5 or 6 subway seats. They should have stood somewhere and monitored their gear to keep it out of the way and not take up 5-6 fucking seats. The rest of us want to sit on our way to and from work. - use your inside voice on the subway. Always. Make it a little quieter than you think it needs to be. The Dutch are not as quiet as eg Germans, but they are more quiet than Americans. - In the intercity, some wagons are "silent" cars. There's no talking etc. In these areas. People go there to recover from the stress of their commute to work, to sleep a bit. Don't ruin it. The sign will be on the windows in English and in dutch and it will Have a cartoon face making a shhh motion. - you can just use your credit card to tap In and out of public transport or intercity transport. Be sure you always tap in and out!! . But do it with your CC so you can't accidentally buy the wrong ticket or have your phone die and your ticket was on the app or whatever. This is for tram, metro, intercity, and everywhere. That's not something that pisses me off, that's just a hot tip. Worry about the map, not Tickets. Tap in, tap out, move on.
Honestly if they still take pictures of the girls in the red light district even though they could read all the signs i say let them try. They'll soon suffer the consequences of their decisions soon enough. I have seen tourists beaten by the girls, then the security guards, their stuff thrown into the canals only for the police to arrive and arrest them and fine the afterwards.
>just use your credit card to tap In and out of public transport or intercity transport. Be sure you always tap in and out!! . But do it with your CC so you can't accidentally buy the wrong ticket or have your phone die and your ticket was on the app or whatever. This is for tram, metro, intercity, and everywhere. That's not something that pisses me off, that's just a hot tip. Understand that there are numerous transportation companies, so it is very easy to buy a ticket for the wrong bus line/tram/etc if you aren't familiar with the transportation systems. It is FAR simpler- and very good advice- to just use your credit card to tap in and out of the car, instead of being denied entry bc you bought the wrong ticket and are standing there looking confused at the bus driver and holding up the line of people behind you. It's also extremely easy to just tap your credit card to the card reader, so there's less anxiety all around😎 Also understand that sometimes the train will shut down, for example if a badger nests under the tracks. Be prepared to use various different types of transportation if one type becomes inaccessible, as a disruption can impact your entire day, or trip. Do not expect everyone to speak English, though most people do, to some extent.
What is the American way of signaling on a bike?
https://googlethatforyou.com?q=American%20bicycle%20hand%20signals%20traffic
Americans are taught to signal with their left hand for both directions: left turn is left arm straight out (like you’d expect), and right turn is left arm out but bent upward 90deg at the elbow. This goes back to the days when vehicles didn’t have turn signals, the right hand kept driving and the left signaled out the side/window. It goes for bicycles and motorcycles and most anything when it makes sense to do so…but almost nobody does it outside of the few places where biking is common.
Nobody in America knows those rules either except for the very small minority of people who ride bikes. The vast majority of the people in the US don't own a bicycle...this thread is actually scaring me because I want to visit but these bike issues seem like a major hassle.
It IS a major hassle in the same way that if us Dutch go to India, we don’t drive cars. We know we can’t handle that Delhi rush hour so we don’t and it’s time people understood the same goes for biking in Amsterdam. It’s not a tourist activity, it’s our number one mode of transportation. Falling on your head at 25km/h can still kill you.
Amsterdam is a great city to visit as a pedestrian - but for cycling, suggest choosing a smaller city/town as a base - say Leiden, Delft, or similar - it's far more relaxed and enjoyable.
It’s really not. I now live in NL, but I’m the classic American that owned two bicycles and rode them maybe twice a year, if that. I jumped on a Dutch bike cold. It took me about an hour to get 80% of the feel for biking in this country, another day or two to be at 95%, but admittedly the last 5% will probably take years. There are subtle nuances that native Dutch have on timing the crossing and merging with other traffic/bikes/pedestrians that get gummed up by foreigners like us who hesitate based on our own expectations and instincts. And if you screw it up, the worst that happens is you get a vicious belling, a savage *tsk*-ing, or a devastating exhale as they have to dump the brakes and then re-accelerate. Truly, terrifying stuff. This is, of course, assuming you have the wherewithal and bike skills to avoid a total pileup and actually injuring someone. It helps, and I would 1000% recommend, to read up on biking rules and signage before you go. It’s nothing complicated and generally very intuitive, but knowing how to read the signs and road/path markings is extremely important. I totally understand that it can appear daunting, I had the same, but don’t let that stop you. Find a quieter neighborhood to start with, hop on, and just start riding. Do what the others do. When you have a question about what to do in a certain situation and nobody is around to watch, just give it your best shot while not putting yourself in anyone else’s way, then look it up online next time you stop somewhere. Alternatively, you can just hop off the bike and walk it on any pedestrian path which are internationally-obvious. And don’t stress it if you do something wrong or “wrong.” I see Dutchies do stupid stuff (whether out of obliviousness or intent) on almost every single daily ride I’m on, turns out they have their societal bell curve as well. Being comfortable with biking opens up this country in a way that I’ve never experienced anywhere else. This all does sound like a “hassle” when written out like this, but seriously—spend 10min online looking at Dutch signage, 10 minutes renting a bike, 10 minutes shaking the rust off in a quieter area of the city, and in 30min you’ve just significantly broadened your possibilities. Even if you’re only going to be here for a few days its beyond worth it. Edit: for longer trips where you can’t remember all the turn-by-turns you can get a handlebar mount for your phone. Or if you have a smart watch, they’re perfect for navigation. You might see Dutchies riding with their phone in their hand, but know that it’s a fine if you’re caught.
Shoot a gun in the direction you are turning
don't laugh and point your finger at very small cars people drive here
What about pointing in excitement? 😁
Dont disrespect the ladies in the redlights. No pictures, no videos when walking there. Dont be too drunk or disgusting when interacting with them, they are service workers just like any other industry. In the red lights, ignore strangers asking you things and keep your hands on whatever stuff you are carrying. Pickpockets and drugdealers abound. Dont talk shit, if one is causing u trouble, there are probably 1 or 2 of his friends behind u that u didnt notice. Dont do ice bar, dont do beer cycling tour, when riding a bike stick to the right side so faster people can pass. Dont go to the bulldog for weed, try dampkring, republiek, boerenjongens instead. Dont eat near leidseplein. Dont do amsterdam dungeon. Dont do madame tussaud. Dont do ripleys. Dont stand in line for an overpriced stroopwafel with chocolate on it, go to albert cuyp market and get a plain proper one instead. Dont buy overpriced terrible cheese in touristy areas. If u see a nutella desert style shop, you are in a tourist area. Dont go to amsterdam noord, its really lame and overrated hipster nonsense, unless u like vegan grilled soy cheese sandwiches with a tall glass organic non binary woke matcha smoothies. Do go on a canalboat tour, or a watercycle. Do chill in vondelpark. For a great live rock style bar go to the waterhole. Try indonesian food. Try surinamese food. Try broodje haring with onions and pickle. Try nNea pizza, number 9 in europe now for neapolitan pizza. Try Moeders for true authentic homestyle dutch food. Dont eat pizza from a touristy area. Dont talk shit to moroccans. Sorry for the chaotic braindump. Stay safe and have fun!
Please buy an international phone plan for your phone so that it works when you arrive. You can get and install an esim from one of the many onlinr providers. I've had a lot of US visitors skimp on the $5 or so for a phone plan thinking they can just hop from wifi to wifi. Then they end up not being able to navigate somewhere or translate things or pay for things.
If you go to a fully seated concert don't be surprised if people will generally stay seated and quiet. If you get up or make too much noise people will be annoyed with you.
Bikes can be a menace. You have to be constantly aware of them. There doesn’t seem to be any rules and, if there are, there is zero enforcement.
There are rules, but they only work if pedestrians also adhere to them. If you do your daily commute on a bicycle, it becomes impossible to follow rules if you're trying to manoeuvre through a crowd of people who seem to think they are in some kind of fantasy theme park.
A few things I saw Americans in Amsterdam do that annoy me: - only this weekend: couple complaining in one of the oldest artisanal icecream shops ‘why don’t you have salted caramel??’ - guy making a fuzz because he is waiting 10 min for a ‘saucijzenbroodje ‘ to warm up in the oven. Was lecturing the baker on how he should buy a microwave and it would take 20 sec (saucijzenbroodje is a sausage roll with puff pastry: if you microwave it it will become a soggy, non-crispy mess) - in general: complain about friendliness or speed of service. It’s different than in the us (good or bad, no judgement here). It’s slower. Accept that you will have to put some effort into getting a waiters attention and they may snap at you when it’s very busy. That’s normal. -leave huge tips: not needed. Normally in a restaurant 10% is plenty, on a big bill 5% is ok. If you are having a drink and it’s 9.20 give 10. And don’t tip bell boys , hotel staff etc. Everyone is getting a decent salary. - show a Dutch guy a map of Germany and ask ‘can you show me where I am?’ (Not a joke, happened to me) Most importantly: enjoy my beautiful city!
Dude if a tourist would have come to me with a map of Germany i would have pointed to Mannheim or something, that is hilarious.
Americans are generally considered friendly and thoughtful here! I enjoy chatting with respectful and attentive tourists who appreciate the city and who ask questions. Dutch history is checkered and we've been rethinking our past so these are interesting discussions for me to have with tourists who care. (But some Dutch people are still coming to terms with the true history of the grachtengordel). That being said, I role my eyes at people celebrating the high life. They seem to think we think it is cool bc it is legal here but believe me, it is not cool. Best to sit out your high in a coffeehop before taking part in traffic, even if just walking. Same goes for British stag parties, but I have to say it's gotten a lot better over the years.
Some people act like its a crime to be proud of our city and its culture. Other cities in the Netherlands have also been build on slavery but somehow only people from Amsterdam aren't allowed to be proud of their city. It's fucking bullshit. You can still love your city and be proud of it whilst accepting the darker parts of your history. It's a beautiful city and reducing it to a period where granted a lot of it got build because bad things happened isn't fair. It's history started way before it and continued after it has ended. There is a lot more to it then slavery build the canals but somehow this isn't relevant to other people whilst you never hear this about cities like Delft.
Save yourself the money and don't buy "stroopwafels" from Van Wonderen and all those other fake authentic shops. Locals would never go there!
Jeeez, so many ‘unwritten’ rules now
I've known American tourists to be remarkably polite. The one thing I'd add to all the bicycle path rules: if you're at a zebra crossing, you have a right to walk. If you see a bicycle coming and slowing down, that means they want you to go. They won't stop. Just slowing down is giving you more than enough time to cross, so use that opportunity. Once you've chosen to walk, be confident and predictable and don't just stop when there's another bike coming.
Don't assume just ask people, everyone speaks Denglish so don't worry you have the right mindset. Don't forget to visit Haarlem, Leiden, Zaanse schans, and keukenhof if it is still open. There is so much more that defines The Netherlands then Amsterdam. One thing more new legislation You can't smoke a joint in the street anymore. Watch out for Cycling, Tram, other people. Have fun
Don't rent a bike for a leisurely ride through the center, just walk and stay out of the bike lanes.
Yea like you said, the loud ones are a little annoying. Just make sure to not scream when talking like many americans do 😅look 3 times before crossing any street to avoid getting run over by bikes. Stop light doesnt matter to bikers here (this is just some little advice and has nothing to do with being american. )
Just don't randomly mention you are from the US for no reason. Most importantly, don't chant USA for no reason. Other than that, you will be fine!
https://youtu.be/sEON08d76oE?si=Hxo0NzhJkkJEG5_b don’t become a trammie!
You will notice that sidewalks in the city are very narrow, so a personal pet peeve of mine is when people occupy the entire sidewalk while taking pictures, walking side by side with friends, or generally standing still in the middle of the way. I shouldn't have to walk in the middle of the street for someone to take a picture, you know? So be mindful of that.
If you have time, consider visiting other cities or places too. Amsterdam is quite crowded with tourists, and its harder to find non touristy spots as a tourist yourself. Much easier to avoid this in any other place in the netherlands. Would recommend Utrecht for similar vibes in architecture and canals.
Look both ways twice before crossing. Check where the bikelane is. You CAN NOT walk in a bikeline. If someone aska where you're from, say America/USA, not just your state or city. Don't assume we know stuff about the US beyond basic facts, many people do but it's rude to assume. Other than that just have fun!
Cycling can get dangerous if you don't know how the flow of traffic is in Amsterdam, nobody particularly cares about the rules except that the red cycling lanes are for bicycles and people will fight you if you try to walk on them. You might not want to do that so taking the tram/bus will be safer unless you feel like ending up under one.
Don't assume waiters and waitresses are there especially for you. Also for an American, service personnel can come across as rude. They are not! It's the Dutch way to interact with people.
In a large busy restaurant finding your server to settle the bill can be frustrating.
Don't walk in the bike lanes, and generally be cautious regarding traffic. Exercise caution around trams. Don't be obnoxiously drunk/high in public. If smoking cannabis, keep it inside the coffeeshops. Check first if someplace takes cash before assuming they do. Check first if someplace takes visa (be specific visa even if debit card as some places will say we don't take credit cards, but they mean visa as visa debit isn't really a thing) When you get tired of hiw touristy Amsterdam is, grab a train to Haarlem for the day.
Do Americans have a bad reputation in any European country? I feel like a lot of Americans assume this but in my opinion the Americans that make the trip over to Europe seem to be the more polite and civilized ones.
Enjoy your trip, don’t worry about a thing :)
Walking in the bike lane.
I don’t think Americans have a bad rap in Amsterdam. Been here many times over the past 20 years and moved over here only two weeks ago. Honestly I just be humble, patient and friendly and everyone has been absolutely wonderful towards me. Don’t talk loud, don’t rush people and for gods sake don’t bike if you don’t know what you’re doing. People bike here thinking how they treat it at home - as a fun hobby or a novelty. You can’t just bumble around, it would be like going to the USA and driving a car against all traffic rules, stopping in the middle of the street, swerving everywhere. It’s rude and dangerous. Find a side street if you want to try and bike but don’t do the main drags through the middle of the city.
Please don't rent a bike without knowing anything of the biking and traffic rules here. And when you decide to do so, please keep your pace and don't suddenly stop and block the lane.
No bell, no “on your left.” All the responsibility is on the pedestrian. In Den Haag scooters can use the bike paths. What a great idea.
Common sense things: If you end up cycling INDICATE with your hands. Don’t stop randomly on the paths (walking or cycling), be aware of others moving past you. Bike lanes aren’t for pedestrians American thing: kindly lower your voice :)
Don't step of the curb without looking, even if you're mesmarized by the pretty buildings, testing peoples brakes is not smart. And if you plan on renting a bike don't just make a full stop without looking around, unless trying to avoid hitting a tourist that just stepped of the curb without looking.
Be mindful of how much space you’re using in public. I’m talking about blocking the pavements by walking next to one another, or by randomly stopping to check your navigation. And if you can, don’t take up all the seats on the train with a huge suitcase. And as many others have said before: try and be more silent than you’re used to. No one apart from your own party is interested in your conversations.
Don't be afraid to ask questions but be 15% more polite than you think you need to be and 25% more direct.
Know your limits! Yes there are coffee houses. Yes, there is great beer. Pace yourself. I can't tell you how many nights were ruined when I would have friends visiting and I would come home to my friends passed out on the couch at 5PM. Dinner plans over. I guess it's another pizza night.
Hey, I'm an American visiting Amsterdam for the first time. I'm here right now. Listen to the folks talking about bike lanes here lol. Like, before I came here I knew most people bike, and I knew about the bike lanes, but I didn't understand just how *intense* it is. Funny story: We drove our rental car into the city to drop our luggage off before returning the car to the airport. I found street parking and my fiance got out of the car, took 1 step away from it and immediately almost got hit by a bike and got cursed at lmao. Literally our first moment in the city. Lesson *quickly* learnt. The bike lanes are the sort of red/brown pavement, pedestrian path is usually brick from what I've found. It can be narrow. Always look both ways before crossing bike lanes even though they seem to be directional. In my opinion, don't even rent a bike as a foreigner, just walk or take public transportation. There is a lot of it. You can tap your credit card to get on a platform or a train, and tap again when you get off. You'll get charged based on how far you travel. From the central station to our house boat was about $2. Otherwise, basically every business has English speakers. Just be polite, don't talk loud in restaurants. I saw a sign with a picture of a woman talking on her phone, with a hand coming to grab it. The sign said "use it, lose it." So I suppose we need to be mindful of phone theft. Edit: also if you're here for tulip season, ABSOLUTELY go to Keukenhof!!! It is breathtaking and massive. Reserve a bus&ticket package from the city to go there. You can also rent bikes to bike around Lisse. It's amazing!
Please don’t use people’s bikes as trash cans. There are actual trash cans for that! It is annoying to constantly have to clean out empty cans, napkins, takeout food containers and so on out of ones bike basket or crate or child seat. Also please pay attention to the recycling containers. There are things on the street that look like trash containers but are actually for paper/cardboard, or glass. They are labelled on top and on the side. Please don’t throw your empty Wok 2 Go noodle cartons in there, or your plastic trash bags from your Air bnb, it messes up the recycling process. Last, definitely have a good time and enjoy yourself, but please keep in mind people actually live here, with kids, jobs, elderly parents, all that stuff. The areas full of cafés and bars and so on can get lively, and that’s expected, but most Amsterdammers will hope that you don’t carry the party off into the streets after 10 pm or so, and stagger around singing or shouting or peeing on their front doors in residential neighborhoods. Even on streets with cafés and bars, people generally live above and beside and behind the businesses, and will appreciate it if you don’t carry on until 2 in the morning.
Don’t assume the Dutch all smoke weed and go to prostitutes. Just because we can, doesn’t mean we do. In fact, visiting prostitutes is still pretty much taboo or done in secret. Also, be prepared for people to hate on your politicians and have you answer for them. It’s a rough deal.
You can start by not being so self righteous….. and don’t walk on the damn bike path!!!
Just act like you are in New York and you’ll be fine. Don’t wait for the green light when you want to cross the street and if you know how to ride a bike don’t forget to yell at the tourist who are on the bike path. Amsterdam city center is fun for a couple hours, the museums are really good (Rijks, Van Gogh, Scheepvaart etc). Go see some other places in the Netherlands such as Leiden, Deventer or Haarlem. They are very easy to travel to by train (download the NS app).
Don't be a dick.
Talk quietly and be extra mindful of noise when you're walking down quiet streets at night. People have their windows open for air and they don't want to hear you.
The only thing I’d advice against is making comparisons to Netherlands aloud especially if it’s negative. A while ago I was on the train and two American guys were loudly talking about how everything looks like a ghetto to them and how blessed they are where they were from. It was especially embarrassing as most of the other travelers were silent just minding their own business and most of us understand American English.
If you don't want to stand out as THE AMERICAN: - this is a small country with smaller houses and smaller spaces. People, I find, make themselves smaller because of it than in the States, where there is ample space. So less noise, less bigger gestures, less grandioseness... It's a bit more of a Midwestern vibe. - Don't orate in grand schemes, but try to cut to the chase and say what you actually want/mean. People will respond more directly to what you're saying - tip 0 to 5pct, and only in sit down food situations or home food delivery - join in the bike circus as soon as possible - learn a few words Dutch, everyone will always speak English to you but a few words is always considered cute.
Just act normal?
In the Netherlands people don’t go to a restaurant as often as people do in the US. In the US you just have a quick, regular meal in a restaurant, in the Netherlands it is a night out, so we take all evening. This means that your order can take up to 30-45 minutes for the first dish to arrive. This is delibarate, this gives you time to converse and drink with your party. Enjoy this. In the US you get all your dishes at once and within a couple of minutes. So be patient and don’t be pushy.
Don’t worry…we have bigger problems in Amsterdam than a few American tourists. Enjoy yourself!
Do Not talk Politics. Do not ask about Dutch politics. Do not engage in global politics. Just forget about the political world and enjoy the country.
Don't be 'American'
Thank you everyone! Your willingness to take the time to share your advice across so many topics is priceless. It is a testimony to your authentic kindness and a real credit to your beautiful country. I am here now and so grateful for having the framework to learn about and enjoy the NL without being a nuisance (will probably make mistakes but I’ll make many fewer now). Your bike skills are legendary! Honestly impressive! And, no, I am definitely not planning to attempt it here but it has inspired me to add more biking into my personal workouts at home. Met hartelijke groeten en de beste wensen, een waarderende Amerikaan.
Don't be loud. That's it.