19yr old going on city break to amsterdam Advice

[Theas18]

Hi my DD1 is going to amsterdam in a couple of weeks with 5 mates from school. It's finally booked - megabus go to amsterdam, who knew!

Any top tips for her? I trust her mates. But it's the 1st time she's been abroad. She has a sensible head. They really are going to go to ann franks house etc not spend all the time stoned in "coffee shops" . I'm not so green to think they wont try a bit and view the red light district though.

She has clearly been to uni, clubbing drinking and kept herself safe.

My only tip was that, taking the cheapest route to amsterdam would be marking herself out as using a potential drug route and that isn't a problem, but she shuld be whiter than white re taking care of her luggage, not carrying stuff for others etc . Using the cheapest route doesn't mean you ARE drug running,but that customs etc will be aware.

Does anyone know if you use cannabis how long any form of testing would remain positive? I assume having used before you left somewhere where it isn't illegal isn't a crime?

Anything else to mention to her?

Aww my baby turns 19 then I wont be with her.... sniff....She'll have a great time.

(DD2s tip would be "don't cycle into any canals" which is what she did last year when we were in holland!)

Testing for cannabis is very rare. It stays in the hair for a while I think. Usage is not illegal anyway.
Tell her to keep her luggage with her at all times when traveling (other than when under the bus obviously) and to check it carefully before leaving. Its unlikely anyone would plant stuff other than as a "joke".

Just warn her not to be tempted to bring any back whatever anyone tells her about it being ok (from youthful experience!).

A little advice on sob stories and how unlikely they are to be true coming from friendly strangers may be an idea.

If she is sensible the risk is low.

I fully expected lots of hand wringing on this thread so pleased that isn't the case. I went to Amsterdam on a uni field trip at 19yo and came back unscathed, although my lungs weren't in quite as good shape as when I left.

My mum slipped me an extra £50, on the basis that I was going to get stoned anyway, and she preferred to know that I could get stoned and still have plenty of money for food. It was more than enough, but if you could afford it, perhaps it would appease your fears?

Bumbaclot you are being tongue in cheek, I hope!

I think they've recently changed the laws actually so you can't just wander into a coffee shop and buy a couple of joints.

Bumbaclot what an odd reaction !

We live in a big city , she's been to school locally then uni in another city. If she wanted to use drugs it wouldn't exactly be hard for her to access them- gasp- even my 16yr old knows which boys in his year ( at a very " naice" selective grammar no less) have been arrested for smoking cannabis at a local park..

She's 19. She's an adult. She understands the problems that do exist wih drugs, she tells e she isn't interested ( and given she can have a brilliant night out on very little alcohol that's a reasonable statement) . Actually there ARE other things to do there that spend 3 days off your face. It want even their 1st choice city, but Prague and Frankfurt were too expensive to get there.

I'll lock her up and ban her from travelling anywhere till when ? 21? 25? 30??

You have to be over 18 to go into a coffee shop and it is strictly enforced so passports need to be carried. Coffee shops dont sell alcohol.

However, it isnt compulsory.

For more of the real NL then I would encourage her to spend an evening in a brown cafe. She could also have a meal in a eetcafe.

www.rijksmuseum.nl - worth a visit for a couple of hours even for a heathen!
canal tour

Lots of shopping for dutch treats

I don't do drugs. However, did twice smoke 'something' whilst in Amsterdam on business trips. First time around 15 years ago it was no issue - so weak I didn't feel anything so gave up on it as a lost cause. Second time not that long ago I was convinced to join a friend in one as he'd never tried. I wasn't all that keen but went along with it and it was legal. Two inhales and I passed out hitting head very hard on concrete floor - I fell like a dead weight. When I came around I felt fine then proceeded to do same thing twice again without another puff. Never again!

I learned something from this. In the good old days they sold weak stuff AND blended it with tobacco. Nowadays (here's the irony) they are not allowed to smoke tobacco indoors so give you it pure - I didn't know. Add to that it was way way stronger and you get the end effect described.

Maybe make sure she realises this little factoid before she goes.

Book the Anne Frank house and Van Gogh museum before they go. The queues are horrendous but with prebooked tickets you can just waltz in!

When DD1 and I went for a girly weekend, it turned out to be a gay pride on the Saturday. This was obviously lots of fun, but the canals were closed to the tourist boats for the day.

The canal pedalloes are worth a go,as a bit of fun.

Oh, and the Indonesian food is amazing. For Dutch people it s like going for an Indian meal is for us. It is quite spicy, though, maybe a bit spicier than you would expect a curry to be, in the UK.

(DD1 was 11, and I am too old for coffee shops, so no advice about this side of things, from me!)

If you think she's likely to try weed whilst she's there, I would suggest she goes to one of the more reputable coffee shops (Rokerij, Abraxas) and takes advice from the - well, dealer, I suppose you'd have to call him or her. He/she should make sure they have something very mild that should only make them silly. They should not (and this is a very, very common tourist mistake) have one joint or space cake and then think "d'you know, I'm rock 'ard me. I can't feel a thing, best have another one". I've had a number of friends who've had to shepherd their visitors to A&E because of this mistake (I used to live in Amsterdam).

Well worth doing a canal boat tour, Vondelpark if the weather is nice. I honestly would skip the red light district - it's not dangerous (esp in the day) but it's horrible. It's sort of obligatory for tourists to want to go and see it, I would stick to the area near Nieuwmarkt and then head down to the nice Tara bar on the Rokin for some slightly more wholesome Amsterdam fun.

I would recommend she doesn't order the strongest stuff going. It really does send you loopy. It's then really hard to find your way back to your hostel. Then again this is the same problem you might have if you got drunk & people generally find their way home one way or another. I just think you could enjoy the cafe experience more if you smoke something mild. I also think eating it is always worse. Takes longer to take effect then hits you. If she isn't used to dope then you could warn her that too much can make you feel sick or sort of in shock. We used to call it 'having a whitey' cos you'd lose all your colour.

[misspent youth emoticon]

Second not having space cake. In my younger days I made the mistake of thinking that a "nice bit of cake" from somewhere that looked like a health food cafe to all intents and purposes was "better" than smoking. Not being a smoker, and therefore probably not inhaling properly anyway, smoking never really had an effect and was unpleasant .... but the cake. Well, let's just say I "suddenly" found myself in a bar that I had no recollection of walking to ... it was as if I'd lost a chunk of time. And that was the effect that lasted for hours - which was pretty scary. Feeling okay - so you think - then suddenly "coming to" and not remembering most of your walk. I got back to my hotel but don't know how .... and then spent all night feeling like time was all skewed. It felt like hours had passed but the clock said 10 mins for example - not nice to feel so out of control at all. This feeling persisted until the following day .... was much better but kept getting minor "flashbacks" I suppose, where I "lost" time again. Having never done it again I have no idea if this is a typical reaction but in retrospect, common sense should have told me that consuming weed without any being wasted .. e.g. burnt away by someone who doesn't smoke ... was going to hit harder.

I was so annoyed with myself - there's so much to see and do there and I wasted so much time feeling dizzy and weird.

Many thanks for the hugely sensible advice. THe prebooking museums is going to be really helpful. They have already got Ann franks house, rjksmuseum and and picnic in Vondelpark on the list.

I will pass on all the info re coffee houses, as I say I really don't think she's intending to go for drugs but forewarned is forearmed and all that.

I would try to convey the message that taking drugs isn't actually a compulsory part of visiting Amsterdam. If you do pass on the messages re coffee houses be careful not to make it sound as if this is something she won't be able to avoid. Of course it is perfectly possible to genuinely spend a holiday enjoying the museums and sampling the Indonesian food; lots of young people do actually manage it.

I would second the whole 'weed isnt compulsory or even really Dutch' message. We lived in NL for 5 years and never participated. I have heard many sorry tales of people basically losing their weekend in Amsterdam.

The meal to go for in an Indonesian restaurant is a rijstaffel (rice table). A bit of everything.

Tea is drunk weak and without milk. If you ask for milk to with your tea you will get koffee melk which is like evaporated milk and I think there to stop the British having milk with their tea!

Kroket will have meat in it (in case there are vegetarians in the party). They are lekker though!

Stroop waffels are especially delicious when eaten hot, straight from the vendor.

I hope she has a lovely time. I know my DD wants to take her boyfriend to NL to show him the sights.

Yes, I'd agree with the 'don't bother with the weed' message, it's godawful in my (extremely limited) experience. Not like having a nice glass of wine (although I don't do that any more either!). They could go in one of the nice coffee shops actually for a soft drink, I seem to recall Abraxas does a nice line in freshly pressed juice. This way they can experience some of the 'scene' without actually participating, if they want to.

Being Dutch I can't help to think this is quite funny.
I am not from Amsterdam, but have been there a few times. Being from a small village, I had mostly problems with the traffic, especially crossing the confusing road near the train station!

As for weed: IF she or her friends want to use it, I think their best bet is to buy it in a good coffee shop, explain there that they don't want to get in trouble, and ask the proprietor for advice. Most Dutch people speak English. Some of the coffee shop owners/workers are very knowledgeable and passionate about their trade, and they should be happy to help. If they aren't, go to another shop.

But to be honest I would advise them not to use it. If you have a bad reaction you're trip will be ruined... why take that risk?
Certainly if you eat it - if you're unlucky you'll get a big chunk and remain stoned for several days.

Just bumping to update!

She went and had a fabulous time! Stayed well within budget (they mostly cooked in the apartment). Saw Ann Franks house, went on 2 guided tours (one of which was free) and even managed to get herself to her grandparents of the way home to stay there for a few nights as we were still away.

I think they stayed well clear of the seedy side and just had a great time hanging out together.

BTW she said the megabus wasn't too bad either.