Help me plan my trip to holland?

[Guest bud_boi]

Hello All.

I am planning a trip to NL for as soon as possible. This will be my first time so a little unsure on how to get the best out of my stay, because only going for a long weekend.

I have read up a bit and have seen Harleem is cheaper for accomadation and smoke.

So what should i do?

My idea is to stay in Harleem where hotels should be cheaper, making a couple of trips to the dam.

What coffee shops in harleem and Amsterdam should i visit for quality? and Are there any other places you would recommend?

I am more interested in exploring other places other than Amsterdam really, as i have heard the quality is better and prices are cheaper else where.

I will take a trip though to visit Barneys etc.

Thank all.

BB

[THC4METOO]

Haarlem is a very quiet place compared to the Dam, but like you say the weed is cheaper and of better quality. As the train service is excellent with the dam only being about 25 mins away, you can easily spend all day in the city smoking weed you bought in haarlem.

Most of the people who moan about the dam being shit have probably been too many times. Anywhere you visit too much gets shite, but as a first timer you'll be better off spending your full weekend there. There's so much more to it than coffeeshops and worthy of a long weekend. Next time you go back you can visit some other places, most of which are far nicer than Amsterdam.

Hortus Botanicus is worth visiting, especially after a smoke. Its basically a massive greenhouse with plants and trees from around the world.

Boom Chicago comedy club is a good laugh if you like improv.

Supperclub for a dressed up, sexy, night out dancing and eating on beds.

Museums galore

Red light district

loads and loads of shopping

Pounding pounding techno music

Have fun

[Serpent]

Out of all the times I've been to Amsterdam over the last 15 years, I've never been to Harlem, bad I know, but I'm generally too caned to go exploring

I personally like Amsterdam, it can be as crazy or as chilled as you want it to be, in the past we've just blitzed as many coffee shops and strains of smoke as we could, but over the last few years, I've been going for quality over quantity and we're now a bit more selective over what coffee shops we go in.

Yeah there are some coffee shops which are tourist traps, namely Grasshopper and Bulldog which should be avoided like the plague, expensive (drinks and smoke) and we were in there once BEFORE the tobacco smoking ban and when we sparked a joint up, they asked if we could go outside, maybe as we didn't buy it from there and we were only there to show the friends we were with the difference between a good coffee shop and a tourist trap.

There's also a few that run a 'if you wanna smoke you buy from us' policy, I don't find this a big problem as there providing the facilities so I'm happy to make a purchase, but it's when it's forced upon you, I'll either turn round and walk out, or buy a pre-rolled, have it and never go back.

My all time fave coffee shop is Cafe 420 just off the Damrak, it's an amzingly chilled out place, the people who work there all seem to be friendly, you can even take in your own food to eat it there, they play mostly Classic Rock and Frank Zappa gets played everyday, I will admit they probably don't sell the best weed the dam has to offer, but I can highly recommend their super silver haze, other coffeeshops we like are:

Greenhouse Effect

Mellow Yellow

Paradox

Popeye's

Bas Joe's

Home Grown Fantasy

Hill Street Blues & Hill Street Blues on the Market

Barney's

Enjoy your trip, me and mrs serpent are talking about taking a trip over there soon as well!

[Smudge357]

I've only been to Amsterdam once and it was for a long weekend and I've got to say, I'm going to Haarlem next time!

Though I have to recommend the hotel we stayed at, Hotel De Koopermoolen, we got a room with two single beds, we could come and go as we pleased, it was right across from Hill Street Blues and only €30 each per night. It's a 2 star hotel, it was fine and clean, could smoke all we want.

It was the seedyness of the 'Dam that got to me. I have no interest in prostitutes or shady guys offering me drugs/looking to rip me off! It's hard to take in a city when you have to keep walking or else this guy, or that guy will think you want to talk to him and buy/get ripped. It was quite dirty at the time too, though I have heard it was a bit cleaner when a friend went 2 weeks ago.

The quality of weed wasnt all that either, though I was smoking top cali strains at home at the time. Most I tried wernt that great, with a few exceptions.

I'd say go to Haarlem, make a couple trips into the city to check out The Grey Area, Barneys, etc. and do tourist things. The RLD and all that is overrated IMO. I'd rather chill somewhere than have drunken stags/dealers/junkies everywhere! Each to their own of course

[wildbill]

Go to the Birdy in Haarlem (schotersweg?), best place in town. There is always some buy x euro's worth, get y free deal.

Good staff, excellent smoke & good prices. I used to visit most days when I was there.

[Bhang Buddie]

Try this bud_boi, hxxp://www.coffeeshop.freeuk.com/ it's got a section with Haarlem in there and you could always stay at Willie Wortals in Haarlem

[Guest weirdofmouth]

take loadsa money and wrap up warm