The rough guide to Amsterdam - Do's and Don'ts for first timers.
Below are some guidelines for first time visitors to Amsterdam aimed at making your stay as enjoyable as possible
Most of the coffee shops will have seperate counters for marijuana and coffee. The best way is to go up to the counter, ask to see the menu and you will then be shown the right people to go talk to.
If you want to fully enjoy all the benefits of the marijuana in Amsterdam don't buy the pre-rolled joints that are sold in some of the larger coffee shops. These tend to contain draw at a lower quality and quantity than that sold loose. If you can't skin up go with someone who can or learn!
Always be polite with the coffee shop staff! They may seem surly, and in some shops they are, but if you make the effort with them, they will make the effort with you and you never know you might get a bigger deal!
Most coffee shop staff won't mind if you smoke marijuana that you have bought from elsewhere in their shop as long as you buy something from them, be it a coffee or whatever. The best advice is don't take liberties ad stay in there all day and only buy one drink.
As with all big cities, be careful walking the streets if you're stoned. Use your common sense, don't play the pea in the cup game etc.
Try and avoid buying from places that don't let you see the draw before you buy it. These places tend to have a lot of exotic names on the menu but only one type of marijuana for sale.
Remember that the marijuana sold in Amsterdam is liable to be a lot stronger than the stuff that you normally get at home. Even people who have been a few tines should take it easy on the first day until they get used to it, (believe me I speak from experiance!)
When walking about BE CAREFUL OF THE TRAMS! They're very quiet but very large so take care when walking if you feel a bit "light headed".
Finally, if you are going anytime outside of the summer months be sure to wrap up warm, Amsterdam is right on the North Sea and is f@cking freezing in winter!
