Amsterdam!

[conversDISCOboy]

Right me and a few mates are jetting off to Amsterdam next week for a 21st party,and ive always heard that Amsterdam is like the the European equivelant to San Francisc.so im just wondering does any one have any good tips on where to go or wa to do [:-?],cos its our first time going,and we want to make the most of it![:-P]

[Cinaed]

DON'T get gay-married for the laugh. i speak from personal experience, it's much less funny a few years down the line... [B-)]

[conversDISCOboy]

omg!!hahaha!u really shouldnt have said that to me,cos i know its gona be like the greatest idea ever when im drunk over there!lol

[-Vonnie-]

I went to Amsterdam for a 21st 3 years ago and we spent the four days going to random bars and cafés during the day between shopping in the different markets, places like the Van Gogh museum and one of the very many sex museums. Then at night went to more random bars and nightclubs and on our last night managed to make our way down the red light district which was seedy as!

We hadn't a clue where we were going at all but most places were just fab anyway! Think we had a Lonely Planet book floating around which probably guided us a bit.

[+saidin+]

The gay scene over there has died a DEATH in the last two years, so don't be expecting busy clubs filled with gays! Go to regulierdwarsstraat, it's the gay area, but there's another more lesbian area on Amstel.

Other than gay things, do the following;

Go to the Anne Frank house on the Princengract Take a walk around the Jordan Find Nemo Near Nemo, there's an AMAZING restaurant that you absolutely have to go to called "11" or "Elf" From Central Station, get the free ferry across the Amstel, it's fun Go to the Botanical gardens, it's like a zoo! Go to the pancake house near the heineken brewery Do all your drink shopping in Dirk VanDenBrooke's around the corner from the heineken brewery Don't take mushrooms and go near trams or canals!

[-Vonnie-]

And mind the bikes!!!!!!!

[louislestat]

Next Gay Cork meet up. Amsterdam???

[Invincible]

And mind the bikes!!!!!!!

Hahaha!! Totally! They are everywhere and they have no qualms in ploughing into u if u get in their way.

I rented a bike when i was there and i've rarely enjoyed myself more. It was so much fun pootelling around on it. I had a ball.

I was there for a stag weekend, so naturally it involved lots of boobs n fanny watching. I didnt get a great deal out of that particular side of it lol, but overall i had one of the best weekends ever. It's a fantastic city.

The red light district needs to be seen to be believed. We went to plenty of bars and strip clubs - cant remember any names. We never made it to the gay district coz, well, coz twas a stag weekend with 12 straight boys and 1 gay boy!

The Anne Frank House is definitely worth a look. But expect queues. The Rijksmuseum was brilliant (esp if u r into art). We went on a river tour which was cool too. The Heineken Museum was closed when we got there.

Have a great time there. I've no doubt u will no matter what u end up doing whilst there.

[opus]

I used to work for a Dutch company so was over there a few times. Invincible covered most of the stuff I was going to say actually:

- take a tour boat out to the harbour
- visit the Rijksmuseum (although personally I preferred the Van Gogh museum)
- Anne Frank's house
- Try the Heinken museum, it's a bit touristy but good fun & means you get some cheap beer
- Walk around the place, plenty to see
- The red light district is a bit seedy but has to be seen
- The Queen's Head (http://www.queenshead.nl/) was about the only gay bar I was in as it was one of my colleague's local. There was another one close by called the C*ck Ring but the name put me off somewhat [:'']

Avoid the street directly in front of you when you come out of Centraal Station as I've never seen anything so touristy plus it's full of UK stag parties.

[+saidin+]

Ha, The Cockring is hilarious!!! If you leave your sanity at the door you can have a good night. Shur pop into Argos while you're at it. It's a leather bear bar located right across the street from it [:-))]

My boyfriend and I went in there when we were over there last year and it was utterly hilarious. Two little twinky boys walking into a place where people were sat around wearing harnesses, and walked confidently up to the bar and ordered a pair of coronas without batting an eyelid [:-P]

[spiller]

If you want to avoid the queue for Anne Frank House. Book your ticket online! My mother did that when I met them in Amsterdam (and admin on the way home to Cork!). You avoid the queues completely which can be quite long.

Do check out the bus and canal tours too. We had great fun on one and got to see some cool stuff and my Dad took great photos!

[admin]

(and admin on the way home to Cork!)

I'm still laughing over that [:-P] I've been through Amsterdam Airport a few times now but never the city alas

[spiller]

Im going through the Airport again on Sunday week! Will I meet ya there? :P

[conversDISCOboy]

jesus,i take it there is a lot to see and do over there so,lol!!those clubs sound interesting alright[:-O ],wer kinda a well mixd group,ie me being the gay[():)], SarahOOO being the 21st lezzer[):D(], 1 straight lad[#-o], his straight sister[[-o(] and a straight couple[[-X]!!!lol.i can see it now "come on lads wer going to Cockring there for a pint" haha.

also wa r the prices like over there for drink nd stuf????

[admin]

Im going through the Airport again on Sunday week! Will I meet ya there? :P

Unlikely [;-)]

[curley]

methinks we should have a new travel section on gaycork, as they seem to get around an awful lot! It would be very handy to have a resource on where to go and what to do for popular holiday break destinations. Well thats just what I think, I'm lazy out and want other people to do the work for me[;-)]

[Invincible]

also wa r the prices like over there for drink nd stuf????#

I cant remember exactly, but it wasnt particularly cheap. Their 'pints' arent pints, they are smaller. And it's probably on par with Ireland in terms of drink prices.

Of course i was in total holiday mode so i didnt really take note of prices and just splashed out on anything i fancied[:-D].

[Cinaed]

methinks we should have a new travel section on gaycork, as they seem to get around an awful lot! It would be very handy to have a resource on where to go and what to do for popular holiday break destinations. Well thats just what I think, I'm lazy out and want other people to do the work for me[;-)]

well, with admin going on about how he's overworked & underpaid for making the site, why don't we help him out? We all get around quite a bit (yea walking into that one), so why not do a gaycork.com travel guide, and write up sections of it ourselves? someone could make sort of a general outline (headings on what to cover), and maybe have a volunteer editor?

just a thought...[0:-)]

[Hey Jude]

Howdy I spent New Years there (one of 4 trips). its a crazy place for the Gays with too any bars to choose from (If you think Cock Ring sounds bad what about 'Dirty Dicks'). What I did was register myself with the Gay Tourist board http://www.gaytic.nl/ Give them your name etc and they will have a pack ready for you in a funky gay shop near central station when you arrive.In it you get drink vouchers free entry to clubs, gay maps and all the best nights that are on for the days you are there. The lady there was so helpful. Also dont forget to visit the Homomonument. This is a great piece of architecture that commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality. Its right behind the anne frank museum. Have fun!!

[Invincible]

Also dont forget to visit the Homomonument. This is a great piece of architecture that commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality. Its right behind the anne frank museum. Have fun!!

Oh yeah i forgot about that. When we were doing the river boat cruise it was pointed out to us. My friends were their obnoxious selves by shouting out that it was 'my' monument. But in fairness a lot of them were completely unaware that homosexuals were routinely persecuted by the Nazi's before and during WW2 so at least it acted to educate them as to 'our' history!

[yop]

I would deffo reccomend the Bols Cocktails Museum
(http://www.houseofbols.com/index.asp). It's only €10 to get in which includes a free cocktail in the bar at the end.

The cocktails are really really good and they even have a cocktail/bar-tending school there.

[+saidin+]

I'm moving to Holland for the summer for my Erasmus! YAHOO!!!!! [:-D]

[admin]

well, with admin going on about how he's overworked & underpaid for making the site, why don't we help him out? We all get around quite a bit (yea walking into that one), so why not do a gaycork.com travel guide, and write up sections of it ourselves? someone could make sort of a general outline (headings on what to cover), and maybe have a volunteer editor?

just a thought...

What a good idea [:-D]

I can setup a group blog and invite users to it who would like to blog their travel tips [;-)]

Cinaed remind me about this once the new site is live [;-)]

[curley]

well, with admin going on about how he's overworked & underpaid for making the site, why don't we help him out? We all get around quite a bit (yea walking into that one), so why not do a gaycork.com travel guide, and write up sections of it ourselves? someone could make sort of a general outline (headings on what to cover), and maybe have a volunteer editor?

just a thought...[0:-)]

sorry, should have specified!! Of course the members should do the reviews, they are the people doing all the travelling! If everyone did a review of their trips away giving tips on where to go, what to do etc. it would cover a plethora of destinations, and would benefit all members

[Invincible]

sorry, should have specified!! Of course the members should do the reviews, they are the people doing all the travelling! If everyone did a review of their trips away giving tips on where to go, what to do etc. it would cover a plethora of destinations, and would benefit all members

When have you ever used that word in your life before?!?![:-))]

Great idea btw. Trust you[;-)].

[conversDISCOboy]

Howdy I spent New Years there (one of 4 trips). its a crazy place for the Gays with too any bars to choose from (If you think Cock Ring sounds bad what about 'Dirty Dicks'). What I did was register myself with the Gay Tourist board http://www.gaytic.nl/ Give them your name etc and they will have a pack ready for you in a funky gay shop near central station when you arrive.In it you get drink vouchers free entry to clubs, gay maps and all the best nights that are on for the days you are there. The lady there was so helpful. Also dont forget to visit the Homomonument. This is a great piece of architecture that commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality. Its right behind the anne frank museum. Have fun!!


omg thats bril,im defo gona do that!!thanks!
also thanks to Invincible and yop for the class input!![:-D]
i think its a bril idea to have a travel section/blog, im always traveling and the tips i have got for amsterdam already are gona be so useful,especally because any other guides dont really cover gay stuf(especally from a Cork point of view lol)im heading off on tuesday so il totally rate and slate yer suggestions!Simon Cowal style![;-)]