5 things to avoid

Traveling in a new city, you might be unsure about its laws and norms. It’s a good to keep them in mind as you don’t want to end up paying a fine

1. No weed on the street

Smoking or buying I mean. Netherlands is lenient about soft drug usage but there are quite a lot of strict rules about the how, when and where. The most important points I can stress in this matter – a) don’t buy soft drugs off the street (buy them in the coffee shops), b) don’t sell what you bought to someone else, c) and keeping this good advice in mind, don’t smoke it in the street or tram or train.

2. Check where you do foreign exchange

By this I mean smaller money exchange spots. Chances are you will end up paying more for a smaller amount. Your safest bet is sticking to official exchange sites run by big banks like ABN AMRO or Travelex branches.

3. Ride the tram without a ticket

Watch out for this one. It’s your responsibility to swipe the OV-chip card or buy a day ticket from the conductor, so some might be tempted to ‘forget’ paying. It’s definitely not worth the risk because, in addition to an admonishing earful, you will end up paying a Euro 60 fine.

4. No Kodak moments in Red Light District

That’s right. You can wander around and explore in Amsterdam’s famous  district but avoid taking pictures of the women. It’s also a matter of respecting the privacy of those who work there. Do note that if you still go forward to snap a shot, chances are your camera (and you) might end up in the canal.

5. Madame Tussad’s

Madame Tussad is a bit of a tourist magnet but many tourists end up feeling they could have done something more with that Euro 18. Besides, with all the cafes, bars and coffee shops around, you could easily spend the same amount mingling with the locals.

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