I am planning to take a vacation to
amsterdam. i know that amsterdam is
in europe but i am not sure what
country. i am planning to stay
there for a few months. i heard
that is isn't possible for
americans to work there but my
source was not very reliable. i
will need to have a job that pays
decently. i will be going with at
least 1 other person to split the
rent and can have more come if
necessary. i would also need to
convert dollars to euros and i
would like to do it through an atm
but im not sure if i have to do
something in order to use european
atms. so my questions are:
what country is amsterdam in?
when is the cheapest time to travel
from new york state in the united
states to amsterdam?
what do i have to do before i can
travel to amsterdam?
how much would a flight to
amsterdam cost?
is amsterdam a safe city?
what forms of income can an
american get while living in
amsterdam?
where should i stay that is cheap,
safe, private, and clean for a few
months?
what is the cheapest way to eat in
amsterdam.
are there any food to avoid in
amsterdam like how people say to
avoid beef in parts of europe?
what are some important laws to
remember in amsterdam?
how much does a flight from
amsterdam to new york state cost?
what transportation is cheap and
effictive incase i am a long
distance from hash bars and
employment?
what drugs are legal in amsterdam?
can things like glass pipes or
bongs be brought back to the united
states?
any other help or advice would be
appreciated. thank you.
I am going to take the line that you are serious and try to answer as such,
but I have to say I am astonished that someone is planning to move around the world to a place which they have never visited before without the first scrap of knowledge.....
e.g.
knowing which country it is in.
<What country is amsterdam in?>
- It is the capital of the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is located in the North West of Europe and is a very densely populated country
<When is the cheapest time to travel from New York state in the United States to Amsterdam?>
- in principle wintertime is the cheapest (apart from around Xmas/New Year)
<What do I have to do before I can travel to Amsterdam?>
As a tourist then you would have to have a valid US passport (assumption from your other questions)
and to be able to show proof of funds for the duration of stay.
If you plan to work then it is a completely different scenario and you can read about this here as otherwise this long answer will be impossibly long
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ahwu1dGqa0a0iLyMAGV8-FAPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091120084429AAs23Vu
<How much would a flight to amsterdam cost?>
- Depends on (a)
when you fly,
(b)
where you are flying from and (c)
how far in advance you book (usually the further in advance the cheaper).
The permutations are huge so you can check yourself here
http://www.skyscanner.com
<Is Amsterdam a safe city?>
- As safe as any other major city and primarily depending on the person living there and how self aware and street savvy they are,
but in principle I can say (having lived there and visiting often still)
then it's safe yes.
<What forms of income can an american get while living in Amsterdam?>
This will blow your mind but the answer is none.
You will need a work permit to work in Amsterdam as an American and unless you have a highly specialist education and work experience then it will not be granted.
The employer must prove that no-one else in the total EEA can fulfill that job position ahead of you.
The population of the EU alone is 500 million people and the EEA area encompasses more countries than the EU.
Employers won't touch illegal workers because they don't need to these days.
(a)
there are cheap labour in the bucketload from other countries in the EU and (b)
due to the economic crisis some countries like Spain are speculating unemployment levels rising up to 25% next year.
All of these people are looking for work and are ahead of you.
As for needing "to have a job that pays decently"
- well forget it,
sorry.
<Where should I stay that is cheap,
safe,
private,
and clean for a few months?>
Look at cheap hostels which offer long-stays as being probably the most available cheap option.
Finding a cheap apartment in Amsterdam is practically impossible as there is huge demand and landlords prefer to rent for longer fixed terms
<What is the cheapest way to eat in Amsterdam>
- cooking at home,
in your room and buying from supermarkets/markets
<Are there any food to avoid in Amsterdam like how people say to avoid beef in parts of europe?>
- not really.
Food &
health hygiene standards are exceptionally high and the "mad cow disease"
is pretty much history in Europe anyway
<What are some important laws to remember in Amsterdam?>
(a)
that everyone aged 14 and older have to carry official ID at all times which has to be produced upon request (from e.g.
Police)
(b)
that the laws in Amsterdam are not unique to Amsterdam and that drugs are not legal in Amsterdam &
that includes sales of marijuana as well.
Marijuana is tolerated under given conditions but other drugs are certainly not.
It might be a good idea to read the following PDF file
http://www.minbuza.nl/en/You_and_the_Netherlands/About_the_Nether-lands/Ethical_issues/FAQ_Drugs (download on the right-hand side of the page)
as there are a lot of false rumours about this,
so understand things correctly from an official source
<How much does a flight from amsterdam to new york state cost?>
See previous answer about flights
<What transportation is cheap and effective incase I am a long distance from hash bars and employment?>
Not really applicable as employment is not an option as I already explained.
However transportation in Amsterdam is of a high standard with public transport (buses,
trains,
metros,
trams)
and the bicycle being used commonplace.
<What drugs are legal in Amsterdam?>
- As I mentioned then the use of drugs are not illegal,
but the sales &
possession are,
but there is a policy of toleration for marijuana under given conditions which allows sales under these conditions from licence coffeeshops (they are not called hash bars here)
Read the link I gave you above.
<Can things like glass pipes or bongs be brought back to the united states?>
Used then no as it is classed as drug paraphernalia.
Unused I don't know to be honest.
At this point I have to say that it seems your main desire to live in Amsterdam revolves around marijuana.
As I mentioned
there is a lot of misinfo out there and actually living in Amsterdam as a long-term resident then you would learn that marijuana is not the be-all and end-all of living and it is not some kind of false utopia where everyone is walking around with a joint hanging out of their mouths.
It's a perfectly normal,
civilised city where people live and work &
lead the same kind of lives that people in the US do.
Having the option of smoking marijuana is not an automatic pre-req for the population to do so.
EDIT - This is a major edit as well because I saw from another question that you are 14 years old!
Apart from the fact that as far as I am aware you will need parental consent for this venture (which I assume you will not get),
your age is going to cause you all kinds of problems
(a)
you cannot rent a hostel,
hotel,
apartment or anything at 14 years old
(b)
you can forget working
at 14 (irrespective of the fact that you are American or not).
All children at 14 have to be in fulltime education
(c)
you cannot enter a coffeeshop at 14,
let alone purchase marijuana and YES you will be ID checked
This is a dream,
and one that should be forgotten.
Concentrate on your education which will bode better for your long term future.
Yes it's a boring answer but with expereince does come a degree of wisdom which I am trying to impart!
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