A quick dining tip:

If you want to watch some beautiful people, have a massage and have dinner with your shoes off then check out:

http://www.supperclub.nl/open/eng_index.html

Something everyone should do (at least) once IMHO!

-- Dambus

I'm not into sleeping pills, but that's a personal preference. Sleep as much as you can on the plane; if you decide to skip breakfast, that's extra sleep (and if you're in economy it probably isn't worth waking up for; if you're in biz or first, maybe). If you land at 8am, by the time you get your luggage & go through customs, you'll get to the hotel by 9:30amish. Your room may or may not be available. If it is & you're really tired, then take a nap - but only until about noon. If you stay asleep longer you're going to have problems when it comes evening time. Then get up, shower, get some caffeine in you, & get outside, hit a musuem, go for walk, go the canal tour, etc. If it's not available & you go to breakfast, for a walk, etc, & then come back & are tired, take a nap, but again only for a short time.

Also, a trick I use when going to sleep at night & in different time zones, turn the clock away so you can't see it when/if you wake up in the middle of the night. You still might wake up, but if you can't associate a time w/ it, you won't think you were awake as long or that you missed out on that much sleep (even if you did). If you look at it, you'll go oh it's 2, 2:15, 3, 3:30. If you don't know what time it is, it is easier to get back to sleep. Anyway, I don't know if I described it properly or if it makes sense to you, but I know it's helped me & I've been going overseas for 20 years. Cheers.

One more question ... film?

I plan on taking my camcorder and so no worries there, but my friend is taking her 35mm camera, and is concerned about the film.

Suggestions, ideas??

Thanks again,
Vixie

What exactly is she concerned about?

Can I say that $35.00 for the canal cruise is very expensive. I took my whole family for that. If you take one of the official tours that go from opposite the train station you will be OK.

On the train the trick is for pick pockets or bag snatchers to wait until the doors are closing, step on the train, grab the nearest luggage and step off with it as the doors close.

Unless you want to have a miserable first few days, it is imperative to sleep on the airplane. Talk to your doctor and get a prescription for Ambien 10 mg if you have at least seven hours to sleep on Sonata 10 mg if you have less. Ambien is better because it not only helps you fall asleep, but it also helps maintain sleep. Bring a neck pillow and some eyeshades as well. Skip the meal service to get some extra sleep (also sleeping pills work better on an empty stomach; and forgo any alcohol). As soon as your transatlantic flight gets airborne, take the sleeping pill, get comfortable, and within 30 minutes, it will be lights out.

When you get to Amsterdam, resist the urge to take a nap (it will just inhibit the adjustment of your body clock to the new time zone). You need to get out in the sunlight (if the cloud cover cooperates) for at least one or two hours in the morning, if possible. Try to get some exercise; Amsterdam is great for walking or bike riding. Stay awake all day even if sleepy, but feel free to go to bed a little earlier than usual if necessary.

Enjoy your trip. Amsterdam is fabulous.

[This message has been edited by cAAl (edited 03-11-2003).]

Concerned about what?

X-rays? Carry it on the plane and ask for a hand check for undeveloped film at the security checkpoints.

Buying more film? No problem. Amsterdam is not much different than home in terms of product availablity (e.g. film, groceries, toiletries, etc.). Amsterdam is a very user-friendly city with great public transportation and warm people. Once you get oriented with the canals/streets, everything will go smoothly.

Just heed the advice to walk out for pickpockets everywhere. Use interior pockets, if possible, to store your money and valuables (and a photocopy of your passport). Keep your eyes peeled for shady characters (especially in crowded quarters, like on the trams). If you feel uncomfortable, walk briskly or look behind you. Everything will be great.

Check out Xanax, my doctor says it leaves you less groggy than Ambien. I haven't tried any of the sleeping pills, I prefer to suffer.

I second the plan to stay awake the first day you're there. It worked great for me, you actually feel pretty awake and adjust quickly.

You'll love AMS, I can't wait to go back. I dream about it every other night. It is such a cool place. If I were you, I'd ride the trains out and see other cities too.

I think the advice to validate your ticket may have referred to the trams, there was a conductor on the airport trains that validated my ticket. Note that the airport trains were empty in Feb when I rode them.

Be very aware of pickpockets. Also note some of the panhandlers are a little outspoken.

Be careful in the red light district, but don't be scared. You gotta go just so you can tell your friends you did.

I highly recommend the Rijksmuseum, not only for the works, but also because later this year it starts a massive renovation. This is the last year for the next five that you can see the entire museum.

AMS is very small as major cities go, you can walk everywhere. If you want to rest, ride the trams or trains, they are very efficient and go anywhere you need to go.

Have a great time!

Taking it through the x-rays at the airport, will it ruin it? Best to buy it here and take it over? Or buy it there? Someone also suggested to her to get it developed there so that there is no chance of getting it ruined when taking it throught the ap security.

Vixie

The new x-ray machines that checked baggage goes through will ruin undeveloped film. Now they usually ask you if you have film in your checked bag & suggest that you take it out while your bag goes through. Higher speed film (800) has more of this problem than lower level film (200). Regular x-ray for normal TSA walk-through to get to the gates won't hurt it. It's a crapshoot on the Euro side if they'll let you do the hand-over as you go through. When I came back from Russia, it was no. And I haven't had film w/ me the last few times in Amsterdam because I was there on bizness, so not sure about them. When in doubt, call the airlines before going & get the update on the film situation.

Has your friend thought about going digital?

All you really need to print all the way up to a good 8 x 10, and certainly to view the pics on the computer, like for sending pics via email, is a camera that is at least, only, 2 MP (mega pixels).

This can be had for under $200. My first digital camera was like this, an HP. I bought it at Target, so when I eventually had microchip, or something like that, problems (these cameras are like mini-computers), I was able to return it with zero fuss (unlike lots of other places, for example, like Fry's, where three of their employees hold you under a heat lamp as they conduct a full investigation into your motives for returning something after you've been made to stand in line, waiting for hours).

Even though I returned that particular camera (maybe it was made on a Monday), I would still recommend this basic HP model for its simplicity. The kid who sold it to me told me about uploading the pictures from the camera to my computer in these terms, "my mom could do it." That sold me and he was right, this camera is that simple to use.

And about sleeping on the plane. Dramamine will knock you out about as well as any other drug out there and remains a popular favorite, to be found in any airport gift shop. In fact, when they tried to sell the kind of Dramamine that won't put you to sleep, it didn't sell well.

People wanted the original because they weren't using it for avoiding airsickness, but for zonking them out.

Digital cameras are great for travel. There are a number of threads in the Travel Technology forum on digital cameras.

cnk