Brussels, Belgium

What part of town are you staying or working in? I spent four? months there.

Are you into beer at all? Brussels and Belgium are ground zero for great beer. Brussels itself is kind of ho-hum other than the grand plaza and the beer (Cantillion, 3 Fonteinen, Moeder Lambic in St Giles neighborhood) but an easy day trip from Brussels is Mechelen which has a beautiful medieval old town and is less touristy. Antwerp is my favorite city in Belgium but Ghent is awesome too. Bruges, although beautiful, is over run with tourists and the shitty shops, bars and restaurants that cater to tourists. But I've only been there in the summer high tourist season.
Amsterdam is my favorite city in europe, although Antwerp is a close second.

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I remember one that had four little handles on it

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I don't think I've seen that one. But yea, no matter what beer it is, they have a special glass for it. I had a bartender freak out and apologize profusely for not having the glass for the beer I ordered.

Not really sure to be honest. My company made the hotel reservations. I’ll have to find out exactly once they send my itinerary.

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I’d definitely like to get some additional info on Amsterdam.

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What time of year will you be here?

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Also, I’m not opposed to doing a day trip somewhere like Germany or another close country.

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Within the Netherlands (aside from Amsterdam) I highly recommend Maastricht + Valkenburg, and for options not too far afoot in Germany - Cologne and/or Monschau, these options are all closer to Belgium than Amsterdam, FYI.

Heading there in about a month. As far as hobbies go and things I would be interested in doing:
- Pretty much anything sports related
- Historical Buildings/Castles
- Any cool tours
- Definitely going to take advantage of being in a weed-friendly country
- Drinking is not huge priority

Honestly, open to any cool experiences.

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Pretty much anything sports related

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Not huge into sports myself, so I won’t be your best adviser here. The immediate things that come to mind are trying to catch an Ajax match and/or at least touring their stadium. Similarly Formula One is all the rage here with Max Verstappen’s recent spate of success, there’s one of the main circuit tracks in nearby Haarlem which may offer something, if that’s your bag…

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Historical Buildings/Castles

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In general walking around the “grachtengordel” (canal-belt) will yield the most quintessentially Amsterdam scenery. There’s Castle Muiderslot - which is not too far outside Amsterdam and on nice days makes for a pleasant cycling excursion. A bit further afoot (but not that much) is Kasteel De Haar which is a bit closer to Utrecht than Amsterdam, I think it’s a bit more grandiose, I imagine both can be reached by public transport in a pinch.

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Any cool tours

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I would look into a boat tour with Those Dam Boat Guys - they offer a small group, personalized and unconventional tour format that caters to the wishes of their guests, usually you can bring your own food, booze and ganja but doesn’t hurt to ask, the latter might be group dependent (i.e. whether you get placed with a random group or have your own) I’ve never personally done their tours but only heard good things.

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Definitely going to take advantage of being in a weed-friendly country

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A few things to be aware of - the selection here isn’t as advanced or new age as what you’d get from a legal state dispensary out west. Joints are the norm as is spliffing them with tobacco - so if you buy a pre-roll assume it contains tobacco unless explicitly specified as pure, etc so ask if you’re in doubt. Smoking on the streets isn’t explicitly permitted but tolerated circumstantially, in de Wallen (RLD) it is banned by city ordinance and punishable by fine, the rest of the city is mostly fair game, don’t smoke on bar terraces (95% them don’t allow it at a business level) unless you see others doing it or ask for permission, don’t spark up around youngins and don’t blow smoke in people’s faces (mostly common sense and decency stuff). Coffeeshops I can recommend - Solo, Het Ballonnetje, Bagheera, Boerenjonens,Dampkring (in that preference order).

Hope this helps, any follow up questions just ask!

Een heel prettig reis alvast toegewenst!

Don't forget to mule back as many kilos of Leonidas chocolate as you can (dark, of course.) You can get little boxes to give to the woman that cuts your hair, etc. My last trip back I think I had 8 kg in my carry on. They do sell it in the airport, but you don't get to pick and choose what you want.

If you're anywhere near the Marriott on Rue de Parnasse, there is a town square with a lot of pubs, and there's a cool bar called London Calling. It's less about the drinking than it is hearing some of the shite that EU employees say, and watching an infantry squad patrol around while you're enjoying a Leffe Brun.

It's the only time I've had to excuse myself from a table from the anti-semitism and had a German federal police officer ask me to bang his wife in the same night.

Hey man, searched "Amsterdam" and this thread popped up. I am heading to Amsterdam for a week in early May. What are some can't miss things you'd recommend doing while there? I plan on doing the "dam boat guys"boat ride, I Amsterdam pass for transport and museums, and want to do some day trips within an hour of the city. Love food, hole in the wall pubs, art, and just exploring new places/things. Would you recommend a pre paid train card or just pay per ticket? Any tips are appreciated!

I got a pass in Brussels to commute to work, AMS should probably be the same. Be aware you may need your passport to get the card (at least I did.)

I only spent enough time in AMS to rent a car and speed my arse to Brussels. But given that the train network in Northern Europe is so easy, don't feel like you need to limit yourself to AMS for a week.