Amsterdam is so socially integrated it can be difficult to distinguish a gay/lesbian scene from greater Amsterdam’s tradition of tolerance and acceptance and love of a good time. Your gay-dar may even go haywire with mistaken hits at first, but you will weed out to the real McCoy scene pretty quickly.
No matter how deliciously sinful you find it, the Dutch capital offers a rare chance to see life in full light. In fact, of its many charms, the city’s greatest appeal may be its disarming, refreshing realness.
The city’s mind and closet are wide open and urges and aspirations are acted out in public and somehow it all works out. Sometimes it’s totally crazed, exotically wild and about to come undone at the seams. Turn around and you will find harmony and grace.
The city’s reputation as a modern day, Sodom and Gomorrah precedes it. Many tourists arrive with the sex and drugs on their mind; they can easily find what they’re looking for.
But blink and Amsterdam surprises you. You open your eyes to view of a refined, uplifting humankind. Look at the works of the Dutch painters on Rijksmuseum, the engineering marvels of its dykes, canals and locks. The people who made these things are a wonderful educated, multilingual people who, young and old, will fill a canal to the brim and spill from doorways to view a classical music festival.
The mantle of Gay Capital of Europe indeed belongs to Amsterdam. Months before Gay Games began in 1988, straight business flew the rainbow colours (confusing queers all over town about where to drink and shop), and the Dutch government kicked in million of guilders to support them. The gay business community was inspired to begin a pride celebration that’s now a legendary Canal Parade each August.
Every type of gay traveller, from serious cultural mavens to Bangok-style sex tourists, can come here and go home satiated. There are handfuls and streets of gay bars, clubs and special parties; a pile of gay hotels; and an array of gay cafes and restaurants. You need not stop here.
In fact, if you do you will miss out on what makes Amsterdam such an idyllic destination for queer travellers. Business as usual includes everyone, gay and straight in a way you won’t find anywhere else.
Culture
Amsterdam is reassuringly in scale and it feels like a large town more than a major capital of 800,000. The majority of Amsterdam’s folk walk, bike or take a tram to get around. Finding your way among the canals requires some study but once you figure out how a few squares and major streets connect, getting around Amsterdam without getting lost is possible.
Equality
Amsterdam being the capital of the Netherlands is one of the few international countries that stands alongside Spain, Canada and South Africa for allowing same-sex marriage.
As said, it's Amsterdam - it's own motto - I Love Amsterdam - may as well be followed by 'And Amsterdam Loves You, You Love Each Other'. Crazy as it sounds but the city is so liberal it's hard to understand why other European countries are not so free.
Travel Information
Amsterdam is all about the bike - if there is one piece of advice to take, it is get to a bike hire store early in the morning and keep them until you leave. Cycling is fun, fresh, and energetic and a laugh - even after too much food, alcohol or weed, it'll make the trip worthwhile.
BY PLANE You get your first taste of Dutch efficiency at Schiphol International Airport, about 18km (11 miles) from the centre of Amsterdam. The airport is clean, secure and full of conveniences like shops, hotels, sauna, meditation areas, meeting rooms and state-of-the-art security.
To get to the City, one way taxi fare will run around 40 euro for the 25 minutes trip, KLM offes a shuttle bus from the airport to many of the major hotels in the centre, for about 10euro one way and 20 euro round trip, buses leave every half an hour 6:30 am to 2:30 pm and every hour 3 to 10pm, taking about half an hour to reach most hotels.
A third option is taking a 15 minute ride on the Amsterdam Centraal Station train for about 4euro one way and 7euro same day round trip, and departing every 15 minutes 5am to 1am and hourly 1 to 5am.
BY TRAIN Travellers arriving in Amsterdam over land pull into Centraal Station, a grand old station recently restored.
In summer, the station is filled with young folks straining under backpacks and long lines. There are places to eat, get money and stow luggage.
In the front of the station, slightly to your left, is a GVB public transit office, where you can buy tram tickets. There are VVV tourist offices inside and outside the station. Many of the city’s yellow trams originate their routes in front of the station.
BY CAR Pedestrians and bicyclists rule the road, parking is difficult and roads are narrow. You don’t want to drive in Amsterdam
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