Joanel

Will be going to Amsterdam and surrounding area in late April.

What type of clothes should we plan on bringing? both in terms of temperature and style. Is the city that dressy? need sportjacket for dinner(hope not).

Laundromats easily available or plan on washing out in the room.

Thanks

TracyB

I wouldn't bring dressy clothes to Amsterdam, however, if you are going to the Casino, i think there is a dress code...I usually pack each a nice shirt though...Or I buy something there...I love shopping in Amsterdam...I find the city very casual, especially as a tourist, you don't often see dressed up travellers through Europe..Bring an umbrella (or buy 1 when you get there) and a couple of sweaters and a rain type jacket. Unless you get lucky and there is no rain, it is normally cool and rainy in Amsterdam..There are a few laundromats in the central part of Amsterdam and I use them everytime we go there...They aren't cheap, and the instructions are in Dutch, but usually we stop in Amsterdam for a week after some exotic holiday and have dirty clothes by then..
Enjoy your trip, I wish I was going, but we just got back a few months ago..

m_kingdom

You can travel the whole world without requiring a sports jacket. If you go to smart places the world over you will always need a jacket. Employ some logic please.

Patrick

m_kingdom as usual is incredibly brutal, but actually correct. You could fill in the name of any city in the world and the answer would still be the same. If you want to stay casual you don't need a sportjacket. If you want to go dressy and formal you do. Are you planning on going to one of the finest restaurants in town? If so, I'd suggest a sportcoat. Would you prefer to stick with more casual places? Then don't take one. There's no difference in virtually any city in the world.

And you can guess what the temperatures may be like in April -- from the low 40's to possibly the low 80's. So you need to allow for the full range. For anyone to try to be more specific would simply be guessing.

We found a wonderful clean and friendly laundramat in the Jordan area. In fact there was a female attendant doing wash that was dropped off, but we did our own. We thought she was American at first as she actually had a southern accent. It ends up she had returned six months before from being an exchange student in Dallas, Texas. We sat and talked all morning.

Patrick

Yes he is, and he's proud of it. On another thread he mentions how he can't stand the US and hates Americans because they are so insincere and polite. I think I prefer insincere and polite to rude and nasty, but hey, that's his style.

pipsil

Re the dress code: A number of travel guides including Fodor's state that coat and tie are required in certain restaurants. If I plan to visit a such an establishment I email them to find out if the information is correct and quite often it isn't!!! I find them very obliging and so far most of them have replied almost immediately. I can just see m_kingdom grinning from ear to ear because he is able to upset a lot of people. What a pitiable individual

TracyB

I really can't believe how rude some people are...No question deserves that type of answer...So you want to know something and don't know the answer, that is what Forum's are for!!

jenviolin

Amsterdam is one of the most casual cities of the world in terms of dress. You can see women in dresses and stockings and men in suits & ties at work and in restaurants, but that's more the exception than the rule. You can certainly do without a sport coat - unless you want to go to the most expensive restaurants or to a casino. Even dress for the opera is rather casual. You might, however, want to bring a sport coat just in case. Combine a collared shirt with a nice sport coat for a look that will take you from breakfast to late-night bar with no cares and no change of clothes. Otherwise, a sweater and a rain jacket (sporty or trench coat type) will suffice.
In April you are likely to find temperatures of between 50 - 56 F and probably rain, sun, clouds, wind, fog, drizzle and...did I say rain?
Ask your hotel about a laundromat in the area. They are not inexpensive here, but they beat washing things in the room and hoping they'll dry!

hopscotch

You don't need a sportcoat, but this is a nice way to dress in any major city, including casual Amsterdam. For the changing season of April, especially, I would dress in layers. Bring a light sweater, a sportcoat, and a lightweight mid-thigh length jacket to hold back the wind and rain. I like a herringbone sportcoat because it doesn't show wrinkles and hides minor soiling.