terryb900

My 20-year old daughter will be going to Amsterdam this fall and wants to stay in a youth hostel.

Can someone suggest either some good (and safe) hostels - or a book or website that would give us some information about various alternatives.

Thanks!

WillTravel

www.eurotrip.com/forum
www.bugeurope.com (check the hostel reviews and the forum)
www.guideforeurope.com (check the hostel reviews and the forum)
thorntree.lonelyplanet.com

For non-dopey hostels, check http://www.shelter.nl .

strass

The Shelter hostels are supposed to be good; I think they're run by a Christian organization. Also have her check out the Stayokay hostels, especially the Vondelpark one. They're part of Hostelling International. (www.hostelworld.com is another good resource.) Unfortunately, most of the other hostels in Amsterdam are dirty party places...

suze

I highly recommend starting with Let's Go Amsterdam 2002 guidebook. It is excellent!

suze

con't. re Let's Go

great maps, museum, restaurants, hostel and hotel descriptions by neighborhood. plus lots of interesting "only in Amsterdam" type information.

It gives a wonderful and accurate overview of the city. The hostel reviews each have a detailed paragraph describing the type of place (room rates, party or quiet, religious affiliated, drinking & smoking allowed or not, etc.)

Parker

I helped my 18 year old daughter and her friends plan their trip to Europe last year. We used www.hostelworld.com for hostels in London. Very easy and had no problems at all with this agency.

In Amsterdam, however, we booked directly with Flying Pig Youth Hostel Downtown location and they loved it (www.flyingpig.nl)!

strass

My husband and I stayed in a private double room at the Flying Pig Palace last month, which is supposedly the "calmer" of the two Flying Pig hostels. It seemed very secure (magnetic-card door entry, code to enter the front door, no hard drugs allowed), although not incredibly clean, but hey, it's a hostel. There's a good, cheap bar and lots of pot smoking on the lower level, and everyone seemed friendly enough. However, when we checked out, someone was reporting that their digital camera had been stolen. Not sure if the person took the proper precautions or what.

PalQ

ditto the recommendation for Let's Go Europe - the best guide for hostels i've seen. In any case if she's going on a weekend, reserve in advance as at any time of year in my experience of going to Amsterdam yearly since 1969 on many weekends everything, including the flea-bag hostels (dozens of these places to avoid; stick to ones in Let's Go). I arrived once in October on a Friday expecting to find a hotel on arrival - zilch and i trekked around to dozens of places, including as a last resort the scuzzy hostels around the train station. I finally had to go to a hotel booking agency and they said only in Zaandvort, a seaside resort, could they find me a room. Now i always book in advance on weekends. Another extremely busy time is the week between Christmas and New Year's; my son was looking for a hostel then and i called dozens before finding a room. Tot Ziens!