By all means visit the markets, but watch out for pick pockets, they are very organised and experienced. Special places to visit include the Royal Palace, Madame Tousaude's for some local wax and if you must, a local coffee shop, but then remember the first item. Amsterdam isn't that representative of Holland any more, if you really want to experience it, head to one of the smaller towns. Centraal Station will take you pretty much anywear quickly and easily. If you are there and they do a public address warning about the pick pockets, don't do what everyone else automatically does, which is clap their hands to where they keep their wallets. Anyone would think the crims were paying the people to do the PA's lol.

Definately hire a bike. That was you get the real experiance of amsterdam.

Stay at "Bob's youth hostel" and buy your green stuff at the "Bulldog Coffee Shop" and it's a fun, albeit hard to recall, trip.

Every tuesday and saturday there is an open market in the city center, is great to try typical dishes and to learn how people live in this city. Drink Grolsch, is the local beer brand.

Go to the island of Terschelling in June! There is a great festival taking place every year around this time called 'Oerol': you can find (street) theater, music, dance and all other kinds of entertainement being performed in hidden and unusual places around the island. The atmosphere is great and the island and its surroundings are beautiful. Rent a bike and go explore this beautiful place!

Maastricht is a very nice city with lots to see. It is also conveniently located very close to both Belgium and Germany (you could ride a bike to either).

Maastricht is a fabolous student city. It is located at the south west of the Neederlands. The people there, otherwise from Germany, usually don´t use hemlmet while driving a motorcycle. A lot but a lot of bicycles, mainly University students. the University is really explesive compared to others in europe. But the language of teaching is english. Few police control while croasing the boarder to Germany.

Cool bars can be found at the Vrijthof in the city center.

Its close to the three-country-mark. where germany belgium and netherlands come together, quite fun, but besides the stuff around the city maastricht is a very fun city with loads of commercial streets and alot of romantic hotels!

Maastricht is a real nice small authentic village in the Netherlands where shopping is nice. Great food for a reasonable price check the restaurant La place in the VD shop (Vroom en Dreesman) at the 3rd floor.