Don`t
even think of sleeping out in Vondel Park or on Central
Station - or anywhere else - far
too dangerous
for one thing, - after dark, the area around and in Central
Station and the Underground/Subway station becomes the haunt
of Smack and Crack heads and their dealers. Sleeping out is
also illegal.
Don`t
be tempted by touts offering cheap accommodation on the
station forecourt, such is often very poor or even dangerous
and a long way out of the centre.
In
Summer, the city often opens cheap overflow accommodation in
big Marquees in some of the Parks. Trouble is, these are
often a long way out of the centre.
Details
from "VVV".
Sadly,the
Coffeeshops are not full of Dutch people eager to give you a
free bed for the night.
The
cheapest accommodation is around
$US10/UK£7.50 /€12 per night for a bed in a
dormitory - often mixed sex, in one of the "Youth Hotels"
on Warmoesstraat or the near area.
Such
tend to be very basic & cramped - as many 2 tier bunk
beds as will fit in the room is the norm - such places
make more money per square metre than a 5 * Hotel
(
Fact ! )
and sometimes are not very clean.
Look
after your valuables very carefully in these
places.
I
have never been able to book successfully in advance in
such hostels. In the past, I have telephoned and booked a
room only to find no-one knows anything about it when I
arrive a few days later.
These
places sell out very quickly in
summer.
Several
Coffeeshops like Greenhouse
Effect
&
La
Canna also
have 1-4 bed rooms - booking in advance recommended
(I
have been told they are more professional than the
hostels in this ! - but I have recently had a bad report
on cleanliness etc at La Canna)
Coffeeshop
accommodation tend to be more expensive than the
Hostels
1*
and 2 * hotels are widely available in Warmoesstraat and
elsewhere, variable quality, but all likely to involve
very steep stairs and no lift. Again the "VVV" handles
this type of accommodation.
