My 16 year old daughter wants to take a trip to Amsterdam. Is it safe to take a teenager?

She wants to see the Anne Frank Haus and art museums, take a canal tour, bike tour, etc. It looks great on the internet, however, the more I read about it, it sounds like a trip for adults only! Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

Hi...

Haus is German, in Dutch we say huis...

Yes, Amsterdam has prostitutes. So does every other European capitol. They are only in a small area though, so it's very easy to stay away from it and not see any of it.

Yes, it's easy to buy Marijuanna in Amsterdam, but I doubt if there's a city in the World where you can't buy Marijuanna if you wanted to. You have to be 18 to buy it in Amsterdam though, so unless your daughter has a fake ID it won't be much easier for her than it would be anywhere else in the World.

Amsterdam is full of great art museums and the country of The Netherlands has the highest density of museums in the World. The Anne Frank Huis is also definitely worth a visit.

Amsterdam is definitely safe for 16 year olds, especially when they have a parent with them.

You could also stay in The Hague for instance... It's a lot more quiet than Amsterdam, has its share of museums, two beach resorts and is only 45 minutes from Amsterdam by train.


http://www.iamsterdam.com/visiting_explo...
http://www.thehague.com

yeah , alot of teenagers like to go there , i think its great that they want to learn about it .

Good question. About 45 years ago, I was in the US Navy, and one of the many places I visited while serving my country was Amsterdam. While there, I thought I'd go to a Cheese Shop and order some cheese to be sent back home to my parents. Figured they'd get a kick out of receiving cheese straight from Amsterdam. Did that, but almost forgot to check with them later to find out whether they ever received the goods. Looking back on that, I now chuckle and assume that some of the delay in remembering to check with them might have been due to the many distractions I experienced while walking around good old Amsterdam.

It turns out that prostitution is legal there. Well, it was when I was there 45 years ago anyway. And from the concern you express in your question, I suspect it still is, and might be a great attraction for the people who are interested in adult themed trips out of the country. I remember some of the streets in Amsterdam had rows of townhouses, each of which had a windowed parlor out front and was butting up to the sidewalk. The ladies of the night would sit in their parlors with the window drapes open, and they revealed as much of themselves as, I guess, the laws allowed them to in order to attract any potential customers who might be walking by. Not something you would want the kids to notice.

If I were you, I'd check with the travel agency offering the trip you are interested in to make sure the trip isn't one designed specifically for those who are interested in adult themed trips. If the trip you were considering turns out to be a risque' one, you can simply ask for help in finding one to Amsterdam that has a family theme.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect that there's a lot of money and alot of repeat business in the adult themed trips. I remember seeing a number of expose' type TV documentary shows that revealed that businesses do exist that cater to a clientelle that is interested in such escapades. The documentaries made it clear that such trips exist, not only for access to adult prostitutes, but also for access to minors for those who want to engave in such activity in a place where they don't have to be concerned about laws against such activities. I don't believe that Amsterdam condones sex with minors, but other countries do. Er, that is, according to the documentaries, they claim not to condone it, but don't prosecute. It's big business, and they want to keep the money rolling in from all those perverts around the world.

But I digress, my advice is that you should look closely into this, and make sure you're not getting into something that isn't family oriented. I suspect that the advertisements for the adult themed trips are designed to sound respectable, yet also give a hint of their true purpose to the potential clients who are interested in that sort of thing. Hints that might give a cautious shopper like you reason to pause and want to question, but give other less alert shoppers no clue as to what they might be getting into.

If you do your homework and ask the right questions, I'm sure the travel agency will do right by you, and protect you and your family from that stuff. It doesn't want unhappy customers. Also, I suspect that the travel agencies who offer such trips are probably the exception rather than the rule.

Well, with all that said, er, Bon Voyage!

the girls in the windows were culture shock for me
its quite a sleazy embarrassing place

It is safe as long as you don't let her go somewhere with out a trusted adult

I have been taken to Amsterdam for a day out (at least once a year) since I was a toddler, by the time I was 14 I did travel alone to my sister living there at the time. As did many of my friend, including those with very careful parents.
I still go there often.

Amsterdam is a safe town if you keep to a few basic precautions.
They are about the same as for any town in the world:
Do not stay to talk with people trying to sell you wares in the street, (unless they have a proper vending cart/stall,) do not go into the park after dark alone, be aware of pickpockets and do not go home with people (men) you have just met.

Overall Amsterdam is a very child and teenager friendly city.
There are more museums than you have the time to visit.
a lot of small places to eat, ranging from 'snackbar' the local version of fast food to nice restaurants where a young lady like her will feel at home too. (Indonesian Chinese restaurants have some great food, are mostly moderate in cost and have whole families showing up all the time. Rice table is an experience.)

At 16 your daughter is of age to drink beer, wine and other drinks with (relatively) little alcohol, so talk it through with her what is allowed by you before you set off.
And if you want to go out at night, stay together, so you know what/who she did meet.

This site will help you find museums, bike tours and much more. Ignore the links to drugs, they are there, but while more open than in other town, they are still easy to ignore.
http://www.amsterdam.info/

i don't know what people have of an immage of my capital here, there is nothing wrong with the city, but hey, if you don't want your child to see what's really out in the world like drugs,sex and stuff like that, than yes, tie her up and make her stay at home, but it sounds to me she is mature enough to see the beatyfull things of amsterdam, else she wouldn't wanna go to museums and such, in amsterdam you see it all and you will get confronted with sex and drugs, but there is so much more to see. it's not dangerous unless you let her wonder by herself in the middle of the night in the redlight district but who would do that anyways right?? just go , enjoy, and make sure you watch your wallet, loads of pickpockets out there but they are in every metro city in the world. amsterdam is not dagerous at all, people are friendly and it's a beautifull city with lots of history, make her take other trips by train as well while here if she has time, let her see Den Haag our goverment capital and near the beach, very nice city, if she likes modern art, she should go to Rotterdam, loads and loads of museums there, very modern tough, let her visit Volendam, typical dutch town or Kinderdijk, where there are loads of windmills, but she should go in spring time when the weather is much much better and when she can also visit the famous Keuken hof with the flowers. well, enough said, sound like the yahoo answers ambassador of holland here LOL, just had to make it clear that amsterdam isn't bad unlessyou don't want your daughter to see things, there are many shops where you see the tools to smoke pot and such and you can buy it there as well, there are many sex shops and museums and walking by you will see IT all , but that is life, it's out there so don't hide it.

good luck

It seems your daughter is almost an adult - considering what she wants to see. Yes, prostitution is legal here in Amsterdam (although not as long as some of the other reactions say, only a few years). Seeing a prostitute doesn't make you want to become one, does it? I think that seeing the situations these poor women have to live in makes you want to get a good education so you won't have to do this as a job.
The same is with soft-drugs. Officially it is not legal here in the Netherlands, but as long as you don't cause trouble, the use and selling is tolerated. This means you can't sell it to young children, if I did, I might risk having to close my shop.
You don't have to be afraid of other criminality. Amsterdam is much safer than Washington DC, there are certainly not any "no go" areas. I think the worst that could happen to you as a normal tourist would be to be pick pocketed. But hey, isn't that the case in any big city in the world? Just be careful not to take your "diamonds" with you, and don't show your 1000 dollar bills.

Amsterdam is a unique city and one of the most beautiful in Europe. It's also one of the safest. The red light district is just one part of the city. If you don't want to see that part just stay away & enjoy everything else the city has to offer.

I visited Amsterdam a few years ago, and I would definitely recommend a trip there. The history and museums are amazing, and I would also recommend going in the spring. The Keukenhof Gardens are like Heaven on earth with all the tulips and flowers blooming. Be sure to also check out Rembrandt's house museum too. We enjoyed it even more than we thought we would. And of course Anne Frank's house was very moving. We also visited Den Haag and the M.C. Escher and Mauritshuis Museums. It is not any more "adult oriented" than any other major city would be, and to me, the more open attitude of the Dutch could be part of the learning experience regarding their history, culture, etc. Suffice it to say, I had always dreamed of visiting Europe and chose The Netherlands because of its beauty, history, and culture, and it sounds as though your daughter would sincerely appreciate it for these same reasons as well. I can't wait to return someday!

Yes, you are right on your concerns. Cool, which city does not have such activities? Just think there are people live in there too. Though the culture is little screwed up, it is not all that impacting on a short visitor who has a different touring plan. If you really choose the streets for cycling, there is no harm. Also the areas are distinct and you can easily figure out to avoid them. A trip on the canal is very safe and no issues. Kissing and hugging and little over is not a bad culture in Amsterdam. That really hurts those with kids. But your kid is 16 and she can understand better. I feel, you can still plan for a trip to Amsterdam if she really likes to go to see places there.

Just don't take her to the Red Light Disrict, and she'll be fine lol! Don't worry, it only takes up a small portion of Amsterdam.

You have a point but i am afraid my breif visit was very educational i and my form enjoyed it.

Thats not true. It's safe except you need to watch for pick pocketers in public places and transport systems such as subway, train bus etc.
Amsterdam is a nice place and what she wants to see is also nice. There are some adult areas but in my opinion areas such as red light district can be explored by a family its worth seeing once in lifetime.
Have a nice time.

hi mum. yeah, i think its safe

My husband and I took our 5 kids to Amsterdam...ages 16, 13, 12, 11, and 6 at the time(4 girls and 1 boy). They loved it! Of course, we are very open with our children and took them to the Red Light District (we didn't hang out, but walked through an outer section) along with all the museums, bike riding, etc. Depends on how shielded your child has been and how open minded you as a parent are. Do you want your child to be shocked when she enters her adult life, or would you rather expose her to things and give her your thoughts on whether you find them moral or not.

Good luck...Amsterdam is beautiful!

well i am so srry but if it were me.. id make her stay at home.....u r completely right amsterdam is only for adults..........so much adultery, Porn on the street... legalized marijuiana...and anything that kids cant have its legal there............but u wanna know the funny part...im only 15 and i know all of this...cuz i went to amsterdam....(the only reason i went was because i had no other choice) i went with my older brother so i think it was different for me... but u have a daughter so i would not do it but if u want go ahead.