Amsterdam's 'stay away' campaign targets troublesome visitors
Amsterdam&#x27;s perception as a &#x27;party city&#x27; is a funny one to me. I guess the lax drug laws are to blame, making it easy and legal for folks to try things they otherwise wouldn&#x27;t.<p>The red light district pretty tame, lots of neon cops and families. The &#x27;coffee&#x27; shops are a fun vibe, but coming from a legal country it&#x27;s nothing world changing. Fun way to meet people though.<p>Prague, Budapest, Instanbul, Berlin, even Belgrade have a party scene I&#x27;d describe as wilder and edgier. In Amsterdam, I recall lots of unimpressed bachelor parties and American college kids, not really an authentic Euro party scene one imagines. A wonderful city and one of my favorites to visit during the day, but if the desired highlight of your visit is nightlife, there are much better and cheaper options.