Questions on living in Amsterdam

Sorry if I overlooked something, but I don't see whether your housing is provided; I assume it is, since you won't even be able to rent a closet in Amsterdam for €280/month.

I'am a male about 6-2 and about 185..so I can be a bit greedy at times
Not sure if I understand what you mean by "I can be a bit greedy at times" because of what supposedly is your length and weight? Also, the Netherlands uses the metric system, so not many people will have an image of how tall and heavy you are.

While am there I want to take advantage of Amsterdam's location and do a lot of travelling to other countries
First of all I'd focus on getting to know the Netherlands before you head out to other countries, as it would truly be sad if you'd be spending a year in Amsterdam and don't see more of the country surrounding it. Bear in mind that Amsterdam, nice and interesting as it is, is hardly typical for the country as a whole (think San Francisco/NYC vs all of the US).

To get to other countries, if you book at the right time (well in advance) there are cheap train tickets available on the Thalys to Paris and ICE to Cologne. Most budget airlines connect Amsterdam Schiphol Airport with about anywhere in Europe, while Ryanair flies to/from Eindhoven airport in the south of the country.

Thanks for the help
LoL I forget about the conversions..I should probably get used to that. I am a little over 1.9 meters and about 84 kg. So I'm in great shape but I eat a lot to counter my fast metabolism.

I have housing on campus which is separate. You are correct the 280euros is indeed only a meal stipend. Do you think that will be sufficient?

Also no worries friend I have a few trips planned for around the Netherlands but I'm open to any suggestions you may have?

For discounts your age is of more importance than your length and or shoe-size.
26 is a turning point and if > 60 you will also be pampered.. But in general students have many financial privileges.

So your length is 1,90 m; that's pretty normal in Amsterdam.

If you live frugally and don't eat out too often, the EUR 280/month will work out for food, esp. if you have roommates. Cheap supermarkets are Lidl and Aldi.

There are over 80.000 students in Amsterdam, so there should be a few student hangouts to suit you. Won't you have some sor of introductory programme ate your course? Then you're sure to find a few good places. I can't recommend anything because I graduated over a decade ago and studied in Utrecht.

It's difficult to advise you about a budget because we don't know how often you would like to go out, if you prefer clubs to cafe's, how much your drink, how often you would want to travel and where to and what ' other expenses' you expect to encounter etc. etc. There's a lot of information to be found here, but you need to be more specific.

Have fun on your exchange year!

Assuming you have cooking facilities in your dorm, 280 euro should indeed be enough for your general daily living expenses. If you're serious about going out to party or just to have a few beers, however, you'll see your money disappear quickly - and having a decent meal in a restaurant in Amsterdam is expensive as well.

Domestic travel won't be too expensive - if only because distances are short - but it's very hard to get anywhere outside the country for under €50 return (and even that wouldn't get you far beyond Cologne or Brussels). Glad to hear you're planning to see more of NL than Amsterdam, by the way - there have been a few threads on things to do in NL in the past weeks, so scroll down a few pages for some inspiration. Also, in case she doesn't show up here herself, check out some posts by Cecilia, who lives in Amsterdam and has contributed a lot of info on travel and living in her city.

Oh, and when in Amsterdam, do as the Amsterdammers do and get a bike - saves you a lot on local transport.

you can get a second hand bike, just ask your dutch co students about how to do it. Many students cook on turn for a group and this not only saves money but helps you get a group of friends and relax together. If you do keep up with what you buy and how much you spend for it within one month you will know how much money you need for the current expenses. Eating out is expensive as said above but drinking out also.

:) thanks for all the info so far guys but I think you misunderstood my intentions with posting my height and weight. It was only to demonstrate how frequently I would be eating. There will be cooking facilities provided in housing..so I'll be doing a lot of cooking :/

Also no worries I'm planning a separate budget for misc expenses :) specifically partying and travelling. I purchased the lets go travel book which has pointed me to some awesome sites with student discounts but I'd like to mix it up as much as possible. There is a student orientation program that also includes activities and excursions but I wouldn't want to rely solely on them to experience the continent.

As far as how much I am planning on going out..I'd have to say that honestly am looking to do something everyday of the week. Ive noticed that there tend to be student discounts early in the week so whether it's travelling, visiting a museum, or clubbing/barhopping..I'd like to take advantage of that.

I have seen the website of Cecilia bookmarked and it should be useful.

Also no worries one of the reason that I picked Amsterdam was because it is so cycle friendly and I am a cycle enthusiast. Im even considering brining my own bike along but chances are it may get stolen :|

I think you misunderstood my intentions with posting my height and weight. It was only to demonstrate how frequently I would be eating

Most people eat 3 times a day, regardless of their height... seems pretty irrelevant info to me.

Anyways, 280 EUR is less than 10 EUR a day, which is enough to eat all your mails at home and never have a beer or a sandwich or anything outside as this will easily eat up 1 to 5 days of your budget in one meal. There are student cafetarias in Amsterdam, which I am sure you will be told about as part of your introduction, but a meal there will set you back about 7 EUR- almost your whole daily budget.

Also how much should I have in my budget for travelling to other countries,museums, nightlife and any other expenses.

How long is a piece of string? if you travel every weekend on a flight somewhere around Europe you can easily spend a few 100 EUR for weekend trip. If you party hard or drink hard your costs will go up. It's impossible to say as it depends on so many choices you make.

Set a budget and then travel accordingly.

Hi abkane,
some more info about cycling in Amsterdam from an earlier posting. It seems to be a special adventure, uncomparable with ....uuuuh .... e.g. Arizona.

Anyway it´s a great way to explore the country.

Cheers and welcome in the Lowlands.