Visiting Amsterdam during Gay Pride Festival

Hi TT - first time caller, long time listener.

I'm planning my first trip to Europe later this year and have just realised the dates I was due in Amsterdam coincide with the Gay Pride Festival. While I appreciate this would be a pretty awesome cultural experience, I'll be traveling with my girlfriend and we weren't necessarily planning for too much of a party holiday.

Given that, would I be wise to avoid Amsterdam at this time and look at something else, or are there any recommendations for accommodation options outside of Amsterdam that would allow us to access the city to soak up a bit of the atmosphere, yet retreat when it all gets a bit too much? I'm of course assuming that the city is going to be absolutely nuts across the Festival weekend

To explain our trip, my girlfriend is German and we'll be spending some time around her home town near Frankfurt, then up to Berlin, train down to Prague - fly to Amsterdam, train to Paris and then fly to Milan to see the Cinque Terre and then across to Florence. My flight back to Australia leaves from Milan.

It's still pretty flexible outside of an accommodation booking in Vernazza.

Cheers

Wow, how much time and $ do you have for this trip around Europe?

RE Amsterdam - it doesn't go that mental, certainly nowhere near as hardcore as during Queens Day in April. There's loads to do of course; red light district (tours are available to explain it), van gogh museum, rijksmuseum, flower market, anne frank house, canal tour, the ubiqutous coffee shops, the hemp museum, the sex museum, the list goes on and on. I wouldn't be that bothered by the gay pride festival if I were you.

Thanks mate - appreciate the advice. We've got six weeks so hoping that'll be enough to get a taste of it all, understanding we'll be skating through a couple of places, not ideal!

Gay Pride is very local and certainly not all over the city.
Locations that are crowded:
- All along entire Prinsengracht on Saturday 6th from about 12pm until 4-5 pm onwards. The Canal boat parade takes place there.
- On Westermarkt (Westerkerk / church) on several nights and on the 6th
- Near Stopera / city Hall on Sunday.
- Along Amstel, on Rembrandtplein and in Reguliersdwarsstraat on several nights and especially on the 6th.

Party along at will, but watch out for pickpockets.

Otherwise you will hardly notice a thing in the rest of the city. It's also a very mellow (gay ;-)) party, not with the extreme drunkenness and some fights like Queensday.

P.S. You will find my personal recommendations for things to see and do in Amsterdam and Berlin on my website under Travel.

Amsterdam during Pride is a great day out (weather permitting). If you are out on the streets you will see that the crowd is very mixed and inclusive. It is really up to you how you want to get involved. I would certainly not avoid Amsterdam just because it is Pride. It is certainly not chaotic or as large as other European cities Pride parades.

Watch this video ... just to get an idea of Amsterdam during the Gay Pride (edtion 2011)