I will be making my first trip to Amsterdam soon, and it will also be my first
time to travel without any companions. I know that I'll have no trouble
finding plenty to keep myself occupied for the (nearly) two weeks I'll be in
town, but at the same time I am curious to know what to expect under these
unfamiliar circumstances.

For example, what might my chances be of meeting others--whether locals or
fellow travellers--while I'm there? Also, I wonder whether this is a good city
in general for the solo leisure traveller (or for one there on business, for
that matter); that is, does dining alone in restaurants, etc. pose any
particular problems--or advantages, even? What kinds of places/outings might
be conducive to making me feel all the more welcome and enhancing the enjoyment
of my vacation? (Please, let's not even mention the Red Light
District...that's really not my style!) ;-)

If anyone has been in similar circumstances, I would really appreciate hearing
how others have handled the situation. Now, I realise that this is all
necessarily subjective, but any advice one could offer will be truly helpful.
Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you seasoned travellers!

PS Perhaps it may help to know that I am a single, university-educated, male
professional in my 30s from Texas...or perhaps not. ;-)
To reply via e-mail successfully, SPAMFREE must be removed from the end of my
e-mail address

"Texasmec" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be making my first trip to Amsterdam soon, and it will also be my
first
    > time to travel without any companions. I know that I'll have no trouble
    > finding plenty to keep myself occupied for the (nearly) two weeks I'll be
in
    > town, but at the same time I am curious to know what to expect under these
    > unfamiliar circumstances.
    > For example, what might my chances be of meeting others--whether locals or
    > fellow travellers--while I'm there? Also, I wonder whether this is a good
city
    > in general for the solo leisure traveller (or for one there on business,
for
    > that matter); that is, does dining alone in restaurants, etc. pose any
    > particular problems--or advantages, even? What kinds of places/outings
might
    > be conducive to making me feel all the more welcome and enhancing the
enjoyment
    > of my vacation? (Please, let's not even mention the Red Light
    > District...that's really not my style!) ;-)
    > If anyone has been in similar circumstances, I would really appreciate
hearing
    > how others have handled the situation. Now, I realise that this is all
    > necessarily subjective, but any advice one could offer will be truly
helpful.
    > Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you seasoned
travellers!
    > PS Perhaps it may help to know that I am a single, university-educated,
male
    > professional in my 30s from Texas...or perhaps not. ;-)
    > To reply via e-mail successfully, SPAMFREE must be removed from the end of
my
    > e-mail address

I am a happily married man who frequently travels by myself. It is a rather
different experience than traveling with companions and quite enjoyable. On
several occasions I have spent between one and three weeks based in
Amsterdam on my own. While I enjoy being by myself, it has never been a
problem to find people with whom to talk and eat a meal. It is certainly no
problem to get a table for one for those times you are eating by yourself.
I've met people (locals and fellow tourists in all sorts of places. Bars,
museums, trains, etc.

Paul

Amsterdam is great, because everybody is out at markets, bars, etc.
Especially when the weather is nice. It's easy to meet others. Say "hi" to
someone visiting the same attraction as you. Comment on someone's outfit
(nicely). Sit at the bar. I once met someone on the train into Central
Station -- she had a Dulles sticker on her bag, so I asked if she was from
Washington. Well, she wasn't, but she had a day to kill in Amsterdam and so
did I....so we goofed around all day (and she had a corporate per diem,
which she couldn't come close to spending :-). Never saw her again, but it
was fun to have company.

I prefer traveling alone because I meet so many people -- it's actually
easier when you're alone. Just don't be afraid to start the conversation.
The worst that can happen is they'll ignore you or politely cut you off. So
you move on.

Sarah

"Texasmec" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be making my first trip to Amsterdam soon, and it will also be my
first
    > time to travel without any companions. I know that I'll have no trouble
    > finding plenty to keep myself occupied for the (nearly) two weeks I'll be
in
    > town, but at the same time I am curious to know what to expect under these
    > unfamiliar circumstances.
    > For example, what might my chances be of meeting others--whether locals or
    > fellow travellers--while I'm there? Also, I wonder whether this is a good
city
    > in general for the solo leisure traveller (or for one there on business,
for
    > that matter); that is, does dining alone in restaurants, etc. pose any
    > particular problems--or advantages, even? What kinds of places/outings
might
    > be conducive to making me feel all the more welcome and enhancing the
enjoyment
    > of my vacation? (Please, let's not even mention the Red Light
    > District...that's really not my style!) ;-)
    > If anyone has been in similar circumstances, I would really appreciate
hearing
    > how others have handled the situation. Now, I realise that this is all
    > necessarily subjective, but any advice one could offer will be truly
helpful.
    > Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you seasoned
travellers!
    > PS Perhaps it may help to know that I am a single, university-educated,
male
    > professional in my 30s from Texas...or perhaps not. ;-)
    > To reply via e-mail successfully, SPAMFREE must be removed from the end of
my
    > e-mail address

Texasmec wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be making my first trip to Amsterdam soon, and it will also be my
first
    > time to travel without any companions. I know that I'll have no trouble
    > finding plenty to keep myself occupied for the (nearly) two weeks I'll be
in
    > town, but at the same time I am curious to know what to expect under these
    > unfamiliar circumstances.
    > For example, what might my chances be of meeting others--whether locals or
    > fellow travellers--while I'm there? Also, I wonder whether this is a good
city
    > in general for the solo leisure traveller (or for one there on business,
for
    > that matter); that is, does dining alone in restaurants, etc. pose any
    > particular problems--or advantages, even? What kinds of places/outings
might
    > be conducive to making me feel all the more welcome and enhancing the
enjoyment
    > of my vacation? (Please, let's not even mention the Red Light
    > District...that's really not my style!) ;-)
    > If anyone has been in similar circumstances, I would really appreciate
hearing
    > how others have handled the situation. Now, I realise that this is all
    > necessarily subjective, but any advice one could offer will be truly
helpful.
    > Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you seasoned
travellers!
    > PS Perhaps it may help to know that I am a single, university-educated,
male
    > professional in my 30s from Texas...or perhaps not. ;-)
    > To reply via e-mail successfully, SPAMFREE must be removed from the end of
my
    > e-mail address

If you can't have fun in Amsterdam then you must be a hopeless case. Its a
great city, friendly, open natives, lots of other travellers. if you're
open to it you can't really fail to have a good time. I can't imagine
anywhere better for a solo traveller

Don't be put off by the somewhat 'direct' nature of the Dutch, once you get
used to it, its one of their most appealing characteristics.