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General: Luggage and packing, and Customs
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Luggage And Bags: My wife and I checked two large roller bags on our flights, that contained mostly clothing. We each had a carry-on that contained, in a worst-case scenario of checked luggage being delayed or lost, items such as one change of clothes, toiletries, minor first-aid, personal items, camera, guidebook and other maps and pre-trip to-do lists and notes, pretty much everything that would be a pain or costly or impossible to replace if lost. You could always buy more clothes in a pinch.
Prior to our trip we bought TSA-approved combination locks for our checked luggage and carry-ons, with nifty red/green indicator lights that would go from green to red if a bag had been opened by an inspector with a TSA lock tool. Nice peace of mind after reading reports of baggage handlers stealing items from luggage at various airports. Neither checked bag indicated having been opened on the trip over or back, and we didn't lock our carry-ons until passing through airport gate areas in case they needed to be inspected.
Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Winter, even early Winter in Amsterdam, means being dressed for anything from sub-freezing temps to surprisingly mild, almost warm days. Also for the very high probabllity of some rain and maybe a windy, gusty day. Keep in mind that the prevailing winds and weather systems are usually coming from the direction of the sea, with the attendant moisture.
Photo Equipment: We took only a digital camera, mainly for compactness and its ease of carrying, but also due to not having to be concerned with film issues and luggage x-ray machines at airports. We also own a nice 35mm film camera, and I would argue with anyone that if you know what you're doing can take better quality with those than a digital, but chose to leave it at home.
Miscellaneous: I honestly could not tell you exactly how Customs works as far as going into the Netherlands, and I know that sounds weird. When we exited our plane, with our two carry-on bags, we went to the baggage claim carousels and got our two larger, checked bags. Back behind some of these was obviously what was a Customs area, with a long line and several tables at an inspection point with luggage being opened and items strewn about on the tables. We started over that way, then noticed that quite a few people carrying or pulling luggage seemed to be just walking to the other end of that area from the carousels and getting in a shorter, line leading through some doorways. Unsure of what the deal was, we turned and went into that line, which also included those that had been in the inspection area and coming out the other end. Right on through some corridor areas we walked with everyone else and we were on our way.
If someone can explain this to me, I'd love to hear it. Still scratching our heads on this one!
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Destinations near Amsterdam- Vondelpark, 3.39 km / 2.11 miles
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 Comments for jss1018 about Amsterdam | | | | |
pinkcamel Sun Jun 18, 2006 06:53 UTC
This is going to sound weird but you decide whether you have things to declare or not. If not, you can go through the 'green' exit'. You may be pulled over by customs officials who think you look dodgy or suspect, but mostly, you can walk straight out. | Pavlik_NL Sun Jan 16, 2005 16:13 UTC
Good tips & nice pages. Amsterdam is indeed a strange place, but I hope that NL & A'dam never become a police-state. Safety should come from preventing things happening to yourself, not from being protected. That's what the Dutch tolerance is all about. | scottishvisitor Fri Dec 31, 2004 22:20 UTC
Good page with great tips & info Greetings from Scotland & Happy New Year | Xefian Wed Dec 29, 2004 12:16 UTC
Great page ,enjoyed tips and travelogue |
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