The transport and money ones
Buying single train tickets each day instead of using contactless bank-card tap-in/tap-out on NS. Same fare, no queueing, no OV-chipkaart deposit. Second: taking a taxi from Schiphol to central Amsterdam for 55-65 euros when the train is 5.90 euros and takes 17 minutes. Third: accepting 'dynamic currency conversion' at card terminals, which quietly charges 3-7% extra.
Fourth: booking a hotel with 'parking nearby' in central Amsterdam without checking the price. Central garages run 60-80 euros per 24 hours. If you’re driving, base yourself in Zaandam, Haarlem or a P+R site and take the train in for 1 euro per person.
The cultural and safety ones
Fifth: standing in the red-paved bike lane to take a photo. It's not a footpath, and cyclists will not slow down. Sixth: assuming coffeeshops sell coffee (they sell cannabis) or that cafes serve dinner (they usually don’t past 21:00). Seventh: tipping 20% in restaurants; 5-10% is generous here.
Eighth: visiting the Rijksmuseum or Anne Frank House without pre-booking a timed slot. Anne Frank sells out weeks ahead and has no walk-up tickets. Ninth: wearing a rain jacket but no windproof layer; the North Sea wind is the actual problem, not the drizzle. Tenth: booking three nights and trying to squeeze in Keukenhof, Texel and Zaanse Schans. Pick two.
The one nobody warns you about
Bonus mistake: not looking up before crossing tram tracks in Amsterdam. Trams are silent, fast, and cannot swerve. They kill or seriously injure a handful of pedestrians each year, almost all of them looking at phones or stepping backwards to frame a photo. Look both ways twice, especially on Damrak, Leidsestraat and around Centraal.
Related: e-bikes and fatbikes now zip along at 25-40 km/h in the same bike lanes as regular cyclists. The old rule of 'listen for the bell' is less reliable. Look, don’t listen.
Questions answered
What's the single biggest money-waster?
Taxis from Schiphol and central Amsterdam garages. Together they can add 200+ euros to a three-day trip that public transport handles for under 30.
Is jaywalking a problem?
Police won’t fine you, but cyclists and trams absolutely will hit you. Use crossings, especially at night when bike lights are surprisingly dim.
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