Question: How Safe Is Amsterdam?
A reader wanted to know:
- What are the areas of Amsterdam people should avoid? Are there areas tourists should avoid walking through?
Answer: Amsterdam is remarkably safe for a bustling European capital. I live in the Museum Quarter neighborhood and feel perfectly comfortable walking alone, even at night.
But the one place I'd say to avoid come nightfall is the Red Light District. While it's filled with all types of people during the day, the area attracts seedier visitors and vagrants at night. Unfortunately, these can include pick-pockets and people discreetly (but persistently) peddling illegal, "hard" drugs.
Violent crimes are not common, but tourists should also watch for pick-pockets on crowded trains and trams during the high tourist season.
