Best Place for a newly single guy..

Robert, Although I often travel "solo", I'm somewhat older so don't place a lot of emphasis on "nightlife" when I'm travelling (although I do always visit the local restaurants). A few thoughts about your questions. You'll probably find that most cities in Europe provide all the attributes you mentioned, so I wouldn't limit your list to just Amsterdam. If you'd prefer cities where language won't be an issue, you could also consider London, Edinburgh or Dublin. However, I've found that one can get by with English in other cities in Europe, so you could also consider Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam or others. A lot will depend on what "type" of nightlife you're looking for. As you plan on staying in Hostels, you won't have any problems getting recommendations for places to enjoy nightlife, shopping, restaurants, etc. Both the Hostel staff and other guests will have lots of info. As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door before you get too far in your planning. That will provide you with good information on "how" to travel well in Europe. You could also have a look at Best of Europe, as that may provide some good tips on which cities to choose. Is there any possibility you could get more time? Travelling all that way for only one week seems a bit "short". Keep in mind that you'll generally lose the first and last days of the trip in travel times, which would only leave five days for actual sightseeing. Good luck with your planning!

Be sure to check out Barcelona. It has all those things, especially the nightlife and restaurants.

Ibiza?

I have friends from the UK that went to Ibiza this summer and they said it puts the 'trash' in 'Eurotrash'. They cut their trip short and went to Barcelona. They are the hostel/out all night clubbing types too. Might be worth a look for a day or two. I hear that Mykonos is still decent. The same friends went there last summer. I haven't been to either so I can't confirm.

If you are starting in amsterdam and have only six days, you don't want to go too far. I would suggest either Copenhagen or Berlin. Not only great nightlife, but lots to see.

London! (Since you said "other suggestions would be great"). You have lots of pubs to go to, and lots of hostel choices. Also, plenty of club nightlife. I just did a Google search for "Time Out London Nightclubs" and it pulled up lots of choices from Time Out magazine (pick up a copy when you get to London for complete listings of what's happening and clubs), including an article titled "Top 10 London Clubs". London has, of course, great museums and awesome sights. You will probably meet other people from all over the world there who have come to London for their vacation, especially at the time of year you have mentioned. Good meals can be had at pubs for not much money. Have a great trip wherever you decide to go.

I second Berlin - don't know how old you are but it is THE party town for the younger folks. Loaded with places to see and things to do. Plus, Berlin is probably less expensive than any of the major European capitals.

Ibiza is, in a sense, a place like Las Vegas - you can love, or hate it. Sure, they don't have all the casinos and shows, but in terms of attracting people Europe-wide for partying, it's a good destination. Bear in mind that, like Las Vegas, such reputation of Ibiza attracts, indeed, a large spectrum of people including the "trash" on Eurotrash. But you can splurge, is a nice place to do so.

Thanks for everyone that replyied. Some asked how old I am well..I am 40 but I hear its the new 30..:))). I still love to party keep myself in shape and would love to enjoy where i am going. I like trance..deep underground...spicy food....ie...thai....spanish..so some german food I have tried. Someone mentioned if i was in Amsterdam for only a week I should try to see Berlin..I would guess i would have to get a eurorail pass.
Any more help would be appreciated I have already started an itenery...i know it's a year ahead but i have always wanted to go to Europe and now that I have a chance I plan to start on a good foot. I have also considered Barcelona or Madrid..but again I would like to be in the center of some good nightlife. Again thanks to all that have replied. This is a favorite travel quote of mine by a famous man.... "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Seconding Berlin for a fantastic nightlife scene. Tends towards people in their mid-20s but we definitely saw people your age out and about at the bars as well. My husband and I are in our 30s and we didn't feel like geezers, anyway.

So is this entire trip just 6 days long, or are you spending 6 days in Amsterdam and then you want to move on to another city/country for another few days? If the whole trip is 6 days (and does that include arrival and departure days, because if it does, you are really talking about 4 decent days spent in Amsterdam), you definitely don't want to stray too far so picking another adjacent country that you can reach fairly quick is your best bet. So is flying open jaw so you don't waste even more time backtracking to your original point of entry to fly back home. Getting a train pass for a short trip is generally a waste of money. Depending on where you finally decide to go, you may do just as well buying point to point tickets which you can sometimes get at a discount if you can commit to certain travel days and buy in advance online. For trance, deep underground... You'll find it in many of the cities already mentioned... Berlin, Barcelona, Ibiza, London. You can also add Rome, Florence and Rimini in Italy for the type of clubbing you like. The majority of clubbers in these places are definitely in their 20s, so I can tell you now that if you walk around publicly declaring "40 is the new 30!" and quoting Mark Twain, those 20-something Euro chicks will not be accompanying you back to your hostel bed at the end of the night. And neither will any 30-something women. "40 is the new 30" "50 is the new 40" all those declarations just scream "Mid Life Crisis Here!" and repel women. Just a friendly warning on something to avoid if you'd like to meet the young ladies. Same applies if you happen to be gay. No hot young twink wants to hear that either!

To the last posted reply. I am not going through any mid life crisis just trying to get some advice from people who may know. Secondly I am not gay, not in this life or the next. Thirdly I am not looking to pick up and dont state that in my original post. For future post's from anyone, if you dont have anything usefull to enlighting me with regards to my planned trip then dont waste time. I am planning a week and a week only if one city is all i can do then more than likely all my research leads me to Holland. Again thank you to all who have lent me their advice.

Robert, I think Amsterdam is a very good choice to spend a week at. My wife and I spent 3 nights there and I want to go back. Everybody was friendly, and everyone I encountered spoke very clear English. Amazing. I could understand the Dutch English accent more than the British English accent as well. We love London, we spent 10 nights there last month. But it is expensive (a pint of good ale at a pub is $5.00 - though in my opinion well worth it!!!). Amsterdam is really laid back and interesting to walk around in. I'd recommend taking a canal tour - when you walk out of Centraal Station from the airport you'll see all the tour boats lined up. We stayed at a super nice B&B for €135 a night which had a canal view and very good breakfast. We'd stay there again in a heartbeat! There is a lot of nightlife in Amsterdam, always a concert or some activity around. Just a very cool vibe there. Check out Haarlemmerstraat, there are a lot of affordable places to eat there. We liked "Toscana" - an inexpensive Italian cafe - for dinner, we went there all 3 nights for dinner!

Robert, One question that I forgot to ask in my original reply..... Of all the locations in Europe, what prompted you to choose Amsterdam for your first trip to Europe? A few additional comments to add to my earlier reply.... - June is the latter part of the "spring shoulder season" and that's a good time to travel (IMHO). While there will probably be some crowds, it probably won't be as hectic as July & August. - There are good Hotels listed in the Guidebook. If you'd prefer to stay in a Hostel, check This Website. They appear to have three properties in Amsterdam. It may be beneficial to buy an inexpensive Membership, as that will provide cheaper rates and preferred booking. If you haven't stayed in a Hostel before, you may find it somewhat "different" to stay in Dorm rooms. - I'd suggest having a look at the Amsterdam-Bruges-Brussels Guidebook to plan your sightseeing. With such a short trip, you won't want to waste any time looking for things to do. Cheers!

Robert, well aren't you a peach. Ceidleh actually DID give you good, detailed advice, with a little humor, which you chose to homophobically overreact to. Why would anyone want to help someone with an attitude like yours?

Ditto Sarah's reply. Look at the title of this thread; ""Best Place for a newly single guy.." It was not titled "Best place for guy traveling solo for first time." The question title seems fairly clear. BTW, it appears that you almost have to be a gay couple to run a B and B in Amsterdam. You may want to edit out your homophobic comment, which is out of line.

6 days in the Netherlands would be a good time to get to know what that region has to offer. On the other hand, if you are itching to visit another country, I would just keep it to 2 cities, 3 nights in each. I would also opt to fly into one and out the other, if you have not purchased a ticket yet. Sometimes those flights are just as cheap as flying into and out of 1 city. Consider flying into Berlin and out of Amsterdam. I would do Amsterdam last because, even though Amsterdam can get crazy, it is still a chill city to just hang out in, relax, and enjoy what the small city has to offer. Other than the possibility of having fellow travelers to talk to and connect with, a hostel at age 40 might be not as grand as one may think it would be. If you can get a single room in a hostel, that is not too bad. But at 40, I wouldn't want to be in bed and have a crowd of rowdy teenagers and 20 year olds storming in, turning on the lights and being rambunctious. me at this point (I'm 36), would be tied up inside with angst if that happened to me. I do not know what your budget for accommodations would be, but it seems like you have a while to save for a bit of a more mature upgrade. I started to travel 7 years ago when I was 29. My first 2 trips to Europe where solo, where I did stay in hostels. 1st time around in Spain, it was fine. 2nd time around in London and the following year, it bothered me. But what ever you chose, have fun. My vote is for Amsterdam-Berlin. If you had more time, I would then say, Amsterdam-Barcelona. I have never seen such energy as the Spaniards have when it comes to nightlife. I went to a club called La Paloma, and it still sticks out in my mind, i was wonder struck. I was annoyed with London's night club scene. As soon as I would start to dance, I was crushed by guys with bad BO, like Night at the Roxbury. No joke!

To Sarah and Larry..both of you know nothing about me. My ex's newphew is gay and she brought him to Canada to have a new life and I have been close with him and always will be as a mentor and friend. Before you assume ask. I just did not like what at least sarah refers to as humour, what one may find humourous another may not and presuming your both intelligent adults this statement should ring true. Thanks for everyones help, I know it may be a little harder now to go to a hostel as they have always been geared to younger people and also reading how crazy some of the hostels can be so I may take the route of a hotel or B & B. Someone asked me what promted me to go to Amsterdam I guess since I was in my 20's and wanted to explore Europe I thought of Amsterdam and Ibiza as great party places and now that I am 40 and looking to re invent my life and get my head clear and relax after my breakup with Amsterdam also has alot of beauty as in the canals , history as in Ann Frank and some great restaurants and Pubs to sit down in a talk with other people about their city and Europe in General plus I still like a party..:))

Robert, Nothing wrong with staying at a hostel at 40. I won't talk you out of that choice, and I am 22 years your senior. It all depends upon the particular hostel, (my own check list) but can't personally advise on hostels in Amsterdam. But as for getting a private room or sharing a dorm room with 5-7 others, that's no problem with me, as long it's clean and secure, also depends on what you want to pay at the moment. I've done both. There are advantages to both accomodation choices when you decide. You'll avoid the school groups at an independent hostel, they stay at HI hostels. If possible, I would suggest a hostel relatively close to Amsterdam Centraal. After spending these days in Amsterdam and you decide to go else where, such as Berlin (an excellent suggestion), take the Amsterdam-Berlin night train...stay in Prenzlauer Berg or Mitte districts.

Actually I thought Ceilidh's post was out of line. Robert did not ask for advice on how to meet "young women" (or men for that matter). She gave unsolicited advice that was not called for. And how is simply saying "I am not gay" homophobic? All these posts assume facts which the writer made up. I read Robert's original post about being "newly single" as simply saying he is now free to do some things he has always wanted to do, but was constrained on account of the marriage. This was apparent from his "this is my first trip to Europe" comment. And there is nothing suggestive about a first-time looking for places that are friendly to singles, as so many of the posts here are by people traveling as couples. I think a few of these posts could be removed to clean up this thread and return it to focus on the subject. Robert, I have not been to Amsterdam, but from what I have heard it offers a great mix of culture, art, history, and nightlife. So does Berlin. So do other cities that have been mentioned (Barcelona, Rome, London, etc.) but for a short trip these do not combine well with Amsterdam. Berlin does, as it is closer. Also, if you do not speak a foreign language (or maybe speak both English and French?) these two are good choices as you will find lots of people who speak very good English. (That is one of the reasons I also suggested Copenhagen as a possibility.)

Thanks Sasha and fred I do appreciate your comments and advice and will strongly keep them in mind as my decesion process takes into shape. I am not going till next June but my travel agent advised me to book no later than january 2012 as June is a busy time and bookings may be scarce and upon reading all comments I will book at a B & B or hotel in Vondelpark or closer to central.

Have you thought about Bratislava? Prices are low, girls are beautiful, all young people speak English. It is not a famous destination like the others suggested but that could be plus. It's less than hour by train to Vienna, about 3 hours to Budapest, 4 to Prague in the case you would want to see more. I think newly single guy could like Bratislava.

Nobody here was being malicious. I have seen the other poster's other postings over the long term and know that would not be her. Using Best Place for a newly single guy.. for the title of a question seems to focus on one thing, a great place for singles with good nightlife seems to confirm it. The OP gave none of the later facts at the start. I, like others, in the absence of anything to hang our hats on, attempted to meet the need apparent. That's why I suggested Ibiza. I think what triggered the other comments was the phrase not in this life or the next . How it was meant or not meant is water under the bridge. Given all the highly sexed activity in Amsterdam, and its reputation on all sides of the sexual divide it is not unreasonable to include all possibilities in answers until there is information provided about goals and expectations. There is an inherent problem with using the printed word. You can't see the other person, there is no body language to see, no inflections of voice. Innocently written comments can be misinterpreted. Can I suggest we park it, and give Robert more answers to the questions he may have.

Robert & Kelly, Other than the possibility of having fellow travelers to talk to and connect with, a hostel at age 40 might be not as grand as one may think it would be." Actually, I'm over 60 and don't have any problems staying in Hostels on occasion. I have three Sons (yes, I've heard all the jokes about the old Fred MacMurray TV show), and I haven't had any problems getting along with younger travellers. I've found that most people in Hostels follow a certain "decorum" and don't come in late, slamming doors, etc. There are some "party palace" Hostels so the situation is a bit different there. I tend to use HI Hostels and I've found that they're well managed and the standards are much the same from one property to the next. For travellers looking to save money on accommodations in expensive European cities, they're a good alternative. I paid €34 per night in a four bed Dorm in Rome last year, which is really good value! I tend to use Hostels occasionally, as I travel with expensive Camera gear, and also like to have privacy some nights. In this case, Robert will only be there about 5 nights and probably won't be in the room much so keeping costs down might be desirable? If this is your first time in a Hostel, send me a PM as I have some tips to offer. I toured Anne Frank house about a month ago, and found it to be a very moving experience! It's well worth seeing if you choose to go to Amsterdam. I was disappointed that they wouldn't allow photos inside, but after taking the tour I can understand the reasons. Many of the rooms are small, and it's necessary to keep visitors moving as there are often LOTS of people. Stopping to take photos would disrupt the process. NIGEL, what an articulate and well worded reply! Cheers!

I also toured the Anne Frank House almost exactly a month ago. I found it very moving and worthwhile. I would recommend reading the Anne Frank Diary before visiting the house as I found that it just made it so much more real to me than I think it would have been had I not had that insight to Anne's daily life experiences.

I though Rome had a lovely night life - even if my nights ended by around 10:00 (I was with my husband and two kids). Everyone gets dressed and goes out strolling the piazza's and neighborhoods and dines al fresco. We were there in July with my brother-in-law and his wife; they stayed out late one night in Campo dei Fiori at a wine bar until about 2:00am and had a ball. There was a crazy clown running around picking up young women and then turning them over to other strange men. My brother-in-law told his wife he'd never seen such beautiful women! He'd had quite a few drinks by then to be sure, or he might night have mentioned this to his wife. Plus, Rome is fascinating by day as well. Just a thought.

James and Kerry thank you for your advice....and James you know how to put a smile on a guys face with half naked hotties..lol. Thank you to all that are helping me, its been only 4 weeks since the love of my life broke up with me and I do miss her soo. But that's why I am doing all of this..the research everything so this can be my first step to healing and of course a beautiful european woman , some good food , music and conversation would be great to have as well..:)...have to try to be happy and smile. Cheers,
Rob

Sorry to hear that Robert. I know of your suffering (mine was in 1995, about 10 months before meeting my wonderful husband). You may find that travel IS your new passion (like everyone else here on this website).

Robert, I never said you, personally, were in the midst of a mid life crisis. Since you mentioned you were "newly single" I was simply pointing out that there are certain things you might say which seem innocent enough, but send up a red flag to a woman you might be interested in getting to know better. "40 is the new 30", especially when said to a younger woman (like the ones who tend to stay in European hostels) makes her instantly think you are trying too hard to be seen as young. Talking about your ex that left you, referring to her as "the love of your life", saying how much you miss her to other women you meet is another sure fire way to get a woman looking around for the nearest exit. Yes, you got your heart broken just 4 weeks ago so you aren't looking to meet someone right now, but by June 2012 you may be ready to approach some of those "half-naked hotties" James told you are out there, but those hotties will vanish quickly if you start talking about your Ex. And you're still in what those relationship experts call the "Shock & Denial" phase since the break-up is still pretty fresh. When you get to the angry, pissed off phase, women don't want to hear you bad-mouthing or bashing your Ex either...more red flags for them and another reason to not even bring up the subject with the hotties.