Have a choice of 6 hour or 8 hour lay over in Amsterdam. Will either be enough time to go through customs and explore local shops near the airport? Interested in Scenic and the center, where numerous shops are located. Also read there are some new 2013 rules for foreigners regarding coffeeshops. Anyone have this new information or been through it themselves? Thank you!!
Amsterdam
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First a gentle correction, Amsterdam is not in Belgium as you have tagged it, it's in the Netherlands, or Holland as some people call it.
If you want time in Amsterdam I would do the 8 hour layover. I did not visit the coffee shops in Amsterdam but I did a quick google and discovered the rules have not changed, as the mayor does not believe tourists cause problems. Here is a link:
http://www.amsterdam.info/coffee-shop-news/
On a personal note, I saw so many tourists in coffee shops I can't imagine they would ban foreigners. As one might guess, these coffee shops are one of the big draws of Amsterdam for some tourists.
Enjoy your trip.