What do I do if I get lost in Amsterdam and France.?

Question

What do I do if I get lost in Amsterdam and France.?

Answer 1

Run around in little circles screaming?

Oh, no, that is what to do when in a panic.

Best keep your head cool, read the road signs, (compare them to a map if you have one,) and ask the people near to help you.

In Amsterdam you have a 90%+ change that the person you meet is able to understand English and a good change that he/she is able to point you in the right direction.

In Paris the change on meeting someone understanding English are a bit smaller, but if you have written down where you want to go, or should be, you can be sure to find someone who is able to help you.

In Amsterdam it is useful to have a map with you, even if it is only a general map.

In Paris the best you can do is getting the big version of the metro map, (ask in the big metro stations near the main train stations,) this is a map with the streets and on top of that the metro lines and stations.

If a person points you out where you are relative to the nearest metro station you will be unlost in a second.

Added:

In the rest of France, if you do not have a hotel (or other address) yet, pick a point in town where you know you can find your way from like the railway station  (Gare) or the town center.

When traveling in the country side, you need a map, if only one with the main towns. With that people can help you, by just pointing where you are and which town you are heading for.

Answer 2

take a map? get a GPRS!

Answer 3

Judging by this (and I remember several others of your questions including the need to persuade your mother to travel, how can you work in Europe etc), I would say firstly that you need to make some decisions about what kind of direction you are taking instead of question-bombing.

It's obvious you want more than just a holiday in Europe, so if this is the case, then do your homework first.  I assume you are non-EU, and in which case you will need a working visa and these are very difficult to come by.

So if this is your intention, spend your time on working on the visa situation, and then you can start to worry about the practicalites afterwards

If you are talking genuinely about just a holiday then with regard to Amsterdam, Willeke gave you good advice already.  However I just wanted to add that Amsterdam is realtively a small capital in comparison with the Paris' and the London's of the world.  The public transport network is really good and actually you can even get around by bike or walkiing to the main tourist sites (or the hop on/off like a bus tour by canal boat is a really nice option)  Eitherway, the chance you will get lost is really small in Amsterdam.  

If you do, just turn around ask the nearest person.  Likely he/she will speak English and can help to direct you and will likely even be a tourist at this time of year.  I was in the centre on Sunday in Amsterdam and a (French?) tourist did exactly that to three guys who directed him to Dam Square (..... they were Americans).  Once you have been there a couple of days, you quickly get your bearings to get about, and you will be directing people in no time!

In my opinion, France is a little different.  I assume from the fact that you mentioned France and not Paris, that you plan to tour more of the country than Paris alone (and again Paris armed with a map is not a problem).  If you are driving around France then I would really advise a Satnav.  I spent many summers growing up in France sitting by my father (while he was driving with a caravan) nativgating with the aid of a country map, and it's generally no fun - lots of smaller roads, and schoolgirl French was not enough to understand a response to "help I'm lost!).  So if you are renting a car, ask them also about GPS (satnav) for the car to help you

Answer 4

Always

1)carry a note with the address of the place you are staying at AND their phone number.

2) Learn to read a map.

3)carry a map with your hotel/street name cercled (ir highlighted) in red so that you can see, right away, in which direction you have to go and don't waste the time of people who would like to help you out.

4) cercle/highlight in another colour the name of your desired destination . Use a different colour a day or cross out, with a pen, the places you have been to.

5) what I did, recently, while on a trip in Asia where I couldn't read or speak the language : I took a picture of the nearest police station & of the sign mentioning the street name (They normally have the name of the neighbourhood written on their building). Same goes for your hotel & the street it is on. You could also write down the name of the nearest landmark near your hotel, look around for a recognizable landmark and take a picture if you feel more comfortable (you most certainly have a digital camera, no?).

6) Be prepared with your questions in Dutch and in French : have a little note with sentences  in English/Dutch/French

e.g.

Excuse-me...

Could you help me? I seem to be lost!

Where is (name of the place ou want to go to) ?

Where is (name of your hotel)?

How can I go to ...? Which way is the train station? etceteri, etcetera

7) carry a pen & paper to write down the needed directions if you must.



8)Just ask any person near you on the street or a police man/woman and you'll quickly find someone to explain the way to you. Otherwise, enter a shop or a police station and ask for help.

9) Never look lost or scared. Look confident and always wear a smile when asking for directions.

A positive attitude always attracts a positive reaction.

People are quite helpful in general.

One point though : in The Netherlands you won't have any problem with English but in France it is better to try to ask your questions in French (even with mistakes... but you should show them that you are, at least, ready to try to speak in their own language) so as not to upset the "French" sensibilities because they are quite touchy on this subject.  Help will come quicker also. I have lived several years in France so I know what I am talking about.

Hope this helps in a little way.