Amsterdam

Nightlife in Amsterdam, like an Indonesian rijsttafel, is a bit of this and a bit of that. The cultural calendar is full, but not jammed. There's a strong jazz scene, good music clubs, and enjoyable English-language shows at the little cabarets and theatres along the canals. The club and bar scene can be entertaining if not outrageous; the dance clubs may indeed seem quiet and small to anyone used to the flash of clubs in New York City, Los Angeles, or London. However, the brown cafes -- the typical Amsterdam pubs -- have never been better. And there are always the movies: You can watch first-run U.S. blockbuster hits with their English soundtracks intact.

As you go around, look up to admire the elegant gables (illuminated from 30 min. after sundown to 11:30pm) or look down to watch the flickering reflections of the street lamps on the canals. The evening hours are a magic time in Amsterdam; if nothing else has brought you around, a sparkling ripple on the water can make you fall hopelessly in love with the city.

Hot and cool at the same time, Leidseplein is the centre of Amsterdam's nightlife, with some of the city's most popular restaurants, bars, and nightspots all within dancing distance of each other around the square. Leidseplein never really closes, so you can greet the dawn and start again. Rembrandtplein is a brash and brassy square that really comes alive at night, when it's awash with neon. Although it has a more downmarket reputation than Leidseplein, this area often seems even more intent on having fun, and there are enough cool and sophisticated places to go around. These two areas are connected by Reguliersdwarsstraat, which has some good cafes, including a few gay cafes, and also several fine clubs and restaurants. The Rosse Buurt (Red Light District) serves up its own unique brand of nightlife, and adjoining this is Nieuwmarkt, which is rapidly becoming a popular, if somewhat alternative, hangout.

Your best source of information on nightlife and cultural events is Amsterdam Day by Day, the VVV Tourist Office's monthly program guide in English, which costs 2€ ($2.50). It provides a complete cultural guide to Amsterdam, day by day, with listings for concerts and recitals, theatre, cabaret, opera, dance performances, rock concerts, art films, film festivals, special museum and art gallery exhibitions, and lots more. Many hotels have copies available for guests, in some cases for free, or you can get one at the VVV offices. There is also the free monthly listings magazine De Uitkrant, in Dutch, which you can pick up at many performance venues, and What's Up!, a free fold-up weekly guide in English that's available from many hotels.

Rotterdam

The world-class Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra plays at De Doelen concert hall, at Kruisstraat 2 (tel. 010/217-1717). If you want to see a global pop star, take a ride to Ahoy, Zuiderparkweg 20 (tel. 0900/235-2469). Megastars perform here to capacity audiences of 10,000.

You can try your luck at Holland Casino Rotterdam, Plaza Complex, Weena 624 (tel. 010/206-8206; Metro: Centraal Station). There's roulette, blackjack, punto banco, fruit machines, and more. The dress code here is "correct" (collar and tie for men), and the minimum age is 18. You need your passport to get in. The casino is open daily (except May 4, Dec 31) from 1:30pm to 3am. Admission is 4€ ($5).

After nightfall a multitude of establishments in Rotterdam come alive with guests eager to eat, drink, and be merry. Along with drinking and dancing, late-night dining is on the menu in the 50m-long (164-ft.) tunnel called De Blauwe Vis, Weena Zuid 33 (tel. 010/213-4243). The close-by Baja Beach Club Discotheque, Karel Doormanstraat 12 (tel. 010/213-0534), guarantees a sunny ambience even when it rains, and the tanned, muscular bar staff effortlessly slip into the role of entertainers. A younger crowd frequents Nighttown, West-Kruiskade 26 (tel. 010/436-1210), for dancing and lounging and for hard-core and mellow music, both live and recorded.