I have a chance to go to Amsterdam next week but it cold as hell and raining. Should I go?

[RottenWillow]

I have been two times - both in the winter. It is not so bad. Coffee shops will save the day.

One thing I will warn you about Holland in general.

ACK! It's Het Koningkrijk der Nederlanden, or the Netherlands for short. I hate when Rondstadters call the whole country Holland. Since 98% of all tourists only visit in the provinces of Noord and/or Zuid Holland that's all they hear, so the tourists do it too. Friends in Groningen and s'hertogenbos hate that egotism.

totally right about the smoking. bruin cafes (brown cafes) get their name from the walls tarred totally brown from years of massive amounts of smoke. Yuck.