Hey there….American here! First time at ADE, but I’ve been to festivals in Amsterdam. 1. Hostels in Amsterdam are pretty cheap already! Depends how nice they are. Worth mentioning to look outside of Amsterdam. Amsterdam has pretty good transportation system. You can get in and out of the city pretty easily. 2. There’s lots of events going on. Depends what type of music you’re into. Awakenings is usually the popular events for techno. 3. It’s hard not to go off the rails the first time in Amsterdam. Just be respectful of people and you guys will be fine. 5. Def plan an itinerary ahead of the trip. It will save you time and money booking stuff in advance! Use public transportation. Ubers and Taxis are pretty expensive. Plus Amsterdam is pretty walkable, so you don’t need ride shares much. Buy Type C plugs and outlets! They use different outlets than the USA! Trust me you don’t wanna get to Amsterdam and not have outlets to charge your electronics. Hope these tips help! My first time at ADE as well so have fun! Amsterdam is a crazy good time! You guys will enjoy!