Netherlands Travel Guide


The latest travel Information on Netherlands, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Netherlands Information

Overview

The Netherlands, is a lively mix of tradition, in the form of windmills and tulips, and fast-paced modern European life.

The Dutch are generally an affable race, with a good sense of humour and a keen sense of how to enjoy themselves, whether it be relaxing in the countryside or partying hard in the big cities. Despite their country’s puritan past, they are known for tolerance, or at least turning a blind eye.

Known as being largely flat (much of the country lies below sea level, and another great swathe is made up of ‘polder’, or land reclaimed from the sea), The Netherlands is an ideal destination for those who enjoy pursuits like cycling or walking without over-exerting themselves. But it is a cultured land as well, as the seemingly endless list of great Dutch artists testifies.

The Netherlands’ roots in the arts stem from the 17th century, the so-called ‘Golden Age’, which placed this tiny but rich country at the forefront of European culture. The gaining of the upper hand by imperial influence and the annexing of The Netherlands to the far-flung empire of the Hapsburgs in the 16th century resulted in the rebellion of the largely Protestant northern provinces of the Low Countries, led by William of Orange and Nassau - this struggle for independence would last until 1648. This was compounded by a remarkable growth in Dutch sea power, as many Spanish and Portuguese possessions in the New World and East Asia were seized. This reached its acme in 1689 when William III of Orange became King of England - although the association was severed on his death in 1702.

The Dutch are enthusiastic Europeans, and the European Union is the main focus of Dutch foreign policy. Their country is full of interest, heritage and fun for the visitor.

Author

Robin McKelvie


Top Things To See

Stroll around the centre of Amsterdam, along canal banks lined with narrow-fronted buildings dating from the city’s heyday as a trading centre. Among these is the Anne Frank House (website: www.annefrank.org), home of the young Jewish diarist, in Prinsengracht.

Visit one of Amsterdam’s diamond traders, and watch craftsmen cutting and polishing the precious stones. Among the best known is Gassan, in Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat (website: www.gassandiamonds.com), where stones can be selected and mounted in jewellery on the spot. 

See some of the many great works of art, including those of Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer displayed in Amsterdam’s many museums and galleries, including the Rijksmuseum (website: www.rijksmuseum.nl). 

Take a trip to Arnhem, in southeastern Holland, scene of WWII’s ‘Operation Market Garden’, in which the city’s Rhine crossing proved a ‘Bridge too Far’ for the allied forces attempting to bring an early conclusion to hostilities. 

Take a fascinating tour of architectural heritage at the palaces and government buildings of The Hague (website: www.the-hague.info), seat of Dutch government and royalty, and the UN’s fourth most important city, to the west of Amsterdam near the North Sea coast. 

Enjoy a miniaturised flavour of the whole of The Netherlands at Madurodam (website: www.madurodam.nl), which replicates many aspects of the country in 1:25 scale, incorporating windmills, a cheese market and the world’s most extensive miniature railway. 

Get up early to witness trading at Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer (the Aalsmeer Flower Auction) (website: www.vba.nl) close to Amsterdam, the world’s largest commercial building at 999,000 sq m (10.7million sq ft). 

Head to the far southeast of The Netherlands to see the medieval architecture of Maastricht, Holland’s oldest fortified city. Highlights include the basilica churches of Our Lady and St Servatius. 

Do not miss the spectacular Dom (cathedral) tower and old town area of Utrecht (website: www.holland.com/utrechtprov), which also boasts a new museum dedicated to the work of Dick Bruna, creator of Miffy (website: www.dickbrunahuis.com). 

See The Netherlands’ many tulips; most spectacular glimpses of these flowers can be seen in Haarlem (website: www.haarlem.nl), 20km (12 miles) west of Amsterdam. The countryside affords a fine view of the bulb fields from the end of March to mid May. 

Enjoy the spectacle of one of Holland’s cheese markets. The best are Waagplein, in Alkmaar, open every Friday from mid April to mid September, and at Gouda, 20km (12 miles) southeast of Rotterdam. 

Watch the skills of the porcelain makers at the Royal Delft pottery (website: www.royaldelft.com), in Delft, also home town of Johannes Vermeer, and where a new centre (website: www.vermeerdelft.nl) dedicated to the artist opened in 2007.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Top Things To Do

Rent a bicycle and join the Dutch on the country’s most popular form of transport. There are around 17,000km (10,600 miles) of designated cycle tracks around The Netherlands, which due to its generally flat landscape, is ideal.

Take a glass-topped boat tour round Amsterdam’s many waterways and harbour. It is an excellent way to see the city’s most interesting areas. Another option is to take the Museum Boat (website: www.water-taxi.nl), which links most of the major cultural attractions. 

From late 2007, explore the interior workings and health of the human body at Corpus, a new visitor attraction near Leiden (website: www.corpusexperience.nl). The attraction also incorporates a medical information centre with changing exhibitions. 

Take a trip to the Hoge Veluwe national park (website: www.hogeveluwe.nl) near Arnhem, among whose attractions is an underground museum dedicated to subterranean life, and the Kröller-Müller Museum which contains 280 Van Gogh paintings as well as numerous other works. 

Enjoy a football match at one of the top Dutch stadia, Amsterdam Arena, home of the famous Ajax (website: www.ajax.nl), PSV’s Philips Stadion in Eindhoven (website: www.psv.nl) or De Kuip, in Rotterdam, where Feyenoord play (website: www.feyenoord.com). 

Drive across the Afsluitdijk, a 30km (19-mile) barrier built in the 1930s to close off the Zuiderzee from the North Sea, creating the now freshwater IJsselmeer. Motorists can stop at a lookout point halfway across the road linking Friesland with Noord-Holland. 

Relive history at the recently expanded and renovated Het Spoorwegmuseum (Dutch National Railway Museum) (website: www.spoorwegmuseum.nl), at Maliebaanstation in Utrecht, with its extensive collection of historic rolling stock and memorabilia. A regular train link connects the museum with Utrecht Central. 

Ride the high-speed lift up Euromast in Rotterdam (www.euromast.com), and dine at a height of 100m (328ft) in one of three masts overlooking the world’s biggest harbour. Then ascend further to 185m (605ft) with the Space Adventure rocket launch experience. 

Step back into history at Zaanse Schans village (website: www.zaanseschans.nl), a short distance from Amsterdam, with its traditional houses, working windmills, clog factory, cheese farm, boat builder’s and several museums. 

Get away from it all, and go ‘wad hopping’ between the five Dutch Wadden Islands. Served by regular ferry services in the summer, the islands are a popular holiday destination, and cycling is the accepted way to get around. 

Stroll around the historic city of Gouda, following the Cheese Map (available from the local tourist office) which leads visitors around the various landmarks, including the Weighhouse Museum, associated with cheesemaking in the city. 

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Going Out

Food and Drink

‘Typical’ Dutch food tends to be wholesome and hearty, rather than elegant. Large towns, however, have a wide range of restaurants specialising in international dishes. Indonesian cuisine, a spicy legacy of Dutch colonisation in the East Indies, is particularly good in The Netherlands.

National specialities:
• A Dutch breakfast usually consists of fresh bread, cheese, cooked meats and sausage, butter and hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles), jam or honey and often a boiled egg. Lunch is generally similar.
•Broodjes (sandwiches) are a common daytime snack, served in the ubiquitous sandwich bars - broodjeswinkels. 
•Poffertjes (pancakes) served with butter and sugar are a teatime favourite.
•Matjes (salted herring) is widely available from street stalls, and smoked eel is another seafood speciality.
• Holland is famous for its cheeses, among them the Goudse, Edammer and Leidse varieties, also obtainable with flavourings such as caraway seed and cumin.

National drinks:
• Coffee, tea, chocolate and fruit juice are drunk at breakfast.
• The local spirit is jenever (Dutch gin), normally taken straight and chilled as a chaser with a glass of beer, but it is sometimes drunk with mixers. It is available in numerous flavours.
• The most popular beer brands in Amsterdam are Amstel and the ubiquitous Heineken, which is also produced in the city. There are also a number of smaller breweries producing specialist beers and ales for the connoisseur, including the Trappist Brouwerij De Koeningshoeven.
• Dutch liqueurs are excellent and include Curaçao, Parfait d’Amour, Triple Sec (similar to Cointreau) and Dutch-made versions of crème de menthe, apricot brandy and anisette.

Legal drinking age: 16 to drink beer and wine, 18 to drink spirits.

Tipping : All hotels and restaurants include 15% service and VAT. It is customary to leave small change when paying a bill.

Nightlife

The Dutch like to have fun, and have a reputation for an open-minded approach, so a night out in The Netherlands can be something of an eye-opener for the first time visitor. Large cities are well-supplied with sophisticated nightclubs and discos, but the late-opening bars and cafes are just as popular. There are no licensing laws, so it is possible in the big cities to get a drink more or less at any time.

There are theatres and cinemas in all major towns - the arts are popular in Holland and play a big role in life.  Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city, with some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe. The brown cafes are an institution - Holland’s equivalent of the local pub. Its famous (or infamous) red light district, de Wallen, is a magnet for visitors, and there are numerous bars, clubs and ‘coffee’ shops (for those in search of a different sort of stimulant) in the vicinity.

Another popular option is a dinner cruise through the canals and harbour aboard a glass-topped boat. There are legal casinos in several main towns and cities.

Shopping

Special purchases include Delft (an area between The Hague and Rotterdam) blue pottery and pottery from Makkum and Workum, costume dolls, silverware from Schoonhoven, glass and crystal from Leerdam and diamonds from Amsterdam.

Shopping hours: Mon 1100-1800, Tues-Fri 0900-1800 and Sat 0900-1700. In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and other big cities, supermarkets are open 0800-2000/2100. In large city centres, shops are open Sunday 1200-1700. Shopping malls are also open on Sunday. Some city centres also have late-night shopping on Thursdays or Fridays until 2100.

Note: Bulbs and plants may not be exported except by commercial growers, or by individuals with a health certificate from the Plant Disease Service. A reasonable number of bulbs for personal use are allowed.


Climate

Mild, maritime climate. Summers are generally warm with changeable periods, but excessively hot weather is rare. Winters can be fairly cold with the possibility of some snow. Rainfall is prevalent all year.

Required Clothing

European according to season, with light- to mediumweights worn in warmer months and medium- to heavyweights in winter. Rainwear is advisable all year.


Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21-24 Mar Easter. 
30 Apr Queen’s Day.
5 May Liberation Day.
1 May Ascension.
12 May Whit Monday.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
10-13 Apr Easter. 
30 Apr Queen’s Day.
5 May Liberation Day.
21 May Ascension.
1 Jun Whit Monday.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.


Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: No

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: No

Malaria

Special Precaution: No

Rabies

Special Precaution: No

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: No

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No

Health Care

If suddenly taken ill or involved in an accident during a visit to The Netherlands, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available for European travellers - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Comprehensive insurance is advised for all other nationals.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Currency Exchange

Exchange offices are indicated by the letters GWK. GWK is a national organisation with currency exchange offices at major railway stations, at Schiphol Airport and at the border crossings with Germany and Belgium. Hotels tend to charge high commissions. Verkoop means sell, while Koop means buy.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. ATMs are widely available.

Traveller's Cheques

Widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Banking Hours

Mon 1300-1600; Tues-Fri 0900-1600. GWK offices are open seven days a week.


Passport/Visa

British

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Australian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No/2

Canadian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

USA

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Other EU

Passport Required: 1
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Passport Note

The Netherlands is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.

Passports

Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Note: (a) EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed. (b) 2. Nationals of Australia may be asked to show return ticket, proof of sufficient funds and health insurance for duration of stay.

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months. An authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) (to stay for an uninterrupted period of more than three months) is not required by nationals referred to in the chart above.

Visa Note

Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).


Contact Addresses

Royal Netherlands Embassy in the UK

38 Hyde Park Gate, London SW7 5DP, UK
Tel: (020) 7590 3200 or 0906 554 0720 (visa information line; calls cost £1 per minute).
Website: www.netherlands-embassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; 0900-1200 (passport and visa section; by appointment only).
The passport and visa section is closed on the first Wednesday of every month.

Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) in the UK

PO Box 30783, London WC2B 6DH, UK
Tel: (020) 7539 7950 or 0906 871 7777 (brochure line; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.holland.com/uk

Royal Netherlands Embassy in the USA

4200 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: 1 877 388 2443.
Website: www.netherlands-embassy.org

Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) in the USA

355 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 370 7360.
Website: www.holland.com


Travel Advice

Warning

Most visits to The Netherlands are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel




Disclaimer
We've tried to make the information on this page as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information with the relevant authorities before you travel.