Travel Tips Netherlands – You are here: Home / Travel / Europe / Netherlands / 20 things you need to know before visiting the Netherlands as a Dutch citizen
I am officially celebrating my arrival in the Netherlands four years ago this week! As someone who has visited the Netherlands as a tourist and is now trying to practice speaking Dutch well, I have some useful tips for visiting the Netherlands for all of you that I hope will make your trip to the Netherlands.
Travel Tips Netherlands
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Haarlem, Netherlands Travel Guide: Best Things To Do In Haarlem, Restaurants, Hotels, And Tips
If you’re looking for in-depth travel advice about Belgium and the Netherlands, I’ve created a guidebook for Moon Travel about Amsterdam, Brussels, and Bruges. You can find this book on Amazon!
Card: Maestro. Unless you are lucky enough to have a Maestro debit card, you will encounter many people who refuse to take your money in small shops and even in Dutch supermarkets (like the Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn ).
Credit cards are not popular here in the Netherlands and many people who have them rarely use them, unlike in other countries. It
It’s getting better and some stores actually require 100% cash, however you always have cash if your card isn’t accepted. The strange thing is that even if you have a bank card, foreign (non-European) bank cards usually don’t work here even if they theoretically work with Maestro.
Netherlands Travel Advice & Safety
Cashless is becoming more and more popular among Dutch retailers, and thanks to new card technology, more cards are being accepted. Visa is the most widely accepted non-Dutch card here, but it is still not often accepted at shops that “accept” bank cards. After that, you’ll get American Express sometimes, but I recommend leaving your Discover card at home.
What you need to do forever: take money. If you are wondering where your nearest ATM is, search for ABN AMRO or ING. These are two of the largest Dutch banks and most cities have many outdoor ATMs. Make sure there is money in your bank account!
If you need to do something, try to do it between 10am and 5-6pm. You will find some shops (eg avondwinkels) open until midnight for shopping after the grocery stores close (9/10-12). However, this is not Spain and many
Businesses close at 6pm. The restaurant is usually open later until 9-10pm, however many people tend to eat earlier. Fortunately, Sundays here are better than in Belgium as most things close all day, however most shops and museums close on Mondays.
Travel Tips We Learned While In The Netherlands
The water is trickling. You CAN get tap water for free, but you need to be specific
Or tap water. This is not America, so when you get said tap water, it will probably be in the smallest cup you have ever seen in your life and there will be no refills unless you ask. (Maybe I’m always thirsty). Also, it’s not always freezing cold.
The best thing is to ask if you can get a jug of tap water (if you are in a group), but you won’t get this very often. If you say just water, they will bring you a small bottle that cannot be refilled and you will be charged. Sometimes, they refuse outright and just tell you that water is not available.
Free unless you are male. Men get urinals for free in many Dutch cities (although they still need to pay for them
Family Travel Tips: Netherlands And More ยป Kidstravelbooks
Kindness). Sounds like sex to me. Why do men get free water in public while women always have to pay for the toilet!?
I always recommend having small change to pay for the toilet. A toilet is usually somewhere between .50 cents and one euro. Sometimes I buy a coffee or a soda and use it in the bathroom at a cafe or McDonald’s because it’s usually cleaner than other public restrooms.
For some reason most of the trains and public transport systems here in the Netherlands that I have come across include remote payment. It’s great, however it means you have to remember to check in and out to make sure you don’t lose your iAmsterdam card (or your OVchipkaart).
The Dutch tulip season is only 6-8 weeks and is not 100% guaranteed. Many people email me asking if the tulips will be in bloom during their trip to the Netherlands. I find that mid-April is the safest time as it can be early in some years (like 2018) to see any flowers before then. Similarly, the beginning of May is the end of it. If you want to see tulips all year round, consider going to the world’s largest flower garden (FloraHolland) or the Bloemenmarkt in Amsterdam to buy bulbs.
The Best Places To Visit In The Netherlands, Besides Amsterdam
Dutch trains are fun, so don’t be afraid to use them. It is less than five euros for a ticket from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam. If you really want to take a taxi, consider taking the train to Amsterdam before taking the train via Centraal. You’ll end up saving a lot of money and you’re less likely to get caught by a taxi as Schiphol taxis like to rip off tourists.
The Netherlands is small, so just twenty minutes can take you to the nearest beautiful city, such as Haarlem or Utrecht. If you need to buy your ticket, give yourself 5-10 minutes before there is a machine line and there can be a long walk to the track. Similarly,
It’s a delay/cancellation, so give yourself extra time (20+ minutes) if it’s something important you have to be on time.
This is a subtle thing that I noticed…, but most people don’t wash their hands or pour water for a while. I doubt it’s true in winter because most Dutch public toilets only have cold taps, which is usually not very pleasant in winter. Always take hand soap with you to clean your hands after the bathroom as I find that having soap that works can be a nice touch.
Tips For Grocery Shopping In The Netherlands
This is a big one. Not knowing anything about Eurorailer, I visited Amsterdam for three days. I went back home and told everyone that I had gone to the Netherlands. The best analogy I have is that you just visit Chicago and say you have seen America. I love Amsterdam, but the city center has lost a lot of tourism and hen parties. This is
The case of other Dutch cities that you can see on a day trip from Amsterdam, including The Hague and Utrecht.
The fact is that the Netherlands is a small country with many interesting places and they are
In these cities, including my new hometown of The Hague, beautiful and historic city centers are for everyone, especially city dwellers. You will find more information about Dutch history and culture here too! Click for my favorite day trips from Amsterdam!
Insider Tips For The Netherlands: 20 Things That You Need To Know Before You Travel In The Netherlands By A Dutch Resident
I’m a child, but as someone who is working to learn Dutch, people are always impressed when I speak Dutch well. (Sometimes I stutter too.) As a foreigner, Dutch is difficult because knowing the hard-G (or soft-G) is hard to nail. I would say it is close to the ch sound in Hebrew. If you really want to impress a Dutchie, find a way to talk
Many people do not know much about Dutch colonialism, but the Dutch had large colonies in Surinam (South America), Indonesia, and other Caribbean islands. Although slavery was outlawed in the 1800s, there were organized plantations in Indonesia among other undesirable practices. In Suriname, many people are the descendants of the slaves who were brought to Suriname before the ban as well as the servants who were slaves who were brought from Java (Indonesia) and India later.
What is justice!? A toko is a store that focuses on Asian food, mostly Indonesian food. Many stores in the Netherlands (including Amsterdam) sell excellent Indonesian (or Surinamese-Javanese) food that is often cooked by someone’s mother. Must be
. If you are interested in trying Indonesian food, definitely consider going to a local toko (ask your host or hotel staff for their preferences) as it probably has better food than your fancy rijsttafel of Indonesia which is three times the cost.
Useful Travel Tips To Visit Netherlands In December Holiday
Many people immigrated to the Netherlands before the two countries became independent, so don’t be surprised if there are different types of Netherlands that you noticed at first. At the very least, stop for some Surinamese roti or stop at your local toko for some delicious Indonesian food! Click to learn more about Surinamese food.
I have been asked several times by friends of women of color (WOC) about racism in the Netherlands. I am white, however one of my best friends (hi M.) is half Surinamese. Discrimination against minorities occurs in the Netherlands. People may mistake you for living here, so you may be referred to in Dutch if you are from Africa, the Middle East, or Asia.
The WOC who visited me felt very respected here,