The Netherlands Essentials

Official Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government.
Major Cities: The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht.
Population: 16,645,000.
Land Area: 41,500 sq. km.
Time Zone: GMT +1.
Language: Dutch; English is spoken almost universally.
Religions: Catholic (31%), Protestant (20%), Muslim (6%).
Land Below Sea Level: One-third of the country, kept dry by an extensive network of dikes 2400km (1500 miles) long.

When To Go

Documents And Formalities

Embassies And Consulates. Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, US, Visa And Entry Information.

Tourist Services And Money

Tourist Offices. VVV (vay-vay-vay) tourist offices are marked by triangular blue signs. The website www.visitholland.com is also a useful resource. The Holland Pass (www.hollandpass.com, €25) grants free admission to five museums or sites of your choice and gives discounts at restaurants and attractions.

Money. The euro (€) has replaced the guilder as the unit of currency in the Netherlands. As a general rule, it’s cheaper to exchange money in the Netherlands than at home. A bare-bones day in the Netherlands will cost €35-40; a slightly more comfortable day will run €50-60. Hotels and restaurants include a service charge in the bill; additional tips are appreciated but not necessary. Taxi drivers are generally tipped 10% of the fare.

value added tax (VAT), Let’s Go

Transportation

By Plane. Most international flights land at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam ( AMS; ☎800 72 44 74 65, info ☎900 724 4746; www.schiphol.nl). Budget airlines, like Ryanair and easyJet, fly out of Eindhoven Airport ( EIN; ☎314 02 91 98 18; www.eindhovenairport.com), 10min. away from Eindhoven, and Schiphol Airport, to locations around Europe. The Dutch national airline, KLM (☎020 474 7747, US ☎800-447-4747, UK ☎08705 074 074; www.klm.com), offers student discounts. For more info on traveling by plane around Europe,

By Train. The national rail company is the efficient Nederlandse Spoorwegen ( NS; Netherlands Railways; www.ns.nl). Sneltreinen are the fastest, while stoptreinen make many local stops. One-way tickets are called enkele reis. Same-day, round-trip tickets (dagretour) are valid only on the day of purchase, but are roughly 15% cheaper than normal round-trip tickets. Weekendretour tickets are not quite as cheap, but are valid from 7pm Friday through 4pm Monday. A day pass (dagkaart) allows unlimited travel throughout the country for one day, for the price equivalent to the most expensive one-way fare across the country. Eurail and InterRail have passes that are valid in the Netherlands. Holland Rail passes are good for three or five travel days in any one-month period. Although available in the US, the Holland Rail pass is cheaper in the Netherlands at DER Travel Service or RailEurope offices. Overall, train service tends to be faster than bus service. For more detailed informaton about traveling by train throughout the countries in Europe,

All Aboard. Nederlandse Spoorwegen is the Dutch national rail company, operating the country’s intercity train service. Their website, www.ns.nl, has a user-friendly English-language section with train times, prices, and door-to-door directions for all stops in the Netherlands.

By Bus. With transportation largely covered by the extensive rail system, bus lines are limited to short trips and travel to areas without rail lines. A nationalized fare system covers city buses, trams, and long-distance buses. The country is divided into zones: a trip between destinations in the same zone costs two strips on a strippenkaart (strip card); a trip in two zones will set you back three strips. On buses, tell the driver your destination and he or she will cancel the correct number of strips; on trams and subways, stamp your own in either a yellow box at the back of the tram or in the subway station. Drivers sell cards with two, three, and eight strips, but it’s much more cost efficient to buy 15-strip or 45-strip cards at tourist offices, post offices, and some newsstands. Day passes (dagkaarten) are valid for travel throughout the country and are discounted as special summer tickets (zomerzwerfkaarten) June through August. Riding without a ticket can result in a fine.

By Car. Normally, tourists with a driver’s license valid in their home country can drive in the Netherlands for fewer than 185 days. The country has well-maintained roadways, although drivers may cringe at high fuel prices, traffic, and scarce parking near Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam. The yellow cars of the Royal Dutch Touring Club ( ANWB; toll-free ☎08 00 08 88) patrol many major roads, and offer roadside assistance in the case of a breakdown.

By Bike And By Thumb. Cycling is the way to go in the Netherlands—distances between cities are short, the countryside is absolutely flat, and most streets have separate bike lanes. Bike rentals run €6-10 per day and €30-40 per week. For a database of bike rental shops and other cycling tips and information, visit www.holland.com/global/discover/active/cycling. Hitchhiking is illegal on motorways but common elsewhere. Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking.

Keeping In Touch

Email And The Internet. Internet cafes are plentiful throughout the Netherlands. Travelers with Wi-Fi-enabled computers may be able to take advantage of an increasing number of hot spots, which offer Wi-Fi for free or for a small nominal fee. Websites like www.jiwire.com, www.wi-fihotspotlist.com, and www.locfinder.net can help you locate hot spots.

Telephone. Some pay phones still accept coins, but phone cards are the rule. KPT and Telfort are the most widely accepted varieties, the former available at post offices and the latter at train stations (from €5). Whenever possible, use a calling card for international phone calls, as long-distance rates for national phone services are often very high. Mobile phones are an increasingly popular and economical option. Major mobile carriers include Vodafone, KPN, T-Mobile, and Telfort. For directory assistance, dial ☎09 00 80 08, for collect calls ☎08 00 01 01. Direct-dial access numbers for calling out of the Netherlands include: AT&T Direct (☎0800 022 9111); British Telecom (☎0800 022 0444); Canada Direct (☎0800 022 9116); Telecom New Zealand (☎0800 022 4464). For more info on calling home from Europe,

Mail. Post offices are generally open Monday through Friday 9am-5pm, Thursday or Friday nights, and Saturday mornings in some larger towns. Amsterdam and Rotterdam have 24hr. post offices. Mailing a postcard or letter within the EU costs €0.69 and up to €0.85 outside of Europe. To receive mail in the Netherlands, have mail delivered Poste Restante. Mail will go to the main post office unless you specify a subsidiary by street address. Address mail to be held according to the following example: First Name, Last Name, Poste Restante, followed by the address of the post office. Bring a passport to pick up your mail from the office. There may be a small nominal fee.

Accommodations And Camping

VVV offices around the country supply travelers with accommodation listings and can almost always reserve rooms for a €2-5 fee. Private rooms cost about two-thirds the price of a hotel, but are harder to find; check with the VVV. During July and August, many cities add a tourist tax (€1-2) to the price of all rooms. The country’s 30 Hostelling International (HI) youth hostels are run by Stayokay (www.stayokay.com) and are dependably clean and modern. There is camping across the country, although sites tend to be crowded during the summer months; CityCamps Holland has a network of 17 well-maintained sites. The website www.strandheem.nl has camping information.