Social ConventionsIt is customary to shake hands. English is spoken as a second language by many and is willingly used; many Dutch people will also speak German and French. Hospitality is very much the same as for the rest of Europe and the USA. It is customary to take a small gift if invited for a meal. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Men are expected to wear a suit for business and social functions. Formal wear may be required for smart restaurants, bars and clubs. Evening dress (black tie for men) is generally specified on invitation.
International Travel:Getting There by
AirThe national airline is
KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) (website:
www.klm.com).
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsAmsterdam (AMS) (Schiphol) (website:
www.schiphol.nl) is a major international air transport hub 15km (9 miles) southwest of the city (journey time by train - 15 minutes).
To/from the airport: The eight-seater
Conexxion Schiphol Hotel Shuttle bus provides a frequent daily service, stopping at 100 hotels and returning to Schiphol. In addition, many major hotels in the city operate courtesy buses, and there are many public bus services from the airport to major towns. There is a direct rail link between the airport and Amsterdam Centraal Station, with frequent trains between 0600-0000 and every hour through the night. There are also direct connections to most Dutch towns and cities, and numerous destinations in Germany and Belgium. Plentiful taxis are available to the city.
Facilities: Restaurants, duty-free shops, currency exchange machines, banks, art gallery, business center, conference rooms and car hire.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland) and
Rotterdam. Regular car and passenger ferries are operated from the UK to The Netherlands via the following routes and shipping lines:
Stena Line (tel: 0870 570 7070, in the UK only; website:
www.stenaline.co.uk ): Harwich to Hook of Holland; journey time - 6 hours 15 minutes.
P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333, in the UK only; website:
www.ponsf.com): Hull to Rotterdam (Europoort); journey time - 10 hours.
DFDS Seaways (tel: 0870 252 0524, in the UK only
or +44 1255 240 240, outside the UK; website:
www.dfdsseaways.co.uk): Newcastle to Amsterdam IJmuiden; journey time - 15 hours.
Note: P&O European Ferries runs services to The Netherlands via Belgium. French ports also provide connections, and there is a fast ferry service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge operated by
Superfast Ferries (tel: 0870 234 0870, in the UK only; website:
www.superfast.com).
Getting There by RailEurostar operates direct high-speed trains from London to Paris (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes) and Brussels (journey time - 2 hours 20 minutes). From November 2007, journey times will reduce by about 25 minutes, when services transfer to the new London St Pancras international station.
Thalys (tel: + 32 2 528 2828, in Belgium; website:
www.thalys.com) then operates high-speed trains from Paris to Amsterdam (journey time - 4 hours), and from Brussels (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes). Through booking is available with
Eurostar (tel: 08705 186 186, in the UK only; website:
www.eurostar.com)
or Rail Europe (tel: 08708 371 371, in the UK only; website:
www.raileurope.co.uk). Rail travelers not using the Channel Tunnel link need to make some form of sea crossing; for details see
Getting There By Water). The cost of the crossing is usually included in the price of the rail ticket.
Rail PassesInterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The
Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The
One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Eurailpass: (website:
www.eurail.com) offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months.
Getting There by RoadThe Netherlands is connected to the rest of Europe by a superb network of motorways. Although frontier formalities between The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium have now all but vanished, motorists (particularly on smaller roads) should be prepared to stop when asked to do so by a customs official.
The Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK only; website:
www.eurotunnel.com) runs shuttle trains for vehicles between Folkestone and Calais. Driving time from Calais to Amsterdam is approximately 4 hours.
Coach: Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK only; website:
www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to The Netherlands. Passes: Travelers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.
OverviewThe following goods may be imported into The Netherlands without incurring customs duty by travelers from non-EU European countries and countries outside of Europe:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco;
1l of liquor or 2l of sparkling wine or liqueur wines and 2l of non-sparkling wine;
50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette;
500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract;
100g of tea or 40g of tea extract;
other goods to the value of €175 (if bought outside Europe).
Note: (a) Goods must be purchased in non-EU countries. (b) The above allowances are only for travelers aged 17 years and above. (c) Enquiries concerning current import regulations should be made to the Royal Netherlands Embassy in the country of departure, or to the national Chamber of Commerce. (d) The import of firearms and ammunition requires a license.
Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use
only. Member states may follow the EU’s guide levels of: 10l of spirits; 20l of fortified wine; 90l of wine; 110l of beer; 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos; 200 cigars and 1kg of tobacco.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirDue to Holland’s small size, domestic air travel is relatively limited.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) (website:
www.klmcityhopper.nl) operates domestic flights from Amsterdam to Eindhoven and Maastricht.
Martinair Holland (MP) (website:
www.martinair.com) operates passenger and cargo charter services.
Getting Around by WaterThere are regular ferry services to the Wadden Islands (Ameland, Schiermonnikoog, Terschilling, Texel and Vlieland) across the Ijsselmeer (former Zuyder Sea) and Schelde Estuary. There is also a service to the Frisian Islands across the Waddenzee. The main ferry operator is
Teso (tel: 0900 9292, within The Netherlands only; website:
www.teso.nl). Numerous operators offer river and canal cruises from main centers around The Netherlands.
Note: No cars are permitted to Vlieland.
Wadden Ticket: For travelers wanting to visit any of the five Wadden Islands, the Wadden Ticket allows return travel by bus, train and ferry to an island of choice. The pass is valid for one day of the departure journey and one day of the return journey, although the period between the two must not exceed one year. Contact The Netherlands Board of Tourism for further details (see
General Info).
Getting Around by RailThe highly developed rail network is efficient and cheap, and connects all towns. Both intercity and local trains run at least half-hourly on all principal routes. Rail and bus timetables are integrated, and there is a common fare structure throughout the country.
NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen (tel: 0900 202 1163, within The Netherlands only; website:
www.ns.nl) is the state-owned rail company and operates all lines within the country. Regional railway companies include
Syntus (tel: 0900 9292, within The Netherlands only; website:
www.syntus.nl) and
Noordned (tel: 0900 9292, within The Netherlands only; website:
www.arriva.nl), which runs a network in the north of the country.
Rail PassesThe
Holland Rail Pass,
available to those who reside outside Europe, the CIS, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, allows unlimited travel in The Netherlands for either three or five days within one month. Reduced rates exist for senior citizens (over 60), travelers under 26 years and children. Every second person travels half price. It can be purchased online through the
European Rail Guide (website:
www.europeanrailguide.com) and
Rail Europe in the USA (website:
www.raileurope.com).
InterRail’s
One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within The Netherlands. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Cheap Fares: Children under four years of age travel free on all journeys within The Netherlands.
Child’s Railrunner tickets are discounted tickets available for children aged between four and 11 years traveling with a fare-paying adult (19 years or older), and include up to three children traveling with any one adult.
Getting Around by RoadAll roads are well signposted with green ‘E’ symbols indicating international highways, red ‘A’s indicating national highways, and smaller routes indicated by yellow ‘N’s. There is an excellent road system, although it can become very busy at times around major centers. There is a chronic shortage of parking space in central Amsterdam, and the rush hours (0700-0900 and 1700-1900) should be avoided throughout the whole country.
Bus: Extensive regional bus networks exist. Long-distance coaches also operate between the cities, but costs are generally on a par with trains.
Interliner, operated by
Connexxion, is the main coach operator (tel: 0900 266 6399, within The Netherlands only; website:
www.connexxion.nl).
Taxi: Taxis have an illuminated sign on the roof. Rather than hailing taxis in the street, it is more usual in The Netherlands to book by phone. Taxis should have meters inside to indicate the fare, including the tip. Train taxis (
Treintaxis) are shared with others at a reduced price per person, serving many railway stations.
Car hire: Available from airports and main hotels. All European car hire companies are represented.
Emergency breakdown service: The yellow cars of the
ANWB/Wegenwacht (Royal Dutch Touring Club) (tel: 088 269 2222, within The Netherlands only; website:
www.anwb.nl) patrol major roads 24 hours a day with qualified mechanics equipped to handle routine repairs. In case of emergencies, assistance is available (tel: 088 269 2888, within The Netherlands only).
Regulations: Driving is on the right. Drivers should be particularly aware of cyclists; often there are special cycle lanes. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on major roads and 50kph (30mph) in towns.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is recommended for non-EU visitors, though is not compulsory, as long as a driving license from the country of origin is held. EU pink format licenses are accepted. A Green Card is advisable, but not compulsory. Without it, drivers with motor insurance policies in their home country are granted only the minimum legal cover in The Netherlands; the Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the driver’s own policy.
Bicycle hire: Bicycles can be hired from all main railway stations, but must be returned to the station from which they are hired.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesAmsterdam: The
I Amsterdam card offers free travel on all the capital’s public transport, as well as entry to museums and attractions for 24, 48 or 72 hours. Amsterdam has an extensive network of buses, trams, ferries and underground lines, operated by
GVB (website:
www.gvb.nl). Tickets are cheaper if purchased in advance of boarding. A ‘pay as you go’ smart card, the
OV Chipkaart, is available and will be valid throughout the country by 2009. Tickets are available at numerous outlets throughout the city.
Trams: Amsterdam’s 17 tram lines provide a fast, frequent and reliable service, making it the easiest way to travel around the capital.
Metro: The four underground lines all originate at Central Station and serve the southeastern business district and the suburbs.
Car hire: All major firms are represented. Parking regulations are quite strict.
Water travel: There is an extensive network of tour boats, water taxis and water buses plying the city’s many waterways.
Boat hire: Visitors can hire pedalos (also known as canal bikes) and boats to explore the canals.
Bicycle hire: A popular option - there are numerous companies hiring out bikes.
Rotterdam: The city has excellent bus and tram services and a two-line underground network, which all work on a zonal system. Information is available from the Central Station.
Car hire: The major European firms and other international agencies are represented.
The Hague: The Hague has bus and tram services. Information is available from the Central Station, Koningin Julianaplein.
Car hire: The major firms are represented.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Amsterdam to other major cities in The Netherlands.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| The Hague | - | 0.40 | 0.44 |
| Rotterdam | - | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Groningen | - | 2.00 | 2.20 |
| Maastricht | 0.40 | 2.30 | 2.30 |
| Eindhoven | 0.30 | 1.30 | 1.25 |
Next Page »
