Intro
The Netherlands, although a small country, has a lot to offer. Amsterdam, the multicultural capital city, is known for its unique architecture and the canals throughout the city centre. The main mode of transportation amongst the Dutch is a bicycle, therefore you can find bicycle lanes anywhere. For historical reasons, the government and parliament are in The Hague. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, and its government consists of the King and ministers. King Willem Alexander van Oranje (from Orange) is the head of state. His birthday, on the 27th of April, is extensively celebrated with a national holiday and festivals at which everybody dresses in orange.
COMING TO AND LIVING INTHE NETHERLANDS (EN/NL)
Constitution and the Capital
- The Netherlands are a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, and its government consists of the King and ministers. For historical reasons the government and parliament are in The Hague, although Amsterdam is in fact the capital. The Netherlands has a coalition government. King Willem Alexander is the head of state.
Population
- Holland is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It has a population of around seventeen million and an average of
481 inhabitants per square kilometer. Nearly half of the 17 million residents live in what is called the Randstad, a huge agglomeration in the west of the country that includes Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht, where during the rush hour, the motorways slow to crawl.
Language
- Dutch is the national language of Holland. However, English is spoken by almost everyone. In addition, many Dutch people speak German and French. Dutch is the mother tongue of well over 21 million Dutch people and Flemish people (Dutch- speaking nationals of Belgium).
Surface
- Holland is quite small; the surface area is 41,528 square kilometers. The greatest distance from north to south is 300 kilometers, and from west to east 200 kilometers.
Time Zones
- The Netherlands is located in the Central European Time zone (UTC +1). This implies that when the Chinese get up in the morning at 06:30 and ready to go to work, it is almost time for the Dutch to go to sleep/already asleep because it is 00:30.
Vertrektijd
Climate & When to go
- The Netherlands has a moderate maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. It is a common assumption that it always rains in the Netherlands, but this is more so a feeling than reality.
- The Dutch climate is very unpredictable and therefore the Dutch are known for always complaining about the weather.
| Amsterdam |
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
AUG |
SEP |
OCT |
NOV |
DEC |
| maximum temperature |
4 |
5 |
10 |
13 |
18 |
21 |
22 |
22 |
19 |
14 |
9 |
5 |
| minimum temperature |
-1 |
-1 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
| hours sun per day |
2 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| precipitation (mm) |
70 |
55 |
45 |
50 |
50 |
60 |
80 |
90 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
65 |
| morning humidity |
90 |
90 |
86 |
79 |
75 |
75 |
79 |
82 |
86 |
90 |
92 |
91 |
| afternoon humidity |
82 |
76 |
65 |
61 |
59 |
59 |
64 |
65 |
67 |
72 |
81 |
85 |
Visum
Visa & Documents
If you are coming to the Netherlands for a short stay of less than 3 months and you are not from the following countries, then you need to apply for a visa:
Eigen content - Verzekeringen & Veiligheid - kort
Safety
- The Netherlands in general is a safe country, and usually there is nothing to fear when walking in any part of any city. However, the bigger the city, the bigger the chance that there is a park or neighborhood you should avoid when the night falls, so wherever you are staying check the local situation (especially in Amsterdam & Rotterdam).
- If you come to Holland with your own car, please take care because a car with foreign registration is a popular target for smash-and-grab theft. Don’t leave important things in the car: remove registration and ID papers and the radio/stereo if possible. Another thing to remember if you are with your bike, especially in Amsterdam: make sure to lock your bike with several locks!
- Also keep in mind that foreigners are (like everywhere) favorite victims for whoever wants to commit a crime, so try to avoid looking like a tourist/foreigner. For example leave your luggage in the hostel / hotel, only bring a little bag with you to hide your traveler’s identity; try only taking out your camera when you need it, otherwise it will be the best proof that you are a traveler.
Insurances
For insurances: see insurance in the Netherlands
Vliegticket & Vervoer
Transport & How to get around
JOHO TIP:
- Are you looking for cheap plane tickets to the Netherlands? Please take a look at the discounts on plane tickets for JoHo supporters checklist for booking Plane Tickets. (This web page is currently still in Dutch, but will soon be available in English)
Train
- Dutch trains are efficient, fast and comfortable-most of the time. (Do expect a +/- 10 minutes delay)
- Trains are frequent and serve domestic destinations at regular intervals, even five or six times an hour.
Trains can be divided into following types:
- Sprinter = All stops train
- Intercity = Fast train (indicated with IC)
- ICE = Intercity Express (trains that travel between Amsterdam and cities in Germany mostly, which only stop at a few cities in the Netherlands and Germany)
- Thalys = High speed international train (only stops at Amsterdam, Schiphol, Den Haag and Rotterdam before going on to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris)
Different train passes/tickets (2014 prices)
Day Pass
- If you buy NS Dag Kaart, you can travel as much as you want during 24 hours from the time you buy the card. The advantage of this card is that you can travel with any kind of public transport, so besides trains, you can also travel by bus, tram or metro.
- A Day Pass in 2e class full price costs € 49.20 (*with 40% discount: € 29.50)
- A Day Pass in 1e class full price costs € 83.60 (*with 40% discount: € 50,15)
OV chipcard
- The best way to travel with public transport in the Netherlands is with the OV chipcard. On this card you can load money and by checking in at the station you depart from and checking out at the station you arrive, you pay for your trip. You can obtain an OV chipcard for €7,50. Within a few months it is no longer possible to get loose tickets for day trips, so an OV chip card will be obligatory then. Remember to check out once you are at the place of arrival, because otherwise you will be charged a boarding fare (€ 20,- for trains, €4,- for bus, metro and tram).
40% Discount card
- If you plan to do a lot of traveling, consider investing € 55.- in a "Voordeel-Urenkaart" valid for one year, which gives a 40% discount on train travel weekdays after 9am, as well as weekends, public holidays and the whole months of July and August. The discount also applies up to 3 people traveling with you on the same trip. It also gives 40% discount to the day-pass & 5-day pass.
Travel with children
- For children aged 4 to 11, accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old, there is a special Railrunner ticket available, for €2,50. The conditions are that the child should travel on the same track as the accompanying adult. It is thus not possible to travel in combination with a (5-)Day Pass, since Day passes are not tied to a specific track or route. The Railrunner can be combined with a single or return ticket of the accompanying adult. Children younger than 4 travel free of charge and children not accompanied by an adult travel with 40% discount. On the ICE there is a supplementary fee for the railrunner and on the Thalys the railrunner is not valid.
Travel with your bicycle
- A folding bike can be taken on a train without any extra costs. However, it must be folded! Otherwise you can buy a special bicycle day pass for € 6.- in which case you have to travel during off-peak hours.
Travel with your pets
- If the pet you wish to bring with you on the train is small and can be put in a bag or basket, then you can travel with it for free. If the pet you are bringing is bigger than that, you can buy a special pet day pass for € 3,-.
Bus, tram and metro
- Buses and trams operate in most cities; Amsterdam and Rotterdam also have metro networks.
JOHO TIP:
- When you enter a bus or a tram you must either buy a single ticket at the bus driver (which is quite expensive) or check in with your OV chipcard. At the metro and train you already check in before you enter the means of transport. A team of inspectors can suddenly appear in the bus or tram, sometimes even without wearing the uniform, and if you are caught traveling without a valid ticket or OV chipcard, you risk a fine!
Bicycles
- The Netherlands is famous for its many bicycles. Tourists often have to be careful while sightseeing, because cyclists are everywhere and not just on cycle lanes. There are about 18 million bikes in the Netherlands (so that is over one bicycle per Dutch citizen!) and almost 35.000 kilometers of cycle lanes in a country of 200 by 300 kilometers. You can rent bicycles at the larger train station via railway company NS (varying from €7,50 to €15,- a day) or at one of the many smaller rental companies throughout the cities. At many rental companies it is also possible to take a cycle tour with a tour guide.
Verblijf kort (past zich nog niet aan)
Where to Stay & What to Eat or Drink
Hostels
- Hostels nowadays are the most popular option to spend the night, not only for young backpackers. The most famous Youth Hostel Association in Netherlands is StayOkay.
- StayOkay has 30 youth hostels throughout the Netherlands, you will find them in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, but also at the beach, in the woods and along the river. StayOkay is also part of the Hostelling International Network.
- Normally the price of one night stay in youth hostels varies from € 17 – € 35 depending on whether you want only bed, or you want to stay in single room. A youth hostel card costs € 15.- at the hostels, or non-members can pay an extra € 2,50 per night and after six nights you are a member. Members and non-members have the same privileges and there are no age limits. It is better to book ahead, especially in high season.
- You can find the StayOkay hostels in all the major cities where JoHo is located at:
- Amsterdam: Stayokay Amsterdam Stadsdoelen + Vondelpark + Zeeburg
- Rotterdam: Stayokay Rotterdam
- The Hague: Stayokay Den Haag
- *For a full list of the hotels and hostels, please check our JoHo Planner in one of the JoHo centers.
Homestay
- If you really want to experience the Dutch lifestyle, you should consider to do Homestay at a Dutch host family. Often cheaper than a hotel and an ideal way to get in touch with locals.
Renting Rooms & apartments
- It is not really popular in the Netherlands to rent rooms or apartments for a short time period. And it is not easy to find accommodation as well but with some luck, you will find places in the classifieds of the daily Telegraaf (Wednesday), Volkskrant or Parool (Saturday) or through the twice-weekly ViaVia. Room for rent in Dutch is "Te Huur" or "Huurwoningen" and whenever you see a nice room, call without hesitation otherwise it'll be gone.
- Another way to rent rooms is to find a housing agency that will help you finding a room. However, the housing agency is an intermediate and it charges money for helping you. For example, if the rent of the room is € 300.-, you will have to pay € 900.- in the first month: € 300.- for the rent, € 300.- for deposit, and another € 300.- for the agency. It is standard to pay first the month's rent plus a deposit of one or two months' rent to the landlord. Agents generally charge one month's rent as their fee. Sometimes they will charge half amonth for a six-month contract, if you negotiate with them.
- However, prices can vary in big cities or in the cities / towns which exist a lot of students. As shown, the average monthly rent for a furnished room in Amsterdam is around € 400 - € 500 depending on the location of the room, while in Utrecht – the famous Student City, the rent will be around € 250 - € 350. Moreover, it is always cheaper to rent a room/house outside the town in the near suburb. For students, it is useful to check Kamernet if you are planning on renting a room for the longer term in the Netherlands.
Eating & Drinking
- The Netherlands is an open country where you can find almost all kinds of food in big cities. It is often said that the Dutch do not have a food culture. However, there are some special unique Dutch dishes you definitely can not miss. The Dutch kitchen is also very influenced by the Indonesian and Surinamese kitchens.
Specialties:
- Bitterballen: deep fried pork or beef ragout in a scripy batter.
- Poffertjes: a version of a tiny airy pan cake, served with butter and icing sugar.
- Stroopwafels: two thin wafer cookies with caramel sauce in between.
- Stampot: mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables. There are various kinds of stampot, for example, with kale, sauerkraut, brussel sprouts or endive.
JoHo TIP:
- If you want a cup of coffee and a piece of very delicious Dutch apple pie, a "Coffee Shop" is not necessarily the place you want to be. Coffee Shop is a Dutch euphemism for a soft-drugs café. They can sell customers up to five grams of cannabis for personal use. Unless that is what you are looking for, you want to go to a café, a snack bar, or cafeteria instead.
Vacatures en Activiteiten: tickets - 4A
Learn Dutch
- Dutch is not an easy language to learn - pronouncing those throaty, guttural sounds requires a lot of practice. As in any language, grammar rules do not always apply to every situation and sentence structures can deviate from your native language. If your native language is similar to Dutch, or you have studied a parallel language, you’ll be one step ahead of others. Despite English not being an official language in the Netherlands, it is spoken by most of the Dutch natives and it is thus possible to spend years in the Netherlands without speaking a single word of Dutch (depending on your activities of course). However, the Dutch appreciate it if you put some effort in learning the language and if you plan on staying longer in the Netherlands finding a job will be a lot easier if you speak at least some Dutch.
- Decide whether you would prefer to follow an established course or take private lessons. The Netherlands has a national network of language institutes that offer courses in Dutch for foreigners. Usually these courses are referred to as NT2, Nederlands als tweede taal – Dutch as a second language. If you are coming to Netherlands for studying purposes, ask your university if they offer any Dutch courses for foreign students.
- See below for organizations
Study
-
Holland was the first non-English-speaking country with courses taught in English. Holland has a broad number of disciplines in which it has an international leading role. Higher education institutions in Holland offer about 1,000 international study programs and courses which are taught in English. These programs cover a broad range of fields. Curricula are intensive, at an advanced level, practically oriented, and designed to meet the expectations of students seeking specialized knowledge. The courses alternate theories with practice in real or simulated work situations. Most study programs and courses lead to a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a PhD degree, a diploma or certificate.
-
Holland has two main types of regular higher education: university education and higher professional education. The universities focus on the independent practice of research-oriented work in an academic or professional setting. The universities of professional education are more practically oriented, preparing students directly for specific careers. A smaller branch of education is provided by International Education institutes, which offer programs designed especially for foreign students.
-
For a complete list of institutions; tuition fee for different programs, please check
www.nuffic.nl.
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Language Studying
- In addition to Dutch, you can also choose to spend a summer or a period of time abroad to improve your other language skills, for e.g. English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian etc.in Europe but also in Latin- America, South Africa or Australia. Book the course of your choice through JoHo straight away or inform about the wide range of language schools worldwide. No packed classes with only Dutch people, but instead students from different countries, a lot of free facilities and activities outside the classes, good supervision from motivated teachers and courses which are often held on very unique locations. Combine your course with voluntary work, do your internship during your language study or get your Padi diving certificate.
Volunteer
- If you are unable to find work, and are not dependent on an income from employment, voluntary work might help to fill the gap – possibly enabling you to learn new skills and improve your Dutch as well as experiencing the Dutch lifestyle. And you might even find that it leads directly to paid employment in the long run.
- There are a lot of organizations offering volunteer work in the Netherlands. Not all of them require knowledge of Dutch. There are tasks for 40 hours per week but also light work for only 2 hours per week. Some institutions may pay small salaries; others reimburse your travel expenses or supply you with meals (especially if you work in the kitchen). If they pay you just for the expenses you make.
Intern
- It is relatively easier for Dutch speaking students to find good internships. The language is always going to be a major factor for English-speaking students trying to find an internship in the Netherlands. There are internships for those with no knowledge of Dutch at all but you will certainly enhance your prospects if you make the effort to learn at least a little of the language. And the more Dutch you speak, the better your prospects will be.
- If your school in your own country doesn’t have any contacts in the Netherlands to find you an internship, then you can check out the one of the organizations below.
Verbinding (5a1)
Culture, Habits & Festivals
- Carnival (end of February, beginning of March; 2 to 4 March 2014): especially celebrated in the South of the Netherlands in cities like Tilburg and Breda, the Dutch Carnival is an experience you should not miss. Costumes required!
- King's Day (27 April): In 2013 King Willem-Alexander took over the reign from his mother, now Princess Beatrix. After decades of celebrating Queen's day, the first King's Day was celebrated in 2014 on the birthday of the king. This is a holiday for everyone in the Netherlands, on which children sell toys on flee markets and activities are organized all throughout the Netherlands, including street games, parties and festivals.
- Bevrijdingsdag/Liberation Day (5 May): the day on which it is celebrated that the Dutch were liberated by the Allied and the end of the Second World War in the Netherlands was official. A day full of festivals throughout the Netherlands. Besides Kings Day one of the best days for street parties and festivals.
- Gay Pride Amsterdam (beginning of August): A day in Amsterdam you cannot miss. Highlight of the two days is the Canal
Pride on Saturday, in which many boats parade through the canals of Amsterdam, applauded to by thousands of people. Throughout the city there are activities and parties: a truly unforgettable day for celebrating gay rights.
- Prinsjesdag (every third Tuesday of September): the day on which the new finance plan is presented to the Dutch citizenry by the Dutch king. The official carriage ride through the Hague with the King and Queen is a true spectacle.
- Sint Maarten (11 November): mostly a festivity for children, in which the life of Saint Marten is remembered. The children go door by door with self-made lanterns and sing songs in the hope to get candy and fruit.
- Sinterklaas (5 December): perhaps the most Dutch holiday there is on which the birthday of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) is celebrated. Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Pieten already arrive per boat from Spain around half November and on the 5th of December all the children in the Netherlands receive presents from the birthday Saint.
Vestigen en ondernemen
Organizations & entrepeneurship
Eigen content - Voorbereiden - 6A1 - tickets
Reisgidsen en landkaarten in het JoHo assortiment
Verkrijgbaar in de JoHo Centers in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden en Den Haag met hoge korting op alle Engelstalige titels voor JoHo-donateurs!
- The Netherlands, Lonely Planet
- Dutch for English-speaking Expats
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