guide -> europe -> netherlands

The Netherlands

For the residents of a country that is at constant threat of being flooded by the sea, the Dutch are a pretty relaxed bunch. Famous for its windmills, its incredibly tolerant population, its remarkably easygoing capital city and hundreds of thousands of bicycles, the Netherlands is an amazing tribute to what can be achieved when everyone realises that they can just get along.

Major Cities

• Amsterdam
• Rotterdam
• The Hague
• Utrecht

Suggested Itineraries

• Two days: almost everyone comes to the Netherlands for Amsterdam, and that's just where you should go, if you have a limited amount of time.
• Three days: Take in Amsterdam for a couple of days, and then on your third, take a bus up to Volendam, or a train to Haarlem.
• One week: Take your time to explore Amsterdam and surrounding towns, and then spend a day or two in Maastricht
• Two weeks: As above, but also visit the Wadden islands in the north west, the south west area around Vlissingen and a day in Rotterdam.

Accomodation

Hostels

The national Hostelling International affiliate in the Netherlands is Stayokay, and there are also plenty of independent backpacker hostels, especially in Amsterdam.

Hotels

Hotels tend to be on the expensive side, in the Netherlands, and you don't get an awful lot for your euro. If you're travelling in summer or during public holidays, you'd be well advised to book ahead, as it's a particularly popular destination.

Many pubs and restaurants also have accomodation upstairs - this can be a cost effective option, if you're having trouble finding somewhere to stay.

Getting In and Out

Train

There are seven routes in and out of the Netherlands by train:

To Belgium:

• Roosendaal to Antwerp: This is the main railway line serving Amsterdam to Brussels, and runs hourly services during the day. Amsterdam to Brussels takes just under three hours, and costs around €36; there are good discounts for tickets purchased in advance or for weekend travel. There is also a high-speed Thalys service running from Amsterdam to Paris via Brussels, but until the high-speed section of the railway is finished within the Netherlands, it's not worth the extra cost if this if you're only travelling to or from Brussels.
• Maastrict to Liege: A minor line, but handy if you're in the area. Journey time from Maastricht to Liege is half an hour and costs a very cheap €4.80.

To Germany:

• Oldenzaal to Osnabrueck: This line is the main route from Amsterdam to Hannover and Berlin, but unfortunately trains are neither frequent nor particularly fast on this line. Be aware that most trains leave Schiphol Airport and stop at Amsterdam Zuid (south) station, rather than Amsterdam Centraal. The trip to Hannover is five hours (€67/39) and Berlin is an excruciating seven hours (€103/69).
• Arnhem to Emmerich: The high-speed Intercity Express (ICE) train takes this route from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf (€54/29, 2:15hrs), Cologne (€59/29, 2:45hrs) and Frankfurt (€112/69, four hours), although the high-speed part of the journey only starts once you're within Germany.
• Venlo to Kaldenkirchen: A minor line, useful if you're in the south of the Netherlands and want to head towards Cologne.
• Heerlen to Aachen: Another minor line, notable mainly for being the most direct path to or from Aachen.
• Enschede to Gronau: Runs local services; might be handy if you're heading to Hamburg, but it's probably quicker to take a train in the Hannover direction and change at Osnabrueck.

Sea

There are three regular ferries, all to the United Kingdom:

• Hoek-van-Holland to Harwich: part of Stena Line's "Dutch Flyer" service, this ferry connects with trains to and from London and Amsterdam, and is much cheaper than travelling with the Thalys and Eurostar trains. It does take the best part of the day, though.
• Rotterdam to Hull: an overnight service run by P&O, with an interconnecting bus to and from Amsterdam.
• IJmuiden to Newcastle: DFDS Seaways runs this nightly service, which departs at 17:00 and arrives at its destination the next day at 9:30am. There is a bus from Amsterdam to IJmuiden, but must be booked in advance.

Air

There are dozens of budget and full-service airlines flying to the Netherlands, and covering them all here would be futile. Here's a few popular carriers:

• Easyjet: Easyjet flies from Amsterdam Schiphol airport to Basel, Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Geneva, London, Madrid, Milan and Rome
• Ryanair: Ryanair uses Eindhoven airport, which is in the south of the country - approximately two hours from Amsterdam, so factor this in to your journey times if you use them. They have flights to: Barcelona, Bristol, Dublin, London, Madrid, Marseille, Milan, Pisa, Porto, Rome and Stockholm.
• Jet2: from Schiphol to Leeds
• BMI: from Schiphol to Stockholm, Moscow, Malta and Dublin; from Groeningen to Aberdeen, Manchester and Norwich

Transport

The Netherlands has an excellent rail network, run by NS (Nationaal Spoorwagen) along with a few other minor companies. All railway lines use an integrated ticketing system - you can buy tickets from the machines located at railway stations, and also from the counter, for a fee.

Towns that aren't connected by trains usually have a regular bus service to or from the nearest town or railway station. For timetable information, see the OV website.

Money

The Netherlands uses the euro. ATMs are widely available, and most restaurants and hotels take credit cards.

When to travel

June, July and August are the warmest months, but they're also the busiest. Even so, the weather can still be unpredictable, and grey skies with rain as just as likely as warm and humid. Summer has well and truely ended by mid-September, and from then on, the country becomes cold, wet and windy.

If you're lucky, you might see snow around Christmas time, although it's far more likely to occur in January. The country doesn't thaw out until around March. April and May can be a great time to go, as the weather is definitely on the improve around then, and the crowds haven't yet descended.