Know before you go
the Netherlands
General Information
The Netherlands are located in Western Europe bordering Germany and Belgium. Its capital and largest city is Amsterdam. The Netherlands are both a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. They drive on the right side of the road.
Visa
Holders of a EU passport don’t require a Visa. For holders of a different passport check out this link to see if you are required to apply for a visa or not or contact your ministery of foreign affairs.
Watch Geography Now!
The video will give you a good first overview of the Netherlands.
Power
Slovenia uses Type C and F („Schuko“) plug outlets. They also work with Type E. The voltage is 230 Volt and the frequency is 50 Hz
Language
The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch. You can get by with English just fine though.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Hallo! | Hello! |
| Dag! | Bye! |
| ja | yes |
| nee | no |
| Bedankt! | Thank you! |
| Graag gedaan! | You're welcome! |
| Sorry! | Excuse me! |
| Proost! | Cheers! |
Weather Forecast
Climate
The Netherlands have a moderate maritime climate, with warm summers and cool winters, and typically high humidity. This is especially true close to the Dutch coastline, where the difference in temperature between summer and winter, as well as between day and night is noticeably smaller than it is in the southeast of the country.
Average Temperature in Amsterdam
Average Precipitation in Amsterdam
Transportation
How to get there?
The largest airport in the Netherlands and one of the largest airports in Europe is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). Whether you fly from within our outside of Europe, Amsterdam is destination that’s easy to reach. Once at Schiphol, you can catch a bus or train to go to the city center.
It is also easy to travel to the Netherlands by bus or train from any neighboring country. I recommend taking the train as it can go up to 300 km/h and will be way faster than driving. A highspeed train can take you from Paris to Amsterdam in only 3:15h. Driving the same distance would take you more than 5 hours.
How to get around?
Do what the locals do: take a bike. The Netherlands are one of the most bike-friendly countries you will find. They have separate bike lanes, so you don’t have to drive on the roads. Biking is nice and easy as the Netherlands are a very flat country. Follow this link for more information on rental bikes in Amsterdam.
If biking is not an option, take a bus, tram or ferry. Note that you need to tap your card (the ticket) on the reader when you enter and when you exit any means of transport. If you don’t do it, it can’t calculate the cost and will charge the maximum price.
Money, Money, Money
Currency
The Netherlands are part of the Eurozone and therefore use the Euro as their currency. Check out the currency converter to find out about current exchange rates.
Accommodation
Depending on where you are staying prices will vary of course. Expect to be paying around 40€ per person per night.
Cash
Even though credit cards are widely accepted, you should still withdraw Euros at an ATM. Cash is still king in many places like restaurants, markets and small shops. How much you will need of course depends on your spending habits. Expect to need around 40€ per day for food, transportation, activities and souvenirs.
