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After the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) that led to the country's ''de facto'' independence from Spain in 1581, the Netherlands became a great naval power and one of the world's most powerful nations in a period known as the Dutch Golden Age. Because of its naval and trading history, this small nation boasts a wealth of cultural heritage visible in many towns across the country. This period also constituted a cultural peak that produced renowned painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer. Their works and many others fill the top-class Dutch museums that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Over the course of centuries, the Netherlands has gained a reputation for tolerance and progressivism: the country was the first in the world to legalise same-sex marriage and Dutch people generally have an open attitude to [[cannabis]] use and prostitution. As a founding member of the EU and NATO and host to
With its international airport [[Schiphol Airport|Schiphol]] and its advanced network of motorways and international [[high speed train]] lines, the Netherlands is easy to reach from anywhere. Its small size, welcoming attitude and interesting sights make it a unique and easy to discover destination and a great addition to any European trip.
==Regions==
The Netherlands is a parliamentary monarchy, administratively divided into 12 provinces (''provincies''). Even though the Netherlands is a small country, these provinces are relatively diverse and have plenty of cultural and linguistic differences. It is customary to divide them into four regions:
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Due to this tradition of skating, the Netherlands usually dominates the speed skating events at the Winter Olympics.
===Tourist information===
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The national language in the Netherlands is '''[[Dutch phrasebook|Dutch]]''' (''Nederlands''). It's a charming, lilting language punctuated by phlegm-trembling glottal ''g''s (not in the south) and ''sch''s (also found, for example, in Arabic). Dutch, especially in written form, is partially intelligible to someone who knows other Germanic languages (especially German and Afrikaans), and you might be able to get along at least partially in these languages if spoken slowly.
However, the Dutch merchant tradition and international attitude have left this little country with a strong tradition of multilingualism. The majority of the adult population is able to speak '''English''' relatively well, and most younger people speak it fluently, so you should have no trouble getting by. If you attempt to speak Dutch to locals and it does not sound native, do not be surprised if they respond to you in English. Do not take this personally; they are not trying to be rude, but just trying to make communication easier. If you want to practise your Dutch, just tell them and they will usually oblige if they are not in a hurry.
While less widely spoken than English, basic [[German phrasebook|German]] is also spoken by many, especially by seniors and those in the regions near the German border and it is a mandatory subject in high school for two years, though German fluency among younger people is marginal at best. [[French]] and [[Spanish]] are spoken by some as well, but proficiency is rare and usually on a much lower level than English or German. French and especially Spanish are slowly overtaking German in popularity. Besides Dutch, several regional languages and dialects are spoken. In the eastern provinces of Groningen, Overijssel, Drenthe and Gelderland people speak a local variety of Low Saxon (including Grunnegs and Tweants). In the southern province of Limburg the majority speaks Limburgish, a regional language unique in Europe because of its use of pitch and tone length to distinguish words. Frisian is the only official language besides Dutch, but only common in the province of [[Friesland]]. It's the closest living continental language to English.
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'''[http://www.studentagency.eu Student Agency]''' is a Czech company serving some points in the Netherlands
There are bus companies serving the Bosnian diaspora, which provide a cheap and [[
===By car===
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[[File:Stena Hollandica at Hoek van Holland Haven aerial photo.jpg|thumb|Ferry in Hook of Holland]]
There are three ferry services from the UK:
* [
* [
* [
You may find it more convenient to take the ferry from [[Dover (England)|Dover]] to [[Calais]] or [[Dunkirk]], which are only just over 100 km by road from the southwestern province of Zeeland. As the UK is not part of the EU or Schengen zone, full border checks apply.
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===== OVpay =====
The easiest way to travel around is by using your bank card directly on the readers / gates. The working is similar to the older OV-chipkaart system, you check in when you start traveling (single beep), and check out when you stop traveling (double beep). You should use the same card when checking out. When you switch train operators, trams or buses; you also have to check out and check in again. There is no need to check out and back in when transferring from metro to metro or train to train from the same carrier/operator.
You can only use OVpay for second class train travel and distance-based fares.
'''9292'''
In addition to being a journey planner the [https://www.9292.nl/en 9292] smartphone app can be used to buy ticketsfor the whole of the planned journey.
=====OV-chipkaart (being phased out)=====
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The upfront cost (€7.50) of the anonymous OV-chipkaart is non refundable.
=====
* [https://www.
* [https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/one-country-pass/benelux Eurail] (non-european residents) has passes for unlimited train travel throughout the [[benelux]] for 3 to 8 days. With the price for an adult ranging from €35,- to €50,- per day. €30,- to €43,- for the ages 12-27 and 60+. and kids age 0-11 travel for free. The more days you take the cheaper. (June 2024).
* [https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/one-country-pass/benelux Interrail] (European residents) also have a Benelux passes.
===== Train ticket deals =====
* With an [https://www.ns.nl/en/tickets/off-peak-group-ticket NS Off-Peak Group Ticket], you pay a fixed amount for a one-way ticket on a route that you select yourself. The bigger the group, the lower the price per person. €34 for 2 people (€17 per person) to €50 for 7 people (€7,15 per person). For reference a trip from [[Amsterdam]] to [[Maastricht]] is €29,40 per person.
* The [https://www.ns.nl/spoordeelwinkel/alle-uitjes Spoordeel Winkel] of the NS they have deals include the travel from your local trainstation to populair actractions like the [[efteling]]. and other museums, zoo's, amusementparcs and cities. These deals also include the entry to the atraction unless its a city, then it inlcudes a food and drink from the Kiosk at the train station.
Both of these deals are '''Only valid during off-peak hours.''' Meaning you can '''not''' travel between 06:30-09:00 and 16:00-18:30. Valid all day on weekends, public holidays. Except on Koningsdag (April 27).
===By train===
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Most of the Netherlands is densely populated and urbanised, and train services are frequent to most big cities and larger villages and towns in between. There are two main types of trains: Intercities which only stop at major stations and Sprinters which stop at all stations. All types of train have the same prices. Also, there are high-speed trains called 'Intercity Direct' between Amsterdam and Breda, which only requires a supplement ticket between Schiphol and Rotterdam. Travelling all the way from the north of the country (Groningen) to the south (Maastricht) takes approximately 4 hours.
The ''Spoorkaart'' is a map of the railway system and shows all services. You can obtain the most recent version from [https://www.ns.nl/
Most lines offer one train every 15 minutes (every 10 min during the rush hours), but some rural lines run only every 60 min. Where more lines run together, the frequency is, of course, even higher. In the western Netherlands, the rail network is more like a large urban network, with up to 12 trains per hour on main routes.
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Bike shops are the best place to buy a second-hand bike legally, but prices are high. Some places where you can rent bikes will also sell their written off stock, which is usually well maintained. Most legal (and often cheap) second-hand bike sales now go through online auction sites like [http://Marktplaats.nl marktplaats.nl] - the Dutch subsidiary of [http://Ebay.nl eBay].
====Extra legal protection====
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'''Parking''' in city centres can be expensive. Particularly in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, street parking is sometimes limited to only a few hours and prices are €3–6 per hour. Generally, underground car parks cost €4–6 per hour and may be by far the best choice for practical and safety reasons. Consider using public transport to avoid traffic jams and the great difficulties involved in finding a parking spot.
P+R '''park and ride''' facilities are available at the outskirts of bigger cities; you can park your car cheaply there, and continue your journey via public transport.
===By e-hailing===
Uber and Bolt operate in the Netherlands{{go|lastedit=2024-05-21}}
===By taxi===
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Taxi scams are common, though, and being charged more than double the maximum rate is not uncommon. If you have to pay a round price (e.g. €55.00), you're likely being scammed.
The maximum rates are the sum of the initial fee, the fee per kilometre and the fee per minute. They are set annually by the Dutch government. For a normal (4-person) cab they are €2.95, €2.17 and €0.36. This means you'll pay more if you get stuck in traffic. For small vans (5 to 8 passengers), the maximum amounts are €6.00, €2.73 and €0.41
===By thumb===
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The Netherlands is full of museums: almost every city has at least one museum and there is always a museum nearby. The Netherlands has more museums than many bigger countries like Italy.
If you intend to visit multiple museums during your stay, it is well worth it to buy the '''[https://www.museum.nl/en Museumkaart]''', which costs
There are two ways to get a Museumkaart:
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}}
* {{do
| name=Northsea Jazz Festival | alt= | url=
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| content=Big summer jazz festival, held in the Ahoy stadion, [[Rotterdam]]. Around 1,800 jazz, blues, funk, soul, hip Hop, Latin and r&b acts play during this 3 day event.
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===Debit cards and credit cards===
Often stores will display a sign saying "''Pinnen, ja graag''", loosely meaning "debit cards gladly accepted" (the Dutch word ''pinnen'' means to pay by debit card).
Debit cards on the Maestro and V-Pay scheme are accepted everywhere. As one of the last countries in Europe, the Netherlands is moving to debit VISA/Mastercard. As of May 2023, almost all points of sale have been updated to accept VISA and Mastercard debit cards, but not necessarily Mastercard or VISA credit cards as that requires a special agreement with the merchant's bank (some international Mastercard or VISA debit cards, especially those issued outside the EEA, may be read as credit cards and refused by Acceptance of VISA and MasterCard credit cards and to a lesser extent American Express has grown, and is now fairly widespread to the point that some establishments no longer accept cash. In
In tourist destinations, you will generally find credit cards widely accepted. Debit cards and credit cards are also the only way to pay for bus or tram tickets on board (see [[#Get around]]).
For safety reasons, credit card use in the Netherlands often requires a PIN-code. Contactless payments are the standard, with
ATMs are readily available, mostly near shopping and nightlife areas. Even villages usually have one or more ATMs near the local supermarket. [https://www.geldmaat.nl/information-english Geldmaat] manages the ATMs for the largest banks in the Netherlands. See the [https://www.locatiewijzer.geldmaat.nl/ map] for ATM locations. The Geldmaat ATMs offer a bank note selection option; example: you want €50 with the selection option, you get 3 options, which can be 1x€50, 2x€20 + 1x€10 and 1x€20 + 3x€10.
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===Hotels===
Hotels in the Netherlands are abundant, particularly in Holland proper, and can be relatively inexpensive compared to other Western European countries. You may be able to find a decent hotel of international standards for
[[File:Amstel hotel.jpg|thumb|Amstel hotel, a [[grand old hotel]] in Amsterdam]]
While there are independent properties throughout the country, there is a relatively high presence of international and local hotel chains. Some of the more popular are:
* {{sleep
| name=NH
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| content=The Spanish hotel chain inherited a lot of properties throughout Netherlands by taking over the former Krasnapolsky Hotels in Amsterdam and many of the former Golden Tulips. Thus, most of the properties are older, or even historic ones. NH Hoteles in larger cities are usually what one would expect of the chain in any other country; in smaller towns the properties are usually from the 1980s and only partially refurbished since then. You can always count on a very rich breakfast buffet, which is an NH Hoteles' trademark. NH Hoteles has the largest number of properties of all hotel chains in Amsterdam, which can be either helpful or disappointing in busy periods when hotels are prone to overbooking (you can be easily relocated to another NH Hotel across Amsterdam). Members of Aeromexico, Aerolíneas Argentinas and Iberia frequent flyer schemes can collect award miles/kilometres for stays at NH Hoteles in the Netherlands.
}}
* '''[
* {{sleep
| name=Van der Valk Hotels | alt= | url=
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* {{sleep
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| content=With over 80 properties, including 3 in Germany and 8 in Belgium, this is one of the largest hotel chains in the Netherlands. The standards of the hotels vary from basic three-star properties to more upscale, and often historic, '''Hampshire Eden''' and '''Hampshire Classic''' hotels. The chain does not operate a loyalty scheme, and members of most frequent flyer programmes will not be able to acquire miles for stays with Hampshire Hotels.
}}
*{{sleep|name=Bastion Hotels|alt=|url=https://www.bastionhotels.com/en-gb|email=|address=|lat=|long=|directions=|phone=|tollfree=|fax=|checkin=|checkout=|price=|lastedit=2019-01-14|content=A chain of highly uniform, limited-service hotels targeting road warriors who tour the Netherlands by car on business. Most of the hotels have been purpose-built in the 1990s or later, and are reminiscent of other hotel chains of similar character that can be found across Europe, like ibis hotels or Premier Inn. Usually to be found around motorways, with sometimes poor access to public transportation. While limited-service, most feature an on-site restaurant open throughout the day.
}} * {{sleep
| name=Accor | alt= | url=https://all.accor.com/
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| content=Has a sizeable presence in the Netherlands, in particular with their '''Ibis''', '''Novotel''' and '''Mercure''' brands. As in other countries, Mercures are often formerly independent three- or four-star properties that have joined the chain.
}}
* The '''[
Other international hotel chains do maintain some presence in the Netherlands, though this is mostly limited to Amsterdam and Schiphol airport. There are also quite a few Best Western-affiliated properties throughout the Netherlands, but as in every country, they vary greatly in character, size, pricing and comfort.
Showers are slightly different from the American style. Bar soap is not very popular; most of what is provided in hotels and mainstream stores is liquid body soap. Washcloths are also generally not available, but washing mitts are available in stores. European-style bathrooms often have no edge on the shower floor, allowing water to get on the floor in the other parts of the bathroom
===Bed and breakfast===
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At the majority of the train stations and even in some natural reserves, there is a water tap point, where the water is also of very good quality. Food (either bought in a supermarket or eaten at a restaurant) shouldn't pose any problems either.
The health care system of the Netherlands is up to par with the rest of Europe. Hospitals are mostly situated in larger cities, and all have English-speaking medical staff. General practitioners can be found in almost all towns, except for small villages, and they can typically speak English too. In case of a potential life-threatening emergency: call 112 and if necessary an ambulance will be send and bring you to the most
Two health risks are particularly relevant for travellers:
* When walking or camping in forests and dunes, be aware of '''ticks''' and tick-carrying diseases. It is advisable to wear long sleeves and to put trousers into your socks. If you discover a red ring on your body in the following weeks, be sure to visit a doctor to check for '''Lyme disease''', which can be lethal without proper medical care.
* In summer, open air recreational (mainly fresh water) swimming areas might suffer from the notorious '''blue algae''', a rather smelly cyanobacteria which when it dies, releases toxins into the water. When these occur, a signpost at the entrance to the area or near the water should tell you so by stating something like "Waarschuwing: blauwalg". If in doubt, ask someone.
==Respect==
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If you're bringing your own (GSM) cell phone to call (or receive calls) whilst in the Netherlands, make sure to check the relevant "roaming" charges for your provider, as they vary substantially. Receiving phone calls on a cell phone using a Dutch SIM card is free in most cases; charges may apply if you're using a foreign SIM card, as the call is theoretically routed through your country of origin. It may be cheaper to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card to insert into your GSM phone, or even to buy a very cheap pay-as-you-go card+phone bundle. Providers that specialise in discount rates to foreign countries include [http://www.lycamobile.nl/en/ Lyca], [http://www.lebara.nl/ Lebara], [http://www.ortelmobiel.nl/ Ortel]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} and [http://www.vectonemobile.nl/ Vectone]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}.
To enjoy '''cheap international calls''' from the Netherlands you can use low-cost dial-around services such as [http://www.qazza.nl Qazza], [http://www.belbazaar.nl/ BelBazaar]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, [http://www.pennyphone.nl/ pennyphone] {{dead link|August 2020|December 2020}}, [http://www.slimcall.nl/ SlimCall], [http://www.telegoedkoop.nl/ telegoedkoop], [http://www.beldewereld.nl/ beldewereld]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, [http://www.teleknaller.nl teleknaller] {{dead link|August 2020|December 2020}}. Dial-around services are directly available from any landline in the Netherlands. No contract, no registration is required. Most dial-around services offer USA, Canada, Western Europe and many other countries at the price of a local call so you can save on your phone expenses easily. They also work from public payphones.
As of January 2023, there are no public phone booths left in the Netherlands.
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Dutch sim cards are also available with mobile internet access, typically from €10 for 1 GB and a month validity. Users with a mobile phone account from an EU country can use their data plan in the Netherlands without incurring extra charges.
'''Internet cafés''' are increasingly rare but can still be found in major cities and usually also provide international calling booths. Many public libraries provide Internet access, usually at a charge. Wireless Internet access using '''Wi-Fi''' is quite widely available. It's usually a free service in pubs, restaurants and many attractions. In hotels the situation differs, with free service in some and high rates in others. Free Wi-Fi is offered in many of the larger railway stations,
===Mail===
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