NETHERLANDS TRAVEL TIPS FOR 1ST TIMERS | 30 Must-Knows Before Visiting + What NOT to Do!
Planning to visit the Netherlands for the first time? In this video, I'm sharing all my best Netherlands travel tips for new visitors, from important must-knows for your Netherlands trip to common mistakes that tourists make in the Netherlands. Don't miss this video if you're planning your own trip to the Netherlands!
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0:00 INTRODUCTION
00:20 BASICS & TRAVEL PLANNING TIPS FOR THE NETHERLANDS
02:18 TRANSPORT & GETTING AROUND IN THE NETHERLANDS
4:24 CULTURE & ETIQUETTE TIPS IN THE NETHERLANDS
6:03 SIGHTSEEING & ATTRACTIONS TIPS FOR THE NETHERLANDS
8:19 TIPS FOR WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN THE NETHERLANDS
CHRISTINA'S TRAVEL GEAR
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Travelling to the Netherlands for the first time? In need of Netherlands travel advice that caters to a newbie? This Netherlands travel guide is packed with must-knows before you visit the Netherlands as a tourist, with a rundown of common tourist mistakes in the Netherlands as well as answers to common questions like Netherlands culture shocks, Netherlands culture and etiquette tips, where to go in the Netherlands, places to visit in the Netherlands and more so you can have the Netherlands trip of your dreams. Whether you're looking for general Netherlands tips or tips for Netherlands hidden gems, be sure to watch this video!
Hey everyone!! I hope you enjoy this week's video all about the Netherlands. As usual, feel free to comment if you have more tips, and check out the written version of this guide for more info: happytowander.com/netherlands-travel-tips/
Just a small correction about taking pictures in the red light district. It's not only frowned upon, but you could get in serious trouble if you photograph the working girls in the windows. You can take pictures of the surroundings like bridges or the old Church, but when pimps see that you're aiming for the girls, they won't hesitate to confront you aggressively.
Does this happen to you?
@@roygriend5143 No, mainly because I wouldn't want to be seen dead in Amsterdam, the shithole of the Netherlands, the sewer of Europe.
the municipality has added signs advising not to take photos, in the same fashion as no public peeing and no smoking cannabis in public. it's baffling that it needs to be emphasized, but I suppose the novelty of it all and being intoxicated during your visit messes up with judgment. they are human beings, ffs. you wouldn't be taking pics of sex workers elsewhere in the world, why would Amsterdam be any different?
Great information! We are just back from a first trip to The Netherlands and loved it! I wish we had seen your video before we left. We learned many of your tips first-hand😂 We stepped into bike lanes, almost walked into coffeeshop looking for a latte, showed up at a grocery store without cash, missed getting tickets to Anne Frank and Corie ten Boom, went too late to see tulips 😀 All of which we count as traveling adventures which we will bring back with us on our next trip to The Netherlands next year. And, we will be watching your vids for anywhere else we go, for sure! Thanks!
To be honest, I think that cycling is a fantastic way for tourists to explore our country! Maybe just avoid the busiest parts of the large cities ;)
Wow, incredibly helpful video! You knocked it out of the park. I'm planning a trip to NL and I'm going to put this on my phone and watch it several times in preparation. You've saved us from a lot of headaches and showed us many good options. Thanks!
Preparing a trip to the Netherlands as my foreign partner and I (Dutch) will be visiting soon. I have to say, I'm really impressed with this video. Your advice is spot-on. Thanks a lot!
This is fantastic info, thank you so much. This would be helpful for my trip next year!
Thanks so much for watching!!! I’m glad you found it helpful 🥰
Good video. This is the honest and real stuff tourist should know. Well done.
Excellent video, spot on and very informative.
You are brilliant! Thanks for this excellent guide.
Thanks for this. This is GREAT!
Such a helpful video, I'm going to The Netherlands next week for the first time and this gives me more peace of mind!
This was surprisingly useful. Thanks!
Very nice tips! I love the Netherlands!!!! We visit often and you are on point :)))
Thank you so much!!
Im going in April for tge first time and family that live out there. This is very helpful in telling them what foods i want to try. Thanks
Very complete and accurate. Dank je 😁
I just discovered your channel today and as i am going through your videos i found this one, funny coincidence, i'm going to the NL next July, i'm so excited!
Ah awesome! Hope you found this video helpful then for your trip planning 🥰
What a great travel and city channel! I just watched your Paris video and looking for more now, as I'm currently on an "EU excursion" and really enjoying your sensible and down to earth tips and suggestions! Out of so many travel channels on KZhead, they are so homogenized and you really stand out with the quality and no-nonsense! Thanks and keep it up! Lik'd and Sub'd fer sure!
This is great information. Maybe I am just old, but can you talk a little slower? ❤
Visiting The Netherlands next specifically Eindhoven so this video will be really helpful.
I'm going to the Netherlands in May. Thank you 🇺🇸
Really great tips! I do kinda have whiplash with how fast you talk though. Hahaha.
peace and tranquility
Finally a person who knows what she is talking about...........thanks a lot.
Must say you are the best
Thanks for this. Where would you say has the biggest sprawling tulip fields that you can get close enough to take pictures of? I like taking landscape photos when I go on holiday, so I won't be in them and won't require props etc
Very funny. I've seen that seagull experience happening at Zandvoort beach. So damn funny!
Even as a dutchie i learned a thing or two
Where can we buy the group tickets you mentioned for transportation? Thank you 🙏
For the WC when you said coins,is it euros or the British coins work as well? Thanks
Thank you so much for this vdo. .I will be in Amsterdam on 24-25 april 24... Can you share the address of the tulip field ..you went..How far it is from the city?what are the charges?enterence fees? Timings... I really liked it.❤❤❤
❤ wow netherland is in April is Very romantic time, i Wanna see that, Keukenhof
I live in California now but I still miss Amsterdam, I used to live there in my 20’s and I hope I get to return there to live again one day 😊
We wachten op jou.
Brown bar?! Noted! Thanks!
They’re the best! Enjoy :)
In Dutch : bruine kroeg.
Nice video. Do you have one for small towns outside of Amsterdam? Will be traveling to Amsterdam in 2024, not for tulips but later in the year. Thanks, L&B P.S. We have noticed many tourists fail to understand bike lanes and create problems for those bikers.
There are lots of nice small cities and towns in the Netherlands. Maybe check out Giethoorn, Leiden, Haarlem and you might also like the islands in the Northsea. They are often overlooked by tourists but absolutely amazing, especially during summer and spring.
As already mentioned, Giethoorn is a must see for a tourist imo. Also Marken, Volendam, Kinderdijk and the famous for their Delftware Pottery, Delft.
You could visit Arnhem for example, it's a city situated along the Rhine river, on a hilly landscape. The city has several beautiful parks, as well as a popular zoo and Arnhem is also home to the Dutch Open Air Museum (Nederlands Openluchtmuseum), a must visit when going to the Netherlands. Beside those things, Arnhem also has a rich WW2 history of which you can learn about throughout the city. It's only one hour from Amsterdam by using the direct Intercity train from Central Station.
A nice addition just North of Amsterdam is taking a day trip to see the windmills at the Zaanse Schans, which is usually bundled along with a tour to Volendam and Edam... so you get to see windmills, cheese making and a charming small seaside town in the span of 5hrs tops. I'm studying a master's here and took my parents on that tour a year ago (bit of a bad idea due to the weather, though) but then I took a friend to the windmills when the weather was nicer (the train from Amsterdam Centraal to the Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station is around 17min, or you can go to Zaandam and then change to a bus... practically the same duration).
I would like to visit Netherlands,how do i go about it
Great info; thanks for sharing. Please Consider talking a little slower specially because there is a lot of information and it was hard to keep up .
I didn't know the difference between the Netherlands and Holland I definitely want to explore both I've mainly wanted to visit Amsterdam for the Ann Frank Museum it's been a dream of mines since I was middle school nice to know english is spoken widely I love that makes traveling so much smoother I think hopefully I can visit when I visit Belgium next year.
Haha I’m glad you had some helpful takeaways from this video!! And ahh I hope you’re able to add it to your itinerary for next year. Belgium and the Netherlands are so close!
I wouldn't bother with Belgium, I'm always happy on the Eurostar train when it pulls out of Brussel-Zuid station next stop Rotterdam
Do you have any tips on how to get a short-term phone plan while traveling in Europe? I've used Free Mobile in France but am interested in what you use to stay connected while traveling in other countries and while traveling between England and other European countries
Roaming is mandated by the EU, so any plan that works within the EU works for the entire EU (plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). I've seen plans that work in both the EU and UK as well.
I moved neatherland almeer next month permenant
Contactless payment with card that must have a chip reader in it, but how do they know how much to charge your card? Do you input your destination at the gate and then use card touchless? Do the conductors ask for a receipt?
Basically you tap in at your departure station and then tap out at your arrival station so they can see how far you’ve gone based on where you tapped in/out. Hope that helps!
@@HappytoWander yes! Thank you very much! I can't wait!
Have you heard of the museumcard? Acces to over 500 museums for around €75.
I'm from Uruguay. Many landowners of Uruguayan patrician families are involved in Narcotraffic, and they take part in the transport of drugs from South America to Hamburg and Rotterdam ports
True. People think of the Netherlands like its a big Disney World. Meanwhile many cities have been unsafer than ever with mass globalisation
It is a misunderstanding that herring is eaten raw; the herring undergoes a ripening process due to the interaction between added salt and the body's own enzymes.
How far Is that from the airport to the city? And do you recommended staying in the city or nearby the airport? For 4 days visit? Never been to Amsterdam
The train station is below the airport. From there you can go almost anywhere. To Amsterdam central it’s 16 minutes.
living 50 years in NL no wrong tips here
It feels like you speed up your talking clips. You should definitely leave them at normal speed and let us, the listeners speed it up if we want. It was off putting listening and bumping the speed down to 0.75 was an annoying speed too.
Can you plz mention which farm we can visit to take pictures with farm full of tulips other than keukenhauf?
The one I went to is literally called the Tulip Farm haha. It’s in Hillegom! Not far from Keukenhof. I can definitely recommend it
@@HappytoWander klopt helemaal.
I WORKED OUT THAT I WOULD PROBABLY SEE 18 PLACES THAT ARE COVERED BY THE MUSEUM CARD WHICH ARE AROUND 75 EUROS. DO YOU THINK THAT IS WORTHWHILE , BECAUSE I DO.
The herring you are referring to is not raw. It’s cured in salt.
❤
So I’m going next month. I have two free days outside of Amsterdam and I can’t figure out where to go. Suggestions?
Maybe the older villages and cities around Amsterdam or the 'greater Amsterdam area'. Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Edam, Utrecht, Weesp.Even competeting Rotterdam is a tip, nice modern architecture. Beware though, Volendam is a tourist trap.
Go 2 Nijmegen the oldest city
Correction: if you take a picture in the red light district, then you are not "frowned upon", but likely get beat up by a pimp. Dutch directness at it's finest.
the international pimps seamlessly assimilating to the local culture
Where are the cheapest places in Amsterdam to buy souvenirs like magnets or keychains or any other small souvenirs like small or tiny wooden shoes or windmills statues? Are there any souvenirs for 1 Euro like keychains? Are postcards cheap there? We will be staying in a hotel near the Central Station. Thanks for your assistance. Also, where can you get change for the penny machines? When we went to Rome last year, it was hard to get change and they made you buy something. One vendor yelled at us for trying to buy items separately to get more change. We are hoping Amsterdam will not be like that.
buy them outsite of amsterdam.
@@vindmedia1516 Thanks for your answer. Unfortunately, we don't have a car. We will look the furthest out from the major part of the city.
Dear Happy, In my opinion your videos would be much more enjoyable if you spoke somewhat slower. Thank you
To know that a day ticket cost €58 in the Netherlands and you can travel a month for that amount in France and Germany….something is a miss… also don’t pay 17€ for a stroopwafel you get ripped of big time!
Estou em choque com a velocidade a qual você fala. Tente falar mais devagar, por favor. Nunca tinha visto um vídeo que a pessoa falasse tão rápido, parecia que estava no modo acelerado de 2x 😮
Great content but you talk way tooo fast and is a bit nerve wracking! Thanks for your hard work. I have been to Holland and the Netherlands many times and love it!! Thanks for the memories. Best Wishes.
.75 speed works well for me and does not distort her voice much
Yeah I have to slow down her videos because otherwise will drive me crazy 😅
Haha i love your video and oef the FEBO is very healthy lol its 100% poison between a sandwich
Great video, really enjoyed watching it. And you mentioned having to pay for public bathrooms while men can urinate for free. There is an actual reason for that, because of drunk men (and a lot of tourists) that have to pee while out at night and think it is a good idea to pee in the canals only for them to fall in and drown. So as a solution there are free urinals (at night more come out of the ground) (it you want to know more this is actually a great video about it kzhead.info/sun/pLiGctCHsICipJs/bejne.html&si=mPgMjigew2AhHZfO)
"I have visited the Netherlands six times" I thought: Not one of those again 🤦♂. But after seeing the video, I must admit quite good tips. especially about not standing in the tulip fields. Some(a lot) of tourists seem to think there wild flowers, or beeing planted for public entertainment or something. And that one about the seaguls. I wouldn't have thought about it. To us it comes natural to avoid them I guess.
SSSSLLLLOOOWWWWW DDDOOOWWNN!
Great video - thank you! I'm planning to go to Amsterdam for the first time during the last week of August. It was wild to see that they have automats there! Long before you were born we had a chain in New York City called Horn & Hardart's. It was great and I was so sad to hear that the last one closed in 1991. I wish they'd bring that back. Here's short video about it: kzhead.info/sun/fdxqdZGje6KMhGg/bejne.html
Me love you long time.
Omg so fast u talk...take a breath 😮
En leer zo snel mogelijk de Nederlandse taal !!!
Compleet overbodig voor toeristen.
Just back from Netherlands, Utrecht was a X-Special place for me 🚲🪻🐶🌷🧇🌈🚲
I feel like the only point I disagree with is the card. You can use credit and debit cards everywhere
Credit cards are not accepted in Albert Heijn (grocery store), though. Mostly everywhere else in Amsterdam and other medium/arge cities will be fine, but if you go to smaller towns or shops it's likely they'll only take debit.
@@italorossid AH was fine for me
@@eths_games good to hear it was smooth for you! my Visa card got rejected in AH in Amstelveen last year and my friend's in Alsmeer just a month ago... and both these places are just outside Amsterdam, so it's not like we were trying in random tiny towns.
@@eths_games albert heijn doesnot accept credit cards
@@EGO0808 but I have transactions with one. Is it on,y Dutch ones they don’t accept?
Good video. Could you please slow down speaking? TY!
Dutch directness? Would you rather we lie or that we speak the truth? Cycling in the Netherlands is simply from A to B. from home to work from home to the sports club and do some shopping. and not for fun. Cheap fast plain grab a beer in the pub And bike home Best regards Frits
Free tip from a Dutchie. Stroopwafel is pronounced stropewafel. The English oo sound is not appropriate. Say it correctly and watch Dutches be impressed with your language skills. The English pronunciation sounds weird to us.
That's what she said about the pronounciation. But very quickly though, you could've missed it😂
Try putting the speed at 0.5.....than we can hear what you're sayin. 😏
Agree 100%
Great video, Perfect speed
You only chat about the west of the Netherlands, my tip: avoid Amsterdam and other large cities in the west, but visit cities such as Maastricht, Arnhem, Deventer or Groningen
I disagree. You should try to visit them all! Amsterdam is a great city and you are really missing out if you don't visit there. It's like saying "avoid New York, go visit Boston instead". They're all great places to visit.
They are incredible in their own accord, true.
*Travel Tips for American Tourists fixed that for you ;-)
Try talking a little slower so more people can understand.
I'm sorry to say that but you talk too fast. It looks like there are other comments saying the same. But nothing an anxiolytic can't fix. In fact, we Dutch are objective and practical, which for some people sounds like "to be direct". I prefer to call it sincerity. And besides, I've lost count of how many times you repeat the word "super". After all, there are other words that can be used such as "very good" or "extremely". Here's the tip. I look forward for your next improved videos...Tot ziens.
.75 speed works well for me and does not distort her voice much. But I agree, most KZheadrs tend to use "hype" words instead of being more descriptive.
You talk to fast.
Haha sorry about that! I’ve always been a natural fast talker, especially when it’s a topic I’m passionate about. I’ll try to slow down for future videos after August (because I batch recorded a bunch of these in advance). Thanks for the feedback! Hope the video was useful to you otherwise :)
Agree!!!
@@HappytoWander Ironically, this portrays the dutch directness quite nicely. XD.
too*
@@HappytoWander It's probably the Dutch that think you are talking too fast. We are more mellow, we don't like hasty stuff. We take our time to do things - even talking. :)
Stop with the stock filler footage of generic people overreacting. It doesn’t give your otherwise useful videos the flow you think it does. It’s actually amateurish and lame. You’re welcome.
Big BS about Holland vs The Netherlands. We don’t care at all. And about being direct: We hate hypocrisy. You are talking way too fast btw. Irritating to the max.
That depends on where you are. Don’t call Limburg holland.
@@jannetteberends8730 That depends on you stupidity level. I lived in Limburg and it is high.
Quick question? How does paying by creditcard before you get into the train works? Dont you have to choose the destination to be charges the appropriate amount? Do you get a receipt from the machine with tbe amount charged shown?
At most of the larger trainstation there are information booths. People will help you get you on your way. If you.want to use your creditcard (Mastercard is fine) with the chip, you need to use the pincode. That's most often required. Just look for the logo. You'll be fine.
Your creditcard must be from Maestro, V pay, Mastercard, or Visa and have 'contactless payment' enabled (a smartphone app of the aforementioned or Apple Pay and Google Wallet will also work). Each train station will have card readers, simply hold your creditcard in front it till you hear a single beep. When you're at your destination simply hold your creditcard in front of the reader again till you hear two beeps. The appropriate amount will be deducted automatically. You can find the amount on your statement the next day under the name NLOV.
I’m in Amsterdam and all I can say is the locals are horrible horrible pek