The Netherlands is a great country to travel to and is famous for its cultural and historical places. People who like to explore artistic architectural places often visit this country before traveling to other places. There are some things to keep in mind to make your trip hustle-free and memorable.
If you are planning a trip to the Netherlands for the first time and are not much aware of the country, this blog can help you through your tour.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE TRAVELING TO THE NETHERLANDS
Here are the seven most important things you should keep in mind when talking about traveling to the Dutchland.
1. CARDS CAN BE USELESS
Cards are not very popular here in the Netherlands. Many stores accept Maestro debit cards, but some still have a physical cash system for payments. However, the cashless system is becoming famous among dutch people, but still, you need to pay in cash only.
So, always carry some cash with you for smooth payments. There are many ATMs around the region, so you can withdraw money if you have some sort of cash. Make sure you have cash in your bank account.
2. MAKE ADVANCE BOOKING
Advance booking of hotels and tourist places is beneficial in many ways like no need to stand in queue for hours, and you may get some discount coupons, time-saving and many more.
During summer, between June and August, almost all tourist places are filled with people and seem more crowded. So the best thing to do is travel during the off-season to avoid crowded places, or else you can book online for tourist places and hotels.
Suppose you plan to visit Amsterdam, the best way to visit places. With the card, you will get free entry to Amsterdams’ famous museums and accessible public transportation also as per your card duration.
3. AWARE OF TRANSPORTATION
The Netherlands has two types of transportation modes: public transportation and private transportation; both have different benefits.
Public Transportation: In these modes, several ways are available like buses, trains, trams, coaches, ferries, and bicycles. One can use an OV chipcard for public transportation needs. You just have to check-in and check out at each point to pay online for your ride.
Private Transportation: This mode includes your own vehicles or private taxis at an affordable price. There are plenty of options available for hiring a cab; you can book a taxi online as per your requirements and can enjoy the whole trip worry-free. One of the significant benefits of private transportation is traveling as per your preferred timings.
4. TOILETS ARE NOT ALWAYS FREE
The Netherlands has a unique thing about toilets that are free for men, but if you are a woman, then it’s mandatory to keep change with yourself. Toilets for women are not free to use in the Netherlands. Although you can use free toilets at restaurants or cafes, sometimes they allow you only if you order something.
5. TULIPS ARE SEASONAL
Tulip farms are one of the most beautiful things to see when we are talking about Netherlands tourism. It’s such a wonderful experience one can have while traveling to dutch places.
The season of tulips is mainly 6 to 8 weeks every year, so if you are planning to see these fantastic views of tulip farms, then you can visit them in the middle of April month. There is a place in Amsterdam called FloraHolland. At that place, you can see and buy tulips even in the off-season.
6. RESEARCH ABOUT TRAVEL PLACES
There are lots of notable places as tourist attractions in the Netherlands. Most travelers think Amsterdam is the only city with the most attractive places to visit. In fact, there are tons of places beyond the capital city that are found to be mind-blowing.
The Netherlands is a country of cultural art and historical monuments. (You can explore the history of the Netherlands museum here) In addition to that, beaches, canals, museums, wind farms, and more extraordinary places catch the tourists’ eyes and give them unforgettable memories. So, before reaching the country, researching all places and planning to visit them all is the smart way of traveling to the Netherlands.
Also one of the considerable points is to manage timings during traveling. The Netherlands shops and museums are closed on Mondays, and if you have plans to go on shopping, make sure about opening and closing times; Most of the shops are closed by 6 PM. So, knowing all this stuff is beneficial for you to save valuable time.
7. MOST PEOPLE KNOW ENGLISH
There is no language barrier in the Netherlands, and local people know English very well. Especially in Amsterdam, the local public can speak English to communicate with tourists. You can ask for directions or anything you want to talk about to start the conversation.
Although, the Dutch language itself is easy to learn by native English speakers. You can learn some little words to make them feel comfortable while talking to you.
There are more small things that you can keep in mind, like asking for tap water, tipping is not mandatory, getting a museum card, and things that you can carry are a raincoat, a jacket, a charger with step down voltage adapter, a water bottle and more things that you need on a regular basis.
WRAPPING UP
The Netherlands has many places that tourists find attractive; traveling to each and every place can take a few weeks if you really want to enjoy your journey. So, the intelligent thing is to plan your trip so that you can save time and money. The above mentioned are some of the things based on our experience of traveling that you may find considerable for the Netherlands trip.
