Netherlands holidays

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• Overview
• Country info
• Holiday ideas
• Holiday offers

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Destinations » Europe holidays » Netherlands holidays

The Netherlands literally means 'the low lands': almost half of the country lies below sea level, but is saved by a clever system of dykes

Taken from The Traveller's Handbook.

Netherlands holiday experts at WEXAS will tailor-make all aspects of your itinerary to create a Netherlands holiday, personal to you.

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Netherlands tailor-made holiday highlights

Amsterdam
Take a canal tour through the capital, home to narrow, gabled houses, diamonds, art museums, concert halls and theatres, and a very tolerant people. Of particular note is the Riijksmuseum, home to a large national art collection, including Rembrandt's Night Watch. Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, and Picasso have work dotted about the city. The city is also home to Anne Frank's House, where the young Jewish girl penned her diary while attempting to evade capture by the Nazi's. The nightlife has equal doses of upmarket and downmarket activities. You can spend an evening at the opera, in a bar, in a redlight theatre or in a 'coffee shop', where soft drugs are sold over the counter.

Rotterdam
Europe's largest port is beginning to compete with Amsterdam as a tourist destination. Largely rebuilt since World War II, very few old buildings remain. Designers and architects have come to the city in their droves. A number of new bars and restaurants have opened recently.

Utrecht
Amsterdam's attractions, but without the crowds: boasts a number of museums and several beautiful churches spanning the Golden Age when the city played an important role in Europe.

Zeeland
The province is home to a number of harbour towns offering excellent seafood. It is here that flood barriers have allowed for the reclamation of land from the sea, and as such most of the province lies below sea level. The town of Flushing was the first place to fly the free Dutch flag in 1572.

People & place

Netherlands facts

Capital: Amsterdam
Language: Dutch. English is widely spoken.
People: Dutch (96%), Moroccan, Turkish.
Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant.
Size (sq km): 41,526.
Population: 16,645,313.
Population density/sq km: 400.8.

Etiquette

English is spoken by many as their second language. Otherwise German or French may be spoken. Social conventions largely as for UK or US. Smoking tobacco indoors in public has been banned, however smoking pure cannabis joints indoors remains legal.

Shopping

Clogs, Edam cheese, delft blue pottery, costume dolls, silverware, glass and crystal, diamonds.

Food & drink

Filled pancakes and 'green' herring are popular daytime snacks. More substantial dishes include erwtensoep (thick pea soup served with smoked sausage, bacon, pig's knuckle and bread), hutspot (potatoes, carrots and onions) served with klapstuk (stewed lean beef) and rockworst (kale and potatoes served with sausage). Dutch beer is excellent, the local spirit is jenever, a Dutch gin, taken straight or with cola or vermouth.

International Airports

(And distances from nearest city): Amsterdam (AMS) 15 km, Rotterdam (RTM) 6 km, Eindhoven (EIN) 7km, Maastricht (MST) 10 km.

Internal travel

Efficient, cheap rail network, excellent road system.

Red tape

Visas

None.

Vaccinations

Not currently required.

Driving requirements

National driving licence, EU pink format licence. Green Card advisable.

Reps in UK/US

UK: 38 Hyde Park Gate, London SW7 5DP, tel (020) 7590 3200, fax (020) 7581 3458, email london@netherlands-embassy.org.uk. US: 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10020, tel (212) 246 1429, fax (212) 333 3603, email Wanyc@minbuza.nl.

UK/US reps in Netherlands

UK: Konigslaan 44, PO Box 75488, 1070 AL Amsterdam, tel (20) 676 4343, fax (20) 676 1069, email visaenquiries.amsterdam@fco.gov.uk. US: Museumplein 19, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, tel (20) 575 5309, fax (20) 575 5310.

Currency

Euro (€) = 100 cents.

Finance

Credit cards and traveller's cheques widely accepted.

Business hours

0830-1700 Mon-Friday.

Safety & life expectancy

Safety information

Safe.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy: M 76.66, F 81.98.

Useful websites for travel

www.holland.com/uk, www.netherlands-embassy.org, www.holland.com, www.visitamsterdam.nl, www.thehague.nl.

Local media

No newspapers in English. International press available.

Tourist boards

PO Box 30783, London WC2B 6DH, tel (020) 7539 7950, fax (020) 7539 7953, email info-uk@holland.com. US: 355 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10017, tel (212) 370 7360, fax (212) 370 9507, email information@goholland.com.

Below is a selection of some ideas for holidays to Netherlands. This is simply a taste of what we can offer. If you're interested in a specific Netherlands itinerary then please call one of our consultants on 0845 643 6563.

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