Tourists think Amsterdam is Holland, but Amsterdam does not equal Holland. So I will give you some tips to save you some cultural shock and surprises. I will also give you some basic tips to have a nice expat life in Holland.
Do you want a flat? You got it!
Do you love mountains? Then in Holland, you’ll miss the mountains a lot. In Holland, you only have hills. The highest hill is the Vaalserberg, with a height of 323 m. The Vaalserberg is located in Limburg and is 236km away from Amsterdam.
You will miss the Sun and love the Rain & wind.
Most of the time, it is very cloudy in Holland. If the temperature reaches above 20 degrees 3 days in a row, it makes the news. Do not expect that the summers in Holland are sunny and dry, because also in the summer it is rainy and windy.
Holland loves the color of the LION.
The Dutch royal family is called the kingdom of Orange-Nassau, and because of this, the soccer team of Holland is called the Orange Lions. Every year on the king’s birthday, the 27th of April, the whole nation dresses in orange clothes, and in all cities, everyone decorates their houses with orange decorations.
Cannabis isn’t legal! (Wait, what?)
Most of the tourists that visit Holland think that Cannabis is legal to smoke everywhere. But that is not true. Cannabis is only allowed to be sold in Coffeeshops. Coffeeshops are allowed to store a maximum of 500g, but you are only allowed to have a maximum of 5g on you for personal use.
So if you are in Holland and you want to smoke some weed.? Go to a Coffeeshop and smoke the weed there. That way, you will not have any problems with the authorities.
Everyone has a bicycle in Holland!
In Holland, everyone has a bicycle. If you want to take the car and drive 5km in Amsterdam will take 30 minutes of your time. If you get your bike, it will take less time. Also, the reliability of the buses and trams isn’t good. Because of those problems, people will choose quicker for the bicycle. It doesn’t matter if it is raining; you’ll see people on a bicycle with an umbrella in their hands.
So if you want to use your bicycle as a means of transport. Learn how to use your bike correctly and know the rules. Cycling in Amsterdam is very chaotic. Everyone is in a hurry and has no patience, and they will yell if you make a mistake. Be also aware of the parking spots at the train station. If you park your bike in the wrong location, the police will take your bike. It is possible to get your bike back by paying a small amount of money.
On these two websites, you can see if your bike was taken by the police: Leiden & Amsterdam.
At many train stations, a lot of bikes are getting stolen. If you are intended to leave your bike at a train station, buy a bad-looking bike. Always lock your bike to make it harder for thieves to steal your bike.
Most of the time the trains are too late.
N the beginning, all expats say that trains are incredible and always run on time. After a month, they will change their opinion. Trains are great when they are working. They are often too late, and in the autumn and winter, the problems will be bigger. In the autumn, they will have delays because of leaves on the tracks. In the winter, you will have delays because of the snow on the tracks. Most of the time, there are no replacement services.
Download the 9292.nl App immediately. It will help you to plan your trip and shows you if there are any delays.
Dutch people are very direct.
It’s not easy to make friends in Holland; most people have had a group of friends since high school and aren’t always open to making new friends. So if you come to Holland alone, it could be hard initially.
The Dutch are very open and talk about topics that could be taboo in other countries. Don’t be ashamed to openly talk about sex with people you just met. Dutch people are also very honest. If they have a problem with you, they don’t hesitate to tell you what they think about you.
Most people can’t handle the directness of the dutch a call them rude, but it’s better to know how somebody truly thinks of you.
Birthdays are very important.
In Holland, everyone treats the cake to all their colleagues when it’s their birthday. When it is your friend his birthday, and she is having a party, you have to congratulate everyone at the party. They will also say wish you a happy birthday, and you have to thank them for it. It is a typically Dutch thing.
Dutch friends would appreciate it if you remembered their birthday. The first thing to do is buy a birthday calendar and write all the birthdays.
Never be late for an appointment. Time = Time – 5 minutes.
You have to make an appointment for everything, even with your friends. If you want to meet with your friend you have to call and ask if it is ok. You can not go to their house without an appointment. Dutch people will not appreciate that.
When you tell your friends that you will meet them at 13:00, be there at 13:00 and not at 13:05.
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