Netherlands Being There

Netherlands being there

You are on vacation in the Netherlands. Delicious! Do you have suitable clothes with you and which plugs can you use? Here you will find practical information on site.

Facts and figures

Official name

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Resident

Dutch (m), Dutch (f)

State form

Parliamentary democracy and monarchy (kingdom)
The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces and 3 special overseas municipalities.

Overseas Territories

In the Caribbean Sea the Netherlands Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint-Eustatius, Sint-Maarten.
Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (also known as the BES islands or K3 islands) are Dutch municipalities with a special status and together form the Caribbean Netherlands.
Aruba, Curaçao and Sint-Maarten are autonomous countries part of the kingdom of the Netherlands.

Capital

Amsterdam

European Union

The Netherlands has been a member of the EU since it was founded in 1952.

Language

Dutch, Frisian

Population

2019: 17.2 million (for the current state of affairs, see cbs.nl/nl-nl/visualisatie/bevulsion)

Surface

40,800 km²

Income per inhabitant per year

NL: $ 50,200

Average life expectancy

2018: 82.1 years (UNDP 2019)

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Country code license plate

Clothes

Bring light, but also warm clothing for changing weather conditions. A raincoat or poncho can come in handy. You need a (fleece) sweater or cardigan for the cool evenings.
Bring comfortable walking shoes. You need sturdy sandals on the coast. Water shoes with a sturdy sole protect against sharp stones and rocks.

Climate

The Netherlands has a moderate maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers. Precipitation falls in all seasons.

Travel season

The Netherlands is a destination for all seasons. A city trip in particular is not seasonal. You can also get a breath of fresh air on the beach or a walk in the woods in any period.
The temperatures in the spring and autumn can be wonderful to go out for a (short) vacation. That is also the time for hiking and cycling.
In the summer it is good to relax on one of the terraces or at one of the water features for which the Netherlands is known.

Language

Most spoken language: Dutch.
Other official languages: Frisian (only officially in Friesland).
Tourists are usually good with English or German.

Medical care and safety

Medical care in the Netherlands is at a high level.
You are advised to take out good travel insurance.

European health card

You can apply for a European health card (EHIC) through your health insurer. With this card you are entitled to essential medical care in the event of illness or an accident during your stay in the Netherlands and hospitals, general practitioners, pharmacists and other healthcare providers know that their bill will be paid by your health insurer. This usually means that you do not have to advance any money.

Doctors, pharmacies and hospitals

Most pharmacies are open from 9am to 5.30pm or 6pm. Outside of these times, reference is always made to a service pharmacy (night pharmacy).
Take plenty of special medicines with you (in the original packaging) or ask your doctor for a prescription.
If you need medical assistance outside office hours, but there is no danger to life, you can call a GP post (doctor’s watch). See zorgkaartnederland.nl/huisartsenpost for the telephone numbers of all GP posts in the Netherlands. Call the national emergency number 112 immediately if someone’s life is in danger.
If you are hospitalized, contact your insurance company immediately so that they can arrange payment.

Animals

Watch out for ticks when hiking or camping in the countryside, as they can transmit Lyme disease. The chance of a tick bite can be reduced by wearing covering clothing and applying an insect repellent to the exposed skin.

Drinking water

The tap water is safe to drink.

School holidays

2020-2021

Summer holiday (north) 04-07-2020 16-07-2020
Summer vacation (middle) 18-07-2020 30-08-2020
Summer vacation (south) 11-07-2020 23-08-2020
utumn break (north) 10-10-2020 18-10-2020
Autumn break (middle) 17-10-2020 25-10-2020
Autumn break (south) 17-10-2020 25-10-2020
Christmas holidays (all of the Netherlands) 19-12-2020 03-01-2021
Spring break (north) 20-02-2021 28-02-2021
Spring break (middle) 20-02-2021 28-02-2021
Spring break (south) 13-02-2021 21-02-2021
May holiday (all of the Netherlands) 01-05-2021 09-05-2021
Summer vacation (north) 10-07-2021 22-08-2021
Summer vacation (middle) 17-07-2021 29-08-2021
Summer vacation (south) 24-07-2021 05-09-2021

Holiday spread

The Netherlands is divided into three regions for school holidays. For the exact layout, see rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/schoolvakanties/regios-schoolvakantie.

Camping

There are many different campsites in the Netherlands for young and old.
You can book pitches, but also bungalows, hikers’ cabins and mobile homes.
Do you not have a tent, but do you want to experience what it is like? You can rent various tents, such as a furnished safari tent.

Types of campsites

Campsites: The larger campgrounds usually have a fairly large number of tents and caravans on seasonal or permanent pitches. Almost all Dutch campsites have sufficient tourist pitches for campers who visit the site for shorter or longer periods during the summer months. A playground is included as standard. Most of the campsites also have a sports field, a recreation room and a swimming pool.
Holiday parks: The larger holiday parks and family campsites offer plenty of opportunities for entertainment in the form of playgrounds, swimming pools and water playgrounds. There are parks that focus especially on children. Furthermore, the pitches are usually equipped with all modern conveniences. Usually there is also a sauna, restaurant and extensive sports facilities.
Nature camping areas: The nature camping sites generally have a limited number of pitches. The sanitary facilities are simple, but usually of excellent quality. In these areas, campers have to do without a swimming pool or camping shop. Natural camping sites are always located in or near a nature reserve and are therefore particularly suitable as a base for walking and cycling trips.
Camping on the farm: Staying on a small campsite near a farm is very attractive for children. Here they can get acquainted with feeding the animals, milking the cows and other activities on and around the farm.

Campsites and corona measures

Campsites that meet the corona conditions can be found at the campsite websites.

Quality of the campsites

The quality of the Dutch camping site is generally good to very good, especially the sanitary facilities.

Glamping

Luxury camping is a fast-growing phenomenon in the Netherlands.
Luxury rental accommodation in the Netherlands is often standard equipped with a wooden floor, kitchen unit with refrigerator, coffee maker and comfortable furniture.

Camping Key Europe

This camping card is, in addition to a replacement identity document at the campsite, a handy discount card in the low and high season. With a CKE, the discount can be up to 20%.

Prices

The average price for a camping night in the high season for four people is € 35.
Campsites on the coast are usually more expensive than those inland.
The amount to be paid usually has to be paid in advance. In the event of early departure, the unused allowance is usually not refunded.
The rates depend on the location of the site, the comfort, the region and the season. In general, accommodation is free for children under 3 years old and a discount applies for children between 3 and 14 years old.
The rates are usually calculated per pitch, ie including a car, camping equipment and two adults. Hikers or cyclists with a small tent are advantageous. Sometimes a rate per person applies to them.
Access to facilities such as swimming pool, sauna, discos and sports matches is generally included. A small contribution is required for some activities, such as equipment for mini golf, tennis and horse riding, organized tours and bicycle rental. A fee is also often charged for the use of the washing machine.
Tourist tax is usually included in the camping rates.

Book camping

In general, when staying in the high season (July and August), timely reservation is necessary to be sure of a place.
At many campsites it is also possible to rent fully equipped mobile homes or bungalows. Usually a minimum rental period of one week applies. It is wise to book well in advance.

Wild camping

Camping outside official campsites is prohibited in the Netherlands and the fines can be considerable. Camping on a yard or pasture is only allowed with the permission of the owner. This in turn must have an exemption from the municipality. Inquire about the possibilities on site.
In some places along long-distance cycling and walking routes, Staatsbosbeheer (Staatsbosbeheer.nl) offers adventurous cyclists and hikers the opportunity to camp freely within a radius of 10 m around a marker post. The sites are not accessible by car and have no facilities. Only three hiking tents are allowed around each camping pole for a maximum stay of 72 hours.

Camping along the way

In the Netherlands, staying overnight in a motorhome along the road is generally not allowed. The rules may differ per municipality. What exactly is allowed is regulated in the General Local Regulation (APV) of the municipality.

Campers

The same rules apply to motorhomes in the Netherlands that also apply to other vehicles.
In the Netherlands, special camper pitches are available in some regions.

Facilities on the campsite

Front desk

When registering at the campsite, personal details are noted, how many people are involved and what the length of stay is. Usually, proof of identity must be submitted.
The Camping Key Europe (CKE) is accepted as proof of identity at most campsites. Checking in with a CKE is faster and campsites that participate in the CKE program often offer discounts. In addition to the CKE, take a passport or ID card with you, it may be requested.
In some cases, the reception wants to keep the proof of identity during the stay. If the CKE is not accepted for this, a photocopy of the passport or ID card is usually sufficient.

Pitches

The grounds and surfaces of pitches vary from region to region.
Campers with large tents should take into account that the surface area of the pitches on campsites with demarcated pitches is sometimes small.
On sites that lie along a river, the lower pitches can be completely or partially flooded at high water levels.
Water and own drainage on the pitch are no exception.

Rental accommodations

Rental accommodation is part of the usual picture at many camping sites in the Netherlands. The offer varies from huts to bungalows and mobile homes.
Often a minimum rental period of one week applies.

Electricity

CEE plugs for power connection are standard.

Internet

Most campsites in the Netherlands offer wireless internet. You can often buy a card with access codes at the reception.

Foodstuffs

During the season, foodstuffs are readily available at (medium) large campsites. This is less the case at the smaller campsites. There, the service is often limited to the delivery of bread to order.

Sanitary

Showers and washrooms usually have cold and warm running water. It happens that the plumbing works on coin-operated machines.

Animation and recreation

Children’s facilities and entertainment programs are available at larger campsites.

General house rules

At all campsites, the neighbors may not be disturbed with music, loud discussions, etc.It must be completely quiet on the campsite between 11 pm and 7 am.
Campers are expected to contribute to the cleanliness of the campsite and to deal with household waste in an environmentally friendly manner.

Pets on the campsite

Pets are allowed on many campsites in the Netherlands. Please inquire with the owner in advance.
Dogs and other animals are not allowed to run loose or be let out on the campsite.

Popular camping destinations

Veluwe

Vast forests, endless heaths, babbling brooks and beautiful sand drifts.

Zeeland islands

Wide sandy beaches, high dunes, picturesque villages and rural polders.

Limburg

Limburg has many beautiful campsites, located on hills, in forests or on the water.

Friesland

A country apart with its own language, and above all peace, space and lots of water.

Drenthe

In Drenthe you automatically go back in time, with the thatched farms, medieval brinks and stately manors. If you go for a walk you will almost always come across prehistoric burial mounds or mysterious hunebeds.

Overijssel

Overijssel is a vast province that has a lot to offer. From Twente to the Hanseatic cities, from the Weerribben to the Vechtdal Overijssel: your camping holiday here is full of discoveries.