According to dentistrymyth, the Netherlands (English: Netherlands) is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in Europe. The Netherlands borders on Germany and Belgium and, together with Belgium and Luxembourg, forms the Benelux. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. A number of large cities in the Netherlands are: The Hague, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Almere. The Netherlands also owns a few islands in the North Sea that together form the Wadden Islands.
The Netherlands is known as a prosperous and economically stable country with very little poverty. The Netherlands has a long coastline with largely wide sandy beaches where it is busy in the summer with tourists and water sports enthusiasts (including kite surfing, surfing, diving, sailing). There are several seaside resorts on the coast, such as: Scheveningen, Zandvoort and Bloemendaal. The country does not have much to offer in terms of nature. The landscape is mostly flat and only has a number of forest and dune areas. The Netherlands is also known for its water management, many types of cheese and lenient legislation. Some examples of this are the legal use of soft drugs, legal prostitution (the red light district), the Euthanasia policy and same-sex marriage.
Overseas territories of the Netherlands:
The Kingdom of the Netherlands also includes the independent countries of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the special municipalities of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius. These special municipalities are also referred to as the BES islands or the Caribbean Netherlands.
Where is Netherlands located?
Travel information of Netherlands
Official name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Continent: Europe
Area: 41,528 km²
Capital: Amsterdam
Country code: NL, NLD
Population: 17,591,194 inhabitants (2021)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy / Parliamentary democracy
Highest point: 322 m (Vaalserberg)
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
A detailed explanation of this travel advice can be found on Diplomatie.belgium.be.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in the Netherlands that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in the Netherlands, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays within the Netherlands. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about the Netherlands?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in the Netherlands at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
The Netherlands has a temperate maritime climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 0 to 10 degrees and in the summer months around 15 to 25 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for the Netherlands can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate in the Netherlands can be found at Climate info.
Best time
July and August are the best months to travel to the Netherlands. In these months you have the best chance of summer temperatures.
Language
Dutch is the official language in the Netherlands. In addition, Frisian is the official language in the province of Friesland. Many Dutch people speak a second language (mainly English, German or French). There are also different dialects such as Brabant and Limburg.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to the Netherlands.
Money and Currency matters
In the Netherlands, payments are made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs in the Netherlands can be found on our ATMs page.
Tip
In the Netherlands it is customary to give a tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, you give a tip of approximately 5-10%.
Time difference
The Netherlands is in time zone UTC +1 during winter time and in time zone UTC +2 during summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of the Netherlands can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In the Netherlands you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in the Netherlands.
Information about public transport in the Netherlands can be found on 9292.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within the Netherlands.
Electricity
In the Netherlands, two different plugs are used (230 volts).
More information about electricity in the Netherlands can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire Department: 112
– Ambulance: 112
– Coast Guard: 0900-0111 or VHF channel 16
– Non-emergency aid: 0900-8844
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to the Netherlands can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from the Netherlands can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from the Netherlands end in.nl.
Official websites of the Netherlands: government.nl and holland.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in the Netherlands is 0031 or +31.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
All area codes of the Netherlands can be found at Netnummer.info.
Telephone numbers can be found in the Telephone Directory of the Netherlands.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of the Netherlands.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of the Netherlands.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from the Netherlands.
Holidays and school holidays
The national holidays of the Netherlands are April 27 (King’s Day) and May 5 (Liberation Day).
An overview of all other public holidays in the Netherlands can be found on Beleven.org.
An overview of all school holidays in the Netherlands can be found on Nederlandworldwide.nl.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in the Netherlands, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report (travel story) about the Netherlands?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited the Netherlands. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in the Netherlands can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in the Netherlands can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to the Netherlands? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and medicines, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to the Netherlands.
– Alcohol: Buy from the age of 18, drink at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0.2 for novice drivers up to 5 years old).
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…the Netherlands has more than 35,000 kilometers of cycle paths?
…Licorice is the most popular candy in the Netherlands?
…Amsterdam is built entirely on stilts?
…The Netherlands is the tallest nation in the world?
…more than 23 million people worldwide speak Dutch?
…The Netherlands was the first country where same-sex couples could get married?