Geographical position
According to Zipcodesexplorer, the Netherlands borders Germany in the east and Belgium in the south. In the north and west of the country washed by the North Sea.
Capital: Amsterdam
Language: Dutch
Time
Behind Moscow for 2 hours.
Currency
Euro (EURO), 1 EURO = 100 EURO cent. Banknotes: 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. Coins: 2 and 1
Euro; 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Phone
The country code is 31.
When calling to a country, dial 8-beep-10-31-(area code)-(called subscriber number)
Passing the border:
When passing through passport control, you must present a passport with a visa, ask to present also: air ticket, voucher, cash (cash, traveler’s checks, cre-child card).
Customs regulations
The Netherlands is the only country in the world where the use of soft drugs is legal, but You can’t bring them in anyway. For the import and export of drugs from the country, a prison imprisonment up to 12 years. Adults can enter 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars (100 small cigars) or 50g.
tobacco, 1 liter of alcoholic beverages, the alcohol content of which exceeds 22%, or 2 liters containing alcohol content in which does not reach 22%.
On January 1, 2013, the European Union changed the rules for the import and export of cash and now it is necessary to declare cash amounts in the equivalent of more than 10,000 euros, and you need to declare it at the entrance. and on the go. Declarations are subject not only to the euro, but also cash in any currency, as well as securities and traveler’s checks. The EU has already developed new declaration forms.
Entry with pets
When importing pets, an international veterinary passport is required.
It is also necessary to have a rabies vaccination, which was done no earlier than 30 days before crossing the border, and no later than 12 months before crossing the border.
Climate
The climate is humid, temperate maritime. The average temperatures in January are +1+3° C, in July – +16+17° C.
Despite the rather warm climate, frequent westerly winds cause a sharp drop in temperature.
temperatures even during the warmest months.
Holidays
January 1 – New Year, March-April – Good Friday, March-April – Easter, April 30 -Queen’s Day, May 4 – Memorial Day, May 5 – Liberation Day, 40 days after Easter – Ascension of the Lord, 7 weeks after Easter – the day of the Holy Trinity, 25-26 December – Christmas.
Operation of banks, shops, exchange offices
Banks are open from 9.00 to 16.00 on weekdays, a break – from 12.00 to 13.30. By On Fridays , some banks close one hour earlier.
The GWK organization also deals with currency exchange in Amsterdam. Majority GWK exchange points are located near railway stations. GWK offices _work daily
from 8.00 to 20.00, on Sunday – from 10.00 to 16.00. You can also exchange currency at post offices.
Shops are open daily from 9.00 to 17.30 – 18.00. Stores are closed on Tuesday and Friday pretty late. On Saturdays, grocery stores close at 16.00, the rest at 17.00.
Hotel accommodation
Please present your voucher upon check-in at the hotel. Checkout time in most hotels 12:00, however, sometimes rooms can be ready later (15:00-16:00), in which case things can be leave in the hotel’s storage room. Please note that the hotel is not responsible for documents, money and valuables, if they are not stored in an individual safe. Most 4-5* hotels upon check-in requires a credit card or a cash deposit for a minibar, telephone and other additional services. When leaving the hotel: check-out time is usually 09:00 – 12:00.
Car rental and movement rules
To rent a car, you need an international driving license and a credit card.
cards.
Traffic in the Netherlands is right-handed, the condition of the roads is excellent. On motorways speed is limited to 120 km/h, on local highways – 100 km/h, within populated areas points – 50 or even 30 km / h, police radars are installed everywhere.
On city streets, cyclists are given priority in the order of movement.
The central strip of many streets is reserved for public transport.
Parking on many streets, especially in areas of interest and public transport stops are extremely difficult.
Transport
The cities operate a unified urban transport system ( GVB ), which includes trams, trolleybuses and buses. A single trip ticket is valid for one hour. Better to buy reusable tickets consisting of several coupons paying for one trip, as well as one-day and 9-daytime passes.
Cities are divided into transport zones. Depending on the route of the trip, coupons are required compost as many times as the number of zones crossed by the route. Bus fare at night it doubles by 1-2 zones and one and a half times – by 3 zones.
It is customary to enter public transport through the back door, the entrance to the front door is usually only allowed with multi-day passes presented to the driver.
Travel cards for all types of transport can be bought at the station, at the post office, in some bookstores, in special GVB ticket offices, as well as tram or bus drivers.
The National Railway Company (“NS”) provides transportation for inter-do the cities of the country. There are several stations in Amsterdam, but all major Dutch and International trains arrive at the Central Station (Centraal Station).
Kitchen
The national dish of Dutch cuisine is hutspot (or hot pot) – sliced boiled or stewed beef served on a platter garnished with mashed vegetables cooked from boiled carrots, onions and potatoes. It is impossible to imagine a Dutch table without fish. Favorite dish – “haring”, i.e. lightly salted herring cooked in a special way with a slice of pickled cucumber or bow. Among other popular fish dishes, fried fillet of fresh herring with onions, stewed in oven-baked pike perch with vegetables, smoked eel with egg and lemon garnish. Soups are very popular with the Dutch.
For example, “erten-soup” – from crushed peas with smoked sausage, celery soup and “consommé pot-a-fe” – broth with slices of ham and carrots. It is impossible to imagine Dutch cuisine without hot sandwiches of all kinds. The most famous is a hot three-layer sandwich with scrambled eggs, bacon and ham – “rausschmeiser”, as well as tarts with cheese, ham and butter,
Tips
The cost of service in hotels and restaurants is included in the bill (the amount does not exceed 15%).
Tipping is not accepted, but as a token of special gratitude for good service, you can leave 5-10% of the bill.
Tax refund
VAT refund (BTW, 17.5%) is possible on purchases over 150 euros subject to personal collection goods from the country no later than 30 days from the date of purchase. Most stores, for this you need to fill out a special form (passport is required), which present at customs upon exit. Some stores issue a special check, which cashed at the airport, while others mail the check. VAT for hotels is 6% (the amount is included in the price), and in some localities a “tourist tax”, also added to the invoice.
Insurance
Medical insurance is a mandatory part of the travel package. Also recommended purchase insurance covering cases such as lost baggage or theft of credit cards.
Health care
Medicine in the Netherlands is paid. Emergency medical care is provided to all persons regardless of whether you have a health insurance policy. In the absence of health insurance is obliged to personally pay the cost of the medical services provided.
Crime
It is necessary to be wary of thieves riding motorcycles. They can snatch the wallet or ladies handbag.
It is not recommended to wear clothes made of genuine leather and fur, aggressive defenders may attack animals.
Where to go in emergency situations
Police, ambulance, fire brigade – 112
Embassy of Russia in the Netherlands:
2517 JP Den Haag (The Hague) Andries Bickerweg 2; tel.: (70) 345-13-00
Consular section of the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands:
2517 AA Den Haag (The Hague) Loan van Meerdervoort 1; tel.: (70) 364-64-70