Page 143 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Amsterdam

Practical Information ❮❮ 141

Opening Hours plugs. British equipment which is a compendious
needs only a plug adaptor; affair with useful, up-to-
Normal opening hours American appliances date information on various
for shops and offices are require a transformer accommodations, events,
Monday to Friday 8:30am and an adaptor. exhibitions, shopping and
or 9am to 5:30pm or 6pm, travel necessary for your
and Saturday 8:30am Driving stay; you can also book
or 9am to 4pm or 5pm, hotel rooms online.
though many larger Most foreign driving
shops also open late licences are honoured in DIRECTORY
on Thursday or Friday the Netherlands, including
evenings. Sunday opening all EU, US, Canadian, POSTAL SERVICES
is becoming increasingly Australian and New PostNL
common, with many Zealand ones. If you are ∑ postnl.post
stores and shops open bringing your own car, TELEPHONE AND
between noon and 5pm. you must have adequate INTERNET
Most restaurants open insurance, preferably
for dinner from about 6pm including coverage for KPN
∑ kpn.com
or 7pm, and though many legal costs, and it’s
kitchens close as early as advisable to have an Lebara
∑ lebara.com
9:30pm, a few stay open appropriate breakdown
past 11pm and many open policy from your home Ortel Mobile
for lunch too (from noon motoring organization ∑ ortel.nl
to 2pm). Bars, cafés and too. To hire a car, you T-mobile
coffeeshops are either must be 21 or over, with ∑ t-mobile.nl
open all day from around a valid driving licence Telephone directory
10am or don’t open until and a credit card. ∑ detelefoongids.nl
about 5pm; all close at Telfort
1am during the week and Weather ∑ telfort.nl
2am at weekends. Vodaphone
Nightclubs generally Amsterdam has a ∑ vodaphone.nl
function from 11pm to temperate climate with
4am during the week, moderately cold winters Ziggo
∑ ziggo.nl
though a few open every and fairly mild summers.
night, and some stay open Be prepared for rain at NEWSPAPERS AND
until 5am at the weekend. any time of year and don’t MAGAZINES
be surprised if the wind American Book Center
Time Difference whistles down the canals. Spui 12
§ 020 625 5537
The Netherlands is on Tourist Information ∑ abc.nl
Central European Time Athenaeum
(CET) – one hour ahead The Amsterdam Tourist Nieuwscentrum
of Greenwich Mean Time. Information Office is Spui 14–16
Like the rest of the EU located opposite Centraal § 020 514 1470
and the USA, it observes Station on Stationsplein. ∑ athenaeum.nl
Daylight Saving Time, so They provide advice and Waterstones
it remains one hour information on just about Kalverstraat 152
ahead of the UK and everything – including § 020 638 3821
six hours ahead of New walks, canal tours, sights ∑ waterstones.com/
York throughout the year. and exhibitions – and bookshops
operate an accommodation TOURIST
Electrical booking service. Here INFORMATION
Appliances you can also buy the Amsterdam Tourist
popular I amsterdam
The electricity supply in City Card (see p142) and Information Office
Stationsplein
the Netherlands is 220 the Museumkaart (see p142). § 020 702 6000
volts AC, with standard Their official website is ∑ iamsterdam.com
European-style two-pin www.iamsterdam.com,

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