Page 258 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

256  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

Practical & Travel Information opening hours for the weekend.
Some museums adopt Sunday
The Netherlands is a straightforward country to travel hours for national holidays.
in, and visitors should find its citizens, who are often
multilingual, helpful and friendly. One of the joys of a visit Banking and Currency
to Amsterdam is the relatively car-free environment. Trams, The Dutch unit of currency is
bicycles, and pedestrians are given a higher priority in the the euro (see p23). Banks open
center than motor vehicles. Outside the capital, the Dutch from 9 or 10am to 4 or 5pm
public-transportation network is one of the most highly Monday to Friday. Some city
developed in Europe. branches close at 7pm on
Thursdays and open on
Saturday mornings. Banks are
Tourist Information Safety and Emergencies
usually the best place to change
The NBTC (Netherlands Board Amsterdam is much safer than money, but official bureaux de
of Tourism and Conventions) many North American and change, the GWK (grenswissel-
has offices in many cities world- European cities. Drugs-related kantoor-bureaus), also have
wide. Within the Netherlands, crime is still a problem, but reasonable exchange rates.
the state-run tourist-information tourists should not be affected by Most ATMs handle cards from
organization is the Vereniging this, as long as they act sensibly the main international banks,
Voor Vreemdelingenverkeer, and avoid certain areas after dark, and many credit cards. The latter
known as the VVV. They have in particular the Zeedijk district. are widely accepted in shops
around 450 offices throughout In case of emergencies, the and restaurants.
the country. The Amsterdam appropriate number to call is
branch is called VVV I listed in the directory opposite.
amsterdam Visitor Centre. } Communications
They provide information on Most public telephones have
sights, transportation, and Health Issues been removed due to the use
events, and will also change Minor health problems can be of cell phones, but you can still
money and reserve hotel rooms. dealt with by a chemist (drogist), find some in stations and tourist
The Museum Card (Museum- who stocks non-prescription areas. The majority of phone
kaart), available from branches drugs. If you need prescription booths only accept cards, which
of the VVV, is valid for a year, medicines, go to a pharmacy can be bought at post offices,
and allows admission to more (apotheek), open from 8:30am tobacconists, and train stations,
than 400 museums and galleries. to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. but it might be easier and
Attracted by the canals, cheaper to buy a local SIM
mosquitoes can be an irritant card for your phone.
Visa Requirements in Amsterdam, so bring plenty Main post offices are open
and Customs of repellent sprays and anti- 9am–5pm Monday to Friday.
Citizens of the EU, Australia, New histamine creams with you. Most small local post offices
Zealand, the US, and Canada have been replaced by post-
need only a valid passport to Museum Opening Times office agencies in supermarkets
enter the Netherlands. Those and bookstores. Stamps can be
visitors coming from non-EU Most of the larger museums bought at post offices,
states can reclaim VAT on certain open daily, usually from 10am tobacconists, or souvenir shops.
goods. Call the freephone line to 5pm. Some museums close
(0800-0143) for further details. on Monday, and have different
Flying to the Netherlands
Carriers operating non-stop
The Climate of the AMSTERDAM flights from the US to the
Netherlands Netherlands include American
The Netherlands has a °C/ºF Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United
temperate climate. Winters are Airlines, and KLM. Seven airlines
frequently freezing, and spring 22/72 fly direct from the UK to the
and autumn can be chilly. July 13/55 12/54 14/58 Netherlands, among them
and August are the warmest 4/39 7/45 5/51 British Airways and low-cost
months, but North Sea winds 1/34 airlines including Ryanair,
often make it seem cooler. You 5 6.5 3 1.5 easyJet, and Transavia. The
should expect rainfall all year hrs hrs hrs hrs least-expensive way to get from
round, but spring is generally 35 57 70 56 Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to
the driest season. The heaviest mm mm mm mm the city center is by the airport
rainfall occurs in the autumn, month Apr Jul Oct Jan train service. Trains leave for
especially in November. Centraal Station seven times
each hour between 5:40am

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