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Netherlands Information · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 20 Home Country: netherlands

GETTING AROUND IN NETHERLANDS

BUS

For relatively short distances, and if you travel to areas without railway lines, the bus is an excellent means of transportation. Most bus services run from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Holland has four types of services:

City Bus, Regional Bus & Express Service
The city buses run within the boundaries of larger towns. The regional buses travel in and around main cities and the smaller towns nearby. The timetable is mainly geared to traveling during peak hours. The express services have fewer stops than the regional buses, run very frequently during peak hours to destinations in and around the main cities.

Interliner
In addition to the above three types of services, Holland also has the Interliner. This bus service is used for longer distances and links various towns. It is an ideal means of transportation for commuters. The Interliner has very few stops.

Connexxion
This bus company serves the major part of Holland: the provinces of Noord and Zuid Holland, Gelderland, Overijssel and Zeeland.

TAXI

You can book a taxi in advance with local taxi companies. In some larger cities you can also hail a taxi on the street or at one of the taxi ranks.

Taxis can be recognized by the blue license plates with black letters and digits and the taxi sign on top of the roof.

Taxis take you to any desired destination against payment in cash. Prices may vary per region and are sometimes open to negotiation. The maximum rate for four passengers is compound as follows: a call charge between EUR 0 and EUR 5,12 and an amount between EUR 0 and EUR 1,94 per kilometer. If you keep a taxi waiting, an amount between EUR 0 and EUR 32,87 per hour will be charged.

The maximum rate for taxi vans (five to eight persons) and vans for disabled people is compound as follows: a call charge between EUR 0 and EUR 8,33 and an amount between EUR 0 and EUR 2,23 per kilometer. If you keep a taxi waiting, an amount between EUR 0 and EUR 32,87 per hour will be charged.

TRAIN TAXI

Treintaxi (train-taxi) is a typical Dutch form of transport. You share the taxi with others and therefore travel at a reduced rate. Treintaxi takes you to and from 59 railway stations in the Netherlands.

Train Taxi Area
Treintaxi serves a certain area, which is shown at the Treintaxi stand at the station. Tickets can be used in every city where Treintaxi is available (59 cities throughout The Netherlands). A separate ticket must be purchased for the return trip. The exact geographic regions covered by Treintaxi services are determined per town. This frequently includes both the town centre and the surrounding areas.

How to get a Train Taxi
The treintaxi stand can be recognized easily. It is separately located from the normal taxi stand and is designed in blue and yellow (the colours of the Netherlands Railways). If you wish to get a treintaxi, go to the stand and report yourself at the driver. Or you push the blue button at the stand to contact the Treintaxi operator. The driver waits for a maximum of 15 minutes for other possible passengers to share this Treintaxi, determines an efficient route and brings the passengers to their destinations.

Trips to the Railway Station
For the return trip to the railway station, you call the Treintaxi Callcentre at least half an hour before you wish the driver to come and pick you up. The telephone number is 0900-TREINTAXI (0900 873 46 82) the costs are EUR 0,35 per minute. Please note that this number can only be dialed within the Netherlands.

TRAM & METRO

The cities of The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam offer transportation by tram. Amsterdam and Rotterdam also have a subway system. Most tram and subway services start at 6 a.m. and run until approximately 12 midnight. The subway trains and trams are usually faster than the city buses. You do not have to buy a ticket on the tram/subway but you use the so-called 'strippen card'.

The local The Hague tram company is HTM, in Amsterdam the GVB company offers tram and subway services, while the Rotterdam equivalent is RET.

CANAL BUS

Canal Bus provides the ideal transport along the canals of Amsterdam. The boats operate a regular service along the canals on three routes: the Green Line, the Red Line and the Blue Line. The 14 stops are located near the major museums, attractions and shopping centres. With a Day Pass, which is valid till 12.00 in the afternoon the next day, you can hop on, hop off as often as you like. And you get a lot of discounts at museums, attractions, restaurants and shops! On board there is a commentary providing interesting information about Amsterdam. On the map you can find the designated stops and the interesting sights in the neighbourhood.

BIKE

Holland has 16 million people and 11 million bikes, so you better believe the Dutch are born in the saddle. To fully engage in the Dutch experience, you positively have to climb aboard a bike and head out into the wide green yonder. You can rent bikes at many railway stations around the country to tour the local highlights The tourism authorities have marked out many biking tour routes and have published descriptive booklets and maps, available from VVV offices.

Biking in Holland is safe, easy, and pleasant. Almost all roads have designated bike paths, often separated from the road by a screen of trees or bushes, and there are separate traffic lights and signs for bikers. (Mopeds, called brommers in Holland, and motor-scooters also use the bike paths.) One thing that can prove an unpleasant surprise for those who think an absence of hills makes for easy riding is that in a totally flat landscape, nothing blocks the wind -- which is fine when the wind is behind you and not so fine when it's blowing in your face.

CAR RENTAL

You will find the main car rental companies in all major cities and at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Costs
Rentals for one week or longer are available at special rates. Some companies offer additional discounts during the off-season and at weekends. VAT (19%, non-refundable) is added to all rental rates. It is usually less expensive to book a car in advance from your home country. Rates vary, according to the model, from approximately EUR 37 to EUR 122 per day, excluding costs for mileage. Please note: Holland uses kilometers instead of miles. One kilometer equals 0.621 miles.

Minimum Age
Some firms stipulate a minimum age of 21 years, other companies 23 years.

Motorhome Rental
Motorhomes, equipped with kitchenettes, showers and a comfortable sleeping area, offer the budget-minded an easy and dynamic way to tour Holland. The minimum age for motorhome rental is usually 21 - 23. You must have had your driver’s license for at least one year.

RAIL

Traveling through The Netherlands by train is fast, comfortable and very affordable. Holland has a dense, efficient railway network with modern, fast trains that interconnect cities several times an hour. Trains reach many cities, towns and villages. Another advantage: you'll always get off the train in the centre of the town. So there's no need to look at your map too much: you're always near the museums and the historic sites you want to visit.

Fast trains in combination with short distances make for short traveling time. For example: a train ride from Amsterdam to Utrecht takes only 30 minutes and getting to Amsterdam from Schiphol Airport only 16 minutes. Do you want to make a trip from Amsterdam to The Hague? Within 45 minutes you'll get off the train right in the city centre!

AIR

Because Holland is so small, you really need to fly from one city to another only if you're extremely pressed for time (and even then you might get there quicker by car or by train). But if fly you must, one or the other of the KLM subsidiaries, KLM Cityhopper and KLM Exel (tel. 020/474-7474; www.klm.nl), serves Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Groningen, and Enschede.