Daily Life

Once you have solved the more pressing matters, there are many other things you will need to know about living in the Netherlands such as shopping hours and customs, household help, safety, pets, Dutch gardens and family life, (mobile) telephone and Internet Service Providers – not necessarily in that order. You will find answers to such questions as 'Why do the Dutch leave their curtains open?', but also on how to get your telephone service started and whether the Netherlands is a safe country to live in. In this chapter, we have included material from the book Food Shoppers’ Guide to Holland – if you would like to read more on shopping and food in the Netherlands, you can find information on this book by clicking on the info-button at the top of this page.

Shopping

In general, shops in the Netherlands are open Monday through Saturday from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M., however, most shops are closed on Monday mornings and close an hour or two early on Saturdays. One evening each week, all shops in an area will either stay open until 9 P.M., or open again from 7 – 9 P.M. This is called koopavond, and whether it is Thursday or Friday depends on the town. Some supermarkets stay open a few hours longer in the evening to give people time to shop after work and all stores in an area may decide to open their doors on certain Sundays.

In the big cities you might be able to find a small grocery shop that specializes in being open late in the evenings and on Sundays. This is called an avondwinkel, and its prices will be higher than prices elsewhere.

Appliances

The current used in the Netherlands is 220 volt, so – unless you are inclined to import a shipload of converters or are moving here from another 220-volt country – you are most likely going to be doing quite some household shopping when you move here.
The good news is that there are several chains for buying household appliances. They usually sell all that you need in one place.

Other Items

Furniture can be bought in any number of places, from tiny, exclusive little shops to big well-known chains. The Netherlands has two types of furniture conglomerates, known as meubelboulevards or woonboulevards (furniture or living boulevards), some being huge indoor malls with stores of all levels of exclusivity, some being geographic locations where a large collection of larger stores are all located.

Computers and software can be bought at computer chain stores, stores that specialize in smaller technology such as cameras, telephones and televisions or via the Internet.

Typical Dutch Foods

If you were to ask a Dutchman to name one national dish, he would probably mention erwtensoep (pea soup). Next would come the stamppot dishes of boerenkool met worst (curly kale with sausage), hachée (beef and onion stew), zuurkool met worst (sauerkraut with sausage) and witlof met ham en kaas (Belgian endives with ham and cheese sauce). In May and June, everyone eats asperges met ham en eieren (asparagus with ham and eggs). At last count, there were over 900 Chinese / Indonesian shops in the Netherlands. Thus it is safe to say that everyone in the Netherlands also eats Indonesian food – in what has become known as the Indonesian rijsttafel.

Safety

The Netherlands is a safe country to live in. Your children can safely ride their bikes to school and you can safely go out to dinner – even in the ‘big’ cities and even after dark. In the smaller towns, life is even safer.

Streets are generally well-lit in the cities and towns in the Netherlands, so that you can safely let out your dog in the evening, run to the supermarket or walk to your friends’ house a couple of streets away. When you leave the house, however, it is always best to lock the door.

As for the bigger cities; as in any big city, you should keep your eye on your purse, bags, cameras and whatever else you might have on you and you should not wander alone into a dark alley-way. When walking alone, search for well-lit areas.

Two Myths

Now that we are talking about the big cities, this is a good opportunity to deal with a myth or two about the Netherlands. Yes, the government hands out drugs – for free – to so-called 'incurable' drug addicts. They do this not only in a desire to help the underdog, but also to decrease crime in the streets. Instead of having desperate junkies roaming the streets, looking for someone to mug, the government has chosen to hand out drugs in fixed places in the big cities – away from the crowds, where the addicts know where to find them.

And yes, there are areas in the cities where prostitution is condoned. One of these areas, the so-called red-light district in Amsterdam, is famous for it. It might interest you to know that this can be considered one of the safest areas of Amsterdam: it is always well-lit, well-patrolled by the police and never deserted, as the prostitution industry is one that works 24 hours a day. However, should you wish to visit the area, a day-time visit may be a better idea as this will reduce the risk of being targeted by the nevertheless ever-present pick-pockets or questionable characters with dubious intentions.

The Media

The four major newspapers in the Netherlands are De Telegraaf, the AD, De Volkskrant and NRC/Handelsblad. Aside from these newspapers, you will find many regional newspapers, as well as magazines on all sorts of topics – as well as international (or foreign) magazines and newspapers.
Dutch television will also not present much of a problem as it is sub-titled, leaving all foreign movies, series and other programs in their original language. Holland has a plethora of television channels to choose from available through cable (often up to 30 channels) including those of other countries.
Furthermore, Holland has five national radio stations and several regional ones, but the fun thing is, of course, that certainly when it comes to radio, you can listen to broadcasts from just about anywhere in the world.

Recycling 

In general the Netherlands is considered to be a very ‘green’ country; not just for its wide-open fields, but also for the mentality of the Dutch in protecting their environment. A vast majority of the population takes part in various recycling efforts. From the organic waste, which is collected separately, compost is made which is then reused in gardens and agriculture. Of the more than two million tons of paper collected, close to 90% is recycled and used for new products. More than 85% of all glass is recycled.

There are more than 20 measures in place in the Netherlands to help you recycle, rather than throw away.

Starting Your Telephone Service 

Your best bet is to go to a local Primafoon-store - the official KPN Telecom store - to arrange you subscription. Be sure to enquire beforehand as to what papers you will be needing.

Rates 

Although efforts have been made to induce competition in this market, KPN Telecom is still the main company that provides fixed phone lines for home and office. However, the KPN no longer has a monopoly on the telephone lines in the Netherlands. Other companies have bought up the rights to a certain number of the KPN lines and offer cheaper rates (also when phoning abroad) if you make use of their lines. However, keep in mind that you will still have to pay a subscription to KPN, for which you will receive a bi-monthly bill.

Mobile Telephones 

The largest players on the Dutch mobile phone market are KPN, Vodafone, Telfort, T-Mobile and Tele2. From the expat’s perspective, it is perhaps important to be able to make and receive calls in other countries. Through international roaming agreements, cellular operators allow foreign operators to use their networks such that they have broader international coverage.

Pre-Pay Phones
 
This is a popular choice among Dutch users, particularly young people. One reason is that the pre-pay phone allows users to pay for their calls in advance, and so avoid subscription fees and hefty bills. They are cheap, convenient and provide enough coverage for most Dutch users in the Netherlands.

Internet Service Providers 

There are in the region of 100 or so Internet service providers active in the Dutch market. Your choice of ISP will depend upon why you want the Internet. In The Holland Handbook, you will find an overview of the criteria you might want to apply when choosing your ISP.

TV 

The Netherlands, along with Belgium, is the most densely-cabled country in the world. At an average of € 15 a month, access is so cheap that most people don’t even know what they pay for it.
Expanded services include interactive capabilities, high-speed Internet and discounted telephony.

For useful addresses and websites, please use the info-link button at the top of this page

More on these subjects can be found in The Holland Handbook 2010 - 2011