Business hours

SHOPS:

Most shops are open from Tuesday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm. On Saturdays business hours differ between 8:30/9 - 4/5 pm. Mondays shops open between 11 am and 1 pm and close at 6 pm.

Most cities have late-night shopping (until 9 pm) on Thursdays or Fridays. In holiday and tourist resorts many shops are open at night and on Sundays. For business hours on Sundays or late night shopping, please call a local tourist information office.

SUNDAY SHOPPING AND LATE-NIGHT SHOPPING IN THE MAIN CITIES

Amsterdam

Sunday: every week from 12 am to 7 pm

Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm

The Hague

Sunday: every week from 12 am to 5 pm

Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm

Maastricht

Sunday: 9-3-2003, 6-4-2003, 29-5-2003, 7-9-2003, 30-11-2003, 21-12-2003 from 12 pm to 5 pm

Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm

Utrecht

Sunday: every first Sunday of each month from 12 pm to 5 pm

Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm

Rotterdam

Sunday: every week from 12 am to 5 pm

Late night shopping: every Friday until 9 pm

BANKS:

Business hours differ between banks. Most banks are open from Tuesday to Friday between 9 am and 4 pm. On Mondays businesss hours start mainly at 1 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays banks are closed.

GWK offices are openen 7 days a week.

POST OFFICES:

Regular post offices are open from Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm. Bigger ones are also open on Saturdays between 9 am and 12 noon/12:30 p.m.

CHEMISTS:

Regular business hours are Monday to Friday between 8/9 am and 5:30/6 pm. However, chemists are open on a rotation schedule to cover nights and weekends.

RESTAURANTS:

Business hours vary, but usually restaurants are open for lunch from 11 am to 2:30/3 pm and for dinner from 5:30-10/11 pm.

MUSEUMS:

Business hours vary, however, most museums are open from 10 am until 5 pm every day of the week, except Mondays. 

Coffee shops

A coffee shop can best be described as a café, which does not sell alcoholic beverages, and in which, under certain circumstances, soft drugs may be sold. Although the sale of soft drugs is an offence, low priority is given to the prosecution of coffee shop owners, provided they sell small quantities only and meet the following conditions:

no more than five grams per person may be sold in any one transaction;

no hard drugs may be sold;

drugs may not be advertised;

the coffee shop must not cause any nuisance;

no drugs may be sold to persons under the age of 18, nor may minors be admitted on the premises.

The mayor of a city has authority to close coffee shops, which do not meet these conditions.

Electricity

The voltage in Holland is 220 volts. Hotels may have a 110-volt or 120-volt outlet for shavers, but travellers are advised to bring a power converter and an adapter for two-prong, round-prong plugs with side grounding contacts.

If you plan on staying in The Netherlands for a while, you might want to buy a hair dryer or electric razor here. Battery operated appliances are another option if you don't mind replacing the batteries. 

Useful telephone numbers in Holland

 Please note: the telephone numbers below are only useful during your stay in Holland. Most numbers can not be reached from abroad.

NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Police, fire brigade, ambulance: 112

National number police, no emergency: 0900 8844

ROAD PATROL

ANWB: 0800 0888

EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES

Dutch embassies and consulates abroad and foreign embassies and consulates in Holland can be found on www.minbuza.nl

LOCAL TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES

The local tourist office in the city you intend to visit can answer most of your questions. For the addresses of these offices, go to: Search. The tourist information offices are listed under 'General Information'.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Train, bus, tram, metro, ferries within Holland: 0900 9292

Train travel to abroad: 0900 9296

Timetable Dutch railways (NS): The Netherlands Railways (NS)

Train taxi: 0900 TREINTAXI / 0900 8734682

Taxi: 0900 TAXI / 0900 8294

TELEPHONE SERVICES

Telephone numbers within Holland: 0900 8008

Telephone numbers abroad: 0900 8418

Operator: 0800 0410

Collect call: 0800 0101

NETHERLANDS CONVENTION BUREAU

Under the umbrella of holland.com we present you the best Holland has on offer for your meeting, convention, incentive or exhibition. The search engine makes it easy to find a suitable venue for your event. Please visit:

Netherlands Convention Bureau

Amsterdam Transportation

Transportation

AMSTERDAM BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Public transportation is well organized and easy to figure out. The center has a vast tram network, which will pretty much take you wherever you want to go. Be aware of pick pockets though, especially during the tourist season. Amsterdam has a small subway or metro system as well, running North to South through the city, but with only a few stops in the center.

STRIPPENKAART (PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TICKET)

The tickets used on most public transportation systems are called 'strippenkaart.’ The cards can be bought in advance at the public transportation office (GVB sales points) in front of Central Station, at the train station, post office, Amsterdam Tourist Office (VVV) or in tobacco shops. You can also buy the strippenkaart in the tram itself, but you will pay more! Holland is divided into zones of approximately 5 km in section. A ticket (strippenkaart) is divided into a number of strips (2, 3, 8, 15 or 45). You need one strip more than the number of zones in which you want to travel. Usually a tram ride in Amsterdam center is within 1 zone, so that means 2 strips in total have to be stamped. You either stamp the card yourself in the bus or tram, or you can have it stamped by the bus driver or tram conductor. Several people can travel on the same card, as long as the correct number of strips is stamped. Your stamp is valid for one hour, so you can transfer to other buses, subways and trams as long as you stay within the zones you originally stamped your ticket for.

TRAM

The trams are the most important mode of public transportation in Amsterdam. The tram network consists of 17 tram lines. Most tram lines depart from Central Station and go to the city areas or suburbs in the east (Oost), south (Zuid) and west (West). Other lines connect these city areas.

BUS AND NIGHT BUS

Like the trams, the majority of Amsterdam's buses set out from Central Station, but they soon branch out from the city center and largely complement the tram network. After midnight, when regular public transportation is not available, night buses (8 lines) cover most of Amsterdam and some destinations outside the city.

SUBWAY

Amsterdam's subway or metro system consists of only three lines, all terminating at Central Station. Mainly used by commuters, it is of little to no use to tourists as it only covers four stations in the east part of the city center. At night on weekdays, the subway runs about 30 minutes later than trams.

AMSTERDAM BY WATER

Amsterdam and water are intimately linked. Amsterdam has evolved around its network of canals for centuries, earning the nick name ‘Venice of the North.’ The canals were originally built for moving goods rather than people, but today they provide a marvelous mode of transportation, as well as the best way to view the city’s sights and everyday life.

Canal boats offer a wide variety of tours to satisfy the most diverse requirements, and are usually featured in tourist brochures. Boat trips are particularly well suited to those without time to explore by tram or on foot, or to the elderly and families with children, who are not able to walk long distances. The Canal Bus runs every 30 minutes along three routes, with 11 stops located near the major museums, shopping areas and other attractions. You can also combine a canal tour with a museum visit and take advantage of the Museum Boat. Departures from Prins Hendrikkade are every 30 minutes (in winter every 45 minutes) with stops near some 20 museums. If you're feeling energetic, you can hire a Canal Bike from one of the several points through the city (Westerkerk, Leidseplein, Leidsestraat, Rijksmuseum), and choose your own route.

AMSTERDAM BY FOOT

Amsterdam is an excellent city to explore by foot. Nowhere will you find so many places of interest per square meter. Practically all tourist attractions are within walking distance of each other. The VVV AmsterdamTourist Office has mapped out a number of interesting walking routes through various parts of the city. Each route is a unique voyage of discovery through a unique city. The booklets contain convenient street maps with dotted lines to indicate the routes. The route booklets can be obtained at the four VVV offices in Amsterdam (on Stationsplein across from Central Station, Leidseplein/corner of Leidsestraat, Stadionplein and on Platform 2 at Central Station), at the Holland Tourist Information desk at Schiphol Plaza and at various bookstores in Amsterdam.

Take a walk through Amsterdam’s famous shopping streets, the Jordaan district with its quaint little streets and narrow canals, or the old Jewish quarter.

AMSTERDAM BY CAR

Cars are less suited for getting around in Amsterdam because the city can be considered car-unfriendly. There is basically paid parking only in almost the entire city and the rates can be substantial. If you're traveling into Amsterdam by car, ask your hotel about parking possibilities. Don't even think of parking your car in an illegal spot (even for 5 minutes) and don't forget to pay or you're sure to get a wheelclamp. Getting the parking police to remove a wheelclamp is a lengthy and very costly affair. The best way to save money and enjoy more of Amsterdam is to make use of the efficient public transportation system.

THE ALL AMSTERDAM TRANSPORT PASS

Thanks to the cooperation between the City Transport Company and Canal Bus, visitors can now obtain a day pass (€ 17) offering unlimited transport throughout Amsterdam by tram, bus, metro or canal bus

THE AMSTERDAM PASS

The Amsterdam Pass is a perfect way to discover Amsterdam. This pass offers a total of 32 savings, including a public transportation ticket, free access to top museums, such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Amsterdam Historical Museum. It also offers a free canal cruise, reductions on boat tours and a variety of attractions (like Madame Tussauds) and other museums, as well as discounts at selected restaurants. The Amsterdam Pass can be part of your Tours.