Difference between revisions of "Netherlands"

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{{infobox Country
 
{{infobox Country
 
|map = <map lat='52.2' lng='5.2' zoom='6' view='0' country='Netherlands'/>
 
|map = <map lat='52.2' lng='5.2' zoom='6' view='0' country='Netherlands'/>
|language = Dutch
+
|language = Dutch, Frisian
 
|capital = [[Amsterdam]]
 
|capital = [[Amsterdam]]
 
|pop = 16,570,613
 
|pop = 16,570,613
 
|currency = Euro (€)
 
|currency = Euro (€)
|hitch = {{good}}
+
|
 +
|hitch = <rating country='nl' />
 +
|BW = NL
 
}}
 
}}
 
The '''Netherlands''' are a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]].
 
The '''Netherlands''' are a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]].
 
Hitchhiking in the Netherlands is quite easy, and legal in most places, though not on motorways. The basic idea is that when you're allowed to walk somewhere, you can stand there for hitching too.  
 
Hitchhiking in the Netherlands is quite easy, and legal in most places, though not on motorways. The basic idea is that when you're allowed to walk somewhere, you can stand there for hitching too.  
Standing on a motorway entrance just in front of the motorway sign is allowed as well as standing on a petrol station along the motorway.  
+
Standing on a motorway entrance just in front of the motorway sign is allowed as well as standing on a petrol station along the motorway.
 +
Asking the Dutch people at a service station is faster than waiting while using the thumb for hitchhiking.
  
 
[[File:Hitchhiking across the creek.jpg|thumb|250px|There are many creeks in the Netherlands and they can make it hard to get to petrol stations on the motorway]]
 
[[File:Hitchhiking across the creek.jpg|thumb|250px|There are many creeks in the Netherlands and they can make it hard to get to petrol stations on the motorway]]
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// this information seems to be quite ineffective in terms of multimedia use. I even can hardly imagine how these sign look like. Alternative: Make a picture and put in in here ;) Any other ideas? // -->
 
// this information seems to be quite ineffective in terms of multimedia use. I even can hardly imagine how these sign look like. Alternative: Make a picture and put in in here ;) Any other ideas? // -->
Since 1991 Dutch students have a card providing them with free public transport (either in weekends or during the week), so hitchhiking is not as popular as it used to be. In some university towns, there are still official [[liftershalte]]s, '''official hitchhiking spots'''.
+
Since 1991 Dutch students have a card providing them with free public transport (either on weekends or during the week), so hitchhiking is not as popular as it used to be. In some university towns there are still official [[liftershalte]]s, '''official hitchhiking spots'''. The current government intends to make an end to free public transport for students from the beginning of 2016.  
  
Other good places are petrol stations along the motorways and the entrances to the motorway from larger cities (when there is a stopping space such as an emergency lane). On such a place the average waiting time is 5–45 minutes (same as Germany). A major difference with [[Germany]] is that many lifts are not longer than 50 km. At petrol stations you can try to talk to people, which will probably work out fine if you don't dress up like a hippie. Try to speak in Dutch or English. French and German often work too, but not as effectively.
+
Other good places are petrol stations along the motorways and the entrances to the motorway from larger cities (when there is a stopping space such as an emergency lane). On such a place the average waiting time is 5–45 minutes (same as Germany). A major difference with [[Germany]] is that many lifts are not longer than 50 km.  
  
=== Useful tips ===
+
At petrol stations you should definitely try to talk to people, which will probably work out fine if you don't dress up like a hippie. Many people will not stop their cars if you stand with the board but will take you if you ask them in person (which is a general hitchhiking principle). Try to speak in Dutch or English. French and German often work too, but not as effectively. Most likely the Dutch people will avoid you while speaking in German. In the Netherlands, there are as well a lot of seasonal workers and immigrants. There are particularly a lot of people from Poland and Bulgaria. Thus, it is fairly easy to get a lift for instance straight to Poland if you know the language or are communicative enough to sway Polish people to take you.  
* Use of Internet PC's in every city library, for a small price, Also you can find lots of public wifi networks that you can connect your laptop with for using the internet.
 
* When hitching in the Netherlands for a longer period (or when you're living there), it's advisable to buy yourself a ''15-strippenkaart'' for EUR 6,80, or a ''45-strippenkaart'' for EUR 20,40 in advance in a shop. This is a lot cheaper than buying a 2-, 3- or 8-strippenkaart on the bus or tram. (In the Netherlands any tram/bus route is divided into zones/stripes - for example, if you go from the centre of [[The Hague]] to the beach in [[Scheveningen]], it costs you 3 stripes, [[Delft]] to [[The Hague]] is about 8 stripes. So even if you are hitching all around the Netherlands, you can get yourself a strippenkaart(valid for around one year) for getting into/out of city centres - it will be valid all over the country.)
 
  
<!-- //i'm hitching over from NL to DE every week, and nearly nobody is afraid that i have drugs with me...//
+
Sometimes the petrol stations workers tell you to not ask people in front of the shop directly. You can then hitch at the exit of the station which is mostly just as good but as its disadvantages of course.
To get to [[Germany]] can be a bit difficult, because some people are afraid they could get in trouble if you have marijuana (legal in small portions in the Netherlands) or other drugs with you. However, if you're not on a motorway you can walk over the border and get another ride behind it.-->
 
  
 
== License plates ==
 
== License plates ==
In the Netherlands, license plates do not contain any marking about where the car comes from, but it does indicate the age of the car (although not in a straightforward way). Often though, the name and the city of the garage where the car was bought is indicated just under the license plate on the backside of the car. On busy petrol stations this may be useful information to look out for, as it may indicate where people are driving to. A normal license plate has three blocks of black letters or numbers on a yellow background. Every block consists of two letters or two numbers (so in total six letters and numbers). Since 2007 a new series of license plates is in use for the newest verhicles existing of a combination of three letters in the middle. Taxis' license plates have a blue background. The license plate of old timers is very dark blue with white letters. The number of cars with such license plate or yet another kind is very limited.
+
[[File:HitchDelft.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[User:Mdsmendes|Mdsmendes]] hitching in the Netherlands]]
 +
In the Netherlands, license plates do not contain any marking about where the car comes from, but it does indicate the age of the car (although not in a straightforward way). Often though, the name and the city of the garage where the car was bought is indicated just under the license plate on the backside of the car. On busy petrol stations this may be useful information to look out for, as it may indicate where people are driving to. A normal license plate has three blocks of black letters or numbers on a yellow background. Every block consists of two letters or two numbers (so in total six letters and numbers). Since 2007 a new series of license plates is in use for the newest vehicles existing of a combination of three letters in the middle. Taxis' license plates have a blue background. The license plate of old timers is very dark blue with white letters. The number of cars with such license plate or yet another kind is very limited.
 +
 
 +
=== Useful tips ===
 +
* Download and print [http://www.franknature.nl/hitchhike/hitchhike_cardboards_NL.pdf 42 ready made hitchhiking signs] for easy hitchhiking all across the Netherlands!
 +
* Use of Internet PCs in every city library, for a small price. Also you can find lots of public wi-fi networks that you can connect your laptop with for using the internet.
 +
* When hitching in the Netherlands for a longer period (or when you're living there), it's advisable to get a ''chipkaart''  This is a lot cheaper than buying a one way-ticket or day-ticket on the bus or tram. See for all info http://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/?taal=en
 +
** '''The old ''Strippenkaart'' isn't available any more as of November 2011. The two options now are the new ''chipkaart'' or the  new tickets called ''Gemakskaart'', which is way more expensive than the old ''Strippenkaart''.'''
 +
* Banks and supermarkets often have free coffee and sometimes even cookies.
 +
* 'Lefier' (or local job-centres) have free coffee and sometimes jars of free chocolates and mints.
 +
* Some employees of petrol stations may tell you not to hitch in front of the station, where the pumps are. Finding a ride at the parking lot, or thumbing where the back of the station starts is not a problem. Keep petrol station employees for friends and avoid starting unnecessary discussions.
 +
* Shell has internal guidelines to only allow customers on their property. A hitchhiker may therefore be asked not to talk with drivers in the forecourt of the station, but this rarely happens. If this happens, buy a coffee or inexpensive whatever-bar, and ask for the receipt. This will formally make you a customer!
 +
:
 +
: <b>Dutch Hall of Shame</b> of petrol stations where hitch-hikers have been asked not to talk with costumers on the forecourt
 +
: Service station Kloosters (Shell), A59, Tilburg --> Eindhoven ([[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]] was asked once out of 4 times), other hitch-hikers have also been asked not to talk with costumers '''Winner of Most Unfriendly Petrol Station Award in the Netherlands'''
 +
: Service station Swentibold (Shell), A2, Maastricht --> Eindhoven ([[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]] was asked once out of 6 times)
 +
: Service station Haarrijn (Shell), A2, Amsterdam --> Utrecht ([[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]] was asked once out of 7 times)
 +
* When using trains in [[Netherlands|The Netherlands]], you may be able to travel at a discount rate (-40%). Travelling with a printed ticket is no longer possible. Every traveller needs to have an OV-chipcard to use public transportation. You need to active "Samenreiskorting" (travel together reduction) on your OV-chipcard. The procedure is described [http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/ov-chipkaart/menu-ov-chipkaart/travelling-with-the-ov-chipkaart#travelling-with-an-ns-season-ticket-holder on the website of NS (Dutch railways)]. If you have activated this and checked in with 40% reduction you can travel together with another traveller with an "NS abonnement" (NS season ticket holder), so you need to find somebody who has one, ideally before departure of the train. This is valid on weekdays after 09:00 and during the weekend without limitation (however, there are several types of season tickets nowadays, and some of them do not qualify for discount during the afternoon rush hours).
  
== Foods ==
+
==== Personal Experiences ====
[[File:HitchDelft.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[User:Mdsmendes|Mdsmendes]] hitching in the Netherlands]]
+
"I hitch hike a huge amount in the Netherlands and it is almost always successful. As stated above, managers in petrol stations sometimes ask you to leave the main forecourt.  This has been happening with increasing frequency to me at Shell stations in particular, but I have not experienced this at any other petrol company (they are usually more than happy if I politely ask where I could stand without being a nuisance). ".
The Netherlands are one of the rare countries where you can find a cheap pot of 'Peanut Butter' (''pindakaas''), which is a nutritious item that you can easily carry in your backpack. Also, you can find tube of 'mayonnaise' and 'ketchup' sauce (''Zaanse saus'') for about 30 cents, which last long without needing to be refrigerated and are great supplements to sandwiches or ''friet'' (as it avoids having to pay the 50 cents sauce at the ''snackbar'' (or sometimes ''frituur'' or ''frietkot'', especially in Belgium) when ordering a snack).
 
  
== Links ==
+
"Having had 307 rides from Dutch motorway petrol stations, I have been asked not to talk with drivers on the forecourt three times (at stations operated by Shell). Much more often I have gotten positive gestures from employees and occasionally they offered me a drink, a snack, a ride (!) or cardboard. Staff in Germany is definitely friendlier though.... Respect and politeness are keywords."
 +
 
 +
== Resources ==
 +
{{nomadwiki}}
 +
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/467054706678994/ Facebook group Hitchhiking in Belgium and the Netherlands]
 
* [http://www.franknature.nl/hitchhike/hitchhike.htm Hitchhiking in the Netherlands], by [[User:Fverhart|Frank Verhart]].
 
* [http://www.franknature.nl/hitchhike/hitchhike.htm Hitchhiking in the Netherlands], by [[User:Fverhart|Frank Verhart]].
* [http://www.liftershalte.info Liftershalte], hitchhiking spots in the Netherlands on a map.
+
* [http://www.nederlandlift.nl/ Nederland Lift], campaign to promote hitchhiking as a daily means of transport.
* [http://www.liftpunt.tk Liftpunt], discussion forum about hitchhiking in Dutch.
+
* [[Hitchhiking_in_the_Netherlands_Survey|Survey about hitchhiking in the Netherlands]]
 +
 
 +
=== Maps ===
 +
The Dutch road service organisation '''ANWB''' has stores all over the country, mostly in the bigger cities. Here you'll find all sorts of road maps. Most importantly though, they have an excellent road map of the Netherlands available for free. Officially these are exlusively for members, but it won't be hard to persuade them to give a free one to a hitchhiker. This map shows you all the motorways, secondary roads, motorway exits and petrol stations. Don't waste money on a map, get this one! You'll recognise the map by the name '''Routekaart Nederland''' and the ANWB logo.
  
 
{{hitchbase_country|138}}
 
{{hitchbase_country|138}}
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__NOTOC__
 
__NOTOC__
 
{{IsIn|Western Europe}}
 
{{IsIn|Western Europe}}
 
[[trash:Netherlands]]
 
 
 
[[Category:Western Europe]]
 
[[Category:Western Europe]]
 
[[Category:Netherlands|*]]
 
[[Category:Netherlands|*]]
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[[nl:Nederland]]
 
[[nl:Nederland]]
 
[[pl:Holandia]]
 
[[pl:Holandia]]
 +
[[ru:Нидерланды]]
 +
[[tr:Hollanda]]

Revision as of 14:02, 7 October 2017

Flag of Netherlands Netherlands
Information
Language: Dutch, Frisian
Capital: Amsterdam
Population: 16,570,613
Currency: Euro (€)
Hitchability: <rating country='nl' />
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots or BeWelcome
<map lat='52.2' lng='5.2' zoom='6' view='0' country='Netherlands'/>

The Netherlands are a member state of the European Union as well as the Schengen Agreement. Hitchhiking in the Netherlands is quite easy, and legal in most places, though not on motorways. The basic idea is that when you're allowed to walk somewhere, you can stand there for hitching too. Standing on a motorway entrance just in front of the motorway sign is allowed as well as standing on a petrol station along the motorway. Asking the Dutch people at a service station is faster than waiting while using the thumb for hitchhiking.

There are many creeks in the Netherlands and they can make it hard to get to petrol stations on the motorway

Since 1991 Dutch students have a card providing them with free public transport (either on weekends or during the week), so hitchhiking is not as popular as it used to be. In some university towns there are still official liftershaltes, official hitchhiking spots. The current government intends to make an end to free public transport for students from the beginning of 2016.

Other good places are petrol stations along the motorways and the entrances to the motorway from larger cities (when there is a stopping space such as an emergency lane). On such a place the average waiting time is 5–45 minutes (same as Germany). A major difference with Germany is that many lifts are not longer than 50 km.

At petrol stations you should definitely try to talk to people, which will probably work out fine if you don't dress up like a hippie. Many people will not stop their cars if you stand with the board but will take you if you ask them in person (which is a general hitchhiking principle). Try to speak in Dutch or English. French and German often work too, but not as effectively. Most likely the Dutch people will avoid you while speaking in German. In the Netherlands, there are as well a lot of seasonal workers and immigrants. There are particularly a lot of people from Poland and Bulgaria. Thus, it is fairly easy to get a lift for instance straight to Poland if you know the language or are communicative enough to sway Polish people to take you.

Sometimes the petrol stations workers tell you to not ask people in front of the shop directly. You can then hitch at the exit of the station which is mostly just as good but as its disadvantages of course.

License plates

Mdsmendes hitching in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, license plates do not contain any marking about where the car comes from, but it does indicate the age of the car (although not in a straightforward way). Often though, the name and the city of the garage where the car was bought is indicated just under the license plate on the backside of the car. On busy petrol stations this may be useful information to look out for, as it may indicate where people are driving to. A normal license plate has three blocks of black letters or numbers on a yellow background. Every block consists of two letters or two numbers (so in total six letters and numbers). Since 2007 a new series of license plates is in use for the newest vehicles existing of a combination of three letters in the middle. Taxis' license plates have a blue background. The license plate of old timers is very dark blue with white letters. The number of cars with such license plate or yet another kind is very limited.

Useful tips

  • Download and print 42 ready made hitchhiking signs for easy hitchhiking all across the Netherlands!
  • Use of Internet PCs in every city library, for a small price. Also you can find lots of public wi-fi networks that you can connect your laptop with for using the internet.
  • When hitching in the Netherlands for a longer period (or when you're living there), it's advisable to get a chipkaart This is a lot cheaper than buying a one way-ticket or day-ticket on the bus or tram. See for all info http://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/?taal=en
    • The old Strippenkaart isn't available any more as of November 2011. The two options now are the new chipkaart or the new tickets called Gemakskaart, which is way more expensive than the old Strippenkaart.
  • Banks and supermarkets often have free coffee and sometimes even cookies.
  • 'Lefier' (or local job-centres) have free coffee and sometimes jars of free chocolates and mints.
  • Some employees of petrol stations may tell you not to hitch in front of the station, where the pumps are. Finding a ride at the parking lot, or thumbing where the back of the station starts is not a problem. Keep petrol station employees for friends and avoid starting unnecessary discussions.
  • Shell has internal guidelines to only allow customers on their property. A hitchhiker may therefore be asked not to talk with drivers in the forecourt of the station, but this rarely happens. If this happens, buy a coffee or inexpensive whatever-bar, and ask for the receipt. This will formally make you a customer!
Dutch Hall of Shame of petrol stations where hitch-hikers have been asked not to talk with costumers on the forecourt
Service station Kloosters (Shell), A59, Tilburg --> Eindhoven (Fverhart was asked once out of 4 times), other hitch-hikers have also been asked not to talk with costumers Winner of Most Unfriendly Petrol Station Award in the Netherlands
Service station Swentibold (Shell), A2, Maastricht --> Eindhoven (Fverhart was asked once out of 6 times)
Service station Haarrijn (Shell), A2, Amsterdam --> Utrecht (Fverhart was asked once out of 7 times)
  • When using trains in The Netherlands, you may be able to travel at a discount rate (-40%). Travelling with a printed ticket is no longer possible. Every traveller needs to have an OV-chipcard to use public transportation. You need to active "Samenreiskorting" (travel together reduction) on your OV-chipcard. The procedure is described on the website of NS (Dutch railways). If you have activated this and checked in with 40% reduction you can travel together with another traveller with an "NS abonnement" (NS season ticket holder), so you need to find somebody who has one, ideally before departure of the train. This is valid on weekdays after 09:00 and during the weekend without limitation (however, there are several types of season tickets nowadays, and some of them do not qualify for discount during the afternoon rush hours).

Personal Experiences

"I hitch hike a huge amount in the Netherlands and it is almost always successful. As stated above, managers in petrol stations sometimes ask you to leave the main forecourt. This has been happening with increasing frequency to me at Shell stations in particular, but I have not experienced this at any other petrol company (they are usually more than happy if I politely ask where I could stand without being a nuisance). ".

"Having had 307 rides from Dutch motorway petrol stations, I have been asked not to talk with drivers on the forecourt three times (at stations operated by Shell). Much more often I have gotten positive gestures from employees and occasionally they offered me a drink, a snack, a ride (!) or cardboard. Staff in Germany is definitely friendlier though.... Respect and politeness are keywords."

Resources

Check Nomadwiki for info on accommodation, showers etc. or Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)

Maps

The Dutch road service organisation ANWB has stores all over the country, mostly in the bigger cities. Here you'll find all sorts of road maps. Most importantly though, they have an excellent road map of the Netherlands available for free. Officially these are exlusively for members, but it won't be hard to persuade them to give a free one to a hitchhiker. This map shows you all the motorways, secondary roads, motorway exits and petrol stations. Don't waste money on a map, get this one! You'll recognise the map by the name Routekaart Nederland and the ANWB logo.


Dutch motorways

A1A2A4A5A6A7A8A9A10A12A13A15A16A17A18A20A22A27A28A29A30A31A32A35A37A38A44A50A58A59A65A67A73A74A76A77A79

Dutch cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants

> 500.000: AmsterdamRotterdam

300.000-500.000: Den HaagUtrecht

150.000–300.000: EindhovenTilburgAlmereNijmegenGroningen

100.000–150.000: AmersfoortApeldoornArnhemBredaDordrechtEnschedeHaarlem's-HertogenboschLeidenMaastrichtZoetermeerZwolle

If you search cities with less than 100.000 inhabitants, have a look at the seperate Provinces articles. You find them at the bottom of this page.