Hello All,

I haven't posted a thread before and I've been given an interesting opportunity.. but don't exactly know what I'm up against!

I was born and raised in Canada but my family is originally from Holland. A family that I work for is going and asked me to go with them to help them out for a week so I get TWO WEEKS OFF there!!!
I'm hoping to get some ideas on what is cheap and affordable to do.. I'm hoping to stay with family but so far I don't have a place to stay either..  I am staying in the province of Gelderland and leave August 30th.

By the way, I'm very independent... so I'd totally take off and go just about anywhere!

Thanks!

Oh! Lucky you!!!!!!!! Wish I was going!!!!!!! Have fun and take lots of pics!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a note...make sure you take an electrical plug adapter along with you.  They have different voltages and plug types from what we have in North America.....so....in order to charge the batteries for your camera you will need to ensure it is 220 voltage capable and you'll need the plug adapter to fit the wall socket.

Oh...and take lots of money...LOL!

Have fun!

"By the way, I'm very independent... so I'd totally take off and go just about anywhere!"

Get yourself a railpass and do just that. Travel between all EU countries is very easy with no restrictions, with a few exceptions most are using the same currency now.  Explore anywhere in Europe that you have always wanted to visit  You choose from a railpass for one country or several or all.

Europe has so many diverse places all close together and easy to travel between it would be impossible to make a list of attractions so just decide what it is you want to see and go - anything from ancient Greece the cradle of civilisation to modern cities and everything in between. Anything from the low Benelux countries where you will be based to the Alps of Austria, Switzerland and Italy.  From sun baked islands in the Med. to the Arctic circle of Finland Sweden and Norway.

Have fun and take loads of memory storage for the shots you will be taking.

http://www.railpass.com/new/itnerary/itin.htm

wowww Nicole, good lucky my friend!!! and take a lot of shot pleaseeeeeeee ;)

hugs

FYI, it's the Netherlands
Maybe this will help?
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g188553-Activities-The_Netherlands.html
http://www.igougo.com/planning/journalRegion.asp?LocationID=241

Welcome to my country!

Just keep in my mind that half of the Dutch population leaves the country in the summer... LOL (that's a bit exaggerated, I know, but the Dutch are still known for installing 'colonies' in all other parts of the world). Well, I'm Belgian (southern neighbour), so you better read this with a wink and a smile... Have a nice trip!

My only advice is to take me with you! Hope you have a wonderful trip. Can't wait to see your images when you get back.

Between your wonderful opportunity and Richard(Onlsow) telling it so well...wow, wanderlust strikes me on a year of no holiday!  Sounds wonderful.  I believe you will get good advice from the folks here.  Glad you posted!        TomDart.

Certainly talk to Ilona aka  vlaaitje cant think of any better person to ask.. Have fun I am in Holland now..

3DGuy... Sorry.. I do know it's the Netherlands... But everyone that I've been talking to is calling it Holland because they lived there long ago... Sorry..

FuzzyShadows.. That was my mothers condition on me going!!

Thanks everyone for the advise.. more would be well welcomed..

One question.....
I've been told compared to where I live (Canada) it's expensive... But what does that translate to how much money I should bring? You can use US dollars..

No you will need to get yourself some Euro, or travellers cheques, you may get a better exchange rate at your local Bank... I  would say it is not that expensive .. Certainly fuel is expensive compared to Canada... In general terms maybe take 20% more than you would need at home

It's certainly not as expensive as many of the European tourist centers (in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Austria, even Spain), and much cheaper than the Scandinavian countries, for example... So I guess it's not so different from Canada, don't worry too much about that.

I think my biggest thing is that I haven't travelled alot... I loe travelling.. I'll get in my car and drive anywhere.. But I've only been to Russia via plane and that is it for big plane rides...

And I don't spend too much money on my own but don't really pay attention to any budget either...

So I guess my question is.. ..If you went away, how much in travellers cheques would you bring?

Depends on what you do. Do you go out every day for dinner of do you have an appartment with a kitchen for example.  Restaurant visit will cost you between 20 and 40 euro if you don't go too fancy or maybe 10 euro for a snackbar visit. A beer or soda will cost you around 1.75-2.25 euro depending on where you drink. But if you're a bit tight you can always duck into a supermarket and get some cold drinks there for something like 0.40 :)

Public transport is quite expensive in my opinion if I compare it to all the countries I've been to. Although there might be special day cards available for travelers, but you'll have to dig for that. Cabs will cost you an arm and a leg. If you rent a car, gasoline will set you back around 1.51 euro per liter.

My exchangerate page tells me 1 euro = 0.64 canadian

So add up what you think you'll consume in a day.. then double that (you're ALWAYS too conservative :P) add money for day trips or things to do. Also, take your credit card. If you run out of TC's you can always use that to get some cash at the bank or something. If you have an ATM card with a MAESTRO  logo you can get money virtually anywhere.

When I travel abroad I only take my ATM and CC with me unless I know that's gonna be a problem (like in Cuba). And I've been around the world :)

Sound advice above - use your bank card. If it Visa or Mastercard it will be accepted in bank cash machines anywhere in Europe. When you put the card in the machine it will know what country it is from and instructions will come up in English for you. It is not like Russia where they crave cash  Dollars.

Get money little and often just what you need, use the card for most things.  Keep your cards safe, use bank machines inside the banks or shopping centres and take a photocopy of both sides of the card with the banks phone number to keep somewhere totally safe just in case the worst happens and you lose it.

The amount of spending money is so difficult because it depends on what you do.  I personally think the railpass is a bargain @ around US$ 250 for unlimited travel in Germany and the Benelux countries if you want to travel and visit cities in the region. There are so many wonderful places all within easy travelling distance and I have always found rail to be a convenient way to get about and sample some of the countries culture.

FuzzyShadows.. That was my mothers condition on me going!! <<

What, that you take me with you? Woohoo! I love your mother already!

hmm staying in Gelderland: (very central) for fotoshoots you can visit National Patk ' Hoge Veluwe'

If you like flats Friese Meren and if you like rolling hills the south of province Limburg

prutz

Welcome welcome in my very own Gelderland!!! Ede (a village with more than 100,000 inhabitants, not a city LOL!) is my living place so if you'd like to know some nice locations I can help you:

• Nationaal Park de Hoge Veluwe (as mentioned before) with the famous Kröller Muller museum
• Wekeromsche Zand (with wild bighorn sheep)
• The Posbank
• lots of other interesting places

Please tell me what interests you have, I'm born and bred here so I might be able to help you along.   Hotels are expensive here, sometimes it's cheaper to rent an apartment, or just enjoy tent life on a camping.... Anyway, ask anything you like!

Jan-Carel!! Boy, have I missed you!

I don't really have many interests.. I just want to see EVERYTHING!

Both my parents were born in the Netherlands... Groningem and Apeldoorn... I want to see those areas... and yes.. I know.. Groningem is quite a ways from where I'm staying..

In some ways I feel that I'll back down and not be adventurous and go places but I really want to see all that I can see..

One thing also, I don't know the language! My parents used it against us kids so they could talk privately around us! I'm hoping to get away with not knowing much..

Thanks for the help!

nearly 90 % overhere understand or speak english, you will get around ;-)

Thanks prutzworks! That's what I'm hoping for! and to pick up some of the language!

Yes indeed, most of the (younger, up to 50 years old) people handle English well enough. Faber, of course, I should have know, that IS a typical Dutch name. We have an actor, Peter Faber, quite active in the world of (mainly) Dutch movies.

You like EVERYTHING!? Ha ha, reminds me of Alice in Wonderland! If you don't know where to go all directions are good. LOL! Groningen (excuse the slight correction of the last letter, makes it easier for you searching things on internet if the name does not end with 'm', that is more typical for towns in the south of the Netherlands like Gorinchem, Doetinchem (ok, not really south like Haarlem does not either, hmmm, I start doubting what I'm typing here right now LOL) and Houthem. Dutch is not an easy language, but well, who cares! Funny thing is, our friends from South Africa speaking Afrikaans can communicate with us without translation, I can mail them in Dutch, they reply me in Afrikaans.

Groningen might be a bit out of range (but well, our country is a small country, and Groningen is about only 200 km (140 miles) from the Veluwe.

Maybe you like to find more Fabers in the Netherlands. There is some hyperlink (can't find it now) that shows the distribution of a family-name in the Netherlands and Belgium.

We could start to teach you some Dutch, but you might learn to understand what your parents were saying back then.... Ha ha!

Me thinks you're going to have a great time here! You seem just ready to take the plunge and visit the country that partly lies under the sealevel, fortunately the Veluwe will keep you dry although rainy weather can change that.

Well, I can keep typing but I guess there are many websites accessible where other people have done that yet. :)

First of all, thanks Jan-Carel for all the info.. I am starting to feel more prepared.. even though I haven't done much!

I'm glad that I'll be ok with English...  I love languages and seem to pick them up quickly but yes.. I would love to learn some Dutch.. my biggest problem, I can't roll my r's... hehe...

I noticed the spelling mistake on Groningen but didn't feel like fixing it.. Thanks for the correction... It's only 200klms? Just today I drove that... well give or take a few klms.. and it was just to go to a dentist appointment... just to get to work every day I drive 55klm one way... Anyway... that's all to say.. I don't mind travelling at all.. I may head that way.. I don't know...

Can you tell me anything about hostels? I think I'm going to end up there.. a couple times.. . What do you think is a standard nightly cost? anything I should look for? bring?

One more question too.. Here in Canada, in almost every town there is a tourist centre.. do you have them there too? I'm totally being ignorant to it all.. I'm sorry.. I'm so busy getting ready and working  7 days straight that I haven't had any time to do any research!

There are only few foreigners who can speak Dutch that fluently they are not recognized but don't worry, Dutch always have been interested in trade etc. and usually they are friendly, esp. in the country. In the big city it is like everywhere, people are usually more focused on themselves and their own well being.

Hostels... Hm, I have no experience with them (so it's hard for me to tell what you should bring or expect but you can always ask those running them) but a little Google work results in the following:

• (Google: 'Veluwe hostel')
• http://www.stayokay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Arrangementen.showArrangementenDetail2&arr=1168&lng=1 (Dutch, I hope you have a dictionary and there are translation websites on the internet) where you can book something online (http://www.dynamic.holland.com/wsnsa.dll/searchsite/main.r?target=588&lngid=1&objsrt=7)
• http://bedandbreakfast.bbnl.nl/ (bed and breakfast)

Tourist centres can be found at http://www.vvv.nl ('vul een plaatsnaam in': enter here the name of the town). Railways: http://www.ns.nl and buses etc.: http://www.9292ov.nl. Debit cards are very usual here, but credit cards are accepted on most locations as well.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

You are amazing! all the information you have given me.. has been so helpful!

I hope you all well!

I think if I have a chance I'll post while I'm travelling but no promises!

Nicole

Hey Everyone!

Boy.. I haven't been gone long and I'm dying to go through the galleries..

I'm enjoying the Netherlands.. I don't seem to have anywhere near the amount of jet lag as the other people I flew with.. and there are things that are different and things that are the same...

I'll give them.. but I'm sorry for giving the 'plug' for the Netherlands and Canada

Canada... lots of hills!
Netherlands... lots of flat land!
Canada... bigger houses
Netherlands... small houses
Canada... Nothing too special about the house!
Netherlands.. sweet small (sometimes twirly) stairs
Canada.. houses that don't last long (poor wood)
Netherlands... houses that last longer than a lifetime
Canada... lots of houses...(in the city anyway)
Netherlands.. lots of cows!
Canada.. driving rules? what's that??
Netherlands... if you don't listen to those rules you are dead.. but everyone does so you don't even have to wear a bike helmet.. unlike Canada...
Canada.. a language I understand
Netherlands.. I language I understand every 1 in 200 words! (man you talk fast! and all your words are together!!)
Canada.. traditions? what's that? ohh just make your own..
Netherlands.. this is how this goes and don't do that.. or this.. but we are alright if you make a mistake.. you are Canadian....

Canada.. A place I love to live...
Netherlands.. A place that I want to have in Canada..

I will be heading out soon on adventures on my own in a couple days.. I hopefully will find some family to go and see but I don't know.. I'm just going with the flow.. and however that goes is fine with me!

I don't know if you want to hear about all of this.. so unless I get some comments that it's wanted I don't think I'll write more..

Hope you all have a good day/night...

Nicole

You forgot:
Canada: the place that has all the reject Dutch..

But seriously, there's quite a big Dutch community in Canada. So there should be a small bit of us there ;)

Canadians are welcome forever in the Netherlands! It was in WW II the Canadians as part of the allied forces liberated our country. We have several memorials here where Canadian soldiers are buried with honor.

He he, the Netherlands are just the Netherlands, there are, indeed, many Dutch in Canada but our country has just that long tradition which distinguishes the country from other countries, I guess.

Keep writing, make your own blog to keep us informed about your experiences, the Netherlands seen through the eyes of a Canadian! If you'd like to visit the Veluwe or so, please drop a message, I'm living on the edge of this forest and maybe I can add you a few tips.

Hopefully you will be able to trace the roots of your family, if you go to http://www.familienaam.nl/ and type your last name you'll get a picture based on the telelphone numbers in the Netherlands with frequencies of the name you typed.

I hope you'll have a wonderful time here (hey, our highest point is still 321 m (1053 ft), so it's not only polder and flatland... :)

Jan-Carel - does this mean you are back and posting?! Welcome back if you are :)

Not yet but in time I hope to find time and energy to come back, yeah. :)

Hello All!

Hoe gaat het met jou? (how are you? pulled straight from my translation book!!)

Jan- Carel! I'm going to the Veluwe tomorrow morning! Then to Apeldoorn to see some family, finding a hostel and then touring around on Tuesday, sleeping there.. and then off on the train to Groiningen... 

3DGuy - yes I do know that there are a lot of dutch in Canada.. I am one of them! My family populated BC with dutch! I have 20 aunts and uncles!! and you should see the city I live in right now! It's dutch city!

Today, I didn't do much.. I am helping out a family that I work for in Canada so I helped them a little today but got to see the area that they live in.. It's so beautiful... not that many hills either... it is cloudy here but still warm to it's interesting trying to figure out if you need to wear a jacket or not... and it's a different warm than Canada..

I also realized today that you really need to pack your clothes atleast 2 days before leaving.. because it gives you more time to think things through.. For example, for pants, all I brought was two pair of jeans! Opps! Today I wanted to go to a church to see what it was like but also to be at a service... But I felt too weird going there in jeans so I just ended up helping with the family I work for. Which turned out to be no big deal.. It was a good day.. I picked up a few more dutch words which is helpful..

I have to find a place that sells the train maps for the Netherlands tomorrow.. and a place to stay.. but I think it will all work out!

Anyone want to come with me and tour the Netherlands? It's going to be interesting!

anyway.. it's night time here... and I just talked with my family in Canada and now need to sleep!

Have a great day/night!

nicole!

hello all,

well I've been to Apeldoorn and to Groningen this last week.. It was awesome.. I spent time with my family (all people I didn't know) but it was great!

I am wanting to go to Brussels on Wednesday.. So from Arnhem to Maastricht for a couple hours then from Maastricht to Brussels and then from Brussels to Den Haag... but I can't figure out your train system prices and stuff...

Is there a pass that I can buy in Arnhem that will be cheaper for me to go to Brussels from here? Like a day pass or something? I'm looking everywhere and don't see anything.. I'm sure I'm just missing it but I don't know where to look...

Any advice?

Thanks!

Nicole

Hard to say, there is a day pass for the Netherlands only, but international... Maybe they can tell you at the NS but I'm not sure. And on bike it's quite a ride! ;) Sorry, I don't know how you could manage to do that without spending too much money. :(