Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Netherlands
All of that flat, reclaimed land makes the Netherlands a bik-
er's dream. The Dutch, who average four bikes per family, have put
small bike roads (with their own traffic lights) beside nearly every
major highway. You can rent bikes at most train stations and drop
them off at most others. And you can take bikes on trains, outside
of rush hour, for €6 per day.
The Dutch can generally speak English, pride themselves on
their frank ness, and l like to spl it the bill. l l. h r if tiness, eicienc y, and a
dislike of wastefulness are longstanding Dutch traits. Traditionally,
Dutch cities have been open-minded, loose, and liberal (to attract
sailors in the days of Henry Hudson). And today, Amsterdam is
a capital of alternative lifestyles—a city where nothing's illegal as
long as nobody gets hurt. While freewheeling Amsterdam does
have a quiet side (particularly in West Amsterdam, which contains
the pleasant Jordaan neighborhood), travelers who prefer more
small-town Dutch evenings sleep in a small town nearby, such as
Haarlem, and side-trip into the big city.
Of course, Amsterdam and Haarlem are just the beginning.
To get a complete taste of the Netherlands, venture beyond these
