Travel safely in The Netherlands

Travel insurance is a good idea if your policies at home won’t cover you in the Netherlands. Although medical or dental costs might already be covered through reciprocal health-care arrangements, you’ll still need cover for theft or loss, and for unexpected changes to travel arrangements (ticket cancellation etc). Check what’s already covered by your local insurance policies or credit cards. Travel insurance in Dutch is called a reisverzekering. Ready to buy travel insurance? Check out travel insurance site kortlopende reisverzekeringen (in Dutch).

The Netherlands is one of the safest countries in Europe, but you should still use big-city street sense in larger cities. The bicycle lane can be recognised by the red brick or asphalt used. Cyclists will assume you know this is a bike lane and expect you not to walk on it! Bicycle theft is common; always use two locks.

Bicycles can be quite a challenge to pedestrians. Remember when crossing the street to look for speeding bikes as well as cars; straying into a bike lane without looking both ways can cause serious accidents. When cycling yourself, take care with skidding on tram tracks or getting your wheels caught.