Overland Netherlands Travel
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Contents
- 1 Entering Netherlands with a Car or Motorbike
- 2 Driving in Netherlands
- 3 Gas and Diesel price in Netherlands
- 4 Safety and Security Considerations
- 5 Camping in Netherlands
- 6 Navigation
- 7 Special Overland Travel interests
- 8 Vehicle Maintenance
- 9 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Netherlands
- 10 References
- 11 Helpful External links
Entering Netherlands with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: July 2013
Required Paperwork
Proof of ownership is required. Original paperwork must be available to show to Police and Customs upon request (copies not permitted).
Process at border
(To check if you need a travel Visa for Netherlands, application instructions and fees see: Netherlands Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
There is virtually no process involved with crossing into The Netherlands via car. As it is bordered entirely by EU member nations, it is assumed your vehicle has already been through that process, if your vehicle is from a non-EU member nation. All road borders are no longer maintained. Just drive across and enjoy the windmills.
Cost of entry
Free.
Permitted length of stay
State the permitted length of entry for the vehicle
Extension of stay
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.
Exiting with a vehicle
No process for exiting with vehicle, other than crossing the mostly invisible border.
Driving in Netherlands
Insurance requirements
A minimum of third party liability insurance is compulsory.
Cost of insurance
State the price of insurance and a time period.
Where to purchase insurance
Describe where insurance can be purchased.
Driving license
Valid (normally not older than 6 months from date of issue) International driving permit is required for non-EU citizens.
Driving side of road
Right.
RHD vehicles can be driven in Netherlands.
Mandatory items in vehicle
A safety triangle is mandatory if the hazard lights are unserviceable or absent
Roads
General Road quality
Road quality is very good and maintained regularly. This includes highways as well as the rural roads.
Road signs
Road sign are very clear and easy to follow. At almost every gas station there is a local city/town map with a larger area map available. these maps are also at the entrance/exit roads of most towns and cities with a special stop area.
Toll roads
There are a few toll roads in the Netherlands, mainly in the southwest (Zeeland province). You can mostly avoid them whilst staying on the highways.
Bribery in Netherlands
Bribery unheard of in the Netherlands. Offering a bribe will get you in more trouble, so don't.
Checkpoints
There are no checkpoints in The Netherlands. Police will occasionally setup a moving checkpoint at night to check for drinking and driving.
Traveling with pets
The use of the veterinary certificate provided is mandatory, unless your pet is traveling with a valid EU pet passport. Once signed by the veterinarian or endorsement by the competent authority, the certificate is valid for four months, or until the expiration date of the vaccination, whichever comes first. source: [[1]]
Gas and Diesel price in Netherlands
Last updated: October 2012
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded | €1.87 EUR per Liter[1] |
| Diesel | €1.53 EUR per Liter[1] |
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
There are no fuel shortages in The Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small country and you will never be far from a gas station. On motorways there's a station about every 50 km.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.
State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Driving at night is no problem and safe. Weather permitting of course. Most roads are well lit at night.
Vehicle parking
Parking is possible everywhere, most larger towns have paid parking throughout most of the city-centers.
In most villages parking is free.
Sleeping in your vehicle is only allowed on designated campsites. However, enforcement is rare.
Special driving considerations
Right-of-way can be tricky. Within city boundaries, on crossings of equal roads, drivers coming from the right have right of way, including bicycles.
Also, cyclists are well protected by Dutch law. In any accident involving a cyclist, the car (or motorcycle) will be held liable, unless proof can be given that the bicycle was purposely at fault.
Speed limits can be confusing, especially on highways. Maximum speed on the highway may vary from 70-90-100-120-130 km/h, the signs not always being clear.
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Netherlands - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Netherlands
Campsites are common throughout the country, rates varying from EUR10 to EUR80 per person per night. As the rates go up, so do the facilities.
Common facilities are washrooms, laundry, shop, sani-dump, water, pool, wifi.
Roadside camping is not allowed anywhere. Wildcamping is possible on a few spots, controlled by the State Forestry Service "Staatbosbeheer", locations can be found here: [[2]] - in Dutch, Google translate may be required.
Camping guide books
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Drinking water
Tapwater is safe to drink everywhere.
Paper maps
Description of the best paper maps and where to purchase them.
GPS Maps of Netherlands
Tomtom www.tomtom.nl and Garmin www.garmin.nl have excellent road-coverage.
OSM maps garmin.openstreetmap.nl and www.openstreetmap.nl are also excellent for off-road tracks and information.
Note that offroading possibilites are very limited.
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Netherlands
Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.
Special Overland Travel interests
List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders
Travel Guide Books
List good travel guide books (not necessarily Overland related.
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
Add known good mechanics here.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Netherlands
Buy
Foreigners are free to purchase any vehicle in the Netherlands, provided they hold a valid driver's license.
Registering the vehicle requires that the owner is also a registered inhabitant of the Netherlands.
Sell
When a foreigner possesses proof of ownership of the vehicle, sale to companies of individuals has no restrictions.
Keep in mind you might get less value since you're selling a foreign-registered vehicle
The process is quite simple: find buyer, take him to the post-office, and transfer title. In some cases you may have to do this at the Department of Motor Vehicles (RDW) www.rdw.nl
References
Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.
Helpful External links
Add any helpful external links here.
- Netherlands: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Netherlands - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Netherlands travel guides at wikivoyage
- Netherlands - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
