By vehicle to the Netherlands

On our streets, our neighbors enjoy a special reputation because of the caravans. Whether this reputation is justified, everyone must judge for themselves. In this article from the series “By the vehicle to…” we deal today with the Netherlands.

With 41,543 km², the Netherlands is one of the three countries that are often grouped under BeNeLux. Almost 17.5 million inhabitants live there, which is more than twice as many inhabitants as in Austria. The official language is Dutch, but in some provinces West Frisian, Papiamentu or English is also spoken.

About 50% of the country is less than a meter above sea level, 25% even below sea level. The landscape is covered with dikes (total length 3,000 km). The Netherlands is really high only outside Europe. On the Caribbean island of Saba, Mount Scenery rises above sea level at 877 meters above sea level. In Europe, the Vaalsberg in the extreme south of the country is the highest point with 322.5 m above the Amsterdam water level.

If you travel to the Netherlands by car, you can visit a number of nature sights. Here is a small overview (source: Wikipedia):

• De Hollandse Biesbosch, a river and swamp landscape
• Weerribben-Wieden National Park
• The National Parks Hoge Veluwe and Veluwezoom in the Veluwe
• The nature reserves on Texel
• Oostvaardersplassen, a natural development area that today houses the largest herds of wildlife in Europe
• Reeuwijkse Plassen near Gouda
• Nieuwkoopse Plassen
• Schiermonnikoog
• The Delta works: weirs against storm surges, built after the storm surge of 1953
• The National Park De Meinweg near Roermond in the province of Limburg

Traffic rules in the Netherlands

Let’s start with the maximum permissible speeds. Depending on the vehicle, the maximum permissible speeds for vehicles vary. Motorcycles, living modes (less than 3.5t) and passenger cars may not exceed the following maximum speeds:

• 50 km/h within built-up areas
• 80 – 100 km/h outside built-up areas
• 120 – 130 km/h on the motorway

If you travel to the Netherlands with a motorhome from 3.5t or a car with a trailer, the following maximum speeds apply:

• 50 km/h within built-up areas
• 80* – 90 km/h outside built-up areas
• 80* – 90 km/h on the motorway
  _{^{*applies to motorhomes from 3.5t as the permissible maximum speed}}

We recommend – as in every article in this series – to adhere to the 0 per thousand limit. In the Netherlands, novice drivers are not allowed to exceed a blood alcohol level of 0.2 per thousand in the first five years. Thereafter, 0.5 per thousand is the limit.

Write to us!

If you travel to the Netherlands by vehicle, you are sure to find the time to send us a postcard. Each postcard is published on Facebook and Instagram.