Netherlands Expat

Tips for renting an apartment in Amsterdam for first-timers

January 13, 2020 by Karen 33 Comments

Last Updated on January 26, 2020

I LOVE Amsterdam and I’m so glad that I moved to the Netherlands. Finding expat housing in Amsterdam is hard. When I moved here, I didn’t know how to find an apartment although I’m past apartment #3 already. Hopefully, this helps fellow expats find a room or an apartment to rent in Amsterdam! I include tips for finding an apartment in Amsterdam, rental housing information that you need to know, a free download to keep track of applications, the best neighborhoods to look in, and strategies for finding housing.

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30+ useful Dutch apps for new expats in the Netherlands

October 28, 2019 by Karen 2 Comments

Last Updated on October 29, 2019

I ended up being asked recently about the most useful apps that I’ve downloaded during my 4+ years living in the Netherlands. It took me a while to dig through my phone, but this post will be an overview of my favorite Dutch apps and some others that my friends swear by. I hope this post is helpful for any foreigners moving to the Netherlands. 😉

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Tips for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Scheveningen and the Hague

October 4, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on December 24, 2019

Happy New Year! This was my first New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands in a bit and it was lovely celebrating it in my current home of The Hague. New Year’s Eve in the Hague, like most of the Netherlands, is something akin to a war zone… I include tips for spending New Year’s Eve in the Hague as well as the best events for New Year’s Eve in the Scheveningen/Hague area. I’ve updated this post for the 2019-2020 New Year given the recent changes.

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The Zeeheldenkwartier: A guide to the coolest neighborhood of the Hague

February 23, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on February 23, 2019

Zeeheldenkwartier is situated within walking distance of the Hague center. It is a lively and atmospheric district full of cafes, yoga studios, entrepreneurs, pop-up stores and events. Designers sell their unique clothing, furniture, and homewares in boutiques along the streets of Prins Hendrikstraat, Piet Heinstraat, Zoutmanstraat, and Anna Paulownastraat. This guide to the Zeeheldenkwartier covers some highlights of this cool neighborhood in the Hague with some great hotspots in the Zeeheldenkwartier.

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The coziest brown bars in Amsterdam to drink like a local

February 22, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on February 22, 2019

One of the best things to experience in Amsterdam is a cozy brown bar. As a resident of Amsterdam, I experienced many of Amsterdam’s charming cozy brown bars and I hope that this article convinces you to experience a brown cafe in Amsterdam!

These classic Dutch cafes are known for their gezelligheid (a Dutch word that can be loosely translated as a feeling closest to cozy or homey). These bars are known for their large amounts of brown wood, okay selection of Dutch beer (I won’t oversell the selection), and quiet that you can’t often find at modern bars. Although the staff will most likely speak English, there’s nothing like experiencing a drink in Amsterdam like a local!

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The best yoga studios in the Hague with yoga classes in English

February 14, 2019 by Leanne Claire Leave a Comment

Last Updated on February 14, 2019

The meaning of the word ‘yoga’ is ‘to connect’, to connect to yourself completely. If you are looking to re-connect to your body and mind, then the Hague has a plethora of yoga studios on offer. To help you choose your place of practice in the Hague, I have taken a range of classes and reviewed a few of my favourite yoga studios in the Hague that offer classes in English!

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How to set up your mobile phone plan in the Netherlands for expats

February 12, 2019 by Karen 2 Comments

Last Updated on February 12, 2019

One of the first things that you’ll want to do after arriving in the Netherlands is setting up your phone plan! I include a helpful explanation of how phone plans work in the Netherlands. how much you should expect to pay for a mobile phone plan in the Netherlands, the best phone carriers in the Netherlands for expats, and some tips for saving money.

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Wine not? The best wine bars in the Hague for a glass of wine (or two)

February 5, 2019 by Leanne Claire Leave a Comment

Last Updated on February 5, 2019

Sometimes all you need is a cosy bar and a quality glass (bottle) of wine. Below are 4 unique wine bars in the Hague where you can share excellent wine with friends and family or keep it to yourself. Writer Leanne braved the cold to review the best wine bars in the Hague in this independent guide to wine in the Hague.

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25 Essential Dutch phrases for traveling in the Netherlands

February 4, 2019 by Karen 1 Comment

Last Updated on July 21, 2019

These are the most useful Dutch phrases for travelers (in my opinion) as a foreigner living in the Netherlands along with some my favorite words in Dutc of mine. I do my best to explain how to pronounce key words in Dutch, including how to say thank you in Dutch, as well as explain food allergies in Dutch. I hope that this Dutch language guide for travelers helps you a little.

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An expat guide to living in the Hague, the Netherlands, including the cost of living in the Hague

February 1, 2019 by Karen 22 Comments

Last Updated on February 5, 2019

Considering moving to the Hague, the Netherlands? The Hague has been my home for some months now and after having some difficult decisions on where to live in the Netherlands, my husband and I chose to move to the Hague.

Living in the Hague was right for us for a number of reasons, in particular, its low cost of living (for Holland), central location, and its international community. I got into the cost of living in the Hague, how to find housing in the Hague, the best neighborhoods in the Hague, and what the expat community in the Hague is like.

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