If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam in the coming months? Make sure to check out the following guide covering important and essential facts about the city and Dutch culture in general.

Holland and the Netherlands are not the same thing

Despite several enduring misconceptions, Holland is a region of the Netherlands, and takes up roughly one third of the country. This area is actually divided into two provinces, called Noord and Zuid-Holland. To make matters more confusing, Amsterdam is the largest city in Noord-Holland (and the capital of the Netherlands) but isn’t the province’s capital – as that title is held by Haarlem.

Buy an OV-chip card

Is a contactless smart card system used for all public transport in the Netherlands. The OV-chipkaart works in two ways: either as a stored-value card which is used to travel on pre-loaded credit or as a means of storing so-called "travel products"such as single or return rail tickets, day passes, seasonal tickets and discount plans.

There is more to Amsterdam than the Red Light District

Amsterdam is a modern city with many distinctive neighborhoods, each one with its own unique charms. While many visitors are drawn to the Red Light District, this area certainly doesn’t represent the city in its entirety. Amsterdam’s outlying neighbourhoods are actually quite peaceful in comparison to its center and feature hundreds of attractions.

Watch out for bike lanes

Most major roads in Amsterdam are divided into two parts that are separated by a white line. While the inner section may occasionally appear unoccupied, it is actually designated for cyclists. Visitors to the city often neglect to realize that this area isn’t for pedestrians, and that walking in cycle paths is actually dangerous for every party involved.

Cyclists are notoriously unforgiving to careless pedestrians

As cycling is the main mode of transportation in Amsterdam, riders tend to have less patience than people expect. It is exceptionally common to hear hurried cyclists shouting profanities at stray pedestrians or other inattentive cyclists. For obvious reasons, pedestrians should always pay attention to the road and where they are walking, in order to avoid accidents or a scolding.

Speaking English in Amsterdam isn’t usually a problem

Linguistically speaking, Dutch and English are extremely similar and share many grammatical roots. This means that Dutch people have a significant advantage when learning English and often pick up the language by casually watching movies or TV. Nonetheless, it is worth trying out a couple Dutch phrases while in Amsterdam, as locals certainly appreciate the effort.

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