It was a housesit that finally brought us to the Netherlands – a country we had both wanted to visit, but for one reason or another always got scratched from our itinerary. Our 2-month housesit was in the eastern part of the country, so we arrived early to spend a day in Amsterdam. The city is both historic and progressive with its classic canals, gabled houses, cannabis coffeeshops and neon-glowing Red Light District.

The house (and dog) we were housesitting was on the outskirts of the city of Nijmegen in a small village, Beek, which is practically on the border with Germany. As it was Christmastime, we were able to visit several Christmas markets in the region.

We again made our way to Holland for an Amsterdam to Budapest cruise and stayed in the beautiful town of Haarlem before sailing away. Most recently, it was another housesit for the holidays the brought us back to Amsterdam, and we discovered more of the lovely neighborhoods beyond the touristic center.

Netherlands Facts:

Capital City: Amsterdam

Country Population: 17.5 Million

Language: Dutch

Useful Words and Phrases: Hello - Halo  |  Thank You – Dank u wel

Currency:  Euro (EUR) | Current Value

Netherlands Guides:

Amsterdam Itinerary: How To Spend 3 Days in Amsterdam
One Day in Amsterdam: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
Things To Do in Nijmegen Netherlands
Dutch Cuisine: 17 Must Try Things To Eat in the Netherlands
Christmas In Amsterdam: What You Need To Know
Top 5 Things To Do in Haarlem, Netherlands
Christmas Markets Near Nijmegen, Netherlands
Amsterdam Craft Beer Bars: The Best Local Dutch Beer
4 Reasons to Visit Beek-Ubbergen, Netherlands
Top 10 Highlights of our Amsterdam to Budapest Cruise

Start planning your Netherlands trip:

For more information, travel tips and advice, jump over to our Travel Planning Page.

Netherlands Travel Essentials:

Check out our Packing List for more on what to pack for your trip to the Netherlands!

Netherlands Travel Planning JetSettingFools.com