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Subject: Living in Amsterdam(Amstelveen actually)
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booghy to
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Hi,
I am going too study one year starting this month in Amsterdam. I want to ask a few question for people living in that area.
1. How expensive it is o live there - an average amount spent per month for food, transport and other stuff, not including rent and utilities, as they are already set.
2. What should I bring from home? I would like to come with as little luggage as I can. I am especially interested in clothes prices, as that would make a big part of my luggage.
3. What to expect when I get there? (weather, people etc.)
Please don't answer with links to I Amsterdam or other similar sites. I would like to know things from first hand experience.
Thank you.
I am going too study one year starting this month in Amsterdam. I want to ask a few question for people living in that area.
1. How expensive it is o live there - an average amount spent per month for food, transport and other stuff, not including rent and utilities, as they are already set.
2. What should I bring from home? I would like to come with as little luggage as I can. I am especially interested in clothes prices, as that would make a big part of my luggage.
3. What to expect when I get there? (weather, people etc.)
Please don't answer with links to I Amsterdam or other similar sites. I would like to know things from first hand experience.
Thank you.
1. You can make it as expensive as you want, but normaly you can spend about 50 to 75 euro's a week for food and drinks. Travelcosts depends on the distance you have to travel, and if this is by train and/or bus. A good advice is to buy an week- or monthcard, is much cheaper. And even cheaper if you buy such a card for a specific route.
2. If you go to the larger cloting stores, like the V&D or something similar, these are the prices for example for jeans or shirts.
3. I never been to Amstelveen so I can't really tell you how it is to live overthere. But the weather in the Netherlands is for everyone about the same. Mild, maritime climate, in the west near the sea it's a bit more mild. Summers are generally warm with changeable periods, but excessively hot weather is rare. Winters can be fairly cold with the possibility of some snow, but excessively cold weather is also rare. Rainfall is prevalent all year, about 10 to 15 days a month, depending of the seasons of course.
The language is of course Dutch but almost everyone can speak and understand enough English to talk to you.
And what kind of people we are, well, that is a bit difficult to tell you being a Dutch I think. Our strange habits are normal to use. Better is to read some experiences of other foreigners living in the Netherlands. I will try to find some.
EDIT: found 1 site with a pretty good description of the Dutch habits, liveabroad.com.
Maybe usefull if you don't have this info already: justlanded.com - Netherlands guide
(edited)
2. If you go to the larger cloting stores, like the V&D or something similar, these are the prices for example for jeans or shirts.
3. I never been to Amstelveen so I can't really tell you how it is to live overthere. But the weather in the Netherlands is for everyone about the same. Mild, maritime climate, in the west near the sea it's a bit more mild. Summers are generally warm with changeable periods, but excessively hot weather is rare. Winters can be fairly cold with the possibility of some snow, but excessively cold weather is also rare. Rainfall is prevalent all year, about 10 to 15 days a month, depending of the seasons of course.
The language is of course Dutch but almost everyone can speak and understand enough English to talk to you.
And what kind of people we are, well, that is a bit difficult to tell you being a Dutch I think. Our strange habits are normal to use. Better is to read some experiences of other foreigners living in the Netherlands. I will try to find some.
EDIT: found 1 site with a pretty good description of the Dutch habits, liveabroad.com.
Maybe usefull if you don't have this info already: justlanded.com - Netherlands guide
(edited)
I used to live in Amsterdam, but it is difficult to tell you what the average spend is on food, transport etc.
This is due to everybody having different standards and I never was a student in Amsterdam.
Amstelveen and Amsterdam can be very expensive if you are not carefull but do not have to be, therefore some general tips:
1, if you are going to study at one of the Universities, then connect with fellow students or sign up for one of the introduction days that a lot of studies have. Students know best where the bargains are. ;)
2. Get a 2nd hand bicycle, this is the cheapest form of transport. If you get one, buy a good (chain)lock as well, these are expensive but worth the money...
3. For groceries go to one of the cheaper ones like "Dirk van der Broek" or "Aldi" or "Lidll" . "Albert Heijn" and "C1000" tend to be a little bit more expensive.
4. General rule: the closer to Amsterdam city center, the more expensive the pubs and restaurants are. Same for clothing stores, allthough you can pick up bargains during sales...
This is due to everybody having different standards and I never was a student in Amsterdam.
Amstelveen and Amsterdam can be very expensive if you are not carefull but do not have to be, therefore some general tips:
1, if you are going to study at one of the Universities, then connect with fellow students or sign up for one of the introduction days that a lot of studies have. Students know best where the bargains are. ;)
2. Get a 2nd hand bicycle, this is the cheapest form of transport. If you get one, buy a good (chain)lock as well, these are expensive but worth the money...
3. For groceries go to one of the cheaper ones like "Dirk van der Broek" or "Aldi" or "Lidll" . "Albert Heijn" and "C1000" tend to be a little bit more expensive.
4. General rule: the closer to Amsterdam city center, the more expensive the pubs and restaurants are. Same for clothing stores, allthough you can pick up bargains during sales...
1 more tip about a bike, buy 2 locks for your bike!! Often bikethieves know 1 lock and start looking for bikes with only that lock to steal. If you have 2 different good locks (1 to lock the bike and 1 to lock the bike to a tree or something else strong enough) you have more change to keep the bike. More then 700.000 bikes are stolen each year in the Netherlands, mainly in the larger cities, so watch out for your bike ;)
Funny to read some of the comments about the Netherlands on different sites, like these: Google - Dutch habits
Funny text about our language:
4. Dutch “g” “ch” and “r” are all pronounced more or less the same (although the Dutch insist they’re different) – a harsh, guttural “kh” sound (like you’re clearing phlegm from your throat). So the word “gracht” (canal) combines all three “kh” sounds in one word…that sounds really, really awful: “khkhakht.” This is why “Grolsch” (the beer) sounds like “Khkhols”, not “grolsh”.
dailycandor.com
(edited)
Funny text about our language:
4. Dutch “g” “ch” and “r” are all pronounced more or less the same (although the Dutch insist they’re different) – a harsh, guttural “kh” sound (like you’re clearing phlegm from your throat). So the word “gracht” (canal) combines all three “kh” sounds in one word…that sounds really, really awful: “khkhakht.” This is why “Grolsch” (the beer) sounds like “Khkhols”, not “grolsh”.
dailycandor.com
(edited)
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