Anglodutch
English expat in the Netherlands
Forum posts
25
Contacts
1
About me
English
Lives in Rural Drenthe
Speaks English, Dutch, some French and Spanish
Registration: 08 February 2018
Living in Emmen by Stephanie Heron
Hi all, My husband's looking to possibly go to university in Emmen. We know absolutely nothing about the city besides the fact that it's super far away (we currently live in Leiden) and next to the German border. If anyone's lived there ...
@Mags84 In a report to be found on Oozo (based on statistics between 2018-2020), Emmen is placed at 234th position out of 343 for the safest council areas in the Netherlands (the most unsafe are at 341th - Eindhoven / 342th Rotterdam and 343th - ... Read More
Are you happy in the Netherlands? by Priscilla
Hello everyone! According to the 2016 UN World Happiness Survey, Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland are the happiest countries on earth. How about you? Are you happy in the Netherlands? Do you feel happier today in your host country than before ...
Nicola...that sounds absolutely terrible. If I was in your situation with that level of interference on how I should bring up my children, I would take my children and cross the border (even if I had to leave my house, possessions, job, friends, ... Read More
purchased an expensive bed more than 8 months ago! by aaragon
Hi everyone, I write to seek advice on a very unfortunate situation I'm going through. Last November I purchased a very expensive bed from a store in Alexandrium Woonmall in Rotterdam (Victus beds of Sweden). We actually payed for the bed in ...
Hi Aaragon, Sorry to hear about your situation. There seem to be various companies trading with/including the name 'Victus Beds of Sweden', in and outside Rotterdam. If you look at this ... Read More
Moving to holland by Laceybella
Hi, me and my husband are thinking of moving to holland, we have to small young children, and was wondering what people's views on the cost of living compared to the uk?? How much a month would you need to be earning to be more than surviving? ...
Hi, here's an idea on the current cost of living in the NL: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=825263 Read More
Iqdrive Driving School by Deb13
Avoid this company at all costs. I signed up with them in October 2018 for a course of deiving lessons and it's June 2019 and I still haven't had a single lesson despite paying in full. 5 instructors assigned - when you contact them they ...
Sorry to hear that you have been ripped off by these people. If the company is iQdrive Rijopleidingen B.V (they promote themselves as 'the largest driving school in the NL', based in Rotterdam), then you are not alone. They have numerous 1* ... Read More
Business bank accounts by aaragon
Dear expats! I recently looked at opening a business bank account with ING, with whom I currently have a private account. I was surprised to see the high price tag to this sort of account, given the fact that there are not noticeable differences in ...
Aaragon, if you want a business account but don't mind having it just online (i.e. no walk-in branches and no possibility to deposit money), then I can recommend Knab. It costs me a flat rate of just €5 per month. I've been banking ... Read More
Accommodation in the Netherlands: scams you should look out for by Bhavna
Hi, Committing to renting or buying accommodation when youre new to or have not moved to the Netherlands just yet is always a stressful endeavour. Would you like to help us in putting together a handbook of what to look out for when house ...
Cynic offers good advice: Further still, also be aware of fake holiday home listings where text has been lifted from a genuine site, photos uplifted from an entirely separate source and where the whole thing is then cobbled together and offered at ... Read More
Orthodontist by darkat
Advance Happy New Year to everyone! I need input and ideas please. We are moving to the Netherlands and my son has a braces. Would you know if the Orthodontist in the Netherlands can adjust the braces of my son? I will be in Voorburg, is there a ...
I have come a bit late to this thread, but what you should know is that the insurance cover for orthodontics has changed a lot here in the Netherlands (and elsewhere in Europe) recently. One of our teenagers has just been fitted with a brace, the ... Read More
How did you make new friends? by mkqq
Hi all, I moved here two months ago and while I have been acquainted with a group of people (Facebook Groups etc...), I'm not sure how much longer I will stay active in this current social circle because I am not heavily into partying or ...
When I used to work for companies here (I have been self-employed for over fifteen years now), it was normal that you didn't see your colleagues outside of the office. Unlike other countries, such as the UK where you may gather in the pub on ... Read More
Trying to trust Dutch doctors but not liking their recommendations? by Dailydalek
Hi, I know Dutch medicine is rated high in the world. I'm overall happy with my care. However I've seen a new gp that is shattering my trust in the system. She doesn't seem to listen to my complaints. Recently, my ear was infected. ...
If you google information on the Dutch Health Care System, you will find a lot of worrying posts from expats about their experiences with the health care system here. I have been reading these posts since the internet was in its infancy. ... Read More
Cost of living 2019 in the Netherlands by Priscilla
Hello everyone, As we usually do each year, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and ...
How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in the Netherlands? How about buying an apartment or a house in the Netherlands? We paid €400,000 for our old farmhouse here in Drenthe back in 2004. It needed a further €90.000 in ... Read More
Moving from SA with SA husband and 3 kids with Dutch passports by Capetownkari
Hi there I'm hoping that someone on this forum will be able to help us get an idea of the "work flow" involved in moving from SA (Cape Town) to Utrecht in our particular context?! Here are some salient details: - I have a Dutch ...
Glad to help out, Kari and good luck with your move, whatever you decide. On the subject of the UK, I learnt to say United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island, that way you remember that Northern Ireland is part of the UK, but not Great ... Read More
Moving from SA with SA husband and 3 kids with Dutch passports by Capetownkari
Hi there I'm hoping that someone on this forum will be able to help us get an idea of the "work flow" involved in moving from SA (Cape Town) to Utrecht in our particular context?! Here are some salient details: - I have a Dutch ...
Hi Kari, I would definitely consider the UK (and other countries) as well. Unless you have a mega (dual) salary, you will find the Netherlands very expensive compared to many other countries. There has been a vast increase in the cost of living ... Read More
Are you happy in the Netherlands? by Priscilla
Hello everyone! According to the 2016 UN World Happiness Survey, Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland are the happiest countries on earth. How about you? Are you happy in the Netherlands? Do you feel happier today in your host country than before ...
@Cynic Surprised that there is no 'Cost of Living' down the left side of the chart (only 'Income' is shown). You would think that one of the major reasons for emigrating from/being unhappy in the NL would be down to the high cost of ... Read More
Are you happy in the Netherlands? by Priscilla
Hello everyone! According to the 2016 UN World Happiness Survey, Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland are the happiest countries on earth. How about you? Are you happy in the Netherlands? Do you feel happier today in your host country than before ...
@Ramses. A thread entitled 'Are you happy in the Netherlands?' will always unfortunately bring out a lot of posts which verge on generalization. Although what I used to read on Expatica (when the forums were active, some twenty years ago ... Read More
Are you happy in the Netherlands? by Priscilla
Hello everyone! According to the 2016 UN World Happiness Survey, Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland are the happiest countries on earth. How about you? Are you happy in the Netherlands? Do you feel happier today in your host country than before ...
I am originally from the UK and have lived in the NL for 27 years. In my first 14 years living in Utrecht and then in Flevoland, I was very unhappy with my life there in the West. The ‘cattle mentality’ on public transport, aggressive ... Read More
Living in Emmen by Stephanie Heron
Hi all, My husband's looking to possibly go to university in Emmen. We know absolutely nothing about the city besides the fact that it's super far away (we currently live in Leiden) and next to the German border. If anyone's lived there ...
We live in Drenthe and can recommend Emmen. It's a nice northern town. The people here are in general very different to what you will be used to over in the West (you will notice how much more placid they are). If you've only experienced the ... Read More
Moving from the UK by hannahurbanek
Hi! I've recently received a job offer to move to the Netherlands, which is great. However, my partner who is originally from the UK (where we currently live) is feeling a bit unsure about his prospects. He's obviously fluent in English ...
Hi, Obviously, finding work within an international company would be easier for your partner. Because generally, it is going to be difficult to find work with your typical Dutch company if you don't speak any Dutch or have Dutch ... Read More
Cost of living 2018 in the Netherlands by Priscilla
Hello everyone, As per our annual tradition, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and ...
Hello Priscilla, I am new to the forum but have lived in the NL since 1991. Maybe I can answer some of your questions (I will leave out those which are not applicable to me): How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in the ... Read More