The Netherlands Car Hire Destination Guide

Car hire in The Netherlands is widely available from all the major car rental companies. The Netherlands (commonly called Holland in English, in reference to the provinces North-Holland and South-Holland) is a Benelux country located in Western Europe and a founding member of the European Union.

The western part is the most urban and industrialized. This is the place to be for shopping, going out and most of the touristic sights. No wonder that about half of the population lives in and around this area.

The four largest and most dominant cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) are located in this region, together with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the Port of Rotterdam. The Randstad is a collective name for these and surrounding urban areas.

Driving in The Netherlands
If you’re planning to rent a car while in The Netherlands there’s some basic information you’re going to need to get you on your way. Firstly, and quite importantly if you’re British, get ready to drive on the right hand side of the road. That’s the wrong side if you’re British! This means you should always overtake on the left.

Driving licence and vehicle documents must be carried at all times.

Local Laws
Seat belts are compulsory in the front and in the rear, if fitted. It is also compulsory to carry an emergency warning triangle.

At intersections, cyclists proceeding straight ahead have priority over all traffic.

Buses have right of way when leaving bus stops in built-up areas and trams have right of way except when crossing a priority road.

Speed Limits
The common speed limits are 50 km/h (31mph) in built up areas, 80 km/h (50mph) out of town, and on motorways it’s 100 km/h (62mph).

Drink Driving
As with most other European countries drink driving is heavily frowned upon in The Netherlands and the limit is very low (currently 50mg) which is less than 1 unit of alcohol, so it’s not worth taking any risks.

Parking
Blue zone parking systems operate and discs can be obtained free from police stations. However, parking meters also operate in certain areas.

Related Links
• Rental Locations : A guide to destinations throughout the world
• Visit Holland : Official tourism web site for The Netherlands