Netherlands

Visa requirements for the Netherlands depend on which passport you hold. Check the Traveller visa tool to see whether your passport needs a visa and, if so, how long you can stay.

April–May is tulip season — Keukenhof Gardens (7 million bulbs, near Lisse) opens mid-March to mid-May and is one of the world's great garden experiences. June–August is peak season for Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House — book tickets weeks in advance), canal bikes, and summer festivals. September and October are pleasant shoulder season.

• Casual throughout — Amsterdam is very relaxed

• The Dutch are famously direct — they say exactly what they mean and mean exactly what they say; don't mistake this directness for rudeness
• Cycling is not a lifestyle choice in the Netherlands — it is the primary transport; Amsterdam has more bikes than people; always look both ways for cyclists before stepping into any lane
• The Rijksmuseum's Night Watch (Rembrandt, 1642) and the Van Gogh Museum's 200+ original paintings are unmissable in a single visit
• The Anne Frank House (Prinsengracht 263) is one of the world's most important historical sites — book online well in advance; it sells out weeks ahead

• Cannabis: sold in licensed coffee shops (gedoogbeleid — tolerance policy); it is technically illegal but tolerated in small amounts at coffee shops only; smoking in public is technically illegal
• LGBTQ+ rights: Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage (2001); full equality
• Red Light District: legal and regulated prostitution; photography of sex workers is strictly prohibited and deeply disrespectful