Tips for a new Indian in The Netherlands

I came to Netherlands towards the end of 2009. Since then, I have seen the Indian crowd only expand...exponentially would not be a wrong term to use!

Time it takes

Considering your day of landing in Netherlands as Day 0, below is the approximate timeline chart from preparation to settling in Netherlands:

Short Stay

For a short stay, you can choose from either a hotel or a short stay apartments. Apartment will be furnished with utensils, microwave, washing machine etc and all you need to do, is buy your own grocery and cook.

Note: Since Jan 2014, I have transferred this blog to http://indiansinnetherlands.com due to better features. So for latest (and correct) notes, kindly click here: http://indiansinnetherlands.com.

If you are looking for single accommodation on sharing basis, click here and register with kamernet.

For the most popular hotel booking site click here. Very often they also have short stay apartments. Some things you can (should) check in the website before reservation are:

• 7+ feedback rating for the hotel/apartment is what I recommend.  
• sometimes hotels include free breakfast in their rates (apartments generally do not)
• Cancellation policy: Click on '?' button in the "Conditions" column - very clear and generally good 
• commute to/from the hotel
• if you are price sensitive (i.e if company is not paying your stay :) ), sort the listing based on price
• if you plan to rent a car, then check for free parking in the hotel
• if you have kids, check age limit for free stay

I find booking is also very easy on this site...anyway, it is my favorite :)

For stay near Amsterdam Airport (Schipol) I have had friends stay in these hotels with good feedback:

- Ibis Airport: They have free shuttle from/to airport every 15 minutes. From the airport, you have train connectivity to the rest of the country and also rest of Europe :) 

- Park Plaza: They also have free shuttle from/to airport

Please note that listing above does not mean the others aren't good. It is just that I do not have personal contacts that have stayed there. For example, I know corporate travelers stay in Novotel, NH, Sheraton etc. You can click here for all options around the Amsterdam Airport

For apartment options, you can also check this link. Check if cancellation policy suits you.

If you need help in deciding, leave me a comment.