Local information

The Netherlands is the model of a society that is always becoming more and more multicultural, finding its balance in the spirit of tolerance and openness. All the Dutch speak at least one foreign language, most often English.
The bicycle, the preferred mode of transportation, is the symbol of a country very attached to a mode of life respectful of the environment and resistant to the stress of modern life.
Social life unwinds in the warm and friendly ambiance of bars (brown or white) where the Dutch find themselves under a thick cloud of smoke at all hours of the day or night.
As for Dutch students, they are among the most spoiled in Europe: the enormous financial resources permit them to study under very good conditions with little financial worry, since they all receive an educational stipend!

Climate and seasons:
Relatively mild and maritime with an average temperature of 1.5° C in January and 18.5° in July. Low annual precipitation; skies often gray and overcast; snowy winters.

Distances: 400 km maximum
Amsterdam/Maastricht: 217 km
Amsterdam/Rotterdam: 76 km
Amsterdam/The Hague: 61 km

Currency:
Florin (or gulden or guilder) - NLG
Equivalent (March 2001): 1 NLG = €.45 = US$.40

Telephone country code: 31