Rented Accomodation

To date I dont have much experience on this topic, however through Dutch friends I have found out the following.

Generally when renting in The Netherlands a property comes completely unfurnished, you usually have to buy and fit all furniture, white goods and even the floor (carpet/wood etc) yourself. When your contract expires and you leave the property it must be left exactly as you found it. This means removing any flooring you have added, any plug fittings, white goods etc. Whether your additions have improved the property is irrelevant. The only way to avoid this is if your landlord has a new tenant before you move out and they agree to accept the property as it is.

Quirky Dutch things

Dutch Stairs

Dutch stairs in houses are incredibly steep and narrow. They will generally only have a handrail on the wall, leaving the other side and the resulting drop completely open. We once had a Dutch friend staying in our house in London and surprisingly he managed to fall down our not so narrow and no so steep stairs..I guess it is what you are used to...

Private Transport - Bicycles

Bicycles are everywhere in The Netherlands and its a great form of transport. However remember that cyclists are always the innocent party. If an accident occurs it is the fault of the car driver or the pedestrian, never the cyclist. Always look for bicycles whenever you are on a pavement, crossing a road, driving in built up areas etc. Cycle paths (normally a pink colour) will generally be wider than the pavement.

Public Transport - Trains (NS)

Dutch trains are reliable and clean. If you are going to use the train frequently or for a long journey you should consider the Off Peak Discount Card (Voordeelurenabonnement) card for 55 euro per year. This gives you a 40% discount on the train fare as long as your journey is after 9am weekdays or at a weekend. Another bonus is that the discount will also apply to anyone travelling with you (max of 3 people, plus the card holder). Remember to take a passport photo of yourself when buying the Off Peak Discount Card from the train station.

Here is the link for the Dutch Train Service (NS) website in English:
http://www.ns.nl/servlet/Satellite?cid=1075985690180&pagename=www.ns.nl%2FPage%2FSuperHomepageEnglish