nertherlands - amsterdam

bob2007

hi im going to amsterdam and will be there for 3 days
im not sure how much euros ill need

1. will it be best to get currency here before i go or use a debit card and get atm withdrawals

2. i read the article on the site that nationwide is the best, but how can i tell in advance where the machines are that won't charge me anything (i.e. the netherland bank dont also take a fee - i read on wikipedia that netherland banks dont personally charge you (take money for themselves) for using debit cards but in a travel guide i read differently) - does anyone know about this?

3. how can i find these atm machines (planning) - i checked a site but couldnt find any cirrus/maestro ATM machines within a 2 mile radius of the main amsterdam airport (and will need to get money to buy a train ticket - the station is at the airport i think).

thanks very much for any help which will be gratefully received

best wishes

b

Donnie

I have never been charged for using an cash machine in the Netherlands. I there at least four times every year.

Train ticket machines seem to take Maestro cards, but I would not depend on it.

Donnie

If you are worried about the train ticket, get 5 or 10 Euros to tide you over until you get to Centraal Station.

From there there are more choices:




Though as I wrote before, from memory, the ticket machines take Maestro.
But with

snoopy_and_woodstock

Hi bob

For the trains in the Netherlands the machines only take cash and more annoyingly they only take change no notes they do take dutch cards, but thats only on some machines not all. The other frustrating thing about the Netherlands is alot of places do not take Visa or Maestro cards either. My partners family is dutch and luckly they get train tickets etc for us as its a real pain. So when you get off the plane buy a small something and get as much change as you can, but they are excellent trains and clean.

It was quite a shock when we went out for a meal and discovered they didn't take Visa or Maestro so make sure you get to know where the cash points are just in case.

Hope you enjoy it.

Snoops x

Ps Hopefuly things might have changed but its good to be prepared just in case.

Donnie

snoopy_and_woodstock wrote: »

Hi bob

For the trains in the Netherlands the machines only take cash and more annoyingly they only take change no notes they do take dutch cards, but thats only on some machines not all. The other frustrating thing about the Netherlands is alot of places do not take Visa or Maestro cards either. My partners family is dutch and luckly they get train tickets etc for us as its a real pain. So when you get off the plane buy a small something and get as much change as you can, but they are excellent trains and clean.

It was quite a shock when we went out for a meal and discovered they didn't take Visa or Maestro so make sure you get to know where the cash points are just in case.

Hope you enjoy it.

Snoops x

Ps Hopefuly things might have changed but its good to be prepared just in case.

Are you sure that the ticket machines in Schiphol don't take Maestro?
Might be worth a look the next time you are there.

snoopy_and_woodstock

Hi Donnie,

We don't fly to Holland we go by car so have never been to Schiphol, if we take a train to Amsterdam we go from Veenendaal and all the machines there only take coins no paper money or cards.

As i said thats my experience and i hope thats not the case and its changed. My partners part dutch and it annoys him so much that none of his cards are accepted anywhere it's such a pain.

Snoops x

Donnie

That's entirely possible and it's inconvenient for me too. We have just got used to it being so easy.

Still with Nationwide cards, it isn't too inconvenient.

As an aside, the last time I was in the Netherlands, there was a problem on the train line which threatened to make me miss my flight.
With the help of a friendly Dutch person and Dutch Railways, I was on my way to the airport with a fully paid for taxi.
Taxi driver put his foot down too.

Made it in good time.

So a thumbs up for the Dutch.

Voyager2002

It is some time since I last few into Schiphol, but I am sure that I had no trouble in obtaining cash from ATMs there, and ma quite certain that I was not charged.

I bought my train tickets from the station at the airport, and I am pretty sure that I paid using my Nationwide visa card. I was irritated that I had to pay an extra fee for buying my tickets from a human being instead of a machine, but it was only very small. And the machines there (and in major railway stations) do accept international cards: it is only the smaller stations that force you to pay with coins.

GlennTheBaker

I flew into Schiphol twice in 2005 and got the train into Amsterdam City Centre. As I remember, the ticket machine would not accept my Nationwide Visa debit card so I used my Maestro card instead with no trouble. I used my NW card all over the city to withdraw cash and was never charged a fee by the ATM's.

bob2007

hi guys
thanks EVER so much for your grea advice - i really am eternally greatful
i think bcos i go on tuesday and dont have time to open a nationwide account to buy euros in notes

does anyone know where the best places to search for are to get the best deal for the amount of money i will need (about £75)? i have checked some places but wanted to check ive not missed any insider knowledge that you guys have.

and can you only get notes or will they give some coins as well as part of the exchange - esp for the trains?

and if i dont use all, is it worth just holding on to the rest in the hope that ill go elsewhere in eu in the future - or cash back into sterling?

thanks again
have a great day
bob

whu

would suggest using the search engine on the site which will show best places to get the money - would also suggest that you just hold onto whatever is left as presumably it wont be that much and you will lose when you exchange back - keep it and it will feel like free money when you go on your next holiday!!
have fun