Hello! I am Gary, and I just completed my first week in the Netherlands. I spent my first five days in Amsterdam, and the last two in Rotterdam. During my time so far in the Netherlands, I have experienced a lot of new concepts, but one of my first real ‘aha’ moments was with their transportation.
From the moment we left the airport, I could tell transportation in the Netherlands is something special. We started our first day by bringing our baggage to the hotel. We began this journey on the train, which we boarded at the airport. The train was spacious, modern, and clean. Only a short time later, we disembarked the train and boarded the local metro to complete our journey. Later throughout the day we used the metro multiple times to get to Amsterdam, the hotel, and even during our trip to Keukenhof gardens.
While exploring the Netherlands the first day, I noticed multiple other forms of transportation that I did not use. These include trams, bikes, buses, and cars. The transportation system in the Netherlands was an ‘aha’ moment for me because I could quickly see that their system was both intuitive and well thought out. They have trams which connect a small, local area, metros to connect nearby towns, and trains to travel across the country. In a single trip you can combine multiple of these forms of transportation to reap the benefits of each component.
I noticed a few things that make public transportation more effective in the Netherlands than the United States. First off, I noticed their signage was clear, concise, and effective. I could quickly see where I was, and what stops were coming up. Though it may seem simple, I don’t often find this signage in the United States. Next, I noticed that I rarely had to wait for a tram, metro, or train. When I did have to wait, it was only a couple of minutes. In the United States, I find that I often must wait a while for the bus or subway. Therefore, I was pleased with how quickly I could get from one location to another in the Netherlands. Finally, I found that the public transportation network in the Netherlands was much more expansive than the United States. I could use the tram, metro, or train to help with most journeys.
Another thing I noticed early on is that despite how nice the public transportation system is in the Netherlands, many people choose not to use it. This is because they opt to bike instead. In fact, the Netherlands has more bikes than people. I think many locals gravitate towards biking due to the strong bike infrastructure that is set up. So far, I have seen a vast network of bike lanes in both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The bike lanes are completely separated from roads and sidewalks by curbs, so cyclists do not need to worry about drivers or pedestrians. The bike lanes also have stoplights and lane markings to help keep cyclists safe.
Therefore, even though I have seen some cars in the Netherlands, they are not as much of a necessity as they are in the United States due to the other transportation options in the Netherlands. Since other forms of transportation are more green than cars, the Netherlands’ transportation system also benefits their sustainability goals. Overall, I have really enjoyed learning about transportation in the Netherlands, and I thought it was neat to see how different it is from the United States.
