Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Clothing
Summers are lovely but along with your shorts and beachwear pack a light-weight raincoat - the odd shower cannot be ruled out. Winter winds can be cold and you should certainly wrap up well in January and February. The average temperature in these months hovers just above 2 degrees centrigrade. One of the nice things about Holland is that the Dutch are relaxed about clothes. You wear what you feel good in - particularly in Amsterdam when an opera audience happily turns up in jeans and t-shirts. Which is not to say you cannot wear dress if you want to. Men should bring a tie and women a skirt or dress if you plan dining up-market. Otherwise feel free.
Miscellaneous: Value added tax and service charges are included in hotel, restaurant, shopping bills and taxi fares. Tips for extra service are always appreciated but not necessary. It is customary to give taxi drivers a tip of about 10%.Liquor laws
Sales of liquor: From the age of 16 it is legally allowed to buy beer and wine. To buy liquor you must be 18 years old. Alcoholic beverages are for sale at liquor stores and supermarkets. Supermarkets only sell beer, wine and alcoholic beverages with an alcohol percentage up to 12 to 13 percent.
It is prohibited to drive if you are over the 0.5 blood alcohol level. Driving under the influence is a criminal offense and applies to driving a car and riding a motor bike, scooter, moped or bicycle. You risk a fine of 80 euro(between 0.5 - 1 blood alcohol level) and 200 euro between 1 and 1.8 blood alcohol level.
If you are over 1.8 blood alcohol level your case will be taken to court. In addition to a fine, you may be temporarily banned from driving.
Drugs policy.
For the record, trafficking in (importing or exporting), selling, producing and processing either hard or soft drugs are offenses in Holland. However, the use of drugs is not an offense beacuse the aim of Dutch policy is to prevent and limit the damage drug use causes both the individual and society. To this end, assistance is given to drug addicts to promote their rehabilitation, and to improve their physical and mental condition and their social circumstances. They are more likely to seek assistance because they need not fear prosecution nor risk being branded criminals.
Coffee shops
A coffee shop can best be described as a café which does not sell alcoholic beverages and in which, under certain circumstances, soft drugs may be sold. Although the sale of soft drugs is an offense, low priority is given to the prosecution of coffee shop owners, provided they sell small quantities only and meet the following conditions:
no more than five grams per person may be sold in any one transaction;
no hard drugs may be sold;
drugs may not be advertised;
the coffee shop must not cause any nuisance;
no drugs may be sold to persons under the age of 18, nor may minors be admitted on the premises. The mayor of a city has authority to close coffee shops which do not meet these conditions.
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on Aug 24, 2002
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