oranjeroots

So moving to the Netherlands has not been all sunshine and roses. It’s definitely had its ups and downs, so I thought I would compile a little list of things I wish I had known or expected before making the big move over here!

1. Weather – it’s a bit of everything

I moved over here at the end of December 20205, so pretty recently. Now being from Scotland, I am certainly not unfamiliar with bad weather, however the sheer amount of snow that fell at the start of January was immense. Now I don’t know if I’d been extremely lucky with every time I’d been to visit, the weather had been really decent. Some days during the summer were reminiscent of mediterranean holidays. Anyways, expect everything!

2. Cycling might become your default without noticing

Cycling might become your default without you even noticing. As someone who comes from a land of hills and mountains, cycling was never an everyday thing for me. Most people back home are probably the same — the only time you get on a bike is a spontaneous trip to Millport to cycle around the island and then complain about your legs the next day.

Since moving here, though, even tiny trips I’d normally walk suddenly feel quicker on a bike. It sneaks up on you in the best way. One minute you’re still thinking of yourself as someone who “doesn’t really cycle,” and the next you’re automatically grabbing your bike keys without a second thought. It’s genuinely my default mode of transport now, which is something I never imagined myself saying a year ago when I was still living in Scotland.

3. You will miss some foods more than expected

You will miss some foods more than expected. Now I know Scotland isn’t exactly known for its glamorous cuisine (or healthiest), but there are certain things you just can’t replace. One day you’re happily eating Dutch cheese and bitterballen, and the next you’d trade your soul for a Greggs steak bake or a fish supper from the chippy.

It’s not that the food here is bad, it’s just missing some of my home comforts that I just cannot find here quite so easily (looking at you Irn-Bru).

4. People really do plan weeks in advance

People really do plan weeks in advance. Back home, most plans were made with a quick “aye, sounds good” and maybe a message the night before, even day of, to confirm. Here, everything goes straight into the calendar — dinners, coffees, casual catch‑ups, even things that feel too small to schedule. And to be honest, I kind of prefer it. Makes me feel like I’m doing things and somewhat organised when I look in my calendar. Suddenly I find myself checking your agenda like a real adult and saying things like “I’m free in three Thursdays’ time,” which is a sentence I don’t think I ever said in Scotland.

5. Sundays are quiet… really quiet

Now I don’t think this one rings true in the major cities necessarily, but I live in an area with more religious communities which I’m led to believe they are more against shops being open on a Sunday. They tend to go out just for attending church and that’s it, so I think there’s less of a need for shops to be open? Also I have seen some comments from other expats saying that they’ve been rather angrily told off for doing work in their house or cutting their grass on a Sunday by their neighbours which is just a normal thing to do back in the UK. I’m not really a huge fan of this, so it’s been a bit of an adjustment to me, where I’d normally go a wander round the shops or something on a Sunday exactly because it would be a bit less chaotic than a Saturday.

6. Everyone speaks English – but Dutch still matters

People really do speak amazing English here, and honestly, it’s both a pro and a con. Great that I can go pretty much anywhere and always be able to communicate. However, not so great when it comes to actually learning the Dutch language and trying to have a conversation in a shop and they immediately switch to English…

There have even been times, especially in the bigger cities, where some store staff don’t speak Dutch at all. It’s a strange feeling when you, the foreigner, are the one trying to speak the local language and they’re the ones defaulting to English. It’s convenient, yes, but it definitely slows down the whole “integrating into the country” part.

7. Cost of living is sneaky

I’ve had a hard time adapting to this and reminding myself that wages here are higher, the economy is different and so on. But it’s a little bit of a culture shock when you go to the supermarket and see the price of a tray of chicken breasts or a packet of beef mince.

And the pricing on deals? Absolutely not transparent. For example, I picked up a packet of muffins that had a big “buy 1 get 1 free” sign. Each packet had two muffins, so naturally I grabbed two packets — four muffins total. Easy. Except no. The deal wasn’t “buy one packet, get one packet free.” It was “buy one muffin, get one muffin free.” Meaning the packet was just half‑price, and the price on the board was actually the price of a single muffin. I hope you followed that, because that’s the best way I can explain it… but honestly, it feels deceptive.

8. Recycling bottles & cans

Recycling bottles & cans is a whole system here, and honestly, it took me a minute to get used to it. You pay a little extra “statiegeld” when you buy certain bottles and cans, and then you get that money back when you return them. Sounds easy, but trying to not squash a bottle or can down to fit more in the recycling bin and instead put it in the recycling bag to take back to the store took longer to get my head round than I wanted.

Basically you take the bottles and cans back to the store when they are empty (which I believe Lidl in the UK has a similar thing going on?) You stand there feeding bottles into a machine like you’re offering sacrifices to some recycling god, and then it spits out a voucher you can use at the checkout. It’s clever, it’s environmentally friendly, and it does actually work — but it’s definitely a different rhythm from just chucking everything in the recycling bin back in the UK.

9. Cycling infrastructure is top tier

Cycling infrastructure is genuinely top tier. I knew the Netherlands was famous for bikes, but I didn’t realise just how well‑designed everything is until I started using it myself. The bike lanes aren’t just painted lines on a road — they’re proper, separate paths with their own traffic lights, roundabouts, and rules. You feel safe even as a beginner, which is something I could never say about cycling back in Scotland. I genuinely feel like I could cycle anywhere I wanted as long as I’ve got my maps up on my phone – I never thought in a million years I would have felt this confident cycling so fast.

It’s one of those things you don’t fully appreciate until you’re here, but once you experience it, you understand why everyone cycles everywhere. It’s efficient, it’s calm, and it just works.

10. Driving seems terrifying

Driving seems terrifying. The junctions alone are enough to make you question every life choice that led you to this moment. Back home, a junction is a junction — you look both ways, hope for the best, and go. Here, you’re dealing with cars, bikes, scooters, pedestrians, tractors, mobility scooters, and the occasional person casually cycling with a dog in a basket… all at the same time.

And then there’s the whole “right has right of way” rule, which sounds simple until you’re actually sitting at a crossroads trying to figure out who technically counts as “right.” Half the time I feel like I’m doing a maths exam instead of driving. Add in the constant need to watch for cyclists — who appear out of nowhere, move faster than you expect, and absolutely will have the right of way — and it’s a lot.

It’s not impossible, but it definitely takes a different level of awareness. You’re not just driving; you’re scanning the horizon like a meerkat, checking every angle for a bike that might materialise at speed. I’m hoping to practice driving here more now that the lighter nights are coming in and it will be quiet.

11. Paying to go to a public toilet

In the UK, you can usually wander into a supermarket or shopping centre and use the loo for free without anyone batting an eye. In the Netherlands, especially in train stations and busy public areas, you’re paying 50 cents to a euro just to pee. Even some cafés and smaller places will charge unless you’re a customer.

It’s not outrageous, but it does take getting used to. You suddenly find yourself carrying coins again, planning toilet breaks like a small logistical operation, and occasionally debating whether you really need to go or if you can wait until you get home. It’s one of those tiny cultural differences that sneaks up on you — not a big deal, but definitely something you notice.

12. The birds are loud

To round it off, seeing as it’s become a bit of a bugbear of mine… the birds here, especially in the morning, have absolutely no chill. Even the tiny ones seem to have strong opinions at 5am and zero hesitation about broadcasting them to the entire neighbourhood.

I was once woken up by what I genuinely thought was a car alarm, only to realise it was a bird perfectly replicating the noise — which is exactly what you want to hear at 5am when you’re trying to live a peaceful life.

Now that it’s getting warmer and more humid, sleeping with the window open just invites the full dawn chorus directly into your skull. My advice? Do what I did and invest in earplugs. Your sanity will thank you.