Countdown - a couple of quick questions
 

I fly to Amsterdam on Thursday. Excitied to finally see the Van Gogh museum!

Two minor questions.

Which town and station do I need to train to the Kroeller Muller?

Tipping customs for Netherlands and German? Any? None?

Is the weather warming up? Need to check the international weather forecast again......

I really really need this vacation.

Thank you!

We took the train to Apeldoorn, then took bus 108 to Hoenderloo, then bus 106 to Otterloo. You can buy a ticket for both the bus ride and entrance to the park from the bus driveer. It's a bit of a walk from where the bus lets you off to the entrance of the museum.

Neither we nor our Dutch friends tipped. Haven't been to Germany for awhile so can't say.

It's cold here in SW France right now and expected to be that way for another week or so. I imagine it's colder north of here. Cceck forecasts.

Dayle, StCirq has it: Apeldoorn, then buses.

Hardly any tipping in NL, because service charges are included. You can round up, or leave a bit more, if you really liked the service. If I have coffee, and it is 2.20 for instance, I'll do 2.50 and "keep the change". You get the idea.

It's colder than usual: should be warming up towards the weekend, then become colder again. Sigh.

Welcome in advance, and enjoy!

oh

9292.com for door to door planning using all public transport options. Also does an app.

I meant 9292.nl

there are white bikes scattered on the lawn, use them.

Tipping, no, prices include employment of staff ;-)

Dayle, the #106 takes you to the Otterlo entrance.

You'll see museum flags on you right hand side and a rather architectural ticket booth.

Note, at the busstop, that there is a very touching monument to Canadian soldiers who were involved in the liberation of Otterlo.

If you want to bike, take the #108 to the Hoenderlo entrance.

Thank you all! So very helpful. Thank you menachem for the trans link!

Weather looks like I need to skip the Mephisto sandals which I dearly love for comfort, and add a second pair of walking shoes for rain. Delete a couple tee shirts and add a couple sweaters.

The weather report for the Mosel and Rhine looks like I may need a heavy duty raincoat! I have one, but its not warm....think I will take one of my fleece jackets. Rocky mountain standard wear!

Will have a wonderful time regardless!

How do you say Thank You in Dutch?

It's too cold. It's may and I'm stil doing training rides in winter kit. It's crazy!



Thank you - Dank je wel.

Graag gedaan, Dayle: you're welcome.

I am not going to say that Dutch have the reputation for being niggards.

But yes, no tipping in NL, nor in Belgium or Germany (*) or France.
We are civilized people we pay our cooks and the waiters are no beggars. (does it sound rude ;-) )

I'll correct for once Menachem, because even myself would not say 'dank je' but rather 'dank u wel' - 'u' is the polite version of the 'je' - the 'thou' and 'you' that was lost in translation.

(*) they more often leave a small something than us - for us leaving nothing is absolutely the norm, it seems in Germany leaving small change is more often the case. I don't actually since I keep forgetting but I4ve seen it more often done than elsewhere.

We're all friends here so dank je wel is fine for the forum. Dank u would be better with strangers.

Ok fâché dat OP Crieff wat te Deggendorf als se in Amsterdam is.
Inderdaad Z

Hum. Autocorrect when I write in Dutch should be deactivated ;-)

WoinParis. LOL. Seriously. :)

Way too cold for sandals today - but a month ago I was on the beach in Belgium in shorts and flipflops. So you never know!

Have a nice trip!

I took train to Ede-Weningen (sp) then buses to Kroller-Muller - seems closer than Apeldorn?

Ede Wageningen.

No, doesn't make a difference. Apeldoorn is on the one end of the #108, Ede-Wageningen at the other end.

Apeldoorn to the Hoenderlo entrance (bikes) is faster (slightly) than Ede-Wageningen to the Otterlo entrance (change to the #106) and slower than getting to the Hoenderlo entrance (that is closer to Apeldoorn)

Then again, it's also due to train arrival times and the phase of the moon, which is why 9292.nl is an essential tool.

It's Ede-Wageningen. I don't think it's overall a shorter trip, but you still take the bus from Ede-Wageningen to Otterloo.

When I'm in the Netherlands I use Dank u wel.

Just a quick reminder that Thursday is Remembrance Day in the Netherlands. There is a big ceremony on the Dam, plus a silent march. Two minutes silence are observed at 8pm.
Expect tight security and please observe the silence.

Even in situations amongst strangers (shops etc) dank je wel, or dank je is more widely used. Or circumvent the issue entirely with "Bedankt!". If you want to be half way between formal and informal and slightly on the side of formal, "Dank u" is also a good bet.

"Tot ziens" (see you) is used widely as a farewell greeting, even if you never see the person again. To which you can safely reply with a drawn out "Daag"

I was brought up with old school courtesy norms ( my dad's job requirements, don't ask), so I still say "Pardon" and "Tot uw/je dienst" and "Aangenaam (kennis te maken" and such. I do that also to annoy my more "democratic" compatriots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbbd1V2qMkg

There is far less of a distinction between formal and informal usage than people are led to believe. I think we're subject to the same rise of informal you as has been happening in Scandinavian countries. Germany is more formal-minded in that respect.

I just came back from shopping at the supermarket. Paying went like this

S 15.44 alstublieft (That makes 15.44) (to me: because I'm a customer: formal, so "u")
Me Ik wil graag pinnen (I want to pay by card: neutral)
S waits for the transaction to conclude
S wilt u de bon? (do you want to the receipt? formal)
Me: Nee bedankt (neutral) could have been: "Nee, dank je" (informal, also a status/age difference thing) UNLESS S had been one of the elderly ladies who have been there for ages and who have seen my son grow up. Then I would have said "Nee, dank u" or "Nee, dank u wel"
S Tot ziens (till next time: neutral)
Me: Daag. (neutral)

Ah, the minefield that is Dutch polite usage. In the 17th century, titular usage denoted rank. That has continued for a long time, and in some circumstances it still does.

So, I have a university doctorate, in that case, I'm addressed in letters as

Weledelzeergeleerde Heer, or Weledelzeergeleerde doctor (or Dr.)

My father was

Hoogedelgestrenge heer J. From that anyone with knowledge of the right titles would have been able to deduct that he was a civil servant higher than rank 14. (or in his case a consul-general) Below rank 14 would be Weledelgestrenge heer.