We have it on good authority that there will be weather that weekend. But what to expect? Snow and freezing cold is not very likely, but we have had temperatures quite hot at around 30 (Celsius of course) and we had around 15 with rain. But at end of May and so far inland it should be quite summerish.
Long story short, bring all weather cloths. Even when the weather forecast says warm and sunny, you still need a sweater, it can get chilly in the evening.
Baarlo (near Venlo) weather report
In the Netherlands we do things in €uro or we pay with debitcards. Maybe you can use your foreign debitcard in shops or restaurants but maybe not.
We Dutch don't like creditcards. Restaurants and hotels probably accept them, most shops don't (except for the expensive ones).
Do you leave a tip after dinner in a restaurant or after a beer in a pub? Service is included in all prices, but salaries of the waiters/waitresses are not always that high. Leave a few €uro if you liked the service, don't if you didn't !
Public transport is pretty good, allthough the Dutch complain a lot. What else is new. There are trains and regional buses between cities and villages. City transport are buses, trams and metro. Planning your trip is done with website http://www.9292ov.nl.
The Dutch pay for all there traveling with a chipcard. You will have to buy tickets for each trip. These tickets are valid withing a certain area or for a specific trip. If you stay in one of the main cities for a few days, you can buy a ticket that is valid for 1,2,3 or 4 days. That is the best choice in that case. Handle these tickets with care, the chip inside is easely damaged.
You buy train tickets at machines at the train station. <<Here>> you can see how it works and practice if you want. The machines accept mayor creditcards.
Tickets for other public transport can be bought from machines, tobacco shops, supermarkets and at the counter of the city transport company (also located at train stations generally). You can buy from the bus or tram driver, but they are a bit more expencive there.
Click <<here>>
for detailed info about traveling from the airports.
Click <<here>>
for detailed info about traveling from a few of the main cities.
<<Here>>
you can practice on the use of the ticket machines for the trains. Or buy
tickets at the counter (but the smaller stations don't have that possibility).
Dunno how German train tickets are bought, it cannot be that
difficult. Ticket machines for other
public transport... depends on the city, no clue here.....
Taxi/AirportShuttle
There are legal taxi's and 'snorders' (I am not going to translate this). Take a taxi at an official taxi stand. Fares are restricted to a maximum by law. Dunno how much less they charge for real. Taxi companies besed in Venlo offer a shuttle service, ask for price and conditions. It should be cheaper than just getting into the nearest taxi at the airport. You need to make a reservation.
- A taxi can charge up to €7.86 for the first 2 km as a minimum. Any next km can be up to €2.30. (3 passengers maximum)
- For a mini-bus (up to 8 passengers), you can be can charged up to €12.78 for the first 2 km as a minimum. Any next km can be up to €2.64.
- You pay by km, no extra charge for time if you end up in a traffice jam. But you can be charged if a taxi has to wait for you (something like €32 per hour).
- From Venlo train station to the castle
= 6 or 7 km.
Makes €7.86 + 4 (or5) x €2.30= €17.06 (or €19.36) as a maximum - Eindhoven airport = 70 km -> €165 (€195 for a mini-bus)
- Weeze airport = 40 km -> €95 (€115 for a mini-bus)
- Düsseldorf airport = 70 km ->
€165 (€195 for a mini-bus)
Düsseldorf and Weeze are in Germany, German law applies. No idea to what extend that is different from Dutch law.
Shuttle
- These taxi companies are based in
Venlo and have special tarifs for the airports:
Make a reservation at least 24 h in advance
ComfortTaxiVenlo - call +31 77 382 8866
UniqueTaxiService - call +31 77 851 3717
TaxiBtC - call +31 77 3969 003
Yes,
the castle has wifi internet, it is even free of charge. It is not
always that fast though and at some places better then elsewhere. No,
we are not going to set up an Internet Cafe, but you welcome to bring
your laptop or handheld.