How do you get online in Amsterdam? Thankfully, there’s so many Internet Cafes it’s hard to keep track of them. The largest by far is EasyInternetCafe, just renamed from EasyEverything. They have two locations, each with hundreds of computers see our review. The one on the Damrak is convenient to Centraal Station with several stories of computers and a coffeebar. Their second location is near the Rembrandtplein.

You can also find several smaller Internet Cafes in the area including the CyberCafe on the Nieuwendyke and The Internet Cafe on Martelaarsgracht 11. Many more computers with Internet access can be found in Coffeeshops scattered around the Centrum. Some charge for access, some don’t.

If you’re going to be living in Amsterdam for some time, you’ll want to check out establishing an Internet account with one of the local service providers (ISPs). You’ll have quite a choice with KPN, the Dutch phone company, offering ISDN and DSL options. Wanadoo, a French company offers FREE dialup access, as well as a paid DSL service in Amsterdam.

But the biggest high speed provider is UPC, which offers high speed cable Internet along with cable and digital TV and phone service, all over one cable via the Chello service out of England. UPC has been the source of much scorn and has earned the ire of everyone who has used their service at one time or another. But today their service is much improved and the speed of their network (when it’s running right) is unsurpassed by any.

If you factor in the TV service (lots of English channels including CNN, BBC1+2, TCM, MTV, Discovery, and more), the nearly free phone lines (you get two automatically!), and the fastest Internet access, at a GREAT Price, it’s hard to beat. Residential service for all the above runs about 60 Euros a month! But be warned, their Internet service can go down for days at a time (TV & phone are unaffected)! Although this is becoming more rare.

The Dutch have been on the cutting edge of the Internet, and Dutch websites tend to be very well done, with plenty of style, and lots of good information. You can now find many official websites with English versions, including the City of Amsterdam and other national information sites with official documents translated into English.

If your visit to Holland won’t go beyond the city of Amsterdam, then you don’t need a car. In fact it’s inadvisable because parking is very difficult to find, and very expensive. The city is not designed for autos and few people bother to bring them into the city, when there are so many superior forms of transport available.

However if you wish to explore other parts of Holland or plan to travel to neighboring countries then you’ll need to rent a car. Fortunately there are several excellent deals available. The best deal by far, especially if you only want to rent for a few days, is EasyCar, located right across from Amstel Station (behind the Renault dealer). They rent Mercedes A class cars that can seat up to five and has more storage than a normal sedan. The further in advance you reserve, the better deal you’ll get, as the prices vary with demand. You MUST reserve online for EasyCar (formerly known as Easy Rent-A-Car). Note: They don’t allow walk-ins! Also they keep changing their pricing policies, and now charge a 16 Euro cleaning fee! So beware, this isn’t such a good deal anymore, unless you’re renting for more than a couple of days. I also had an incident where I was charged 240 Euros for a small crack in the windshield, their standard fee, no matter how much damage was done to it!

If you need a car for a longer period then Budget-Rent-A-Car is ideal with special deals on weekly rentals, and lots of very reasonably priced models from which to choose. There are several rental offices in Amsterdam, and you’ll save money if you don’t rent it at Schipol airport, although if you’re just arriving that would be most convenient and worth the extra charge. You can make a reservation or check prices online with Budget.

Other major rental companies include Avis, Hertz and Europcar, but none of these offer the same kind of deal as those we’ve mentioned.

Please note that Budget allows you to drop off your car at another location, whereas, with Easy Rent-A-Car you must return it back to the same place.

Rental company policies vary. Often there are only certain countries you can drive to. Usually Eastern Europe is out of the question and some don’t allow travel to Italy (lots of car theft there). If you are taking the rental car out of Holland, be sure to check if your itinerary is allowed.