5 Tips to Survive the Weather in the Netherlands

When you live in the Netherlands, you have little to complain about. You can bike where ever you want, you can find a coffee shop in basically every neighborhood of the city and you can celebrate several Dutch traditions like Sinterklaas. There’s only one thing… The weather. Whether it’s spring, summer, autumn or winter, it rains a lot in this country.

So this week we have 5 tips to survive the weather in the Netherlands:

1. Check a reliable weather app before leaving your house

You definitely won’t regret downloading either the Buienradar or WeerOnline app. These apps show you when it will be raining or not. Check these apps before you leave your house or when you want to plan an outside activity. This is a convenient way to avoid walking or biking in the rain (unless it rains all day, of course).

2. Buy a wind-proof umbrella

These umbrellas are not one of those cheap made-in-china ones, but they last for a long time and are made to protect you from rain and wind. Win-win!

3. Complain about the weather to start a conversation with a nice Dutchie

Do you see a nice looking Dutchie and you don’t know how to approach him or her? Start talking (e.g. complaining) about the weather! Dutchies are used to complain about the weather, so this is a perfect ice breaker to start a conversation ;-).

4. Wear the right clothes that protect you from rain

In shops like Hema and Action you can buy cheap rain jackets and trousers, that you can wear over your normal clothes. This doesn’t look very appealing –  but hey, you won’t arrive completely soaked at your planned destination!

5. Accept the shitty weather and stay happy!

Especially when we haven’t seen the sun in a long time, our mood can change immediately when we look outside and see the typical Dutch weather. Make sure to take enough vitamin D (not from the sun, but from a capsule in a jar) and try to stay happy. In the end, The Netherlands is a pretty cool country to visit even when it rains!