Haarlem Practical Information is a great way to acquaint yourself with some basic information related to Haarlem and the Netherlands. It is always advisable to do a little research before heading off to a foreign destination.

Location 

Haarlem (also known as Harlem in English), is located in Randstad, the sixth largest metropolitan area in Europe and lies along the river Spaarne, a little over 13 miles west of Amsterdam, in the country of the Netherlands. The Netherlands (also known as Holland) is located in northwestern Europe bordered by Belgium to the south, Germany to the east, and the North Sea in the north and west.

Language 

The official language of Haarlem, as well as the rest of the Netherlands is Dutch. The Dutch language is the native language of more than 22 million people worldwide, and more than 5 million speak Dutch as a second language. Dutch ranks as the 37th most spoken language in the world.

Population 

Haarlem claims approximately 149,000 residents. Although Haarlem is a relatively small city in population, is sprawls into neighboring villages Spaarndam, and Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude.

Currency 

The official language of Haarlem, as well as the entire Netherlands is the European euro. The euro is subdivided into 100 cents and is the official currency of the European Union, and is used in 16 of the 27 member states. The coins that make up the euro are the 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, and 1 and 2 euro coins. The paper notes that make up the euro are the 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euro notes. It is a good idea to exchange a small amount of currency to cash before arriving in the Netherlands. Upon arrival, currency exchange booths are easily accessible, but hotels, banks, and some post offices offer better exchange rates for currency exchange. Major credit cards and traveler checks are widely accepted throughout Haarlem, but it is always advisable to carry a small amount of cash on you at all times. If you are traveling from 1 of the 16 countries within the EU that is using the euro, there will be no need to exchange currency.

Time Zone 

Haarlem observes Central European Time (CET) and is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1hr). Haarlem observes Daylight Saving Time (DST), so during summer months the time zone is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +2hrs).

If you are in Amsterdam, take a train. They leave approx. every 15 min., and it takes about 20 min. to get there. Once in Haarlem it is easy to see all the important sights on foot.

No need to get back to Amsterdam for dinner, Haarlem has an extremely high concentration of nice restaurants!