Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [16]
At train stations outside Amsterdam, left-luggage lockers cannot currently be used without a Dutch debit card.
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Libraries
The main public library, the Bibliotheek, is at Oosterdokskade 143, just west of Centraal Station (daily 10am–10pm).
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Lost property
For items lost on the trams, buses or metro, contact GVB Head Office, Prins Hendrikkade 108–114 (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm; 0900/8011). For property lost on a train, first go to the service office at Centraal Station (24hr). After five days all unclaimed property goes to the Central Lost Property Office in Utrecht (0900/321 2100). If you lose something in the street or park, try the police lost property office at Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 52 (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm; 14020). Schiphol Airport’s lost and found desk is in the Arrivals Hall (daily 8am–6pm; 0900/0141).
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As part of a gradual scheme, all Dutch post offices are scheduled to close by 2012, and postal transactions will be carried out at the new TNT stores or places with the TNT logo. Stamps are sold at a wide range of outlets including many supermarkets, shops and hotels. Postboxes are everywhere, but be sure to use the correct slot – the one labelled overige is for post going outside the immediate locality.
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Maps
The maps in this guide should be more than adequate for most purposes, but if you need one on a larger scale, or with a street index, then pick up The Rough Guide Map to Amsterdam, which has the added advantage of being waterproof and rip-proof. This marks all the key sights as well as the location of many restaurants, bars and hotels. If you want a map covering the outer suburbs as well, the best bet is the Falk map of Amsterdam (1:15,000). Other options include the city maps sold by the VVV, which come complete with a street index, and the handily compact, spiral-bound street atlases produced by Falk (suburbs: 1:12,500; centre 1:7500).
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Money
The currency of the Netherlands – like much of the rest of the EU – is the euro (€), divided into 100 cents. At the time of writing the exchange rate was €0.75 to $1 and €1.10 to £1. There are notes of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5, and coins of €2, €1, 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c and 2c. Euro coins feature a common EU design on one face, but different country-specific designs on the other, but no matter what the design, all euro coins and notes are legal tender in all of the following countries as well as the Netherlands: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. Note that bills of €200 and €500 are almost impossible to change anywhere other than in an official bank.
The Netherlands is a cash society; as a general rule, people prefer to pay for most things with notes and coins. However, debit cards are becoming increasingly popular, and most shops and restaurants accept these and credit cards. You can use many Visa, Mastercard and UK debit cards (within the Cirrus, Plus or Maestro systems) to withdraw cash from ATMs – often the quickest and easiest way of obtaining money. There are dozens around the city and they give instructions in a variety of languages.
In the event that your credit card is lost or stolen, call 020/504 8666 for American Express (0800/022 0100 for traveller’s cheques); 0800/022 5821 for MasterCard; and 0800/022 3110 for Visa.
Dutch banks usually offer the best deals on changing money. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, with a few big-city banks also open Thursday until 9pm or on Saturday morning; all are closed on public holidays. Outside these times, changing money is rarely a problem; there’s a nationwide network of GWK exchange offices, which are open late every day, and at Amsterdam Centraal Station and Schiphol Airport, 24 hours a day. GWK offers competitive rates and charges reasonable commissions, but some other agencies do not, so be cautious. VVV