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I can only help you with the green card question. This is now obsolete for anywhere in europe but you do need to inform your insurance company that you are driving abroad so that they can extend your cover, otherwise you will only have 3rd party. Norwich union charged me £12 so you are not talking mega bucks. I hope you have a good trip. I have only been to Amsterdam in Holland but I found the people very friendly.

Carol

Hi :-) We are off to France for our first camping abroad trip mid August too, very excited!! Just a few thing I've thought of that you haven't mentioned:

driving licences -need to take them

flourescent vests -not a legal requirement YET AFAIK, but highly recommended that you have one per person in case of accident, I have heard that Euro police expect people to have them for walking down the sides of motorways in event of breakdowns. Lidl are doing them for £2.99 at the mo.

fire extinguishers are recommended too, although again not a legal requirement. You can buy little ones for cars for about a tenner.

beam benders, headlight diverters, you know the things. Legal requirement in all Euro countries. I bought some on Ebay for £5.99 free postage, do a search for "beam benders"

That's about all I can think of, except maybe having a word with anyone you know who is Dutch  and finding out about good shopping experiences in Holland......don't suppose you are into sewing? Great fabric markets over there........

Amanda

Hiya Mammamia!

Great to hear you will be visiting our country and I hope you will like it here! You have chosen region Arnhem for your "certre of gravity" to tour Holland. Good choice! It is convenient (A12 and A50) placed to take you North-South as well as East West quick. Some pointers?

1. When on the ferrie, get a cushioned seat, I suffered a severe case of numbbum when I reach Hoek van Holland from our trip to the UK last june. Then, just follow the signs to "Rotterdam" and the A20. From then you have some choices and a good roadmap will shurely get you there.

2. Don't be alarmed by Dutch drivers as they tend to be driving like "Drivers from Hell", not like I've encountered in the UK so far (M25 excluded). I drive about 70.000 miles a year for my work so I have seen it all. Just adjust your mirrors to right hand side driving and you'll be okay. Remember, Holland is a small country and you'll have crossed it in two hours ánd we have to share it with all 16 million of us, so sometimes it is a bit crowded.

3. If you're a member of AA, get in touch with the ANWB it's Dutch sister organisation. They can help in case of breakdown or other panicscenario's. There are yellow speaking terminals every odd mile or so allong all motorways in holland. If broken down, walk to one of those, press teh button and help will come your way.

4. Do bring your green card. it is a confirmation about the coveradge of the insurance.

5. there is about 60 P to the Euro so don't be alarmed by the prices. They should compare with prices in the UK.

6. Don't try to get the nice cupp of tea you're familiar to; it just isn't available in Holland. Instead, you'll get a glass of steaming hot water with a "tea tampon" to soak for yourself. Only place I know of in every town is HEMA, a dep.store with a diner where you get a good mug of tea at a very nice price. Also good for lunch or snack. Hema can be found in Hig streets in every bigger town.

I hope you will have a real great time in Holland. Any questions? Don't hessitate to ask or E-mail me from the button in this post.

PS: Ask for marketdays in Amsterdam and make sure you'll have a whole day to spare over one of them. Arnhem has a nice market at the foot of  St. Stephens Church.

PPS: http://www.campingwarnsborn.nl/ is the site you mentioned. Click it for some pre-fun and anticipation. Also great fun to try to pronounce it and learn Dutch...

MM,

I have stayed at this campsite and posted a review on these boards.

The place is great. Plonked right in the middle of forest. Some brilliant walk/cycle ways through the trees.

The whole of Arnhem and Oosterbeek is steeped in history, buy a town guide book that shows the locations of individual battles that took place through the streets in world war two. (Sorry that's my interest DOH!)

The Dutch people are very friendly, they all speaka da lingo, and they appear to like us Brits  what more could you want?

Have a great time, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy,

Have a great trip, Gelderland is one of my favourite places. You must do the sites of the Airlandings at Oosterbeek..... there is a nice camp site there too! There is also a really nice walk along the Rhine banks with some lovely cafes for a coffee or lunch while you watch the ships going bye.Try an Uitsmeiter for a lunch - you wont regret it!

Re the van, dont forget your bright yellow reflective overjacket, warning triangle. You get a fine in France if you don t have the yellow jackets, if you are passing that way.

Watch out for Beligum. worst main roads I have ever experienced, and tricky to tow on. At Antwerp make sure you dont get diverted to that new tunnel. Keep flowing to the east to get to holland in the direction of Kennedy Tunnel.

And a radio. Skyradio is on 100FM and is the best music station I have ever heard, esp at night.

The people are friendly and helpful if you get stuck, and speak better English than some Brits I have met....

Take a visa card for petrol but you wont find visa is used in shops very much. You will need to have some cash, which you can get from a hole in the wall bank machine. You do pay a charge each time you do this, so just use it to put some Euros in your wallet.

The road system is much better organised than most of Europe, but watch out for the bike lanes. these are an extra set of small roads alongside the main carriageway. They even have their own traffic lights on em too. When turing right take a second to have an extra check for bikes beofre turning in. You often find the bikes come in from your blind spot over your right shoulder, and roundabouts are a nightmare in towns becuase of these. Thankfully not very often encountered. The motorist is usually found at fault in the event of an accident with a bike, so the bikes are totally fearless and seem to come out of nowhere.

Im sure you will have a great trip.

Geoff

PS I agree with Freebird about the tea. Rule 1 is always order coffee in NL, always order tea in UK.

the Dutch drivers were very courteous though to caravans,  and patient so you wont have a problem there. Just watch it with the bikes of course.