All of the planning, packing, and goodbyes have led up to the big moment – and you are finally in country! This is the start to the big fantastic adventure you have been eager to get started!

But,  if you haven’t found a way to teleport you and your things from customs to your new front door, how in the world do you get from the airport to your final destination?

Well… the move isn’t completely done yet.

So what is the best option to ensure a smooth landing the first few days in your new country? We did a bunch of research and decided renting our own van was the best plan for us.

For American expats who wish to rent a moving van in the Netherlands, you need to consider the differences in driving in Europe, costs savings and potential hassle of doing it yourself versus hiring other services.

Why Do You Need A Moving Van?

Our plan included a need for a van for two reasons in the first week of us landing in the Netherlands:

1. Getting 2 adults, a cat, and our seven luggage items from Schipol Airport to Utrecht
2. Picking up furniture from thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, and of course, Ikea

The many options I researched included using public transportation, hiring a van for door-to-door service, and renting the van ourselves.

Public Transportation

Schipol Airport is well connected to the major cities of the Netherlands by train. And with most destinations being under an hour journey, this could be the best option for some.

If you are packing light (think one or two bags per person) this could be an ideal solution for relocating to one of the bigger cities.

Remember, you may need to transfer to a local bus, metro, or even get a taxi to reach your final destination. Also, with public transportation there are schedules and forms of payment to understand, so it is advised to have a plan before you land.

Although we had visited the Netherlands before, we figured even in the best case scenario there would be lots of logistics to figure out when we first got in country. So, by not going the public transport route, we saved mental energy and decision fatigue at the top of the day.

Van Pick Up

Driving services can be helpful is you have more baggage and want a door-to-door service right when you land.

There are some helpful services that can help you schedule individual pick ups like these, but the additional costs add up quickly.

I was worried that flight delays would present challenges and would potentially make us miss our pick up window or have to pay for delays. We also needed to be in Utrecht at a specific time to officially get our new apartment keys so the whole thing seemed very overwhelming, even if it was all manufactured stressed by my Certified Anxious^TM mind. ;D

The door-to-door service option seemed to be less useful when it came to picking up odds and ends around the city and country. We would have needed to hire a van for each individual pick up.

So now we needed to look at the trade off between the convenience of time versus being economical.

And as the Dutch do, I typically lean towards being the most economical.

Benefits of Renting a Moving Van in the Netherlands

1. Moving on your own time.

It made the days way easier to be able to get up and go on our timeline.

That sounds a bit more proactive than we were at the time, since we were probably experiencing jet lag for the full time we had the van.

We started our days a little later than we wanted and were a bit slow going, but it was nice to know we didn’t need to have a pick-up time and that we could change our driving plans for the day at the last minute without any hassle!

2. No waiting around.

This goes along with the first one but not wasting time with waiting for a pick up really made a difference. We are learning that things take longer here. And while the Dutch are very prompt, there can still be unforeseen challenges such as traffic and construction that can cause delays.

3. It is the cheaper option.

As mentioned above, we looked into booking transportation from the airport and again on an as needed basis, but that seemed like the more challenging route to take with everything else we needed to accomplish in the first few days. In the end we saved about $500, if not more (and even including my booking mishap). Even if it costs a little more time, we were able to explore more of the country early on and meet other immigrants and Dutchies alike through Facebook Marketplace.

4. Free Workout.

Maybe it is just the frugal goblin in me, but I will take any change I get calling simple labor a free workout. Especially with the larger items like the washing machine, the legwork it took to move that thing in the van and then out into the apartment was giving hulk for sure.

5. Good way to start mapping out your new city.

If you have not spent a lot of time in the city you are moving to, this a great way to start getting oriented in the neighborhood. This can be helpful for later when you are on foot or using public transportation and need to know the general area you are in.

Challenges with Renting a Moving Van in the Netherlands

6. Still needed to schedule things out.

Even though there was much less scheduling involved with having our own van, there is still coordination needed with the marketplace sellers, Ikea trips, and making sure everything would fit in a single trip. The additional coordination came from wanting to keep the van logically organized. We didn’t want to have any super heavy items right in from of the door, and we needed to make sure we had enough ratchet straps to hold down all of the furniture and appliances.

7. Everything takes longer than expected.

I’m sure this will be a theme in many of my guides because boy do we underestimate the time it takes to get anything done. The combination of my ADHD time blindness and general “I need it done now” expectations I am trying to shake, made some tasks really feel like a slog to get done with the van. Planning the route of the day. Mapping out each location. Driving and getting lost anyway. Finding a large/safe place to park. Loading. Needing a snack. Jetlag. It all adds up after a few days.

8. You are still jetlagged.

I never considered that jet lag would be apart of the location, mostly due to hubris. Also because I thought I would get a good night sleep on the 7 hour overnight flight, which did not happen. Your body and mind will be tired, so make sure you are in a state to safely operate a large motor vehicle. For me, the adrenaline of being in country was enough to get me through the first few days, but if this something that would cause any sort of concern for you, consider the other options above.

Booking a Rental Van in the Netherlands

Renting the truck is as easy as booking any other rental car online. We went with an Avis Van that we could pick up directly at the airport.

Things to keep in mind when making a choice on a rental vehicle:

9. Book a specific vehicle type.

Do not select the random vehicle option, even if the option is specific for a variety of vans. You want to make sure you know as much about the make and model of the van as possible. This can reduce getting into issues.

10. Know what you are driving.

If you are able to figure out the make and model, look up the height and width if you can to ensure you won’t be too big for smaller roads.

This was one of my main concerns, as I share similar challenges in our Chicago move. I definitely wanted to avoid any accidents or tickets from driving something larger than what I was used to.

11. Book as early as possible.

This ensures you can lock in the best price.

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE! I had booked a van early but then switched later, thinking I was getting a better deal. I goofed and made the rental time for a 4 days instead of a week so I had to re-book and it costed me about $200 more than the original booking!

12. Shop around, carefully.

If you do end up finding another deal, make the second booking BEFORE you cancel the first.

Most of the time you do not have to pay anything when making a car rental, so you won’t be breaking the bank with two bookings temporarily.

13. Make sure the vehicle size works for you.

If you are only bringing carry-ons and a few checked items, you may be able to get away with just an SUV or something of similar size.

With our 7 luggage items and a cat, we wanted to make sure everyone (and everything) was safe and not too cramped, so for us a van was the only way to go.

This was also helpful when it came to picking up larger items from facebook marketplace, like our washer machine.

Driving a Rental Van in the Netherlands on the Highway

For our drive from the Schipol Airport to Utrecht we had a combination of highway and city driving to tackle.

In this section will outline specific road rules – I expect if you are interested in renting a van you already know how to drive.

Here are my best tips for driving on Dutch highways in a rental van:

14. Driving directions are still the same.

Americans can rejoice that the driving directions are not reversed in the Netherlands!

This was a huge weight off of our shoulders because when we drove in Scotland it definitely took some getting used to.

This time around we had about 90 minutes for a 60 minute drive and there wasn’t much time to practice on side roads before driving to another state.

15. Pay attention to your speed.

Obviously you do not want to get a tick in your first few weeks living abroad. You also want to note that the speed limit is a little slower.

You also need to be careful driving fast with such a heavy load. If exits come up quickly and you make sudden turns that could put you and other drivers on the road in jeopardy.

16. Turn on the radio.

This can be a fun way to start to feel grounded in your new home.

Or, if the stations are available, you may be able to find some comforts from back home.

We stumbled on a station that played “ain’t no stopping us now” and that became the theme song of the week as we overcame a lot more than expected in those first few days.

17. Enjoy the Drive!

Depending on how long you have been thinking, dreaming, and planning for this epic move, now can be a good time to revel in your hard work.

You moved. You MADE IT.

Look out the window and start to take in what your decision really means for your future. There ain’t no stopping you now.

Driving a Rental Van in the Netherlands in the city

It was nice that the drive started with highway driving because the city driving required a bit of a learning curve.

It was still easy to figure out and we accurately planned the driving to be during off peak commute hours, so we could go as slow as we needed without holding up our new neighbors.

While Utrecht is much smaller than Amsterdam, it is still a big city with roads ranging from multiple wide lines and traffic lights, to condensed cobblestone side streets. Each of which have their unique flow of traffic.

Here are my best tips for driving in Dutch cities in a rental van:

18. There are some streets that are pedestrian only.

You will find people walking and sometimes biking, but cars should not be on some roads. There are usually barriers in place and a number of signs.

To be extra sure, if you are driving anywhere in the city, especially if it is your first time on those roads, it is best to look up the roads on google maps street view to make sure you are going the safest route. There was one or two times the route would take us on streets there were for bikes or pedestrians only so I was very glad to have looked at the path beforehand.

19. Study the flow of traffic.

There are some streets that are technically wide enough for two way traffic, but 2 lanes of bikes, two way traffic and parking seemingly share ONE LANE. So you have to be careful and know when to get over.

Did I sweat every time we encountered an oncoming car? Yes. Was it easy and very common sense to just slow down slightly and move over? 100% Yes.

Our overall experience

Our experience overall renting a van to move ourselves was pretty easy. It definitely threw us right into the mix of our new life which was just the adrenaline rush we needed to get through that first busy week.

I never thought I would be able to do the things we accomplished then, and it was all in a matter of days.

And relationship-wise, it made us a stronger team. <3

If you want the full fun story of our week with the van, you can check it out here.

With these tips and tricks, I hope you have more confidence in your ability to rent a moving van if that is the best option for your moving plans.

Interested in moving abroad but not sure how to get started? Let me know in the comments what questions you have and I’ll be sure to address in the best way!