Practical information

North Brabant is situated in the south of The Netherlands, centrally located and just an hour’s drive from Amsterdam and Düsseldorf in Germany. It is the most hospital, welcoming part of the Netherlands, with more than 2.5 million inhabitants, known locally as ‘Brabanders’. The biggest cities are Eindhoven (pop. 245,000), Tilburg (pop. 230,000), Breda (pop. 185,000) and ’s-Hertogenbosch (pop. 160,000).

Local tourist information points
The province’s tourist information points are the ideal place to obtain information about local cities, the area, local sights, opening times, etc. Opening times vary by location, so it’s best to check beforehand.

Paying for things in the Netherlands

In some locations, you can ONLY pay by debit card, so make sure that you always have one with you.
In many locations, a credit card is also accepted.
There are no specific rules for tips, but 10% is a general rule of thumb if the service has been satisfactory. It’s perfectly normal to round amounts up.

General opening times of shops
In North Brabant’s largest cities – Breda, Eindhoven, Tilburg and ’s-Hertogenbosch – the shops on the cities’ main streets are open every Sunday from 12:00 until 17:00 or 18:00.

In general, most shops in most places open as follows:

Monday          12:00 to 18:00
Tuesday         09:00 to 18:00
Wednesday    09:00 to 18:00
Thursday        09:00 to 18:00
Friday            09:00 to 18:00
Saturday 09:00 to 17:00
Sunday           Closed

Late-night shopping is common in many locations, with shops open until 21:00, typically on a Thursday or Friday. Opening times on public holidays vary from city to city, village to village.

Banks
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. You can obtain cash from any bank during the day and from most supermarkets during opening hours using your debit card. Public cash machines may be closed at night.

General telephone numbers

• General emergency number: 112
• Police: 0900-8844

Travel documents
You must keep a valid identity card with you at all times while travelling within Europe.

Drinking water
The tapwater in North Brabant is of excellent quality and is safe to drink. Around North Brabant there are dozens of locations where you can find tap water points to fill your flask or drinking bottle for free. A map with all locations can be found on Brabantwater (in dutch).

Niederländische Feiertage im Jahr 2024

New Year’s Day Monday, January 1 2024
Good Friday                  Friday, March 29 2024
Easter Sunday              Sunday, March 31 2024
Easter Monday             Monday, April 1 2024
King’s Day   Saturday, April 27 2024
Liberation Day    Sunday, May 5 2024
Ascension Day     Thursday, May 9 2024
Pentecost       Sunday, 19. May 2024
Whit Monday      Monday, 20 May 2024
Christmas Day    Wednesday, December 25 2024
Boxing Day    Thursday, December 26 2024

School holidays in the Southern Netherlands 2024
(as mandated by the government) Please note! These holiday periods are guidelines for schools.

Christmas holiday December 23, 2023 to January 7, 2024
Spring Holiday   February 10 to 18, 2024
May holiday   April 29 to May 5, 2024
Summer holiday July 06, to August 18,  2024
Autumn holiday October 19 to 27, 2024
Christmas holiday December 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025