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General Information
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While all of the facilities that define a true city are present, it is also a beautiful and historic city with many 17th-century houses. Its city centre is criss-crossed with boat-lined canals, which are bordered by red brick roads. Walking and cycling are the best modes of transportation within the town, and there are busses available to go to outlying areas.
The almost 15.000 students and 5.000 staff of the University make Leiden a very lively and entertaining place and a true student town. For its quite small size, Leiden has twelve museums; five of them are national museums, all worth a visit. Leiden is one of the best places in the Netherlands where you can get the true feeling of living in a picturesque town, walking along the canals, having coffee in cosy cafe’s and absorbing the Dutch tranquillity.
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Weather
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The climate in Leiden is temperate – marine with cool summers and mild winters. Due to the fact that the Netherlands is a very flat country the winds blow strongly and the weather changes abruptly. The most sunniest months are May – August and the most warm months are June – September. During September and the beginning of October the weather is very humid and hot, also known as “Indian Summer”. The coldest time of year is between December and February when temperature falls below freezing.
Whenever you decide to visit Leiden, make sure you take an umbrella with you.
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Language
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The official language in Leiden is Dutch but English is widely understood among Dutch people especially at the touristy sights.
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Religion
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Religion is not very popular in the Netherlands. Most of the people stopped going to church long time ago but nevertheless, some old churches were not destroyed because of their value. They are today used as houses or museums. People are living respectfully of each other and are open minded. Their spiritual orientation seems to be more cosmic than religious.
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Currency
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The official currency in the Netherlands is the Euro. Notes come in denominations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5 and the coins in use are €2, €1, € 0.50, € 0.20, € 0.10, € 0.05.
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Tipping
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In Leiden as in the rest of the Netherlands Value Added Tax and service charges are included in the check in hotels, restaurants, taxis and shops. Tips for extra service are not obligatory but a tip of 10 percent becomes more of a custom and is appreciated. In many public toilets and restrooms you will be charged about €0.50.
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Taxes
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The VAT of 19% can be reclaimed by visitors from outside the EU as long as the purchase exceeds €50 and was purchased at one store on the same day. In order to do that, you have to ask in the store for a Global Refund Cheque by the time of purchase. At the airport your purchased items need to be taken to the customs clearance where the customs official will provide a tax stamp. The completely filled in and stamped cheque can then be cashed at one of the branches of ABN AMRO Bank and GWK (Global Refund) or at the Communication Centre in Lounge Central (Easy Tax Free and Cashback).
Customs Information Line: +31 (0)20 - 316 4700.
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Internet
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Most Internet café''s can be found in the centre of Leiden, near the station, in the Breestraat and Hooigracht Street and in many international calling card shops.
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Telephone
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To call Leiden from abroad, first dial +31 for the Netherlands and then 71 for Leiden. Calling from hotels is pretty expensive. To use public phones you can use either a credit card or a telephone cards. In order to get phone numbers through the Dutch operator dial: 0900-8008 (this is a toll free call from public phones). In order to make a collect call (collect gesprek) dial: 0800-0101.
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Emergency numbers
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The general emergency phone number in the Netherlands is 112 (for police, fire
department and ambulance).
Police station (not for emergencies): 525888
Physicians on Standby: 0900-7763337 (the tourist information branch of VVV has a list of local physicians).
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Opening times
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Most shops are open from 9 am to 6 pm on weekdays, but many shops will open on Mondays only at noon and will stay open on Thursday till 8 pm. Business hours differ between banks. Most banks are open Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. On Mondays business hours start mainly at 1 pm and some are open for a while longer on Thursday evenings. On Saturdays and Sundays banks are closed. GWK offices are open 7 days a week. GWK branch can be found at the train station on Stationsplein 3F.
Post offices (Postbank) are generally open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. In all cases you will find the opening hours posted by the door.
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Public Holidays
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The main public holidays are as follows:
• January 1 New Years Day (Nieuwjaarsdag)
• April Easter (Eerste en Tweede Paasdag)
• April 30 Queens Day (Koninginnendag)
• May 4 Rememberence Day (Dodenherdenking)
• May 5 Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag)
• October 3 The relief of Leiden (Leidens Ontzet)
• December 25 Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag)
• December 26 Boxing Day (Tweede Kerstdag)
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Safety
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Leiden is much safer than the bigger cities Amsterdam or Rotterdam but nevertheless, it is wise to watch out. Pickpockets are also over here. Don’t keep your passport or valuable things in an open bag; don’t leave your bike unlocked and always lock your doors before you leave!
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