ABOUT
What surprised you about life there when you first arrived?
After all those years in the UK I became more British than Italian. The Netherlands is different to be honest. Let’s begin from the language, you are in a place where 99% of the text is in Dutch (dah!) and even doing some shopping took some time to get used to.
People are weirdly direct. They are not afraid of rolling their eyes when you ask them for some information when doing some shopping, or laughing at you because you are wearing a mask when it is not needed. But I’m learning to take my time now. You can spend a few minutes queuing at the till, because some ladies are chit chatting with the shop owner. I would be fuming in London, but here it is fine and I love it now. You can ride a bike to go almost everywhere. It’s weird that it might take the same amount of time to go to a place by car and by bike.
People are weirdly direct. They are not afraid of rolling their eyes when you ask them for some information when doing some shopping, or laughing at you because you are wearing a mask when it is not needed. But I’m learning to take my time now. You can spend a few minutes queuing at the till, because some ladies are chit chatting with the shop owner. I would be fuming in London, but here it is fine and I love it now. You can ride a bike to go almost everywhere. It’s weird that it might take the same amount of time to go to a place by car and by bike.
My name is Gianmarco (you can call me Marco). I’m an Italian guy that left his country more than 12 years ago now. I’m a Product Design Manager for a remote company called Hotjar. At the moment I speak Italian, mother tongue, and English, but I can put something together in French and Spanish too if needed.
You’ve lived both in The Hague and Haarlem. When did you move to the Netherlands?
I believe that Brexit was the first stab to make me dislike London. At that point I started looking for another place to go, but London is terrible, it spoils you. London gives you everything, jobs, high salary, network… it’s hard to leave London!
Covid arrived and that was the breaking point. After 12 years in the UK with my partner we decided we needed a place designed around humans rather than machines.
In 2022, fed up with the London pace and after some research, we’ve opted for the Netherlands.
I knew nothing about it. We wanted something that wasn’t as big and crazy as London, but at the same time we were afraid of moving to a smaller place. That’s why we opted for the Hague in the first place. The seaside was so close to the house, that walking there was a joy… when it wasn’t crazy windy!
After settling it a bit, it was time to put in place the long term plan I wasn’t able to achieve in London: buying a house!
Haarlem was one of the two options, it is so close to Amsterdam where some friends and colleagues are, not too big and not too small… and it’s gorgeous!
Covid arrived and that was the breaking point. After 12 years in the UK with my partner we decided we needed a place designed around humans rather than machines.
In 2022, fed up with the London pace and after some research, we’ve opted for the Netherlands.
I knew nothing about it. We wanted something that wasn’t as big and crazy as London, but at the same time we were afraid of moving to a smaller place. That’s why we opted for the Hague in the first place. The seaside was so close to the house, that walking there was a joy… when it wasn’t crazy windy!
After settling it a bit, it was time to put in place the long term plan I wasn’t able to achieve in London: buying a house!
Haarlem was one of the two options, it is so close to Amsterdam where some friends and colleagues are, not too big and not too small… and it’s gorgeous!
Moving to the Netherlands
How did you get set up? (phone plan, bank ..)
I was quite lucky to have a friend over here that helped me with some tips along the way but things are not straight forward when you arrive.
For example, most Visa cards might not be accepted in shops but you need to be registered to the municipality to have a BSN number and then you can open a bank account or get a telephone number. It’s easy to get into a weird loop where, the BSN number arrives within weeks, but you need food, you can’t buy online either at the shops because you need a Maestro card, but you can’t have it because you need a BSN number… and Dutches like to take it slow!
How to find a job in The Hague? Are there any useful websites or apps?
I’m lucky enough to have found a fully remote job and it’s the same I had when I moved from the UK, but the platforms for Tech Jobs are almost always the same. In addition to that, there are tons of cool companies here in the Netherlands that are always looking for talents such as Booking.com, Miro, Just Eat and more.
My go to tool is always LinkedIn. Although I don’t love the platform itself, most roles will be advertised over there. The cool part of LinkedIn is that you can connect with people working in the industry.
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
It was the simplest thing ever to be honest, everything is done online. The hardest part for me was to understand why I needed to get medical insurance in the first place. I’m coming from places where you don’t need it and here in NL you MUST have one, and which one to pick.
How did you find an apartment? What websites did you use?
The Hague (and Amsterdam too) have a huge problem with rental properties and it’s extremely hard to find a place to rent. As I wasn’t sure which area I liked the most, and wasn’t ready for commitment, I opted for AirBnB first. I got in contact with the owner and told them I was looking for a long term rental. The owner was very happy to make me rent out the first month as normal AirBnB and then convert the contract to a long term one. That allowed us some flexibility and worked out very well.
What did you bring with you?
As moving from the UK was a hassle thanks to Brexit, I ended up selling or gifting most of my stuff before moving. We arrived with a couple of bags on our shoulders and most of the rest arrived after a month, but it was mainly clothing and 4 bikes, two of them I put together from scratch during covid time. I love bikes!
What are the main differences between Italians and the Dutch?
This is a very hard question to answer. I find substantial differences between Italians in the north and the south so it would be very hard for me to reply to this without going too much into details. Overall I really find the Dutch culture quite close to the Italian one, not for the food of course, but since I moved to the Netherlands it feels a bit like going back to an Italy that works much better. Dutch are direct, family driven and they love saving money, they like their life simple and they take it easy, exactly like us. We are totally generalizing here of course!
Living in the Netherlands
What are your favorite things to do in The Hague, specifically?
Oh the city offers so many things! I love cycling to the beach and have some food and drinks at the beach bar over there. Unfortunately they are only open during summer time.
The City has a lot to offer! It’s so walkable, and I love walking. There are woods everywhere you go. I also love art and museums and my favorites are Kunstmuseum and Mauritshuis.
The dunes are also very nice and expand for kilometers. You can easily spot buffalos and seals on the seaside!
The City has a lot to offer! It’s so walkable, and I love walking. There are woods everywhere you go. I also love art and museums and my favorites are Kunstmuseum and Mauritshuis.
The dunes are also very nice and expand for kilometers. You can easily spot buffalos and seals on the seaside!
How much money do you need to live comfortably in The Hague?
I found the Netherlands very expensive, sometimes even more than London but I know people with any type of salaries living comfortably there. Rent for a 1 bed flat in the Hague can go from €1200 to €2000 (if not even more) without counting the taxes that are quite high, but you can always opt for a shared apartment if needed. If you want to eat out, prices might range from €15 euros for pizza and beer to €60+ for restaurants.
I also would like to say that the Hague is an international city with a lot of embassies and very posh areas, which doesn’t help with cost of living.
I also would like to say that the Hague is an international city with a lot of embassies and very posh areas, which doesn’t help with cost of living.
What are your favorite restaurants and bars in your area?
I’m vegetarian with vegan tendencies and talking about Haarlem I would highly recommend New Vegas for some very nice Vegan food and drinks. Jopen if you love craft beers and pub food. If you are in the Hague in summer time, you must go to Zuid beach bar for drinks and food… their pizza is not bad at all!!!
Did you feel safe in The Hague?
Definitely! I’ve been living in very rough areas in London and that helped a lot, but at the same time I feel The Hague, like most of the Netherlands, is one of the safest places to be living in. You can see kids (10 years old) going to school alone, cycling or by bus. Something you used to see back in the days in Italy but not anymore.
Do you prefer living in The Hague or Haarlem?
Hard to say as I only lived 2 days in Haarlem as I’ve just moved there. From what I can see it’s different. While moving in Haarlem I had neighbors passing by and saying hi to us, shouting WELCOME TO THE AREA. It has definitely a more village and community vibe. Haarlem is smaller with more picturesque areas. Probably because closer to Amsterdam it has more trendy places. The Hague is a huge city, everything is spread out, but it has a lot to offer. I feel it is more suited for families than a couple with no kids.
How does Haarlem compare to Amsterdam?
Whenever I am in Amsterdam, it feels to me like I’m back in some east London areas. It’s buzzing and busy at the same time. Amsterdam has a lot of tourism (not always the good one) but it is beautiful. At the same time Haarlem is definitely smaller and less busy. You don’t have all the touristy stuff you have in Amsterdam for example.
I found Haarlem to be cleaner for sure, but I could be completely biased. What I can say is, if you decide to go and visit Amsterdam, book a hotel in Haarlem and commute to Amsterdam daily (just 10 minutes by train), you’ll thank me later!
I found Haarlem to be cleaner for sure, but I could be completely biased. What I can say is, if you decide to go and visit Amsterdam, book a hotel in Haarlem and commute to Amsterdam daily (just 10 minutes by train), you’ll thank me later!
Can you tell us something else about Haarlem that we might not know?
I think Haarlem is one of those underrated places that not many people know or even consider but has a lot to offer. I’m still discovering it as we speak and I can’t wait to spend more time here. Apart from the fact that it is super close to Amsterdam and the airport, Haarlem has a very cool weekly market with fresh vegetables and snack food.
And don’t forget to take a stroll on the dunes and seaside, it’s lovely.
And don’t forget to take a stroll on the dunes and seaside, it’s lovely.
Do you think Italians can thrive career-wise and financially in the Netherlands?
Definitely! The Netherlands offers a great variety of careers and jobs. I know several Italians working for some of the best restaurants in town but also multinationals, and the fact that you can find Italian shops almost everywhere means to me that life in that sense is easier.
Final Thoughts
Was it easy making friends and meeting people?
I think this is not as different as other places and it depends on the individual. There are different ways you can socialize, and I can always suggest checking Meetups in the area or going to gyms/yoga studios. There are tons of activities happening if you are sporty. Remember almost every Dutch person speaks amazing English, but if it’s a Dutch group I’m not sure how easy it will be for you to socialize if you don’t speak the language.
Although I love to organize Meetups, I’m not a crazy social person but I know a mix of people between Dutch and Expats that I know since London times, or thanks to other Italians. I’m personally not afraid of sending a message to my Estate Agent or accountant when I organize a pizza at my place. Once again I think it all depends on us!
Although I love to organize Meetups, I’m not a crazy social person but I know a mix of people between Dutch and Expats that I know since London times, or thanks to other Italians. I’m personally not afraid of sending a message to my Estate Agent or accountant when I organize a pizza at my place. Once again I think it all depends on us!
What has been the hardest aspect of living in the Netherlands?
How direct they are. Coming from the UK where you always put a mask and a smile, here people will tell you what they think. At the beginning it was a bit traumatic. I felt bad when receiving some answers, now I’m used to it and also appreciate it.
I’m also very self-aware of the fact that I don’t speak the language, and I feel very bad about it. The Dutch don’t have any problem in talking to you in English, but sometimes if you make an extra joke about their weather, they will have no problem highlighting the fact you don’t speak Dutch!
I’m also very self-aware of the fact that I don’t speak the language, and I feel very bad about it. The Dutch don’t have any problem in talking to you in English, but sometimes if you make an extra joke about their weather, they will have no problem highlighting the fact you don’t speak Dutch!
What are your plans for the future? Are you working on anything particular?
Since working remotely, I got closer to the digital nomad community and started working on thenomadspot.com. It’s a website that helps Digital Nomads finding or renting out rooms in apartments, to help them save money and connect with fellow nomads. If any technical cofounder is interested in sparing some of their time for the project, feel free to ping me! Here is my Instagram : Innovator & UX | Marco DEmilia
Thank you so much Gianmarco for all those tips! I haven’t been to The Hague or Haarlem yet but you sure made those cities sound nice! I would especially love to see the dunes!
