Moving to the Netherlands - anyone out there?

[charliebell81]

Hi, I am new on this forum but really need some feedback. We are moving to the Netherlands in 2 months (EEK!) None of us speaks Dutch and we are looking at Nijmegen. Anyone there can give us any tips on nice residential areas outside the city and good schools? Kids are 5 and 2.

Can I ask why Nijmegen? I'm not much help but we have an apartment in Scheveningen which I split my time at... everyone speaks English so don't stress about the language thing. Where I am is very expat so things are more set up for that... not sure about your potential area. We are potentially going fulltime next school year (kids at school in the UK) so have been looking into things but will def stay in The Hague. It's lovely! The whole of the Netherlands is pretty awesome... they don't do Sunday lunch which is weird!!

In Europe the Netherlands have the reputation of having an excellent education system and many young people I have met from the Netherlands speak 3+ languages fluently so I would be optimistic OP.

@OP, you lucky people! I found the ability of the Dutch to speak English perfectly embarrassing.

Obviously it would be sensible and polite to learn Dutch but having been to Nijmegen recently as soon as they twig you are English they will help you out.
You will need bikes, a car is almost a 'liability' (getting around the centre at least).
Sorry I can't help you with 'nice' areas but all the bits I have seen look at least 'OK'.

I found several places, even Albert Hein supermarket don't accept Visa or Mastercard. These use Electron ? and Maestro? so if you are out shopping it is worth checking. The 'bikes' thing is fairly mindblowing compared to England and as far as I remember practically all roads have dedicated bike lanes. I think the speed limit within Nijmegen is all 50kph (30mph).
There are many bike shops and you can get functioning but basic second hand bikes for 80 Euros.
Get a 'travel pass' for bus and train from central station. There are different options available so ask at the kiosk. A 'general' card can be bought for use immediate use, but as you may well be using buses later, you can get personalised ones which take a while to arrive by post.
When I said embarrassing, I mean that they are so fluent that I was embarrassed by my inability.
From Nijmegen the German border is about 2 miles away, plenty of Europe to explore!

For advice on Nijmegen, ask the user "longtime" who'll be able to tell you about the city.

Thank you so much for your replies! I have been busy trying to find a school for my English speaking daughter as they are insisting on a year doing a transition course :( Not ideal...so looking for options.

@tailendcharlie we visited the Hague originially as that was the plan and Schevenigen is gorgeous however property is cheaper and you get more for your money so to speak

@lifeisunjust I am new here how do you ask a particular user directly?