8 more things YOU DON'T DO in the Netherlands - Tips from an American living in the Netherlands 

Tip for US tourists abroad: Accept the fact that you are in a different country, with other habits, other culture, other social rules. And though most Dutch understand English, we might not get the full or double meaning of a sentence, because Australians, Canadians, Scottish, Scandinavians, and many other tourists all will use the same language to communicate, and US expressions are NOT universal, not even in the English speaking world. The 'statiegeld' on plastic bottles is € 0,25 if you buy a bottle with content of 1 liter or more. Water is about € 0,48, so returning 2 bottles you can get a full one, but you have to pay for that bottle again, so return 3 and get one 'free'. Dutch tap water is one of the best in the world, it doesn't contain chloride or fluor, so simply take a refill at a tap. Next to the logo 'statiegeld' there can be a logo 'glasbak' which means; put it in the recycling glass container outside the supermarket, or a logo with a waste basket; that hardly needs any explanation. There often are plastic recycling containers outside supermarket as well.

My friend from Canada speaks dutch because he was born and lived here in Holland for the first 20ish years of his life. When we went to a restaurant he actually said in Dutch "I'm good" (Ik ben goed) to the waiter and she looked so confused! So i could not resist in making the comment "Hij is goed maar ik ben beter" meaning "He is good, but I'm better" So funny that situation 🤣

the customer is king, but the employee is the emperor

If you're not comfortable on a bike, I think it's totally OK to go and have a bike ride in The Netherlands. It's a lovely place to try it out and a fun activity. BUT make sure not to bike through the busy streets of Amsterdam. Even experienced cyclists can struggle there from time to time. Just take a train ride to a smaller city or the countryside and rent a bike there. Much more room for slowing down, stopping and just generally taking it easy.

'I am good', as in No, sounds a lot like the Dutch 'Dat is goed', literally 'That's good', to agree. It wouldn't surprise me that it is easily misheard and misinterpreted as Yes give me a bag. Getting stuck switching between Dutch and English happens from time to time. Especially with opposite expressions. Don't know, might be a reason getting the bag on 'I'm good.'

I have to correct you on the topic of reservation: You can visit most museums and restaurants in the Netherlands spontaneously! Only very popular and/or expensive restaurants require reservation. As for museums it is usually only the case if they have a special and unique exhibition. Exceptions are the Rijksmuseum and Van Goghmuseum in Amsterdam they are so popular - especially with tourists - that it is best to buy tickets in advance.

Around 7:11 "But you're in The Netherlands. The customer is not the king. They have a king here in The Netherlands. and that is not the customer". That is brilliant piece of text, thx, Jan

If you are a tourist in Amsterdam on a bike, always remember to stop suddenly in the middle of a busy street to check you map. The locals won't mind at all.

Worked in a fries shop in the Kalverstraat (very touristy) and there was a very rude customer that demanded to get fries because she saw there were some in the serving bowl. These were not enough for her order so some more were in the fryer. She kept demanding the fries so my manager rudely put the cold fries in a container and told her never to come back. The customer was wrong that time.

I'm from the countryside and when I came to Amsterdam (way back when) it took me about a year to learn to decently cycle in a city. Mark, my definition of cycling is: knowing how and when to safely break all written traffic rules without bothering others. There're a lot of unwritten rules too; and those are changing at the moment because of all the e-bikes.

Thank you for pointing out the silent cars in trains, as a Dutch person (who is also autistic and really needs the quiet cars after an overwhelming day tt work) it's extremely annoying when people are talking loudly and they just don't seem to have a clue. I always give them a death stare.

As a dutch resident i must recognize your ability to translate between cultures. You are in my opinion very correct in saying that we are very direct and in some ways very different from American culture. As @y.v.l. pointed out the point of reserving is often based on popularity of the venue, at many places it is just fine to just show up and stand in line. I love how you point out the "I am fine" part, it is interpreted very differenly here. A solid tip to share; as you seem to have experience mostly with major cities here, i would say you are 95% spot on with this video and it seems to be a very strong guide...keep up the good work :)

I would advice tourists to start with a guided bicycle tour to get familiar with riding a bicycle in dutch traffic. And yes, I have a vested interested in them doing so as a tour guide in Amsterdam.

In the Netherlands people are relatively strict on ways of behaving *in public* that disrupt, inconvenience or bother others around you; It's a small, relatively densely populated country where if any one person decides to be a loud obnoxious dillhole, it's pretty likely to negavitely affect at least half a dozen others unintentionally.

As a Dutch person I generally avoid silent coupé's. There will always be someone they just ignores it. It annoys the living he'll out of me while trying to read a book. So, I rather sit in a normal coupé and hear people talk and not get annoyed while trying to read my book :)

Thank you Ava for highlighting the 'stiltecoupés' and the 'statiegeld' :D The NS actually calls them Silence zones btw (to non-Dutch speaking folks, I have often referred to them as 'quiet compartments' LOL). FYI, that sign that you showed in the video is not a Silence zone sign; I found out the hard way :-s It's a sign that the NS used for a while but discontinued it, exactly because of this confusion. However, some trains still have them, apparently. The next time you take the train, check the balcony (that's how the part where you enter the train is called). There *should* be a sign there explaining the rules everyone aboard the train should adhere to (explained in Dutch *and* English). And caring about the environment, I wish people wouldn't thrown plastic bottles and soda cans on the streets, in the grass and in the bushes :O Now people will collect them to obtain the 'statiegeld'. It's a step in the right direction...

Remarkable thing …. as a Dutchman (not from Amsterdam) I was very surprised that we were served the day we visited our capitol by staf members in bars/restaurants who didn’t speak Dutch …. 🤪😳😵‍💫 …. Imagine not be able to speak English and can’t communicate with people in your own language in your own country …. Did I miss something? When did Amsterdam stop being Dutch ?? 😂😂😂

Well... we do have the saying "klant is koning" too (costumer is king) But I think our intention is different when we say it. We try to help the costumer as much and pleasantly as we can when we are selling something. However, we will not go above and beyond to make a costumer feel like they are always right. They are just not sometimes.

Great video Eva! Your tips are spot on. About seating in a café or restaurant. If you are unsure about where to sit, just walk up to the bar and tell the staff what you want, to have coffee, or lunch. They will say something like: 'sure, you are welcome, choose a seat' and they will either wave in some direction with a hand or point to an area. The I am good leads to confusion because the Dutch phrase "ja, goed' means that you agree. Your ' I'm 'gets lost in translation en they just hear good/goed.

Thanks Eva! Yes: silent sections of trains exist all across Europe ... but the good stuff include Utrecht! A rail mecca with amazing Netherlands connectivity and amazing Church tower (over 300ft and built around 600 years ago). The silent rail cars are to make sure this stays a secret ..... 🤫🤔

Always Nice to hear that the Dutch are so direct😍😍. Glad to live in the netherlands (Born and raised) love the open/direct communication System.

Good video, Ava. That all needed to be said. Well done.

Thanks Eva for explaining how the Dutch people react. I was watching with a smile on my face. Very recognizable! Especially the way we like to communicate, very direct. Welcome in the Netherlands!😘

In the US the customer is not king, they just let him think he is. The purpose is of course to make him spend (more) money. The actual kings are the stockholders/owners and CEO's of the company, whose pockets need to be filled.

As a Dutchman from a touristy town (Delft), the penultimate point hit me when I went on holiday with a group and was the only person to fluently and confidently speak English... I'd never seen that back home, and it completely took me by surprise.

Right, that NO THANK YOU thing is a very good point! It works exactly here like that!

Nice one Eva! Good tips! 👍

I’m 70 and Dutch. I watch this videos to see what has recently changed in Dutch habits.

As far as I know, I'm 55, English is a mandatory subject in Netherland for more than 60 years. I was taught English by the age of 12, but nowadays the youth learns it in elementary.

Ava, thanks for the tips. I'm a 64-year-old American expat (for 24 years) but mostly in Asia, with a couple years in Germany. I'm about to start a 2-year assignment in Alkmaar, so always good to hear the current situation. I'm looking forward to rejoining the 1st world after 5 years in semi-rural Thailand, and I'll welcome the cooler climate too. I cycled to commute to work in Germany so I expect little adjustment for the NL except to enjoy the even better infrastructure. I'm used to Dutch directness as I've worked several Shell projects internationally, and welcome their honesty and efficiency. Looking forward to more of your videos.

"There is no cronut at the end of the line" Haha you are hilarious 😆 and so true. I'm Dutch living in the US - have lived in NJ for 18 years and now Colorado for the last 2 years.

I don't know if someone else in these comments has said it, but if you're not seated by a waiter and you want to choose a table for yourself, check if there's not a little sign on it "Gereserveerd". That's a booked table, and you're not supposed to sit down there. When in doubt, ask or make eye contact with staff. Anyway, in busy hours, it's best to check with staff if there's place anyway.

Oh, and when outside the busy tourist hub, you and your partner studying the city plan, looking a little bewildered (but of course you didn’t realize that), standing in front of the town hall (but of course you couldn’t know that), and this over-60-years-old female employee exits the building and asks "can I be of assistance?", don’t huddle together like threatened deer. I was not about to mug you; most of us are just hospitable towards foreign visitors.

I'm about to move to Netherlands in 4 months, this video helped me a lot already. Thank you!

The idea that the customer is always right yields a bunch of Karens that harass the poor underpayd staffers, and may get them fired... all in the idea of "service". YIKES!

I arrived from Austin Texas.. it's amazing... love living here

I like your video. The only comment I have as a birn dutch person is, when you come to the Netherlands, DO NOT assume we speak english. That is the biggest mistake prople make. If I go to America I not assume they will speak dutch to me. So please people, do not ever assume that we automatically speak English to you because we learn it at middleschool. Expecially the people who live here for a while. Please speak dutch to us or at least try. When we are visiting or living in your country we do the same. It is not that we do not want or wish to accommodate. This is the Netherlands and the main language is dutch. Thank you very much for respecting this.

Although I have no problems speaking English, as a Dutchman I am always surprised and slightly annoyed when the person behind the reception of a hotel or serving me in a café or restaurant does not speak Dutch. This happens a lot in Amsterdam and some of the other big cities. Most of them don’t even bother to apologize that they do not speak Dutch. In The Netherlands we expect people who work here to learn basic Dutch, especially in customer-facing jobs. They should at least be able to understand what the customer just said and not have the customer repeat it in English. That is just rude.

Yes, turn a burger upside down before eating it. The bread on the bottom is typically a lot thinner than the top, so it soaks through rather quickly. Eat it upside down, and you have a slightly higher chance of being able to finish it without it turning into a mess.

Good tips, I coming back to the Netherlands after beeing 25 years abroad in a few years. Nothing changed that much and I never thought, even when I was young growing up in Utrecht, that biking in Amsterdam was a good idea

I am of an older generation so I am not entirely sure how things are organised in the year 2023, but I went through the Dutch school system in the 1950s/60s. I had eight years of French under my belt by the time I finished high school, and six years each of English and German, plus, of course Dutch. The extra two years of French was because in "my" time you started French at primary school. And because I grew up in what used to be the Dutch East Indies, I also speak Bahasa (Indonesia). So yes, languages are sort of a Dutchman's thing, at different degrees of proficienjcy.

"I am good." = "No, thank you"....That is a fine example of native English speakers being totally incomprehensible in a normal business meeting with French, German, Italian, Dutch people speaking English.

6:15 I'd say this heavily depends where you're going to. Some bars have signs stating explicitly you have to wait to get seated, but I usually just try to make contact with someone working there anyway, no matter the place. It might be true that in a lot of cases you can just sit somewhere, but I think it's still good practice and good manners to get the staff knowing you're there. Unless it's a place where you don't get served and have to buy your drinks at the bar of course..

What you forgot : red tarmac is for bicycles, don't walk on red tarmac ! (crossing is allowed)

I would recommend to start a conversation with "do you speak English?" in all cases. I am pretty fluent in English and when talking or writing in English, my brain is switched to English and there's no translation in my head. That was different for me in the past and may be different for the majority of Dutch people. So if somebody bluntly starts to rap English at you (me) that in a way surprised me, way back, and I needed a second for a context and language switch. At the time, it felt impolite if people skipped that question, and especially the USAnians lacked civilisation in this respect. No, people IMO are not offended if/when you ask the question, but in the same way they will try to answer your question "how are you?" now in this case they will try to truthfully answer your question if they can speak English. If that happens, just make a remark that it's a simple conversation, and you will generally have no problem as they now have made the context switch in their minds.

Great video Eva, if all tourist listen to you it would be great. Another tip for tourists, if you like going to museums and you want to visit more than 3 popular ones, buy a museum jaarkaart. With 3 or maybe 4 museums, you already breakeven. So all other museums are free after that. And we have a lot of great museums to visit. Saves a lot of money. Tip for busses and trains you can just pay by your money card. So you don't need to buy tickets anymore! And there so many nice cities and places besides Amsterdam.

Oh wow. How refreshing to hear an american talk about these things. I am from Amsterdam and have encountered numerous american tourist wgho 'made' this mistakes. The best tip you gave to your fellow americans was that, the client is NOT always King.! We have a saying 'doe maar gewoon dan doe je al gek genoeg'. Keep up the good work by educating tourists

I think you are right, in most cases about reserving..I live in a non tourist city on the east part of the country and on weekend days I cannot go to a restaurant without booking it in advanced.. I might be lucky, but there is only a low chance. If you booked in a restaurant, you go up to the staff to say you reserved and they will tell you where you can sit, sometimes when it is quiet, they will tell you to look for a seat in a area in the restaurant. in a not so busy cafe or restaurant, you can pick a seat yourself. If unsure, always go up to the staff and ask. Since staff here always get payed a decent wage, we don't have the amount of staff you will find in busy restaurants in the US that get underpaid and rely on tips, so most staff will be busy.. Therefore go to the staff yourself and ask. I am good is not an anser to a yes or no question.. Do you want coffee? is a yes or no question.. I am good is puzzling to us even if I know it means no.. I am still puzzled as to why you did not answer with a yes or a no.. At least say.. NO, I am good thanks.. that is clear.. it is not only Americans though, Brits often do the same thing. If you were asked if everything was to your wishes : alles naar wens?" then don't answer with it was good if you don't think it was good. Just so no, not everything was good, you can say; "I liked most of it, but the potatoes weren't fully cooked" as an example.. The reason why we find this important is that it gives us honest feedback on how to improve. if everyone is evading honesty due to politeness, you never get the knowledge to what you need to do to improve. Therefore be honest. However many people confuse honesty with lazy bluntness or even rudeness. You can politely say.. No I don't think the food was very good, since I didn't like the taste or the chicken was not wel cooked. Dutch people nowadays do not always seem to know the difference very much. Yes directness is good and the receiver might not always like the answer, but you can still be nice and polite about it. If my coworker has made an error in his work.. I would say.. Hey (name), I don't think this is correct, good job otherwise, but this needs looking into. You are direct and polite and my coworker knows exactly what the problem is, he doesn't have to guess. So be direct, but keep the politeness

I worked in a restaurant for a couple of years, and I've seen the head chef throw people out of his restaurant because they kept complaining about the food. The customer can be right, and credit where credit's due, but if you walk into a bar or a restaurant like you own the place, you will be outside VERY fast...

I have been to NYC several times and standing in line seems to be a national pass time. And I have always wondered: why is that? We once visited the statue of Liberty and there was hardly anyone there so we walked past the zigzag stanchions because nobody was waiting. The guy there ordered us to go back and zigzag through them, we first thought he was joking because it did not make any sense. He then purposely made us wait a minute or two before we could walk on. To me it just seems poor management and lack of efficiency/personnel. Other tourists had similar experiences and thought making people purposely wait and queue was to make an attraction look more desirable than it actually is. Not sure though, you have any idea Ava?

O yes, the Dutch directness 😅 I also can be very straightforward when I see or hear something around me that is annoying. Maybe the younger generation call me a 'Karen' 😂 Last month we were at a festival and we were at front of the podium to listen to one of our favourite rock band. A couple of young (drunk) guys next to us were making a lot of noise with talking very loud and screaming to their friends who were a few meters back. After a few minutes I asked them if they could be less loud because others wanted to listen to the performance on stage. And they did 😉 My daughter who has a job in a supermarket besides her study is also not affraid to correct young children in the supermarket when they do not behave, even when one of the parents is with them 😅

It's always interesting to look at Dutch culture from a foreign perspective.

While it's true that in most cafes and bars you can just claim a seat instead of being ushered to one, it is usually a good idea to make contact with the staff, just to let them know you're a new customer. Sometimes a nod is enough.

On that last note.... That is a rare case..where a waitress ask you if you want more coffee without you signing them to order something 😂. It might be useful as well to tell....We don't give away free refills. You pay for that coffee...even if you're miss understood.

Good job, Ava. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

Riding a bike handsfree is just a national hobby. When I was in school I used to attempt to ride from my house to school without touching the handlebars at all. If it wasnt too windy and there wasnt much traffic I could usually do it. Sadly it only works well on bikes that have never been involved in any accent, which is often the case for Dutch bikes. If the front wheel fork is slightly bent you have to start leaning sideways to correct for it and it gets a lot harder.

Your are very likable. ;-) Thank you for this video

The customer is always right is not the complete saying. The entire saying is 'the customer is always right when it comes to matters of taste'.

"The Dutch have a king and it is not the customer." It's so true I'm dying 😂

Thank you about pointing out the silence carts!!! Never understand that people just do not see those big 'Silence' letters on EACH window....

The Dutch are "the Americans of Europe in terms of how loud they are" - I liked that one

It’s really interesting to hear how your accent has changed after a few years

I have to correct you on the symbols in a silence car. The first one you showed is a working/resting car, where it is actually normal to expect people to do business/work calls as well as long as they aren't too loud. Those compartments are mostly for people who want to do some studying or prepare for work on their commute or just simply read a book. You shouldn't be talking loudly with each other, but it is allowed to do it quietly in those cars. The silence cars ALWAYS have stilte/silence on the windows in both Dutch and English (or French, if you look at it that way). In those cars you just have to be completely silent. No talking, absolutely no phone talk (it also has a crossed-out phone sign and the sshhh sign above the entrance), no watching videos without earplugs so the rest isn't disturbed. The majority of the train is still a meeting car where you can talk as loudly as you want. And then there are the work and rest compartments and stilte compartments which are just a few in comparison. So just look carefully at the windows mostly to see which compartment you are in and then walk to the next one if it doesn't suit you. Anyway, most Dutch people are already unaware there are 3 different type of compartments in the trains nowadays. So as long as you are okay with either moving to a different compartment or comply to the rules of the place, then it's okay. Last tip; if you travel with young kids, please go to a meeting car immediately. You cannot expect young kids to stay quiet in a quiet car.

Hey Eva, here's a video idea that might be fun: Do a Dutch meme review. These could be English memes about the Netherlands or memes in Dutch. I've been pestering my discord server with them for years (eventhough most don't speak any Dutch) and there are some really fun ones in there. Would also be a great way to talk about some more stereotypes or typical Dutch things

That symbol is not for the silence area. The silence area always has the words silence and the Dutch word stilte written on the windows. The symbol you show is the area where people do their own thing. Downstairs is for more comfy travel together and with more chatting and interaction.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, you showed the conversation area icon for the quiet area. That icon is for socializing. But at least it is better this way than the other. (forcing them to be silent in a social area instead of begin social in a silent area)

Statiegeld / Bottle deposit is not just 10 to 15 cents € 0,10 - small beer bottles € 0,15 - cans and small bottles (plastic or glass) € 0,20 - bigger bottle (plastic or glass) like 0,5 liters € 0,25 - biggest bottles of 1 liters or more € 075 or 1,50 for just a small or big beer crate (without bottles), so : € 3,90 total for a 24 bottle crate € 1,95 total for a 12 bottle crate

Last one is very true, you definitely want to avoid "I'm good" as it is often interpreted as "(Dat) is goed" which means yes or sure, and confusion will ensue

If you want to know if items have 'statiegeld' (deposit), it is always itemised separately on the receipt, immediately below the item. That's because it's a separate charge from buying the drink (unlike for example VAT). That way you can also immediately tell how much it is for each item. And re the "I'm good", for those Dutch that are not familiar with the phrase, after translating it word-by-word they will likely decide that it sounds like "dat is goed", which in Dutch of course means "yes please", so that might be a source of confusion :)

If a Dutch person doesn't register fully what you said and only caught the 'good' part of "I'm good", its easy for them to assume you've said something like "Is goed", which is is affirmative to a question

The deposit for plastic bottles and cans is 25 cents for the bigger bottles (1 liter and up) and 15 cents for smalles bottles and cans. Not between 10 and 15 cents. Oops, I just read what I wrote and it may seem like I'm telling you off but that is not my intention! I think I'm just straightforward and direct :-))

The Diamond Museum near the Rijksmuseum, which is very interesting, is never very busy so I recommend you just show up! It's worth an hour or so.

About the restaurants is True but if you go to smaller place more to the countryside you can reserve the day before or at som just walk inside and ask (if its not an friday or saturday) 😊

The loud people in the Netherlands only live in the Randstad. The rest of the Netherlands, 85%, are definitely not loud at all.

My dad, farmers son, was an electrician. He could understand English very well. Speaking it was something else. He spoke the words but with a big Gronings accent. Some English speakers weren't able to follow his English. My dad wss 83 last year. Despite his advanced state of Alzeimer, he was still able to understand English, but the speach was gone.

As a Dutchie…taking the overhead view…SPOT ON!! 😂😂😂

I love it that you ask ‘do you speak English ‘. As A Dutch person I want to make a choice if and when I talk in English. Sometimes I think people don’t try to speak Dutch and I always are thinking can I speak Dutch in a shop in England or another country. I don’t think I can, so when I travel I try to learn some basics and otherwise I ask if a can speak English instead.

Yess finally somebody said something about not everyone here is "good" in speaking English. Thats why I never go to amsterdam and rotterdam everyone assume you can't speak dutch. I feel like a tourist in my own country... From my own perspective (as a Dutch), I understand English can write it but when someone starts talking to me I have no clue what to say and use a lot of dutch words. Then they look at me and say "well every dutch person was good in English right?! 🙄 So thank you! Liked your video a lot!!

I live in a small town in the Netherlands not everybody can speak the dutch language that's true .But there are beautifull places not only Amsterdam .The veluwe is very nice too.

In Amsterdam unsuspecting tourists often see the bicycle path as an extension of the sidewalk/ pavement. Just stepping completely unaware in front of the bikes, looking in every direction except the bike traffic. Many locals on a bike see it coming from far so they anticipate. But sometimes it goes (almost) wrong. Watch out! Bikes can go fast!

Bonus tips driving bikes in big cities in the Netherlands. Holding/ using a phone is prohibited. It could cost you 95 euro. You're are never allowed to use a motorway on a bike. Some tourists, like tourists from Asia , are not used to that. So be careful following road signs, not to enter a motorway or very busy tunnel, like the IJtunnel in Amsterdam. As a pedestrian, stay away from bike lanes, or be very, very careful. Bikes here are fast and furious!

on the last tip. "I'm good" is close to "da's goed" ("dat is goed"). and if its noisy it will trigger the the later one. so I can see why that will go wrong.

Riding a bike without knowing the rules is more like driving a car without knowing the traffic rules. It may be less dangerous than driving, but can be equally dangerous.

I think its about time you do one of these videos in dutch.

You can also give your "statiegeld" to charity in most supermarkets, which is nice!

"The customer is always right the customer is King ... but here in the Netherlands the customer is not the King, they have a King here in the Netherlands. And that is not the customer" 🤣 So true!

the full saying of "the customer is always right" is "the costumer is always right, in taste" that last part is often just forgotten....

Hi Eva, First of all, love your videos! Small clarification on the latter subject of responding to questions / offers, and Dutch directness / bluntness: "Yes" means yes and "No" means no, but an added "thank you" or "please" is appreciated, but does not change the response itself; it's just an additional expression of politness that the Dutch not always apply. I.e, be clear, don't need to be worried about being overly polite in precise language used. [Dutch person living abroad now]

I think the 'I am good' problem arises from the the dutch 'ja... goed!' (yes, please or literally: Yes... good!' is confused. Goed and Good sounds and somewhat means the same but we use it a little differently. Thats Denglish for you (Dutch English)

Yep, you are right, I booked a table in a restaurant for the end of oktober. 😂

You should let people know that when a dutch person accidently bumps on to you and they say " sorry hoor" they are not calling you a whore

What you should do in Utrecht! Visit Ombretta Utrecht for a great Italian sandwich. Located in Hardebollenstraat! SO GOOD!!

I've wondered for a long time if you would ever consider making a video where you draw on your linguistic training to give your take on the Dutch language. I know you have briefly talked about it in the past, but maybe a deeper dive would be fun. What is its weirdest traits, in phonology and grammar and whatnot? Is it cursed? Is it funny? Is it boring for linguists? (I don't speak Dutch, but I often get the gist of what people are saying since I speak a few other Germanic languages.)

Nice video; but regarding the 'Dutch like to plan in advance'-thing related to musea I have to disagree. It's not that we like to reserve in advance; it's just that the mass of tourists in places with those musea have been attracting so many visitors that they just exceed the capacity of the place. We HATE that this is the case. Reserving to go to the Rijksmuseum is terrible and it didn't use to be like this five or ten years ago. Reserving for musea is a consequence of overtourism. I remember that a decade ago, you could in fact just walk into those places and buy a ticket. I haven't visited a museum in years because of this.

The major problem with "I'm good" is, it sounds almost 100% like the Dutch phrase "(Dat) is goed", which translates to "Yes, I do want" or "I'm alright with xxx". So, just say "No, thank you" because that way you are clear about what you want (or don't want), can't be misunderstood for "(Dat) is goed" and not rude at all in The Netherlands - as Ava already said.

I'm guessing that "I'm good" will be interpreted as "Da's goed" (that's ok). Especially with such a friendly smile.

at many places it is just fine to just show up and stand in line. Not everybody plans ahead.

The quiet car: " I worry for your life" looool

Yes in 99% you are right. (See Dutch directness 🙂) but sometimes you are a bit exeggerating. But still a very good video! Restaurants in general you can book 1 or 2 days in advance but the very popular and the famous ones might expand their reservation periods. In Belgium (In Antwerp - The Jane) it is almost impossible to get a reservation. You have to sit at 8 in the morning behind a computer and try to be the first 3 MONTHS before your targeted date in a weekend for dinner. Any popular museum in Amsterdam you also really need to reserve a timeslot! Anne Frankmuseum really some considerable time before your date.

I haven't bought anything with "statiegeld" in a long while, but there used to be an icon of an item being thrown the trash if it didn't have statiegeld. Has that changed?