Xpat Media, the publisher of the mighty Holland Handbook, has come up with this condensed and more portable guide to living in the Netherlands.

The Little Orange Handbook describes itself as a ‘practical guide and quick introduction to the Netherlands’ and information is packed into the book’s 220 pages. It covers everything from housing and working to the educational system and political system of the country.

The contents are divided into two main sections: About the Country and Living in the Country. The former covers history, culture and the language. The latter covers more practical issues such as working, finance, housing, education and transportation.

The layout includes lots of photos and graphics, making the contents a bit easier to digest than a simple page of text although some of the pages are somewhat crammed full. It’s not all serious subjects – there is a whole section of Dutch words that made it into English! 

As it is the ‘Little’ handbook, much of the information is brief but it is a good overview for anyone getting started in the Netherlands and does provide links to relevant websites for further information.

Buy this book