Ten Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Moving to The Hague
Eighteen months in Den Haag. I arrived from London knowing three things about this city: the ICC is here, it’s near the sea, and it’s not Amsterdam. Here’s what I know now that I didn’t then.
1. The Mauritshuis has €4 late afternoon tickets
From 4:30pm, entry to the Mauritshuis drops to €4 (called a “last entry” ticket, available at the door). This is one of the best art museums in Europe. Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is in it. You can see it for the price of a coffee.
2. DigiD takes six weeks to arrive
DigiD is the Dutch digital identity system you need for almost everything: tax, health insurance, government services, parking permits. You apply online but the activation code arrives by post. Apply the week you arrive. Do not wait until you need it.
3. Tram 1 to Scheveningen stops near Ikea
Tram 1 runs from Den Haag Centraal to Scheveningen. One of the stops on the way is the Ikea on the Megastores shopping strip. When you’re setting up a flat, this is useful information. You’re welcome.
4. The expat community is large and well-organised
There are multiple English-language social groups, sports clubs, quiz nights, and coffee mornings for the international community. The Hague Online is the best directory. If you’re new and don’t know anyone, it takes about two weeks of effort to have a social life here. Less than anywhere else I’ve lived.
5. Sundays are genuinely quiet
Most shops are closed. Supermarkets open late and close early. Plan your shopping for Saturday. Sunday is for the beach, the park, or the museums.
6. The dunes between Scheveningen and Kijkduin are walkable
The Westduinpark is a nature reserve running along the coast south of Scheveningen. You can walk or cycle through it for several kilometres. Almost no one outside the city knows this exists. It’s one of the best things to do here.
7. Koningsdag is the best day of the year, full stop
27 April. The entire city turns orange. The Lange Voorhout becomes a flea market. There is music everywhere. It is chaotic, warm, and completely unlike anything I’ve experienced in any other city on any other day. Clear your diary.
8. Parking in the centre costs more than you think
€3–5 per hour in most of the centre and Scheveningen. The ParkMobile app works everywhere. If you have a car, buy a parking subscription for your zone. If you don’t have a car, this is one reason not to get one.
9. The weather in March is better than it looks on the forecast
A Dutch “shower” lasts about twenty minutes. The forecast showing rain all day usually means rain in intervals with sun between them. Dress in layers, carry a light waterproof, and go outside anyway. The locals do.
10. Den Haag is not trying to impress you
There’s no tourist performance here. The city exists for the people who live in it. That’s the thing that took longest to understand and the thing I appreciate most now. It’s a real city, doing real city things, and you’re welcome to join in or not. Most of the best things here require you to show up without any expectation of being guided.
