One of my favorite things about living in Amsterdam is that I don't have to depend on public transportation or a vehicle. However, after driving to South of France for the holidays I decided that I wanted to get my Dutch license. So I did a little research and this is what I found out. "You can swap your license if you are from the EU, the EEA, Switzerland OR are from a country with a special agreement or you have the 30% ruling. Americans can not swap their license for a Dutch one. Have to do the theory,practical and register with a driving school." So, I made an appointment for my Dutch license through this driving school. Talk about back to the basics.
When I first found out that I could not swap my American license for a Dutch one I was truly disappointed. I could not imagine going back to driver's ed and learning all the basic rules of driving all over. So, I lucked up on on this driver ed company website (alldrive.nl) which I found out when I had to start from scratch when it came to preparing for my Dutch license in the Netherlands. I am a fan of this company because the prices with this driving school is as good as it gets in Amsterdam!
A few of my Dutch friends were surprised how reasonable the prices were for the practical and theory. This company is probably the best source to go for information when it comes to preparing for your theory and practical. I even bought a book from them, so I could be prepared for the theory exam at CBR.
The only disadvantage is they only drive with a stick shift, which was a big one for me because I only knew how to drive an automatic. Most of the cars in Europe are stick shifts. Talk about going through life changes.Well I am happy that I lucked up on this company because they seam the best. Also, they speak English and Dutch so I thought that was a plus being the fact that I am an expat. read more