Amsterdam

Due to its central location geographically, it links Europe to the rest of the world. Ideally located, Amsterdam and its surrounding areas are the European markets' gateway. A unique area, Amsterdam provides competitive advantages that others can't, such as the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Port of Amsterdam, Amsterdam's Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), a nationally higher-than-average employment rate, high quality of life, and educational acceleration. This provides an unprecedented quality for those who live there and those visiting. With the surrounding areas, this Dutch city is centrally located to some of the best business places in the world, so for business or pleasure, this city is not one to miss.

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There are several surrounding areas of location for Amsterdam: Amstelveen, Almere, Aslsmeer, Haarlem, Haarlemmereer, Zaanstad, Velsen - IJmuiden, and Zandvoort.
Amstelveen makes up about ten percent of the population of 80,000 and is located only a few minutes from the centre of Amsterdam. Being ranked first in the socio-economic index, it is the home to many top companies that employ more than 40,000 people. Because of its centrality, Amstelveen has become home for many international companies who have rooted themselves solidly here, developing ease and the comforts of home by offering special booklets for new residents with useful tips and information.

The modern, young city of Almere opened its doors in 1976. Located in the province of Flevoland, housing more than 175,000 inhabitants, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the Netherlands. Almere is home to more than 10,000 companies and provides around 70,000 jobs; the local residents fill half of them. Being a suburb of Amsterdam, Almere provides an accessibility of ease and comfort with the Port of Amsterdam, Schiphol, and road and rail. The businesses building their roots here are cutting-edge, being some of the most advanced fiber-optic communications infrastructure, providing food engineering, life sciences, agriculture, construction, and ICT, along with an expansion in educational facilities.

Aalsmeer houses not only a major TV production group, but it also has two other items of interest for all, Yacht and Shipbuilding, and the world's largest flower auction. Aalsmeer has 23,000 residents living in this small area of Amsterdam and is located in the proximity of the Schiphol Airport and has the deep tradition of flower bulb production.

Haarlem, an historic Dutch city, seats the provincial government of the Province of North Holland and is regarded as a Dutch historical city due to its buildings and culture. With that being one of its strongest draws, it is also on the cutting edge of High-tech and Modernism, home to approximately 400 businesses, providing jobs for 13,000 people.

Haarlemmermeer contains a population of almost 130,000 and is one of the Netherlands' twenty largest municipalities. Mixing both the farming communities and high-tech industries, providing a huge diversity within the community that shares space in which urban blends into the countryside, this strategically located town is exceptional for breaking new ground, not only for local but also foreign companies that seek to expand.

Upon the North Sea Canal you will come across Zaanstad, the 15th largest city, which holds a population of 140,000 and since the 17th century has become a global trading power. Being an active inland part of the Port of Amsterdam, the Port of Zaanstad, this town has become the heart of the Dutch food processing industry. Focusing towards knowledge and service sectors, Zaanstad provides close to 50,000 j

When going to Amsterdam there are a few ways to arrive; there are three airports, buses, and trains. Once in Amsterdam, the choices of travel vary from train, bus, local transport, car, taxi, sea, tuk-tuks and bicycle. The airports to choose from are Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (IATA:AMS) (ICAO:EHAM), Eindhoven Airport, and Rotterdam Airport ("Zestienhoven"). Schiphol, located in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, is one of the busiest airports in the world, located only 15 km or 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, with services from many cities in Europe to Amsterdam. Ranking 3rd in Europe, Schiphol supports intercontinental flights and cargo. This award-winning airport can provide low cost flights, has large shopping areas, customs, a regular size supermarket, a small museum, its own mortuary, and the ability to get married before you leave. Eindhoven Airport is the second largest airport in the Netherlands, used for both civilian and military traffic, supporting both scheduled and charter flights. From this airport you can take a bus, express bus, train, or taxi to Amsterdam. The last airport, Rotterdam, is the second largest regional airport. It is best to use the bus or train from here; due to the cost of a taxi, it is advisable not to use one for service from this airport.

There are trains from all three airports; at Schiphol the train station is located underground, beneath the main airport hall. This is usually the best choice for travelers. There are ticket counters to get tickets for the train, however there are long lines and they cost an extra .50 cents. If you are English-speaking, please find the new machines, due to the fact that the old machines are not in English. The new machines usually only accept credit/debit cards. In the Center Station there is a machine that does accept cash. Most of the trains arrive and depart from the Amsterdam Central Station. Busses are not widely available, but they are available; it is advisable to use the train to get to your destination.

There is also a local transport from Schiphol that will take you to central Amsterdam; this does require you to use a strippenkaart and takes about an hour for your destination. The strippenkaart is a multi-day pass available from machines found in the railway stations and the metro; they can also be acquired from supermarkets, tobacconists, and newsagents. The strippenkaart can also be used on NS trains inside Amsterdam, but are not valid on trips to Schiphol. This is the main form of transportation and will help you get to the many bus routes and regional busses that are available. You must validate these cards before you use them the first time. The longer you are in Amsterdam, the better discount you receive.

If you choose to take a car, there is a very dense and congested road network from the western part of the Netherlands; you can travel from the east (Germany) and the south. All of the roadways connect to a

In Amsterdam, please remember they use the Euro currency. When exchanging your currency, it is best to do it at the Central Station, the "GWK" Bank, or in your own country. ATMs are available in many places and dispense notes up to 50 Euros. Always be cautious of fake money and for those who do not wish to carry cash, credit cards are widely used in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

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When visiting Amsterdam and the surrounding areas, there are many hotels and accommodations for rest. Ranging from the inexpensive to the higher-end cost, from regular hotels to castle hotels, there are guesthouses, furnished apartments, bed and breakfast, and hostels for both youth and adults. There are over 400 registered hotels and advanced bookings are suggested, especially in cases where you are visiting on the weekends or during the holiday.

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Amsterdam has a wide variety of restaurants for you to choose from. Quite a few restaurants can be found in Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdjk and the narrow streets that stretch between the two. Upon Utrechtse Straat you will find more expensive restaurants if that is what you fancy. Amsterdam provides a nice restaurant guide, the lens restaurant guide to help you find what you are seeking for or a place to eat.

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Amsterdam is becoming one of the best places in the world to do business, providing wonderful services such as the convenience of the local airports for easy travel, an extremely talented workforce where 75% of the people speak English, as well as being multilingual, the exceptional education provided, Science Park Amsterdam, and the quality of life in Amsterdam is like no other. The Economic Intelligence Unit's Global Outlook Country Forecast Rankings of 2004 stated that the Netherlands would be the best place to do business in Europe within the next five years. Due to its geographical location, Amsterdam and the surrounding areas have new, cutting edge businesses and a solid history of dependable businesses that have stayed.

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Amsterdam holds some of the best educational places globally, respected greatly by the European communities and surrounding areas. This melting pot of the world has many people who are multilingual, with favorable house prices, a wonderful atmosphere, and is considered the international hub concerning international internet traffic. Knowledge exchange is held high upon the list of people's priorities here, leading to inner drive for most to seek unity and to use their knowledge better within the infrastructure already in place.

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Amsterdam is a very friendly city that will help you find your way around when you ask people, however just as in other cities, be aware of your surroundings and remember that no matter where you are, there is always a chance of being pick-pocketed or taken advantage of. With that being said, Amsterdam offers things such as a Privium card. This card is available for EU passport holders only, but will cut down on your time though passport control. There is also an I Amsterdam, a card that gives you special discounts and advantages and is well worth the cost of the card for the free admissions to certain activities, public transport, convenient discounts and a great deal more. On a final note, please make sure you arrive at any airport three hours in advance or more so that you do not miss your flight, due to security and the size of the airports.

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