Practical information

North Brabant is situated in the south of The Netherlands, centrally located and just an hour’s drive from Amsterdam and Düsseldorf in Germany. It is the most hospital, welcoming part of the Netherlands, with more than 2.6 million inhabitants, known locally as ‘Brabanders’. The biggest cities are Eindhoven (pop. 249,000), Tilburg (pop. 230,000), Breda (pop. 188,000) and ’s-Hertogenbosch (pop. 161,000).

Local tourist information points
The province’s tourist information points are the ideal place to obtain information about local cities, the area, local sights, opening times, etc. Opening times vary by location, so it’s best to check beforehand.

Paying for things in the Netherlands

In some locations, you can ONLY pay by debit card, so make sure that you always have one with you.
In many locations, a credit card is also accepted.
There are no specific rules for tips, but 10% is a general rule of thumb if the service has been satisfactory. It’s perfectly normal to round amounts up.

General opening times of shops
In North Brabant’s largest cities – Breda, Eindhoven, Tilburg and ’s-Hertogenbosch – the shops on the cities’ main streets are open every Sunday from 12:00 until 17:00 or 18:00.

In general, most shops in most places open as follows:

Monday          12:00 to 18:00
Tuesday 09:00 to 18:00
Wednesday    09:00 to 18:00
Thursday        09:00 to 18:00
Friday            09:00 to 18:00
Saturday 09:00 to 17:00
Sunday           Closed

Late-night shopping is common in many locations, with shops open until 21:00, typically on a Thursday or Friday. Opening times on public holidays vary from city to city, village to village.

Banks
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. You can obtain cash from any bank during the day and from most supermarkets during opening hours using your debit card. Public cash machines may be closed at night.

General telephone numbers

• General emergency number: 112
• Police: 0900-8844

Travel documents
You must keep a valid identity card with you at all times while travelling within Europe.

Drinking water
The tapwater in North Brabant is of excellent quality and is safe to drink. Around North Brabant there are dozens of locations where you can find tap water points to fill your flask or drinking bottle for free. A map with all locations can be found on Brabantwater (in dutch).

Niederländische Feiertage im Jahr 2026

New Year’s Day Thursday, January 1 2026
Good Friday                Friday, April 3 2026
Easter Sunday             Sunday, April 5 2026
Easter Monday            Monday, April 6 2026
King’s Day Tuesday, April 27 2026
Liberation Day Tuesday, May 5 2026
Ascension Day     Thursday, May 14 2026
Pentecost       Sunday, May 25 2026
Whit Monday      Monday, May 26 2026
Christmas Day Friday, December 25 2026
Boxing Day Saturday, December 26 2026

School holidays in the Southern Netherlands 2026
(as mandated by the government) Please note! These holiday periods are guidelines for schools.

Spring Holiday   February 14 to February 22, 2026
May holiday   April 25 to May 3, 2026
Summer holiday July 11, to August 23,  2026
Autumn holiday October 17 to 25, 2026
Christmas holiday December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027