• Travelsignposts Home
  • Country Guides
  • City Guides
  • River Cruises
  • Europe Photos
  • About Us

Netherlands Travel

  • Home
  • Photos
  • Map
  • Weather
  • Site Map
  • Destinations
  • Sightseeing
  • Shopping
  • Food
  • Getting around
  • Useful facts
  • News & Events
You are here: Home / Weather

Weather

When to Travel to The Netherlands: Weather and Seasons:

The Netherlands has a moderate maritime climate, with mild summers and cool winters. Its long North Sea coastline means that the sea has a moderating influence on temperatures, and the flat character of the country means that altitude is not an influential factor.

The average summer maximum is about 20°C (68°F), not too warm, while the average winter temperature is around 0°C (32°F). Although there is no set rainy season, with sufficient moisture in the air, it can rain at any time, so it’s best to be prepared!

Unpredictable Weather

Like their English neighbours across the Channel, the Dutch, it seems, love complaining about the weather. But, when you hear someone complaining that it’s too hot or too cold, they’re not really unhappy about the weather and it’s just a way of finding a common ground when starting a conversation. Ask any Dutchman about the weather and they have just one word to describe it – unpredictable.

Although still cool, March is generally the driest month of the year whereas July and August tend to be the hottest and wettest. When travelling in the Netherlands do as the Dutch do, which is to be prepared for changeable weather.

When to Visit

If you’re planning to visit Keukenhof, then your timing will be determined by when the garden is open – usually from about mid-March to mid-May. Spring is a beautiful time to visit the Netherlands as the iconic tulips are in full bloom, as are the daffodils and hyacinths.

Keukenhof Springtime

Keukenhof Gardens

Since the abdication of Queen Beatrix in 2013, Koninginnedag, which used to take place on April 30, has now become Koningsdag (King’s birthday). King Willem-Alexander’s birthday is on April 27th and Koningsdag is celebrated on his birth date. Huge celebrations take place on this day, especially in Amsterdam, and if you don’t mind crowds, it’s worthwhile experiencing this special day of festivities.

Summer is festival time and if you don’t mind a bit of rain here and there, there is plenty to do in summer. The Dutch generally take their holidays in summer as well. Evenings can be cooler, so you may need a light jacket.

Like Spring, Autumn temperatures range between 10°C and 20°C.

The Winter months of December, January and February are cold with temperatures below freezing at night and daytime temperatures ranging from 0°C to no more than 10°C. Yes, it’s rug up time and you’ll need gloves, hat, coat, warm shoes, the works. Winter is the quietest time for tourism and visiting at this time of year has its benefits as accommodation may be cheaper and you’ll also have a quieter time when visiting museums, etc.

Although we said that weather in the Netherlands is unpredictable, one thing that is predictable throughout all seasons is that it can rain at anytime so a raincoat and umbrella are handy accessories to have. That said, the times that we’ve been in Amsterdam, we’ve always had blue skies!

You can also find us on

  • Flickr
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Latest Additions

  • The Year of Rembrandt – 350th Anniversary
  • Experience Amsterdam’s Revolutionary Architecture at Museum Het Schip
  • Scheveningen – A Bootscooting Seaside Resort
  • A Greater Appreciation of Dutch Cheeses at Jacobs Hoeve
  • Delft – A Dutch Treat in More Ways than One

Plan and Book Your Trip


eNews and Updates

feedburner Sign up now to get emailed news as well as other site updates!

Get the Guerrilla Travel Photography ebook here now!
City Guides
Country Guides
River Cruises

Who is behind Travelsignposts?

Helen and Tony Page at Singapore Changi Airport

We're Helen and Tony Page, and we love travelling - lucky as we've been doing it for the last few decades!

Tony has long been a professional photographer and writer, but Helen now writes most of the posts and takes a lot of photos herself!

Travelsignposts is our main travel planning site, but we've just launched Travelsignposts China and Tony also runs the Travelsignposts Photo and Guerrilla Travel Photography web sites, as well as publishing the Take Better Digital Photos and Guerrilla Travel Photography eBooks.

Read more about Helen and Tony or contact them.

Other Countries

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Devon & Cornwall
  • England
  • Estonia
  • Europe (General)
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Scotland
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine

Resources

  • Take Better Digital Photos eBook Take Better Digital Photos eBook
  • Take Better Digital Photos Free eCourse
  • Travel Signposts Photo – our main travel photography site
  • Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook

Copyright Travelsignposts Pty Ltd © 2025 Log in