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So not so new Zeeland then

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    So not so new Zeeland then

    Sorry about the ramble:
    My work is doing a mega reorganisation, joining with another major company, then splitting up into three other companies next year. Seems a lot of fuss and bother to me.

    One off shoot of this they have decided that the Supply Chain in the "new company" I will be part of needs to be based in Terneuzen, which as many people in our company say is 'the arse end of Holland".
    I have visited there quite a few times, and I am VERY underwhelmed at the prospect.
    However looking at the map, Google etc, it should be more interesting than I have seen away from huge container ships and chemical plants.
    Loads of water, sea, windswept beaches etc.

    Most of the chat I have seen on here has been in more interesting locations like Amsterdam; but has anyone had experience of this area at all to live?

    In my memory all I see are chemical works and massive tankers and container ships, and massive traffic jams getting around Antwerp to reach TNZ; but when I see those maps , there are a lot of camping places, tourist places, so something must be good there, please say something is good around there?
    All the sites of NL expats living there are all of life oop north.

    Back up option is to say "No" and hope the famed French worker protection, gives a very good severance package. But this is happening maybe a couple of years too early.

    Possible positive points:
    1. The sea - Strasbourg is far as possible away from the sea.
    2. Close to getting over to the UK by ferry
    3. Close to cities I like, like Bruges, Ghent, Rotterdam
    4. A change is a good as a rest etc - getting a bit restless around the Alsace
    5. Close to Belgium to watch some cyclo cross, the cobbled classics etc
    6. Cycling in theory - huge network etc - but so fucking flat - even with the invisible mountains (North Sea wind.)
    7. I quite like the dutch.

    ermm run out......

    I won't list the negatives as I fear the list will be far longer

    #2
    I like Vlissingen, which isn't too far away.

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      #3
      That bit of coast to the west - Breskens and Knokke-Heist is not too bad (well it was quite nice when I went there probably about 35 years ago). Then as you say Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are all nice place with a fair amount going on. If you can work out ways to get past Antwerp and Brussels you're straight into extremely easy access to a large swathe of Europe.

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        #4
        Gent is a lovely city. I heard they are working on a rail link between Gent and Terneuzen... so possible commute possibilities there in the future...

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          #5
          I was just going to suggest the possibility of living in Gent and commuting. It's only about 30km if I recall.

          Just from personal experience, they've spent a lot on infrastructure around there recently. Obviously the toll tunnel to the "mainland", but also the tunnel replacing the infernal bridge over the kanal.

          I doubt this has done much for the area's quaint Ness, but it will definitely help it's economy.

          I actually really miss taking the truck onto the old ferry and popping upstairs for a steaming bowl of snert and a fag, leaning over the railing.

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            #6
            Thanks guys, we will be doing a weekend around there, independent of work in a months time to look around.
            Quite surprised at the high rental cost; but relatively low buying costs around that area (comparing both to around Strasbourg) - but looking at the high number of holiday rentals available around that area, I imagine the rental markets been AirBNB'd.

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              #7
              I just opened up Terneuzen on Google Maps, and was immediately greeted by the sight of a place directly adjacent to the West called "Boerengat". That literally means "Farmer's hole". It does tie in nicely with the "the arse end of the Netherlands" remark.

              On a more serious note: Terneuzen itself is decidedly meh. The tourist places and campings you see on the map are basically there because Zeeland has beach everywhere. So if the beach is your thing, Zeeland is actually quite nice. Mind you, Dutch weather allows you to really enjoy the beach maybe for two weeks a year.

              If you require any culture, you probably need to drive to Gent (40km onwards), which is a lovely city indeed as AP says. If you can't drive, you are rather stuck; Terneuzen is very badly connected by public transport.

              It is one of the few places in the provice of Zeeland which lies above sea level.

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                #8
                Another alternative place to live might be Middleburg. A beautiful Dutch town but likely to be much more expensive to buy or rent in. I should imagine an abonnement for the tunnel would be pretty pricey too.

                As Wouter said, nearly all the Dutch coast is a bit meh , but Walcheren is probably the most beautiful part. Little places like Domburg are lovely.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by VTTBoscombe View Post
                  Quite surprised at the high rental cost; but relatively low buying costs around that area (comparing both to around Strasbourg) - but looking at the high number of holiday rentals available around that area, I imagine the rental markets been AirBNB'd.
                  Ridiculously high rents outside the social housing sector (>30k annual income) are standard in the Netherlands. The VVD (Thatcher scum) party have been in charge of the economy pretty much uninterrupted since 1994. In order to enrich their banker friends, they made it very easy for people to get big mortgages. Just before the financial crisis you could get an interest only mortgage for 120% of the value of your house, and the government would give you mortgage interest relief as well. Everything ended in tears (of course) but in order to keep the bubble semi-inflated, the government has made sure buying a house in the Netherlands is still more attractive than renting one, so there is essentially no private rental market in the Netherlands. That's fine if you are Dutch and never move outside of your own city/village, but it makes the Netherlands basically impenetrable for foreigners.

                  If you are a foreigner recruited into the Netherlands to work, then you will get the 30% rule. This means that 30% of your salary is tax free for the first eight years in the country. And the other 70% of your salary is taxed as if it represents 100% of your salary (i.e. you end up in a lower tax bracket). Not sure if you'd still get the 30% rule if you live over the border in Belgium. But the rent difference might cancel it out anyway...

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