Moving/housewarming gift? (challenge level: Canada to the Netherlands)

September 5, 2017 4:19 PM

My friend and her partner are uprooting and moving to Amsterdam! I'm super excited for them and want to get them a gift. However, it's very last minute and I need to do it remotely. Help?

There are some key restrictions to this gift:

- They are moving in 10 days
- I do not live in the same country (I'm in the US)
- They probably will not appreciate something large that they need to ship

Ideally, I could get them some sort of gift certificate online for them to use when they arrive, like for groceries or a decent restaurant or something along those lines. Does anyone have any ideas that might be feasible? I would love to hear from someone who has visited/lives or lived in Amsterdam particularly. More bullet points:

- They like good food of all types, but don't drink alcohol
- They are lovely scifi nerds who also love biking and hiking
- My budget is probably up to $150-$200 (USD), but less is also good

posted by Paper rabies to Travel & Transportation around Amsterdam, Netherlands (7 answers total)

Can you say what postcode or area they're moving to? I could make some restaurant recommendations and I imagine you could probably arrange a gift certificate via email.
posted by humboldt32 at 5:12 PM on September 5, 2017

The Netherlands are great for cyclists, with a wonderful biking culture and infrastructure. $150-200 wouldn't get them a bike, but perhaps accessories or gift certificates for biking repairs/supplies.
posted by darkstar at 6:16 PM on September 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: humboldt32 - they'll be in De Pijp to start!
posted by Paper rabies at 7:57 PM on September 5, 2017

When I moved from the US to The Netherlands, someone bought me a Museumkaart: free access to basically every museum in the country.
posted by knile at 8:14 PM on September 5, 2017 [3 favorites]

I moved to the Netherlands from the US three years ago. Your suggested $150-200 would certainly buy them a couple of solid used bikes, but they're likely going to want to pick out bikes themselves and bike shops are plentiful. Knile's suggestion of a Musemkaart is excellent. I use mine all the time and have renewed each year.

However, I would suggest sending them a nice greeting card when you know their new address, and save your gift budget for 4 to 6 months when they start missing specific items from home. You can ship them the chips/sauce/cosmetics/whatever they haven't been able to find here, but really miss.
posted by PosterGirlwithNoPoster at 1:43 AM on September 6, 2017

If they happen to also like museums, I'd get them a museumkaart (for €60 you get to go to basically all of Hollands major museums and many smaller ones - 400 in total - for free.

You can only order it with a dutch address though. and you need to upload a photo..
posted by Thisandthat at 12:52 PM on September 7, 2017

I know this is a little late, but I do have a recommendation for a place for them to go in their new neighborhood. My wife and I stayed in De Pijp on our honeymoon 15 months ago. If they do want some taste of home, in the neighborhood is Tjin's International Food Store, which is at the corner of Govert Flinckstraat and Eerste van der Helststraat, a block north of Sarphatipark. It's weird to go to a store where Duncan Hines cake mix is an exotic luxury, but they have a wide variety of American and other international foods.
posted by caseusvelox at 7:36 PM on September 20, 2017