OPINION: Think driving in the UK is expensive? Try the Netherlands

These are some of the questions I had when a move to the Netherlands was on the cards, and having lived here for two years now, I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on the good and bad points of running a car here.

First of all, it's expensive. A quick Google search (should have done that pre-move) reveals the Netherlands is the most expensive country in Europe in which to own a car, and it feels it. BMW's 3 Series, a staple of the mid-sized executive market, starts from €55,000 in the Netherlands. The same car in the UK? £40,000. These ballooned prices are also reflected in the used market where, by the way, you'll find a limited variety of often low-spec cars.

Then there's the tax. Oh yes, the tax. If you think road tax in the UK is bad, then let the Netherlands have its hold-my-beer moment. Using the 3 Series again, in the Netherlands you'll pay €90 a month to tax your BMW 320i, versus the £15 odd you'll need in the UK. Fancy an old L302 diesel Range Rover? Then you best be sitting down because the Dutch tax man will want 377 of your hard-earned Euros each and every month. 

Fuel costs are just as depressing. The average price of Euro 95 currently sits at €2.10 versus the £1.35 (€1.62) you'll pay in the UK. Unfortunately, whether you even want to drive in the Netherlands is also a big question. The roads are mostly long and straight, and any corners tend to be right angles. 

And there are other things you probably wouldn't even consider – like car washing. Yes, it turns out that the great British Saturday-morning pursuit isn't a thing here. In fact, draining used water into the sewage system is illegal in some municipalities. Instead, we rely on some of the most elaborate automatic car washes known to man, complete with thumping tunes, strobe lighting and a love for swirl marks. 

But if it sounds like I'm having a downer on my new home (clearly not every aspect of the car washes), I'm not, because many things here bring cheer.

Like a road system that works. The Netherlands might have less space than the UK, but you'd never know it; even at peak times, the roads keep moving in a way that would be utterly alien to anyone who has experienced London traffic. 

Some of that might be down to the Dutch's more relaxed approach to driving. Indicating into a lane on a Dutch motorway will more often than not be met by the other driver dropping back to let you in rather than aggressively accelerating to close the gap.

People don't hover in the fast lane here, in fact, there are few speeders because the penalties are so high, and because you can do 130km/h (80mph) legally, no one feels the need to. 

There's a feeling of freedom you get from living on the continent, too, knowing you can have your pick of driving destinations without the inconvenience of a ferry crossing or a Chunnel queue. After a day's driving, you could be driving through an Alpine pass, sipping wine on a Croatian beach (a drive in my GT86 I’ll never forget), cruising the French vineyards or sampling the delights of Après-Ski in the Alps (a job better suited to the Toyota’s Volvo replacement). 

The fast-cruising Autobahn is also right on your doorstep, and while the roads in the Netherlands aren't great (a Dutch photographer once told me the best Dutch driving roads are in… Luxembourg), there are plenty of other options just a few hours away.    

The Netherlands even has a few tax arrangements that target car fans, such as the Youngtimer scheme. It means self-employed people can buy a luxury car that's 15 years old or older VAT-free, with fuel and repair costs tax deductible. 

As you can imagine, as a freelance motoring hack that loves performance cars from the 2010s, I've lost hours dredging the classifieds to the Youngtimer scheme. But if living in the Netherlands has taught me won thing, it’s that UK drivers don’t have it all bad. 

Main image courtesy of Getty Images.