My family emigrated from Zeeland. How do I find their records and visit their villages?
Search the Zeeuws Archief, Zeeland's provincial archive in Middelburg, first: on a travel forum, a volunteer used it to find an American family's marriage and 1871 emigration records in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, and the surname turned out to be Jansen before it became Johnson. Middelburg is about 161 km from Amsterdam, around 2 h 24 by car; the villages south of the Westerschelde are further, through the tunnel. A long day works for one area; for both Walcheren and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, stay a night. Twelve hours costs €780 in Business Class, with 480 km included.
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Prices per vehicle
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, with a chauffeur by the hour | €65 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, with a chauffeur by the hour | €80 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, with a chauffeur by the hour | €100 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Business Class, per kilometer of road distance | ≈ €3 | €3.42/km · quoted as one fixed price before you book · E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, per kilometer of road distance | ≈ €4 | €4.44/km · quoted as one fixed price before you book · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, per kilometer of road distance | ≈ €7 | €6.79/km · quoted as one fixed price before you book · S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
By the hour: minimum 2 hours, 40 km included per hour, starting and ending in the same city. The chauffeur waits between stops. Rides outside Amsterdam are priced from the measured road distance (or a fixed route price where one applies) and shown as one fixed price before you book. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. During ADE week (pickups October 20 to 26, 2026) fixed ADE-week prices apply, shown before you book; promo codes cannot be used that week. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At an airport or an intercity station the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
What is included in the price
- A fixed price confirmed at booking, with VAT included: no meter and no surge
- The chauffeur’s name, car and phone number before pickup, plus e-mail reminders 24 hours and 2 hours ahead
- Water and phone chargers (iOS and Android) in the car
- Status updates to the person who booked, if that is not the passenger: confirmed, chauffeur en route, guest in the car, arrived
Where to look
| Source | Good for |
|---|---|
| Zeeuws Archief (Middelburg) | Civil registration, church books, emigration records |
| Open Archives | Searching across many Dutch archives at once, in English |
| Village church and historical society | Farm names, photos, old addresses |
A note on the Roosevelts
Zeeland likes the Roosevelt story, and there is a Van Roosevelt family of Oud-Vossemeer, on Tholen, with its own coat of arms. The American family's documented ancestor, Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt, reached New Amsterdam between 1638 and 1649; where exactly he came from isn't settled.
Related questions
Is the Westerschelde Tunnel tolled?
Yes; on our rides the toll is included in the fixed price.
Can we stay in Middelburg?
Yes; it's a compact historic town and a good base.
Do archives charge for scans?
Some records cost a small fee; in the forum case, emigration records were €5.
Sources
- TripAdvisor: Searching for Dutch great-grandparents' information (Zeeland) (checked October 31, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Zeeuws Archief (checked October 31, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Roosevelt family (checked October 31, 2026)
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