ronkala

We will arrive in Zandvoort 14 April for a two week stay in an apartment. We want to see the flower parade on the 25th and would appreciate your suggestions for the best place to watch it.

Would it be less crowded in any of the towns between Noordwijkerhout and Haarlem that it passes through?
(I have the schedule) Would we be better off waiting for it to reach Haarlem Saturday night?

Thankyou,

ronk

hetismij

I am sorry, I've never been so I can't really help you. One of those things - you live near it but you never visit it, maybe because it is nearby?
If you just want to admire the floats then I would suggest either on Friday in Noordwijk, when the parade through the town in the evening. There is also a market and an interesting bike tour during the day. Or in Haarlem, either in the evening, or even better early on Sunday morning, when it will be a bit quieter.
The whole parade is very popular and the whole route gets pretty crowded from what I understand.

ronkala

Thanks for your reply. We'll look into it further once we get there.

spaarne

Whether you see it in motion or not, the floats are standing still in Haarlem on Sunday. It is a bit of a festival. I wish that I had brought my video camera. In years past the display was at the Gedempte Oude Gracht in front of V+D. This year it was on the Dreef (major street heading south from the city) in front of the park.

The Frans Hals Museum is nearby. Don't miss it.

We rode bikes from Haarlem to Keukenhof. Stunning on a sunny day, getting there and being there.

ronkala

Frans Hals museum is a must see for us plus many others, so we will be getting the museum pass.

Our ETA at AMS is 0700 and depending on the time we can get into the apartment, we will either stop in Haarlem on the way to Zandvoort, or go back there in the afternoon.

spaarne

If you can I recommend that you change your ETA.

Arrive a week later so you can be there for Queen's Day, an unbelievable one day annual event in Amsterdam on April 30.

Also, 0700 is a lousy time to arrive. Get a later flight so you touch down close to 11:00 or so. The jet lag will be much easier to handle.

ronkala

I was aware of Queens day, but we leave on the 28th for two days in Bruges, one in Brussels, and fly out of BRU on the 1st. I had played around with a later departure but was restricted by using vouchers from this years medical canceled trip.

Our flight leaves Dulles at 5:15 and the early arrival doesn't bother us. Last year we arrived 0815 in Zurich and had no problems.