ialicek

Hi! My sister and I originally planned to travel only to Amsterdam for a week at the end of this month, but a lot of our friends, who have already visited, suggests that we should go out of the city.

My sister definitely wants to to check out the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank House, which I heard takes a whole day to see everything, and I'm more interested in seeing the Keukenhof and windmills at Zaans Schans. We both want to take a day trip to Rotterdam.

I've been looking at discount passes for traveling, such as the Holland Pass and Iamsterdam, but there wasn't much info on public transportation.
How is the OV-chipkaart? Is it worth getting and does it work all over Netherlands?

And any suggestions on must see or eat places?

Thank you!

PalenQ

the Holland Pass (rail) would require much more rail travel than where you are going so just buy regular tickets as you go- Zaanse Schanse is really close to Amsterdam -train to Koog Zaandijk then walk several blocks to the mills and Zuider Zee Museum (mill area free - museum charges but honors National Museum Card which you would probably benefit from (Rotterdam has several superb museums).

Kuekenhof by train - Train to Leiden and take shuttle buses to the gardens themselves. Another cheap ticket. for lots on trains check www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com. Trains can be very crowded during commuting hours -no seat reservations possible but in first class you'll usually find seats.

http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/museumkaart/ - this site also contains info on transportation.

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ite-things.cfm - bit old but may find something useful -especially from locals who contributed.

calliopetravel

It would be very fun to check out small and well preserved Dutch towns like Edam or Volendam (look up pictures) they will give you a better feel for the country and they have adorable restaurants, marketplaces, canals, and architecture. Not to mention they are about an hour on bike from Amsterdam which makes a fabulous and cheap day excursion while letting you breathe in the nature surrounding you.

menachem

Volendam is a tourist trap, Edam's appeal is there, but it's limited and it's a hassle to get to (by bus)

If you want beautiful Dutch cities, try Delft, or Hoorn, or Enkhuizen, Haarlem etc.

Also Volendam is definitely further away than an hour by bike and most of that is biking along the highway to Purmerend.


If you decide to go to Rotterdam, you might combine it as follows: travel out to Dordrecht from Amsterdam, explore Dordrecht, take waterbus to Kinderdijk (mills galore), then take Waterbus to Rotterdam, ending your day there. Rotterdam - Amsterdam by IC Direct is about 40 minutes.

Hoorn is 40 minutes out from Amsterdam, Enkhuizen about an hour, Utrecht, a very nice city is about 30 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal. Haarlem is about 15 minutes.

So, day trips are very feasible and I would advise not to go the Volendam route.

I think you're best off buying one-use tickets (NS stations, machines) but also, do check out the day tickets that are for sale at Albert Heijn (supermarket chain) and/or Kruidvat (large drugstore/chemist's) HEMA sometimes also has train tickets for sale. These represent considerable savings.

Google translate

http://www.treinreiziger.nl

and you'll find the bargains.

suec1

Go a ways out from Amsterdam, rent bikes at a railstation and ride thru the tulip fields. Even if the tulips have been harvested, it will still be a gorgeous outing. I think we biked out from Haarlem.

menachem

If there are no tulips I would suggest taking a train out to Overveen, rent bikes there and do a glorious loop through the Zuid Kennemerland nature reserve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4eD4M5NgSI

PalenQ

Go a ways out from Amsterdam, rent bikes at a railstation and ride thru the tulip fields. Even if the tulips have been harvested, it will still be a gorgeous outing. I think we biked out from Haarlem.>

Yes Haarlem to Keukenhof goes right thru the heart of the tulip fields and if no bike you can take Bus #100 (number may have changed) from Haarlem to Keukenhof then onto Leiden- and Haarlem is a gem of a town too. Get off the bus before the Keukenof and tiptoe thru the tulips to the gardens.(Gardens always have loads of flowers when open - tulips being a minor part - best flowers are in hothouses-showcase of Holland's horticultural industry.)

PalenQ

https://www.corrietenboom.com/old/information.htm

Haarlem has the Corrie Boom (name?) House that is similarto the Anne Frank House in that the girl hid out there. I've never been but those who have had found it sobering like the Anne Frank House.

Haarlem is a super nice old town and can easily be combined with a visit to the nearby Zaanse Schanse windmills.

spaarne

<i>Netherlands (staying in Amsterdam) - 1 week
Posted by: ialicek on Apr 4, 17 at 2:55pm</i>

This is the perfect time to visit Holland. Here is a photolog of one of my trips to Keukenhof, http://www.enjoy-europe.com/travelog/Keukenhof2008.htm. My friend in Haarlem just wrote that the weather is warming up and the flowers can't be far behind. If you are party girls be in Amsterdam on April 27 for King's Day, an event you will never forget, http://www.enjoy-europe.com/travelog/QueensDay2008.htm.

Ditto PalenQ on the Corrie ten Boom museum. It is an education and an insight into an unimaginable era. No lines and no cost.

The OV-chipkaart is essential for using local buses and trams in the cities. It can also be used for trains throughout NL, but for the trains it is a tourist rip-off. You must have at least &euro;20 credit on the card in order to go past the entry points. If you forget to press the card when going in or out you are in deep poep. The Nederlands Spoor (Rail) is an enemy of consumers, especially us foreigners. For trains buy individual tickets. Here is an introduction to trains in Europe, http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail.htm.

In Haarlem have lunch at the Cafe Brinkmann patio on the Grote Markt, town square. The food is great and economical, but service is slow. My favorite area in Amsterdam is het Spui. Have lunch at Cafe Luxembourg and drop into the Cafe Hoppe around 6PM to meet the locals from nearby offices. On a pleasant day the clients are almost spilling into the bike path out front, a dangerous place to be unless you are zipping by on a bike. I like the Restaurant Luden on Spuistraat. Also on Spuistraat is D'Vijff Vlieghen, The Five Flies, an ancient and renowned restaurant, http://vijffvlieghen.nl/en/. It's not your everyday place.

HappyTrvlr

Take the train to Delft, Leiden and Haarlem, pretty cities. From Rotterdam you can visit the windmills at Kinderdijk.
We especially liked Leiden with it's university( John Quincy Adams was a student there) , very pretty canals and Pilgrim history and museum.

PalenQ

From Rotterdam you can visit the windmills at Kinderdijk.>

One nice way is to go by boat each way -Kinderdijk has NL's largest collection of behemoth wooden windmills - in an attractive area -more impressive than ZanseSchanse and more authentic in that I believe they were not moved there.

benmia

Go to the Pancake Bakery just down the street (canal) from Anne Frank House. Not just for breakfast!

PalenQ

If biking plan on windy wet cool weather in early spring or maybe nice and sunny -keep any outdoor plans in flux- Keukenhof is large indoors in hothouses when I was there.

ialicek

Thank you all for all the helpful tips!!! Really appreciate it

PalenQ

dank u wel as they say in Dutch!

spaarne

<i>PalenQ on Apr 7, 17 at 5:42pm
dank u wel as they say in Dutch!</i>

I think that the Dutch response would be alstublieft.

menachem

no. it would be "graag gedaan", or "tot uw dienst"

WoinParis

Now you tell them how to pronounce it, Menachem ;-)

Shraaach would be close ?

menachem

chchchchchrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaachchchchchchchc.

you can do it!