Ok, We need Some Help!
Apr 7th, 2016, 09:44 AM
#1
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Ok, We need Some Help!
We leave Portugal in a few days for Amsterdam. Our apartment in Amsterdam is rented for 6 nights starting April 21. We have 9 days to spend in the Netherlands other than Amsterdam. We need suggestions.
What we would like: Stay in the Netherlands, train travel (we have been driving through Portugal and need a break), 1 or 2 places only, small town or small city but still with enough to keep us busy in our slow travel kind of way, good food (pescatarians), we like music and museums, we like to walk and cycle.
I think we are just tired of travel planning and have mental blocks about these 9 days. Can anybody help?
Thank you.
What we would like: Stay in the Netherlands, train travel (we have been driving through Portugal and need a break), 1 or 2 places only, small town or small city but still with enough to keep us busy in our slow travel kind of way, good food (pescatarians), we like music and museums, we like to walk and cycle.
I think we are just tired of travel planning and have mental blocks about these 9 days. Can anybody help?
Thank you.
Apr 7th, 2016, 09:49 AM
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We just got back from an 8-day jaunt to the Netherlands (plus a day/night in Antwerpen in Belgium). I can recommend Den Bosch (though tickets for the big exhibit are sold out - still, it's a lively and wonderful town), Delft, Utrecht, Dordrecht, Keukenhof for the tulips, Het Loo, the Kröller-Müller Museum, Breda, Rotterdam, maybe some of the towns on the ocean (we didn't go there, but have been before and enjoyed them immensely). It's hard to go wrong. Almost every town has sites of interest, and the train travel is efficient and cheap.
Apr 7th, 2016, 09:52 AM
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I found Delft to be a great base to explore other towns in the Netherlands and would recommend visits to
The Hague (for the Maurishaus)
Haarlem (Frans Hals Museum and picturesque architecture)
Leiden (some really good museums here).
In Delft, I really liked the Vermeer Art Center. I also loved just walking around here.
The Hague (for the Maurishaus)
Haarlem (Frans Hals Museum and picturesque architecture)
Leiden (some really good museums here).
In Delft, I really liked the Vermeer Art Center. I also loved just walking around here.
Apr 7th, 2016, 10:20 AM
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>>> 1 or 2 places only,
Are you thinking of staying elsewhere in addition to Amsterdam?
Most places in Netherlands are within one hour by frequent trains from Amsterdam. It is not necessary to stay elsewhere unless you want to experience places in early mornings or late at night. I stayed in Amsterdam last fall, had breakfast at hotel, bused to Edam and had all the time I cared to spend in town in the morning and had a cup of coffee in the town square before the first hordes of flag waving tour groups arrived in town. Did the same for Gouda. Took an early morning train through beautiful fog shrouded country side, had a leisurely breakfast at the main town square in Gouda before any flag waving tour groups arrived.
Are you thinking of staying elsewhere in addition to Amsterdam?
Most places in Netherlands are within one hour by frequent trains from Amsterdam. It is not necessary to stay elsewhere unless you want to experience places in early mornings or late at night. I stayed in Amsterdam last fall, had breakfast at hotel, bused to Edam and had all the time I cared to spend in town in the morning and had a cup of coffee in the town square before the first hordes of flag waving tour groups arrived in town. Did the same for Gouda. Took an early morning train through beautiful fog shrouded country side, had a leisurely breakfast at the main town square in Gouda before any flag waving tour groups arrived.
Apr 7th, 2016, 10:40 AM
#7
<still with enough to keep us busy in our slow travel kind of way, good food ... music and museums, we like to walk and cycle.>
You can do all that in Amsterdam. Why not plan to stay put for at least some of the time right there?
You can do all that in Amsterdam. Why not plan to stay put for at least some of the time right there?
Apr 7th, 2016, 10:42 AM
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Would you like museums or chilling for those 9 days?
What about renting a self drive boat?
Maastricht in the south of the country maybe, combined with Den Bosch and or Arnhem (from where you can do trips to Apeldoorn and Kroller Museum museum). Or a few days on one of the islands perhaps?
What about renting a self drive boat?
Maastricht in the south of the country maybe, combined with Den Bosch and or Arnhem (from where you can do trips to Apeldoorn and Kroller Museum museum). Or a few days on one of the islands perhaps?
Apr 7th, 2016, 10:50 AM
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Only the Netherlands? Antwerp,Belgium,very close to NL is a gem of a larger city- could do day trips by train from there to Gent and or Bruges - both really neat smaller old towns too.
but for Holland - I've done a zillion visits to Dutch regional towns and I really liked Utrecht, Rotterdam but those are larger cities - for small towns Gouda is a gem with the classic town square with market - you could rent bikes here and cycle to Kinderdijk - if into cycling - no train - about 15 miles from Gouda across farmland to Holland's largest collection of windmills. Gouda attracts fewer foreign tourists than other towns but to me it is one of finest smaller old regional towns.
Alkmaar is too and on Friday mornings Apr-Sep has the famous open-air old-fashioned cheese market that draws throngs - but Alkmaar is just a sweet old regional town otherwise- could be a base for taking trains or buses to Edam (as greg did above) or trains to Enkhuizen - lovely old regional town with the superb Zaanse Museum with many old buildings from around the former Zuider Zee brought here to this lakeside open-air part of the museum (take a boat to the museum from the train station).
Haarlem is one of my very favorites - lots of old canals,huge town square with cafes and pubs lining it - Frans Hal Museum in anold convent and just a lovely old town very close to Amsterdam.
Haarlem has excellent rail links so could be a great base for allof the cities I mention above and Zaanse Schans - Holland's 2nd largest windmill grouping - take train to Koog Zaandijk and a short walk.
Leiden is also a real sweet old regional town - lots of canals - a large university livens it up a bit -just a swell place to spend a day aimlessly wandering around.
Delft is really neat - again lots of canals and historic buildings and the famous Porcelene Fles - Delftware workshops, factory and museum about a mile out of town.
the Hague is nice but a large city.
And lots more.
The Netherlands train system is extensive but very busy and getting busier one Dutch guy said here recently due to a lack of carriages to meet increasing demand so I recommend going first class (as he did) because of this - not much more on short day trips - for lots of info on Dutch trains check www.budgeteuropetravel.com (their online European Planning & Rail Guide has a special chapter on The Netherlands and where to go by rail). If going into Belgium check on the Benelux - Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg Railpass which lets you hop on any train anytime.
but for Holland - I've done a zillion visits to Dutch regional towns and I really liked Utrecht, Rotterdam but those are larger cities - for small towns Gouda is a gem with the classic town square with market - you could rent bikes here and cycle to Kinderdijk - if into cycling - no train - about 15 miles from Gouda across farmland to Holland's largest collection of windmills. Gouda attracts fewer foreign tourists than other towns but to me it is one of finest smaller old regional towns.
Alkmaar is too and on Friday mornings Apr-Sep has the famous open-air old-fashioned cheese market that draws throngs - but Alkmaar is just a sweet old regional town otherwise- could be a base for taking trains or buses to Edam (as greg did above) or trains to Enkhuizen - lovely old regional town with the superb Zaanse Museum with many old buildings from around the former Zuider Zee brought here to this lakeside open-air part of the museum (take a boat to the museum from the train station).
Haarlem is one of my very favorites - lots of old canals,huge town square with cafes and pubs lining it - Frans Hal Museum in anold convent and just a lovely old town very close to Amsterdam.
Haarlem has excellent rail links so could be a great base for allof the cities I mention above and Zaanse Schans - Holland's 2nd largest windmill grouping - take train to Koog Zaandijk and a short walk.
Leiden is also a real sweet old regional town - lots of canals - a large university livens it up a bit -just a swell place to spend a day aimlessly wandering around.
Delft is really neat - again lots of canals and historic buildings and the famous Porcelene Fles - Delftware workshops, factory and museum about a mile out of town.
the Hague is nice but a large city.
And lots more.
The Netherlands train system is extensive but very busy and getting busier one Dutch guy said here recently due to a lack of carriages to meet increasing demand so I recommend going first class (as he did) because of this - not much more on short day trips - for lots of info on Dutch trains check www.budgeteuropetravel.com (their online European Planning & Rail Guide has a special chapter on The Netherlands and where to go by rail). If going into Belgium check on the Benelux - Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg Railpass which lets you hop on any train anytime.
Apr 7th, 2016, 10:53 AM
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Well, they have 9 days in the Netherlands after 6 days in Amsterdam. I love A'dam, but 15 days there when there is a small country with loads of places to explore would be a bit much for me. We spent 4 days in A'dam a couple of weeks ago and it was enough to get re-aquainted with the city and see lots of new things.
Apr 7th, 2016, 12:24 PM
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Lots of useful suggestions above. To complicate your decision: don't forget the nice historical cities along the River IJssel: Zwolle, Deventer, Kampen, Zutphen. One hour from Amsterdam and a different world. Have Zwolle as a base to visit the others.
Apr 7th, 2016, 12:41 PM
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Arnhem to me has a German flavor and a really nice smaller big city that few seem to go to - but it could be a good base for the Kroller-Muller art museum and outdoor statue garden and for Arnjhem's famous open-air museum of bygone Dutch life. and easy day trips into Germany, just a few miles away.
Apr 8th, 2016, 11:50 PM
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<i>Ok, We need Some Help!
Posted by: cindyjo on Apr 7, 16 at 1:44pm
Posted in: Europe
Tagged: Netherlands
good food (pescatarians), we like music and museums, we like to walk and cycle. </i>
I spent five laid back weeks in Haarlem last summer. Bicycled and walked around. You can get raw herring to eat on the spot at the fish wagons in the Grote Markt and the Boter Markt.
Posted by: cindyjo on Apr 7, 16 at 1:44pm
Posted in: Europe
Tagged: Netherlands
good food (pescatarians), we like music and museums, we like to walk and cycle. </i>
I spent five laid back weeks in Haarlem last summer. Bicycled and walked around. You can get raw herring to eat on the spot at the fish wagons in the Grote Markt and the Boter Markt.
Apr 9th, 2016, 05:33 AM
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So are you moving out of your apartment in Amsterdam on the 27th? That's Koningsdag. You may want to stay in Amsterdam for that. Or not.
The area just north of Utrecht, between Utrecht and Amsterdam, along the Vecht river is lovely for cycling. Breukelen, the Loosdrechtse plassen, Kasteel De Haar, Loenen aan de Vecht. Cycling or renting a boat would allow you to see the area at leisure. This was where the rich merchants from Amsterdam had their country houses.
The area just north of Utrecht, between Utrecht and Amsterdam, along the Vecht river is lovely for cycling. Breukelen, the Loosdrechtse plassen, Kasteel De Haar, Loenen aan de Vecht. Cycling or renting a boat would allow you to see the area at leisure. This was where the rich merchants from Amsterdam had their country houses.
Apr 10th, 2016, 02:31 PM
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I have biked in the area tulips mentioned and yes it is neat - some mini castles and little towns and farms and a busy canal you can cycle along - a major canal which you cross by bridge to reach Breukelen - which gave its name to Brooklyn I understand - a nice regional town.
Apr 10th, 2016, 09:42 PM
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that busy canal is the Amsterdam Rijn Kanaal, a super highway for internal cargo traffic and not too exciting. Tulips is writing about the Vecht river, that meanders towards the IJsselmeer. Cycling along the Vecht is much nicer than the Amsterdam Rijn Kanaal .
Apr 14th, 2016, 09:07 AM
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Just an update and thank you to all who contributed suggestions.
We ended up with 4 night stay in Delft. It is a lovely town, pretty well touristed but empties out after 5. In fact, shops button up at 6pm on the dot, no funny business. We loved the Vermeer Centrum Museum, walked through the Nieuwe Kerk and Oude Kerk.and appreciated the humor in the printed handout, walked to the Botanical Garden and beyond to the Delftse Hout, cycled easily out of town into the countryside along the canals, and had our share of beer.
Tomorrow we will take a train to Haarlem and see the Frans Hals Museum.
Then 3 nights in Brugge before taking 2 extra nights that were available in our apartment. We decided that 1 of those days will be spent at Keukenhof as we are lucky enough to be here during tulip season.
We are glad we had our introduction to the Netherlands in Delft rather than Amsterdam. Got us used to dodging bikes, gave us some historical background and a chance to switch from the Portuguese to Dutch personality. And we are looking forward to all that Amsterdam has to offer.
Thanks again for all the input. Bookmarked it. BTW, much warmer here than in Portugal. Our last 2 days in Porto it hailed! Didn't stop us from loving our Porto experience. I took hundreds of photos.
We ended up with 4 night stay in Delft. It is a lovely town, pretty well touristed but empties out after 5. In fact, shops button up at 6pm on the dot, no funny business. We loved the Vermeer Centrum Museum, walked through the Nieuwe Kerk and Oude Kerk.and appreciated the humor in the printed handout, walked to the Botanical Garden and beyond to the Delftse Hout, cycled easily out of town into the countryside along the canals, and had our share of beer.
Tomorrow we will take a train to Haarlem and see the Frans Hals Museum.
Then 3 nights in Brugge before taking 2 extra nights that were available in our apartment. We decided that 1 of those days will be spent at Keukenhof as we are lucky enough to be here during tulip season.
We are glad we had our introduction to the Netherlands in Delft rather than Amsterdam. Got us used to dodging bikes, gave us some historical background and a chance to switch from the Portuguese to Dutch personality. And we are looking forward to all that Amsterdam has to offer.
Thanks again for all the input. Bookmarked it. BTW, much warmer here than in Portugal. Our last 2 days in Porto it hailed! Didn't stop us from loving our Porto experience. I took hundreds of photos.
