PReyburn

I am booking a tour which uses a hotel in Leusden as a home base. What is the way one can get to Amsterdam from Leusden. I do not want to rent an auto but prefer public transport. Also, can a person obtain public transport from Schiphol to Leusden.

artstuff

You can find train schedules for the Netherlands rail at:

www.ns.nl

However, I just did a search for Amsterdam to Leusden, and there does NOT appear to be a train station in Leusden. Is this the correct spelling? Peace. >-

Robyn

artstuff

The following website is for the bus lines in and around Amstedam. They have a stop Leusdenhof (Langbroekdreef) that might be what you are looking for - Lijn 59 from Central Station.

www.gvb.nl/engels/default.htm

Hope this helps. Robyn >-

hopscotch

There are two places named Leusden. One is -Zuid and the other -Centrum. Both are on the south and SE outskirts of Amersfoort. That is 30 to 40 minutes SE by train from Amsterdam Centraal.

A wise person would not rent an auto in NL, except to explore the small towns in outlying areas. Do not drive in A'dam unless you are forced at gunpoint, but guns are outlawed in Holland.

Tulips

PReyburn; what kind of tour is that? Ask them how to get there. As Hopscotch said, it's near Amersfoort, not near Amsterdam.

PReyburn

Since it is nearer Amersfoort is it still possible to get public transportation from Leusden to Amsterdam? I just want to explore a museum or two in Amsterdam on my own for a couple of days. I looked at the maps and am rather confused.

artstuff

If you can figure out how to get from Leusden to Amersfoort, there is an IC train that runs every half hour (at :06 and :36) which takes only 30 minutes. There are other trains that you can take also, but they take a little longer and some involve 1 change. Robyn >-

hopscotch

Here is a tad more information.

Leusden and/or Leusden-Centrum is about a 10 or 15 minute bus ride from the Amersfoort train station. Connexxion buses 77 and 78 make the run. You can get bus route information throughout the Netherlands at www.connexxion.nl. It is all in Dutch, and is a rather obtuse web site to navigate. But it is complete and up to date in my experience.

Buy a 15 strip <i>Nationale Strippenkaart</i> for economy travel. Ask for a city route map when you buy it.

The village(s) Leusden is about 2 kilometers from the train station. That is a 30 minute stroll if you are so inclined.

Holland is a pre-eminent place for American visitors because everybody speaks English and they love to practice it. Even when you speak Dutch to them they reply in English. If you become lost just ask anyone on the street or in a nearby store. Tell the bus driver where you want to go and sit near the front. He'll remember you and let you know when you have arrived.

In the Centraal Station Amsterdam be very careful of pickpockets and luggage thieves. It is a den of jackals.

You can use the <i>Strippenkaart</i> on the trams and the metro in Amsterdam. Get a route map from the bus/tram/metro office which is to your left as you walk out of the station. In fact you can use the <i>Strippenkaart</i> everywhere in Holland. I recommend an afternoon and evening visit to Haarlem, my home town in Europe.

Last note. The sky is almost always dripping in Holland.

I'm curious. If you have booked a tour why would you need to get yourself to Amsterdam? Doesn't your tour do this for you? Your hotel is probably very nice but it is in the boonies. Getting into town is a project. After this trip you will certainly want to go again, on your own, and find a more convenient bed.

PReyburn

To Hopscotch
Our tour takes us to several WW II sites and it commences in Amsterdam with the hotel stay in Leusden. It allows one day to visit Amsterdam and I would like to do a pretrip couple of days to see Amsterdam on my own at my own pace. However by doing this I lose the opportunity to have transfers from Amsterdam to Leusden. So I was wondering how do I do this transfer. I am looking into finding something affordable for 2 days in Amsterdam and trying to find a way to Leusden on my own or stay in Leusden the entire time and make my way once a day to Amsterdam. Not certain what will be the best thing to do. Thanks for your help

Sjoerd

This site
http://www.9292ov.nl/
gives address to address public transport information for the Netherlands.
&quot;Van&quot; is from
&quot;Naar&quot; is to
&quot;Straat&quot; is street
&quot;Plaats&quot; is town

artstuff

Since you will be in Amsterdam for two days, I would recommend the Amsterdam Pass while you are there. It is good for admission to most museums (except Anne Frank House) as well as transportation on the trams and buses. When we were there last year the pass was Euro 36.00 for two days and we utilized it for the following museums: Amstelkring - Oude Kerk - Amsterdams Historisch Museum - Houseboat Museum - Theatermuseum - Resistance Museum - Rijksmuseum - Van Gogh Museum - Rembrandthouse - and two canal cruises (one by day, one by night). I recommend all of the above museums, except we found the Theatermuseum pretty boring even for us, and we're theatre people.

Then there is just walking...and walking....and walking...along the three canals, through the Jordaan, along the Kalverstraat, through the Waterlooplein Flea Market, down the Damrak, through the Red Light District...so many places and so many interesting sights to see.

Enjoy your travels and have a safe journey. Peace. &gt;-

Robyn