beach - Netherlands/Belgium
 

We are planning a trip to Amsterdam & Bruges in late July/August. Thinking about spending a couple of days on the beach somewhere. Is it very crowded at that time?Where would be the best place to go? Family oriented, moderate prices. Thanks

Yes, it will be crowded as July/Aug is top season because of the school holidays, at least in Belgium. All the beaches in Belgium are family oriented. I personally like Knokke very much, it's 10 min. drive from Brugge. The beach is wide, you can easily rent sunbeds and umbrella's, there are lots of nice shops, cafés and restaurants. The districts Duinbergen and Knokke-Zoute are very residential with white painted houses/villas.
In terms of pretty, Den Haan certainly gets my second vote.
You may find some useful information on http://bezoekers.knokke-heist.be/def...px?language=en (Knokke) and http://www.dehaan.be/ (Den Haan)

Myriam,
You should mention that Knokke, allthough I agree and this would be my first choice too, is the most expensive and elite town on the Belgian coast, whereas Den Haan is a bit more moderate

You're right, africa_lover. I believe, though, that Knokke can still be called 'moderate' for US standards.

MyriamC - would either of these be good for a day trip from Bruge or better to stay overnight? I assume there are trains to either or both?

For a family oriented beach in Holland I would pick Scheveningen, on the north side of the Hague. It also has a long boardwalk with cafes and street entertainment. Somewhat more robust is Zandvoort which attracts the Amsterdam crowd plus plenty of Germans on vacation.

Also in the Hague for your family is Madurodam, Holland in miniature. Just north of the Hague in Wassenaar is a fantastic water amusement park, Duinrell (pronounced down rell).

BetsyG
Knokke is ideal for a daytrip from Brugge, don't have to stay overnight.

Agree with that; Knokke is very easy to do from Brugge, and accommodation is sometimes hard to find in summer.
You can rent bicycles or go-carts on the boulevard. If it's not beach weather, cycle over to the Zwin nature reserve.
If you have children; in Knokke children make paper flowers that they sell for shells to other children on the beach (or mum makes the flowers). Great way for them to get in touch with other children. All the 'flower shops' on the beach look very colorful too.

I didn't find Zandvoort to be very family oriented. Lots of 'clubbing' on the beach with loud music and booze.
On the other hand, the province of Zeeland/NL (Renesse, Vrouwenpolder, Zoutelande, Domburg, ...) has some wonderful beaches/dunes for families with kids. A definite 'pro' compared to the Belgian beaches is the lack of highrise buildings at the coastline in Zeeland. If we want to just lie on the beach and get a tan, we prefer to be in Zeeland. If we want to do some shopping and eat & drink well, we prefer Knokke.

Myriam, you beat me to the punch. I was going to recommend Zeeland. It's much quieter and the beaches are as nice (we think they're nicer). Also, there are several family oriented holiday rental developments. However, I think they fill up pretty quickly in high season, so the OP should start planning now. The attractive, historic town of Middelburg, a short drive from the beaches, is also worth exploring for the day.
The area's only downside is that it may be a little TOO quiet if Betsy's kids are teenagers looking for boardwalk style action and amusements. If they're younger, it's a much better choice, IMHO, than Knokke or the other Belgian beach towns (I would also agree with the other posters who suggested staying in nearby Bruges instead of Knokke/Blankenberge, etc.)

Thanks all! The "Zeeland Riviera" is mentioned in my Frommers guide & sounded good. Sounds like if we want to stay overnight on the coast, Zeeland would be the best. If we only go for the day (from Bruge), Knokke would be good. I wish we had more time, it may be a trade off between a couple of days in Paris or the days (& nights) on the beach!

Take the extra days in Paris! You can find plenty of beach places to visit at home.

BTilke - I'm afraid you may be right. Thanks!

If there's a heatwave while you are in A'dam or Brugge, you might prefer a few days at the beach ... In those circumstances I, for one, would prefer the beach over any city.

I second MyriamC & BTilke (third) about Zeeland; more family-oriented and quieter, but still plenty to do. Scheveningen is defnitely the least family-oriented beach in the Netherlands. Sure, there's a pier, shops and some entertainment, but there's also an international casino, lots of fast food and junk, loud music and wall-to-wall topless and tangas.
Haarlem is another good option - you could stay in town and rent bikes to ride through the Kennemer Dunes (about 30 - 40 minutes' lovely riding) to get to beaches that are only accessible by bike or foot. Maybe the best of both worlds?

Knokke is very much a family-oriented town, with lots to do besides the beach. Don't know the ages of your children, Betsy, but I agree with Myriam; if it's very warm, a day or two by the seaside is a good idea.

Jenviolin,

You say about Scheveningen: <i>but there's also an international casino, lots of fast food and junk, loud music and wall-to-wall topless and tangas</i> and then you recommend Haarlem. The beach near Haarlem is Zandvoort which certainly features all of the things you mention at Scheveningen, plus some.

Halfway between these two are Noordwijk and Katwijk. Both are much less commercialied and present a more bucolic ambience.

Really appreciate all the advice &amp; wish we had more time! I have another question for you all Benelux &quot;experts&quot;. What would be your favorite day trip from Amsterdam, including most authentic &amp; easiest to get to - Zaanse Schans, Delft, Harleem, Leiden or one of the beach towns already mentioned? Or somewhere else? I emphasize easiest to get to! I like art, boys like history. Thanks again. Betsy

My personal choice would be Haarlem. It's only 14 min. by train from A'dam.
A few years ago we 'did' Haarlem on our bikes. We took our own but you can rent them at the railway station or in town.
You can easily make a combo of city and beach. Haarlem is a very pretty city with an interesting past. There are a few museums, churches, you can make the &quot;Hofjes&quot; tour, then ride to Bloemendaal (5 km) on your bike and spend some time at the beach.
July/August it won't be dark until 10.30 pm.
Delft is also very pretty, but it's a bit further away (1 hr train).
Haven't been to Zaansche Schans. I don't know if there's any more to see than a series of windmills. We might daytrip this summer.

I second Haarlem, where I've lived.

Suggestions for unique and historic:

Cruquius Expo, a 150 year old steam engine, and as big as they get. The engine is actually a fair sized building and a great museum of old steam engines and a working hydrologic map of The Netherlands. Fascinating to me, as engineer.

Sint Bavo Kerk, also known as the Grote Kerk (Big Church). Has a famous organ with action a few days a week.

The Rail Station, a 100 year old classic. View it from the SE side especially.

Amsterdamse Poort, last remaining piece of the mediaeval town walls. Picture yourself shooting arrows out through the slits in the walls defending your city. That's the way it was 400 years ago.

Frans Hals Museum. Has works by the Master in a former hofje. Beautiful stuff in a beautiful setting. This might be open in the evening. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has the best of Frans, his Merry Drinker.

Tylers Museum, on the Spaarne River. Has dinosaur bones, rocks, old scientific instruments, interactive devices, and all manner of stuff. Claims to be the oldest museum in the Netherlands. My 12 year old daughter and her friend loved this one.

Historical Museum, near the Frans Hals Museum. Includes a video show as I recall.

Grote Markt (town square) is one of the best in Europe. Schedule your lunch for this place and savor the view. Take an outdoor table at the Cafe Brinkman. Service is slow but the burgers are great and it's right in the middle of the north side of the Markt. Saturday is market day as I recall so the square will be crammed with stands selling food and a world of other stuff. Try a few cheeses and have a haring.

For fun, the Linneaushof amusement park in Bennebroek is good for young kids. It claims to be the biggest amusement park in Europe (I don't know if they include Tivoli and Eurodisney in their realm). Take a bus from Haarlem as I recall.

In the evening walk up the Lange Veerstraat and Kleine Houtstraat to see the Haarlemers at ease in their cafes and bars, or standing in the &quot;street&quot; talking and drinking till the wee hours. Or window shop on the Grote Houtstraat. On all walk streets like these, keep the eyes on the back of your head alert for bicyclers.

For a nightcap and a bit of cheese, find the little cafe called the Goede Uur. It's a charming throwback place that you won't want to leave. Ask a local because I couldn't give you decent directions. I just kind of find it as I bike around the neighborhood.

Catch the last train back to Amsterdam. Watch out for pickpockets in the Amsterdam train station and on the trams. Come to think of it, why don't you stay in Haarlem? Make Amsterdam a day trip.