Best Home Base for 2 Week Stay
 

By way of introduction, my wife and I are in our early 60's and still relatively active. One of our most memorable vacations was a 21-day trip to Europe (including a stay in Brugge with a side-trip to Knokke-Heist) utilizing the Eurail Pass.

Given two weeks in the Netherlands and a willingness to use the rail, and leaving aside the question of cost, is there a better choice for a home base than Amsterdam?

Hi J,

I liked Haarlem.

Are you sure that you want to stay for 2 weeks in the Netherlands?

((I))

In Jan i stayed in Haarlem and day tripped all over Holland by train and into Amsterdam to be sure as well.

I loved the quiet and really Dutch nature of Haarlem and my hotel was an easy walk from the train station.

The hotel was also twice as cheap as anything i'd had in Amsterdam and for the price even better faicility wise.

Haarlem is a sweet regional town with its own neat sights as well, especially the main market square and the Frans Hals House/Museum - also quaint canals, a mini-redlight disctrict, a bevy of coffeeshops and the usual hopping pedestrian shopping street - thus a Holland in miniature

You might want to check www.untours.com to find out about their 2-week program that includes a rental apartment in Leiden.

Haarlem is ideal.

Most central city with the best trainconnection into all directions will be ...
Utrecht.

Not sure about "Best", I have based at Den Haag several times for touring around the Netherlands by public transports, find it quite convenient.

Besides, I really like the city, and accommadations are much cheaper.