Day trip(s) from Amsterdam
 

Any recommendations re a day trips from Amsterdam to Volendam, Markem etc. Companys, cost itinerary etc Will be in Amsterda, Sunday to Thursday. Love markets

There is a small market in Delft on Thursday mornings. Different items are sold -all kinds of breads, fruits, meat,cheese, clothes,and my favorite-the candy booth. You will miss the flea market held on Saturdays. I stay in Delft and do a day trip to Amsterdam.

I recall that there is a huge market on Mondays in Amsterdam - it's at Westerstraat, I think..
There's the Albert Cuyp market, too...

We did 1/2 day bus excursions to Volendam, Marken, etc. Next trip we did our own by train - went to the Zuiderzee outdoor folk museum by Enkhuisen.
http://www.amsterdam.info/markets/
http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/

Haarlem is a good place to visit from Amsterdam, but I believe the market is on Saturdays. Delft is also very nice as is Utrecht.

Leiden has two market days, Wednesday and Saturday.

Plenty of places offer trips to Volendam and Marken. You can try the Holland International office on Dam Square near the Nieuwe Kerk, or ask at the VVV opposite Central Station.

You can also get a regular service bus from outside the Central Station, but you'd need to use up a lot of strips on the Strippenkaart.

One trip I like is to Utrecht (about half an hour by train), to the museum of mechanical musical instruments:

http://www.museumspeelklok.nl/speelklok/uk/

We also did the 1/2 day bus excursions to Volendam and Marken.

The guide was such a hoot. A redheaded Lucy type.

Am I correct that (for most tourists), local/regional train tickets can only be bought with cash, no credit or debit cards..?

Hi John; Gouda has the largest 'market square' in the Netherlands. I believe the market is on Thursdays and it's all about 'cheese'. It's also a great old town to visit. The train is an easy way to get there. www.goudakaas.nl/index_en.php ENJOY Iris

>>Am I correct that (for most tourists), local/regional train tickets can only be bought with cash, no credit or debit cards..?<<


Anyone can can use a debit card, provided it has a four cipher PIN and a Maestro logo on it. This is true for NS ticket machines. They do not accept any credit cards, not even Dutch ones.
You can always go to the ticket office, where you will pay extra - but even then they don't take credit cards, but are useful if you only have Euro notes.
You can buy a Strippenckaart in many places, including supermarkets (which also don't tend to take CCs).

The Hague is a great trip and interesting town.It has markets on the weekend along with a short tram ride out to the beach-Schevingen(sp?). The Hague has everything from the Escher Museum to the "Girl with the Pearl Earring" museum. The town itself has wonderful restaurants,the Peace Palace which is worth a tour,shopping and something most people might not be interested in-the World Court.

I have gone to the World Court several times for the Yugoslavian tribunal trials but right now Robert Taylor from Africa is on trial and I think that would be fascinating. You need your passport/ID and will go through a screening process but even if you are only there a half hour it is interesting to hear the translators and see what is going on.It is located right across the parking lot from the Dorint Hotel and is easily reached by tram from the inner part of town.

The minature town Minaturem(sp?-cannot remember how these things are spelled)is also supposed to be quite cute and is also located in the Hague.

When are you going?