We are going back to amsterdam for our third trip the first week of october..this time we want to go to Haarlem and the beach area..it was also suggested that we check out Beverwijk (sp?) anyone been their or have any other suggestions. Thanks!

Bloemendaal, near Haarlem, has a nice beach with several hip beach clubs. Can't imagine what you would do in Beverwijk though.
De Veluwe, near Arnhem, is a nice place to visit early October. It's a national park, there are free bicycles available, and the Kroller Moller Museum there has a good Van Gogh collection. In the same area, you can visit Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.

On a recent trip to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands we went to Enkhuisen which is a very picturesque port town. There is a great open air museum nearby that portrays life in earlier times, it was very interesting and fun. Traditional costumes of clothing, little dutch boy outfits, hats, wooden shoes and precious little girl outfits can be rented for children to wear during their visit, we saw lots of little ones all decked out, can you imagine the pictures!! We found this to be such an enjoyable daytrip. Have a great time.

I'll second Enkhuisen. Also the town of Hoorn is nice, with a very pretty harbour. Ambitious? For a great day trip, stop in Hoorn on the way out from Amsterdam. Rent bicycles next to the train station and take them on the train with you to Enkhuisen. Then after visiting Enkhuisen, ride the bicycles back along the water to Hoorn and turn them in to take the train back to Amsterdam. The ride is beautiful, maybe an hour and a half -- but easy and flat.

For the beach I recommend Zandvoort, especially if you are lucky and get a hot Saturday or Sunday afternoon in August. Zandvoort is the let it all out beach for Amsterdamers and Germans on vacation. However, October ain't going to be pretty on the beach. All of the beach clubs will have been knocked down and stored for the winter. A few hardy souls dressed in overcoats will be walking their dogs on the beach, braving the cold drizzle blowing in off the North Sea. Scamper back to Haarlem for some pea soup and a jenever in a cozy cafe. Try the Brinkman at the Grote Markt.

Beverwijk? I rode my bike up there from Haarlem one time. The ride is nice but I don't think you will find the town worth a visit.

Another choice is Den Haag and nearby Scheveningen fine beaches.

There are frequent trains from AMS to Den Haag, takes only 50 minutes, direct buses from Central Station to Scheveningen.

If you like museums and galleries,fine old buildings,markets and shops,there are plenty to see in Den Hagg. I have stayed in the old town twice within last few years,enjoyed it veey much.

We just got back from Holland. Utrecht is a nice day trip from Amsterdam. Beautiful town, with interesting church - Dom Kirk, and a wonderful museum of mechanical musical instruments, Spielklok tot Pierment, where the instruments are played during the tour. We spent 2 nights in Leiden, about an hour from Amsterdam. A beautiful town with a windmill you can tour, Molen de Valk, open air market twice a week, boats you can rent on the canals, or you can rent bikes inexpensively at the train station and either ride out to the dunes and the beach or up to a lake area that is filled with windmills and is absolutely gorgeous. It's a university town (as is Utrecht), so there are interesting things happening and neat places to eat. Someone else has recommended Hoge de Veluwe, which is also a great place to spend a day. Haarlem is wonderful, and close to Leiden. Have fun, and pick up some stroop wafels at the supermarket!