Day trips from Amsterdam
 

My husband and I will be spending 3 nights in Amsterdam at the end of June. We are considering taking a day trip out of the city? Any recommendations on day trips? (I've heard Bruges is lovely, but it sounds like a long train ride for one day.) With any suggestions on where to go, I'd love tips on how to get there! Thanks!

Haarlem.

Haarlem

Fabulous Frans Hals museum, in a lovely building surrounding a garden, with a truly enlightening exhibit, and an excellent cafeteria.

In addition, the unique Teyler Museum, the oldest in Holland, guaranteed to delight all ages, AND St. Bavo church, with an organ played by Mozart, (though not lately)

Plus, it's only half an hour from Amsterdam

No brainer for me, and we just came back from 2 weeks in the Netherlands with a day trip to Haarlem, later to Maastricht by car, and Antwerp by car. Especially a no brainer with only three days. The others are too much., even by car.

I think we once did Den Hague and Delft. Hague was boring. Delft's square was neat. We also did the Keukenhof. (sp?).

I think I would recommend Haarlem over all of those, though. Quick train ride, the square is a bit of a hike from their, but well worth it. Walk outside of the square to see the gates/bridges, and don't miss the Teylers museum (there are others that I haven't been to, that are probably worth a look).

Haarlem would be my top choice, too, and we enjoyed a day trip to Delft and Rotterdam. Rotterdam is one of the largest ports in the world, and it was fun to take the boat tour of the port.

I have not been to the other places, so can't compare, but I took the train (about an hour maybe) to Delft and toured one of the authentic Delft ware factories. I collect pottery/ceramics, so I found it fascinating.

Leiden and Delft are on the same train line and both afe beautiful small cities to visit.

Allons, yes Bruges is lovely but a very long train ride. Your choice will depend on your interest. Here are a few suggestions in addition to those already mentioned:

1. On Fridays spring and summer, Alkmaar's cheese market (10-12:30), touristy but fascinating. The town has a beer museum; also cheese museum of course. On same day, you can visit open-air museum Zaanse Schans.
Trains from Amsterdam to Alkmaar are frequent. From Alkmaar to the open-air museum, take train to Uitgeest, then a regional train to Koog-Zaandijk. The information desk in the tunnel of the Alkmaar train station may be able to give you schedules. Rick Steves' Amsterdam Bruges & Brussels guide has details.

2. Aalsmeer flower auction Mon-Fri 7-11 am, but go early. possibly by 9 am things may have slowed down. Take Connexxion bus 172 from Amsterdam's central station. Get off at BVFH Hoofdingang stop (found out hoofdingang means reception). This trip ends early enough to give you lots of time in Amsterdam.

3. Rotterdam - Spido 90min boat tour of the harbor (3rd largest in the world) early in the morning (see www.spido.nl for sched). Then at around 2:15 pm 3-hr boat ride on the Nehalennia to Kinderdijk (you have 1 hr to see the free collection of classic wooden windmills). There is also a 10:45am departure, but when we were there, it did not run possibly because no passengers.
Take early train to Rotterdam central station, then the underground line D or E and get off Leuvehaven stop. Spido departure is at the base of Erasmus Bridge. To get to the Nehalennia, walk towards Willems Bridge and you'll see the booth that sells tickets at quayside (De Boompjeskade). I believe trams can also be used (line 23 or 25). Rotterdam has other unique architectural sites to see.

Rick Steves guide I mentioned above have other day trips you can consider.

I think that Marken and Volendam may be the most popular day trip from Amsterdam - you can take a boat (in season) or bus to Marken - a former fishing village-island that is now part of the mainland after the Zuider Zee was dyked off from the sea and land reclamation projects happened - so now it is on the Ijl Meer (sp?- what the new freshwater sea is called.

Anyway Marken is an open-air museum of Dutch life of a hundred or more years ago - an open-air museum with old crafts on display - old houses and even locals dressed in old-time (black) clothing.

Take a boat from Marken to Volendam, its sister city across the harbor - Volendam is as brash in its port as Marken is quiet - there is an amphitheatre of cafes, pbus, crepe places, etc circling the port/harbor.

From Volendam take a walk a few miles right along the sea to Edam, an ancient port that once was one of the world's busiest ports but after the closing off of the Zuide Zee has become a lovely bvackwater with several imposing old flemish-style warehouses standing sentinel over the now little used port - from Edam take a bus back to Amsterdam.


https://www.google.com/search?q=mark...=1600&bih=1049


https://www.google.com/search?q=edam...=1600&bih=1049

Haarlem as spaarne and others have suggested for the same reasons. Utrecht is also very nice as is Delft. All easy day trips.

There are trains from Amsterdam to Haarlem every 15 minutes and the trip takes only 15 minutes. Add 10 minutes to walk from the train station to the center of town.

We did somewhat the opposite - stayed in Haarlem - a much better value than Amsterdam and more of a "Dutch" city than Amsterdam which is more of a large international city type, albeit a very nice one - and took day trips to Amsterdam, Utrecht and Delft. Haarlem, Utrecht and Delft all have a canal.