Joanel

planning ahead for next year. want to stay outside of amsterdam on this trip.

Is it easy to get from Haarlam to keukenhof? how? if not is there another small town to stay in for a few days that would be easier?

thanks

basingstoke2

From Haarlem, take either the #50 or 51 bus - it could not be easier. The central bus station is opposite the train station. A combo bus/Keukenhof admission ticket is 19 euro from the tourist info office at the station. The trip takes about 45 minutes. I very much agree with your idea of staying out of Amsterdam and Haarlem is a great alternative. You may want to read my recent thread about this for more detail.

Joanel

how close does the bus take you to the gardens?

much of a wait for it coming back?

thanks

PalenQ

Bus takes you right to the entrance of the gardens

long lines form to hop buses that shuttle to and fro Leiden's train station but i think not that many hop the bus to Haarlem and most day trippers would come via Leiden i think

I took a train from Haarlem to Hillegom train station and then tiptoed a few miles through tulip and flower fields (on small roads - not allowed into the fields) to Keukenhof - a great way - see the real flower industry in the fields then the spectacular show in the gardens.

basingstoke2

The 50 and 51 bus leaves you not quite at the entrance. It was about a five minute walk. There are other buses at the entrance but not the ones to/from Haarlem. The return bus leaves not from the entrance but from across the road from where you arrived. It can be confusing because when we were there in May, the bus stop sign did not include 50 and 51. We were assured that it was the correct place and it was - perhaps when you are there the sign will have been corrected or the route changed to let you off at the entrance. Our wait for the bus was about 1/2 hour. If you get the schedule in advance which we obviously did not, you can time your exit from Keukenhof so you wouldn't have to wait as long.

Joanel

walking can be a problem. anyway to get a taxi if necessary from where bus drops off near garden to entrance?

is it really only a 5 minute walk? then would be ok.

PalenQ

take the train from Haarlem to Leiden - not a long ride and then hop the shuttle buses that go right from the station right to the garden's entrance - at least when i was there - right at entrance

basingstoke2

I would estimate the walk to be about 1/4 mile. Understand though that once inside Keukenhof you will most likely walk quite a bit. There are however benches scattered about where you can rest.

BTW, you also need to consider the walk from wherever you are staying to the bus station. From the Grote Markt in Haarlem to the bus station/train station is a 10 minute walk. Many of the Haarlem hotels that you will see are in and around the Grote Markt.

PalenQ's suggestion to go through Leiden and take the bus from there will bring you closer to the entrance. Perhaps Pal can tell you the distance from the Leiden station to the bus you would need, I have no idea.

PalenQ

I did not take the bus to Leiden but saw it ejaculating loads of tourists right at the garden gate and it said on the bus Leiden station (train station) and that is not a huge station - i suppose the bus must stop right out front entrance, but not sure

Joanel

wheelchairs are available once inside the garden if necessary.
thanks

ronkala

The bus leaves from Leiden Station. We were to have stayed in Leiden in April, and we had planned to take the bus from there.

We had to cancel the trip at the last moment and the planned apartment is not available in 2009.
As a result, I checked for apartments in Haarlem and Zandvoort and found a nice one in Zandvoort, fifteeen minutes from Haarlem. It is nice to know we can get a bus from Haarlem to Keukenhof. Thankyou for that information.

PalenQ

avoid weekends - the Sunday i was there the lines to get in the glasshouses - the real show here it seems and not the outdoor flowers - were long and the insides were very crowded. Esp bad for chairs i would think.


www.keukenkhof.nl

basingstoke2

A taxi from the central station in Haarlem to the Grote Markt area is about 7-8€. It is not far but taxis are expensive in Holland. If you stay in Haarlem, I would not recommend staying near the central station. It is not at all unsafe, but just does not have the ambience of the center city. A recommended hotel like Stempels by the Grote Markt will still cost less than a good hotel near the station such as Lion D'Or (which may be the only good one there) even when taxi fare is included.