Is it possible/practical/advisable to stay in Haarlem and make side trips via public transport? I would like to visit Keukenhof and the tulip region and possibly one or two of the "cheese towns." I will be staying in Amsterdam too for a couple of nights but would prefer to spend all my time in Amsterdam while sleeping there. Thanks.

Not sure about these specific journeys, but generally the public transport is very good - you can get from anywhere to anywhere easily.The train timetables are on the net somewhere-if your hotel is near the station it should be easy.

<BR>Haarlem is an excellent choice. It's less than 20 minutes from Amsterdam by train. The Dutch Railways site at www.ns.nl/domestic/index.cgi has schedules, costs, etc. <BR>My page at www.enjoy-europe.com/cds/holland.htm provides some elementary information on the country, and other pages on my site have plenty of additional information.

We've used Haarlem 2x for a base. It is a nice place to "come home to" after a day of sightseeing. Frankly, we had trouble finding available rooms (for a reasonable price) in A'dam. Be forwarned, though, the main square w/St. Bavo's church and many of the hotels is a good hike from the station (10-15 minutes?). Also, on the weekends the locals party ALL night on the square. Bring ear plugs. We had some rain and that was not a pleasant walk (though otherwise it is fine). Also, one can buy a combined bus/Keukenhof pass for departure from Haarlem (across from the train station).

I don't recommend staying in Haarlem. The main square is a 15 minute hike from the station. There is nothing special in Haarlem really, we were ready to leave after an hour. Both Amsterdam and Haarlem have convenient public transport.

abc's admonition is correct, regarding the hike, but I beg to differ on what Haarlem has to offer. This is just a matter of personal preference, but I really like Haarlem's square and the church. The Teyler's museum is also quite interesting (rent a wand) and ecclectic. There are some other museums, interesting architecture and gates. There is quite a network of pedestrian only shopping streets. Although Haarlem also caters to tourists, to me it somehow feels a little more "real" and not quite as touristy as the main areas of A'dam. To each his/her own.

We stayed in Haarlem last summer and loved it so much that we changed our reservations and stayed an extra day. I agree with Trying that Haarlem has a more relaxed air and it depends on what your expectations are. We found Haarlem a welcome respite from A'dam, though we enjoyed the unique energy and character of A'dam, too. <BR><BR>It was easy to get to Amsterdam on the Dutch Railway, as John mentioned. We never seemed to wait more than a few minutes for a train. We chose to stay across the street from the Rail Station at the Hotel Lion d'Or, which was especially nice after a long day of touring. We had a large, quiet, impeccably clean room for 3. Breakfast was included.