Has anyone been to these towns? I heard that they are touristy...I am considering doing a day trip from Amsterdam. Thanks!

We went to Volendam many years ago and it was touristy, but charming! A relaxing fishing village with great Dutch pancakes, windmills and lovely gardens.
http://www.vvvvolendam.nl/

Hi, ragingregan -

I visited Marken and Volendam on a day trip from Amsterdam many years ago. At least at that time, both places were very touristy, but they also provided a glimpse into what had been a way of life in the region, and I was glad to have seen them. The same day trip also included Zaanse Schanse and Edam. I thought it was an interesting day!

Hope that helps. . . .

I went to Volendam last year and yes, it was VERY touristy but then I was a tourist and still enjoyed every minute and if you walk blocks back from the main TOURISTY places, very very charming and interesting to see how people DO live now and DID live long ago. A worth while day! Enjoy! Halfpint

There is no need to go on an organised excursion. Buses run every half hour from Amsterdam to Marken, or more frequently to Volendam.

Cute - but VERY touristy. I would do some more living towns first.

I suspect that most tourist attractions will be touristy, but there's nothing wrong with that other than crowds.

A nice way to do marken and volendam as a day trip is to take a boat there from Amsterdam - first thru Amsterdam's harbor then via the former Zuider Zee, now an inland lake the Ijlmeer (sp?)

I immensely enjoyed both Marken and Volendam and consider them one of the best possible day trips

You know if you want to avoid places overrun with tourists then you should avoid Amsterdam itself - more overrun than either marken or volendam.

Marken indeed is an open-air museum of days gone by - yes a museum and you should take it in that context. Volendam is a more real town but with a neat old harbor that is devoted to catering to the tourists hoardes - many of whom are indeed Dutch.

Marken is still very much a real village, it is not an open air museum, real people live and work there, as they do in Volendam.
Marken used to be an Island in the Zuiderzee, and now sits in the Markermeer, which is a part, if you like, of the Ijsselmeer. Originally the Markermeer was going to be drained and poldered but that has never happened.
They are very touristy, Volendam more so than Marken, but they are perhaps worth the trip, though there are other villages/towns around which are nicer in some ways and less touristy.

Hetismij - in all due respect have you been to Marken recently. I have and i would call it an open-air museum and the folks walking around in ancient Dutch garb completely Ersatz.

That said as an open-air museum overlooking the former Zuider Zee i find it a spectacular place and a look into the Holland of old

From Volendam there is a nice few-mile walk along the coast to Edam, another ancient Zuider Zee port that has a few remarkable old facades of warehouses, etc.

Thank you everyone! I will be making the trip next week.