Middelburg, Netherlands
 

We are thinking about going to Middelburg when we visit The Netherlands in April. Is a day trip to Middelburg worth doing? How does one go by train from Amsterdam to Middelburg? I checked Rail Saver, but there doesn't seem to be rail transportation there although the travel guide says there is. From Amsterdam we will go to Brugge. Would it be better to make a day trip from Brugge to Middelburg? Maybe leave Amsterdam then spend the night in Middelburg before continuing on to Brugge? Is Middelburg even worth (although I've read it's a nice place)going to w/o having a car to get there?

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone might have regarding these questions.

Amsterdam-Middelburg is a long train journey by Dutch standards, but it's quite feasible as a day trip. Check schedules on www.bahn.de or schedules and fares on www.ns.nl. The station is close to the centre of Middelburg.
From Middelburg to Brugge, the most direct route is by train or bus to Vlissingen, then ferry to Breskens, then by bus to Brugge - they all connect with one another.

Middelburg is a pleasant place to visit, but there are many equally (and more) pleasant places to visit in the Netherlands that are more easily reached from Amsterdam. Is there a particular reason you want to go there? We like it, but we've always gone by car. On a train from A'dam, I'd choose day trips to Delft, Haarlem, Utrecht, Leiden, and Amersfoort before Middelburg.
Getting to Brugge from Middelburg also seems problematic...I'm not aware of any easy connections (other than a car). Maybe Tulips or MyriamC know more.

With a car you would go through the new tunnel, and it would be about an hour and a half to Brugge from Middelburg. I don't travel by train a lot, but since the tunnel is only for cars, you would have to go through Antwerpen (probably via Roosendaal in The Netherlands.) Going to Middelburg, back to Amsterdam, then to Brugge would take up a lot of your time.

Or do what GeoffHamer says. The ferry Vlissingen-Breskens then the bus.

Thanks you all for your very helpful information.

BTilke - We are going to all the places you mentioned except Amersfoort. I will look into that instead of Middelburg - see where it is located, if we can get there by train, etc. This is the first trip we've taken w/o renting a car. Everywhere we're going is on the rail lines so we thought we'd try the trains on this trip.

Amersfoort is close to Utrecht. It's an attractive town and I believe it's also an A'dam commuters town, so there should be plenty of day trip options for that. I would put it on a par with Middelburg in general terms of attractiveness.
Anyway, sounds like you have a lovely trip planned. Enjoy the Netherlands and Brugge!

I've decided to go to Amersfoort instead of Middelburg since it is much more convenient and worth seeing. Thanks again for the info.

i was in middelburg last july. we took the rail from utrecht there. we got our tickets in holland. it's a long ride (can't remember how long though). it's a quiet town that seems to be big with the dutch when they go on vacation, but not much to do. we toured the church, took a nice horse-drawn wagon tour of the old town area, ate dutch fries with mayo and raw herring, did some shopping and found a few items at an open air market. Middelburg seems a bit out of your way considering your connection to brugge (a most beautiful old city - eye-candy everywhere!!!!) my suggestions would be: (1) if your heart is set on going to Sealand then take the train one stop further to vlissingen (a more interesting town) or, (2) skip middelburg and go to a town more along your trip route (like utrecht - an old city founded in 49A.D. by the Romans with unique sunken canals, great pubs and restaurants, dom church, railway museum, and best ribs at Gaucho's dwon the stairs along the Old Canal). have a great trip!

Thanks BruekelenMan for your info re Middleburg. I have decided to forget about going to Middelburg since it is so far out of the way. We are planning a day trip to Utrecht, which does sound like an interesting city.

In Utrecht, I like to visit the "Speelklok" museum:

http://www.museumspeelklok.nl/speelklok/uk/

The standard tour finishes at a dancefloor, if you're so minded...

When you arrive at Utrecht, don't be too dismayed by the huge modern shopping complex beside the station--there's a lot more to the city than that.

I also really like the museum that PatrickLondon mentions. Also, near that museum is the Catherijne Convent Museum, which may interest you (depending upon how you feel about old religious art in old convents; I happen to like it) and several other museums.

Walking along the Oudegracht is interesting, because the canal itself is down below street level and now mostly lined with restaurants, whereas the other businesses are up at street level. It's a different feel than Amsterdam, whcih doesn't have that two-level thing going on.

great!! i think you'll enjoy your day trip to utrecht. get a map. you'll walk east from the centraal station (thru or past the Hoog Catherijn Shopping Center) towards the old canal. from there you can walk south along the canal (on the left side) and check out the sites, you'll eventually come to the dom church (tour is highly recommended with great views of the city, and you can see amsterdam on a clear day, but it's about 450 steps to the top). there's a great greek restaurant at the corner (across from Andersom Coffeeshop) or if you like ribs, Goucho's Restaurant is SUPERB!! you'll think you died and went to a texas BBQ. Goucho's is down below on the Old Canal before you get to the dom church. the Dutch National RR museum is good. and if you're a photographer-type tourist, a walk along the new canal (southerly) especially on a misty morning is absolutely surreal it is beauty and scerenity! but caution: if you go down the stairs to water level watch how you walk on the cobblestones - especially if they're wet. i almost fell in the the Rijn (rhine) river there!! I'm a pro photographer so if you'd like a few thumbnail pictures of utrecht i can send them to you. if not, enjoy your utrecht visit, you won't be disappointed!!

oops, i forget to mention that in the shopping center is a Post Office (money exchange) if you need, it's a little tricky finding it but folks can help you. there's also a Baker Bart shop for coffee and baked goods, my wife and i made it our first stop most mornings...