We be there in mid/late July. I usually plan trips at least a year in advance, but this year, with a graduating HS senior, there were multiple moving parts...visits, applications,admissions, selection, placement tests, registration for orientation.

I appreciate everyone's help.

I'm riding a bike from Rotterdam to Zebrugge this weekend. Anything you want me to pick up?

One small tip: if you grocery shop, bring your own bag. We were confused by it, because we had not brought a bag, and the person in line behind us was NOT nice about us taking more time to buy a bag at the register. A small thing, but something to be aware of.

Bilboburger - I wish you luck - forecast is for wind force 5-6 from the west, but at least it should be dry.

"Bike riding is a must, take a train and cycle round the Ijsselmeer."

What is this Ijsselmeer. I tried to find it on the map. I know meer is lake.

The Ijsselmmer is that huge chunk of water in the middle of the country - what used to be the Zuider Zee before the Flevopolders and Afsluitdijk were built.

Cycling around it would take more than a day. It is doable by car in a day, but if you want to stop a lot along the way it is a looong day.

You would need to be on steroids to bike around the IJsselmeer.

Note that the J is also capitalized. In the Dutch alphabet this combo is sometimes represented as a symbol looking somewhat like a U with the left riser cut near the bottom. It can also be mixed in with Y in dictionaries, street maps, phone books, etc. It is pronounced like a long i or y so that dijk is pronounced almost exactly like it's English translation, dike.

missypie,

JFYI, your two older *kids* can enter bars and drink beer and wine in Holland. I forget the age limit on booze but they might also be eligible for a shot of genever, that distinctive and delicious Dutch form of gin.

Missiepie,

I think you've read correctly--we all seem to enjoy the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Ann Frank House. Flower markets, canals, history of the skinny tall buildings.

I haven't gone to the flower auction yet--don't know if you'd want to get the kids up and going so early for that.

We also enjoyed Zaanse Schans. It is a tourist destination, but enjoyable and easy to get to.

We enjoyed Delft. Easily accessible by train. We enjoyed walking in the smaller town after the city of Amsterdam. We were the only people at the Delft factory in December and talked to the artist doing demonstration work for a long time. He was one of the most experienced artists and very interesting. We ate split pea soup and bought stroopwafles from a small stand.

Hi Missypie,

If you're willing to travel a bit further (2/2,5 hours by train) you could also visit Maastricht. It is really one of the best cities in Holland and has a different feel from the cities and towns in the western part of the country. If your interested, you can check out
http://www.vvv-maastricht.eu/home.html?lang=2

If you're interested in an easily overlooked but nice museum in The Hague, visit the Escher museum. http://www.escherinhetpaleis.nl/?set...on_language=en
It's situated in an old palace, so the building is worth looking at too. Ofcourse it helps if you like Escher's artwork, as that is all they display ;-).

Wow, the girl on that Maastricht video looks so much like my older D.

well missypie you have enough suggestions for a couple of weeks worth of the Netherlands, and that's barely scratching the surface.

I hope others read this thread an realise there is so much more than Amsterdam.

We liked Alkmaar and Bergen am Zee

I think the kids would enjoy the Escher.

It does seem like y'all have given me weeks of activities! Thanks so much.

Here's another question: If you had to pick one cute small town to wander around, which would it be? (bearing in mind we'll be based in Amsterdam.) Delft comes to mind but perhaps it's too busy with tourists.

Leiden?

Haarlem, lovely railway station (looks like a ship from the 1930s on the inside) though you can catch the bus or the train.

Nice walk into town from the station and a pretty centre.

For something different try Naarden Vesting. You could combine it with Muiderslot.

>>Here's another question: If you had to pick one cute small town to wander around, which would it be? (bearing in mind we'll be based in Amsterdam.) Delft comes to mind but perhaps it's too busy with tourists.
Leiden?<<

I loved Delft, personally. It reminded me in a way of Bruges, very quaint and enjoyable, but we were there in April which is not the height of tourist season. I don't know what it'd be like in the summer. Leiden isn't exactly a "cute small town"...it's a university city with about 100k people!

Only one cute small town? Wow, how about Leiden, Delft, Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Zaanse Schans, Veere...any or all! And there are others of course.

I do recommend of course Den Haag as well as Amsterdam. Your family is just the right ages for bicycles and canal tours and trains....but that should NOT mean avoiding the wonderful art in museums. Yes, Ann Frank House for sure though it may not seem like much. Oh yes, Oude Kerk. Hmm..wonder what the teens would say as you plans? What might they enjoy? That could be something entirely different. I recommend involving the whole family because planning is part of the fun.

Bill in Boston

We went with 2 of our kids, late teen and early 20, and they loved the Bruges to Damme bike ride.