You wrote: "The International Court where tryants are tried"

That happens here:

http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/...the%20icc.aspx

The ICC tries _persons_, the ICJ is for arbitration against or between _states_

apologies for the typo: should have been international criminal court

Gottit! Thanks.

I'm planning to see many of the Hague sites, but I will need something for after they close, hence the beach plan. Thanks for your tips.

You think The Hague closes down for the night?

Every Dutch town has a nightlife ghetto with tons of pubs for all ages - especially younger folk. But in summer the beach does hop and you have the sunset and ambience not found in the center of a large city.

I meant after the museums close around 5-6.

Well many stores may close early though that is changing - but the Hague hops as much as any and all Dutch cities - the Dutch just love nightlife - especially younger folk. No matter where you are in any city there is a cafe ghetto that in nice weather folks flock to outdoor cafes. In Amsterdam one such place is Rembrandtsplein - full of cafes with outdoor tables and often mobbed at night.

The Hague does not really have a cafe ghetto though, that's due to its character as a number of old village estates that have been joined together.

Always nice are Dennenweg/Frederikstraat and the area around Oude Molstraat/Juffrouw Idastraat.

Prinsestraat has a couple of nice places at the Groenmarkt end.

Rembrandtplein is really awful, PalenQ!

The one mistake we made in Amsterdam was not getting to the Kroller-Muller early enough. Now we have to go back (so it turns out to be a delightful mistake)

Take white bike through the park.

If you have time and stamina left, consider visiting the St Hubertus Hunting Lodge, designed by Berlage for the Kroller-Mullers

https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/nl/ontdek-...-sint-hubertus

Yes you can pick up free I think bikes at the park's entrance - where the bus stops at the entrance. Nice bike paths thru dunes and woods.

Rembrandtplein is really awful, PalenQ!>

Maybe so to you and even me but it is mainly Dutch young folk that flock to this nightlife ghetto so it must have something going for it.

Yes, people like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGuZEcAcFLc

Oh, those were not Dutch.

Anyway. Always a nasty atmosphere, lots of police presence, so yes, ghetto describes it well enough but not a place for relaxed whatever.

Hi, all! Thanks for all the tips. I'm about a week away from being in Holland. I've taken your comments to heart. I think I'm just going to try for two day trips now, and ditch the Kroller, as much as it pains me to do so, at least for the time being. Here are my thoughts. I could really use some help with understanding transportation and knowing how to work the train tickets (should I buy in advance?) and trams, and how much cash I will need on the tram.

Monday:

Intercity 2666 from Schipol toward Vilssingen, Platform 5-6. to Delft

Walk to Vermeer Museum at 10 am
Nieuwe and old Church, briefly
Museum Prinshof

Tram 1 to Den Haag, Centrum

Walk to Maruritshuis till closing at 6

Tram 9 to Den Haag, Swarte Pad

Walk along Strandweg toward pier and far beyond
Walk to dinner at de Dagvisser at 7:45 pm

Bus 22 toward Duinzigt to Den Haag Centraal Station

Intercity 777 back to Schipol

Tuesday:

Intercity 722 from Schipol to Den Haag
Walk to Passages by 10 am
Bredius Museum at 11 am
Prins William V Gallery

Tram E from Centraal Station to Rotterdam Beurs

Walk to Bojimans Van Beuningen Museum, try to arrive 2:30 ish

Walk to Spido in time to make 5 pm Harbor Cruise (what time I should arrive, without having tickets, to buy them and board?0

Walk to Euromast [I know this is quite out of the way but it seems worth it)

Walk to dinner at Ter Marsch

Walk to Rotterdam Blak

Intercity 2681 to Schipol

Taxi or Uber Citizen M Schipol to Citizen M Amsterdam (I know I could do train, but with luggage and all the running around last couple of days, a taxi seems okay!)

__________________________________________

So, any thoughts or help, especially with what to do about Intercity and all the Trams? Will I need some sort of reloadable card? Do I have to validate train tickets in advance of boarding train somehow? Should I travel with my passport?

Really no time for lunch these days I don't think, but if you know of any super quick places, that would be helpful.

Start out early for the Kroller-Muller. It's such a wonderful museum, we didn't have time to ride the bikes around the park. It would have been better to have left A-Dam early.

So, any thoughts or help, especially with what to do about Intercity and all the Trams? Will I need some sort of reloadable card? Do I have to validate train tickets in advance of boarding train somehow? Should I travel with my passport?>

check the Amsterdam city transport site - http://en.gvb.nl/ for all relevant info on tram questions - I think the reloadanble card can be used all over Holland but not sure - used to be with the old Strippenkaarts assume is now.

Train tickets are validated by sticking them in cancelling machines at the entrance to the tracks or on the platform - date-stamp them so they cannot be used again - if you do not do this you may be considered to be riding without a valid ticket - not all trains have conductors and are on the honor system with rather frequent checks by controllers (especially on trams IME).

discounted train-specific tickets like on Thalys trains I think do not have to be validated - as manhy speak siuperb English, especially at train station info/ticket counters always ask about that. Costs about a euro more to get a manually-issued ticket but many foreign credit cards will not yet work in many Dutch ticketing machines though more and more American cards are beinhg encoded with the needed security device.

Kroller-Muller take train to Ede-Weiningen (sp?) and buses to park entrance outside station - use free white bikes in park or take another bus that coordinates IME with the bus from the Ede-W train station. Probably use your loadable transit card on the bus but not sure.

Hopefully some great Dutch sources who contribute regularly here will chime in with current info.

I think unfortunately I will skip the K-M. Good reason to go back! Thanks about the train. I won't be doing Thalys but will be doing Intercity.

I've been on those IC trains oodles of times and they can always be seriously overcrowded in 2nd class - I have a first class railpass so go to first class where many of the seats are empty - inevitably folks with 2nd class tickets who can't find seats come and it in first class and get unceremoniously shooed out by the conductor. 1st class may be a wise investment - reservations I believe are not possible on IC trains in those countries.

Thanks. I've heard that before. But, I'm cheap ... Food for thought. Do I need to buy tickets in advance or can I just buy it on the day from an automated counter?