Trip to Holland now DIY. Help needed!
Sep 4th, 2011, 10:55 AM
#1
Trip to Holland now DIY. Help needed!
only yesterday, i posted a thread about going on a river tour in Holland. Now we have decided for a variety of reasons to do it ourselves, so i need help.
The plan is to take my mum on a belated 80th birthday treat to see the bulb fields and Floriade at the end of April 2012. we will arrive at Schipol on Monday 23rd april and leave on Sat 28th, giving us 5 nights. we have been to Amsterdam before, didn't much like it, and are debating where else we could stay.
Because no-where is very far from anywhere else, one idea we have had is to stay somewhere central like Utrecht, and i have already got rooms booked there at the Grand hotel Karel. it is however quite expensive, [no singles] but it defeats the object of staying somewhere where there are shoos and cafes within essay walking distance, and then not staying near them.
alternatively we could stay in two places, one near Keukenhof, and another near Venlo where the Floriade is being held. I've already looked at Haarlem which we liked a lot last time we went, but the nicest place, the Stempels, is fully booked for the whole week.
anyone know of somewhere similar - say in Delft, or Den Haag? we would like somewhere with a lounge where we can sit with mum, and/or a garden, and to be central to a town where we can wander before/after dinner.
I've checked for ideas on other threads, but the best that came up was Stempels, which is full.
thanks in advance for any help or tips.
The plan is to take my mum on a belated 80th birthday treat to see the bulb fields and Floriade at the end of April 2012. we will arrive at Schipol on Monday 23rd april and leave on Sat 28th, giving us 5 nights. we have been to Amsterdam before, didn't much like it, and are debating where else we could stay.
Because no-where is very far from anywhere else, one idea we have had is to stay somewhere central like Utrecht, and i have already got rooms booked there at the Grand hotel Karel. it is however quite expensive, [no singles] but it defeats the object of staying somewhere where there are shoos and cafes within essay walking distance, and then not staying near them.
alternatively we could stay in two places, one near Keukenhof, and another near Venlo where the Floriade is being held. I've already looked at Haarlem which we liked a lot last time we went, but the nicest place, the Stempels, is fully booked for the whole week.
anyone know of somewhere similar - say in Delft, or Den Haag? we would like somewhere with a lounge where we can sit with mum, and/or a garden, and to be central to a town where we can wander before/after dinner.
I've checked for ideas on other threads, but the best that came up was Stempels, which is full.
thanks in advance for any help or tips.
Sep 4th, 2011, 12:25 PM
#3
good point nyt. it just seemed like any other big city - nothing special. the canals did not seem to us to particularly charming, nor did the buildings wow us at all. there were perhaps a few problems with where we were staying - it was on the outskirts of the centre as it was one of the few hotels we could find with parking, the weather was not stellar, and we were plagued with mosquitos in our less than attractive hotel room.
somewhere smaller with some charm but things to look at in the evening would be ideal.
somewhere smaller with some charm but things to look at in the evening would be ideal.
Sep 4th, 2011, 01:49 PM
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annhig--- I would choose Delft. I stayed there on two different occasions years ago and thought it was one of the most charming cities in The Netherlands. Stayed at a small place called Juliana Hotel the first time and a very charming canal side place called Bridge Hotel the next visit. Both within walking distance to cafes, shops, etc. Delft is a smaller walkable city compared to Haarlem.
We also liked the towns of Gouda and Leiden in that general area. Where will you be starting the river cruise? If you're not limited to that central Randstadt area you might consider further north in Friesland--but I'm not sure of which parts of the country the Floriade is held.
We also liked the towns of Gouda and Leiden in that general area. Where will you be starting the river cruise? If you're not limited to that central Randstadt area you might consider further north in Friesland--but I'm not sure of which parts of the country the Floriade is held.
Sep 4th, 2011, 02:01 PM
#5
AV - the cruise has been jettisoned. We are now going to be hiring a car and driving - not a bad choice in such a small place as the Netherlands, i think.
the Floriade is being held in Venlo in the far east of Holland, but even so, it is only 2 hours from Amsterdam, though we would like to be closer to it if possible for that part of the trip.
thank you for the suggestion of Delft and those two hotels. just what i am looking for I think. We may do 3 nights in Delft and 2 in Utrecht - what would you think of that ?
the Floriade is being held in Venlo in the far east of Holland, but even so, it is only 2 hours from Amsterdam, though we would like to be closer to it if possible for that part of the trip.
thank you for the suggestion of Delft and those two hotels. just what i am looking for I think. We may do 3 nights in Delft and 2 in Utrecht - what would you think of that ?
Sep 4th, 2011, 02:55 PM
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After reading a NYT article I started a thread about getting out of Amsterdam on TTW.
Here is the link:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...eadID=2087780-
Besides the suggestion in the NYT loads of others chipped in with even more suggestions. Hopefully something triggers and idea of for you too.
Post here or on TTW if you have any questions.
Besides hiring a car you could think about using public transport as the Dutch system is excellent...but maybe Mum cannot walk so far..let us know?
Here is the link:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...eadID=2087780-
Besides the suggestion in the NYT loads of others chipped in with even more suggestions. Hopefully something triggers and idea of for you too.
Post here or on TTW if you have any questions.
Besides hiring a car you could think about using public transport as the Dutch system is excellent...but maybe Mum cannot walk so far..let us know?
Sep 4th, 2011, 03:09 PM
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Venlo is in the south. I was in Tilburg(modern and dull but I had to stay there-long story) for 5 weeks years ago and Venlo is east of Tilburg. You have no reason at all to be in the main central part of Holland unless you simply want to see it. Utrecht didn't do much for me--just a nice university town. Delft is a typically Dutch town with it's canals.(Watch for cyclists when you're driving). I would divide my visit between Delft and Maastricht. Maastricht is not that far from Venlo(Venlo is dull), and Maastricht is beautiful. It's not what one thinks of when they picture Holland, but is rather a "Limburgian" city. Huge squares, lots of cafes, shops, cobbled streets, markets,pretty back alleys,. Maybe I'd call it the Dutch Bath. It's wonderful! Consider it instead of Utrecht---plus it's much closer. This way you could also venture out by car and drive through the beautiful South Limburg countryside. This is not flat Netherlands but rather Cotswoldian in it's undulating moraines, brooks, with many half timbered buildings. Limburg(the province that Venlo and Maastricht are in) has it's own wonderful character.
So dividing between Delft and Maastricht allows you to enjoy 2 different cultures in one short trip. The real Dutch flavor of beautiful Delft, and the Limburgian festive flavor of Maastricht. Please consider it Annhig!
So dividing between Delft and Maastricht allows you to enjoy 2 different cultures in one short trip. The real Dutch flavor of beautiful Delft, and the Limburgian festive flavor of Maastricht. Please consider it Annhig!
Sep 4th, 2011, 03:12 PM
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Ok I just checked and the distance from Venlo to Maastricht is only 43 miles. Also, should you decide to stay there---please do your mum a favor and stop in a little village called Thorn for a cake and coffee. It's a gorgeous little white village that's located somewhere between Venlo and Maastricht.
Sep 5th, 2011, 06:31 AM
#9
sorry, ribeirasacra, that link doesn't work for me.
hi AV,
strangely, i was beginning to think that way myself. great minds!
if we did Delft and Maastricht, would you do 3+2, or 2+3? we arrive just after lunch on the monday, and fly out late afternoon on the saturday. we need at least one whole day in each area, one for Keukenhof, and one for Floriade.
if we stayed 3 nights in Delft, and 2 in Maastricht, our itinerary looks look this:
Day 1 [monday] arrive 13.30 Schipol. arrive Delft approx 15.00. rest of day in Delft.
Day 2. Tuesday. day in Keukenhof gardens then Haarlem, perhaps drive north to....?.
Day 3. Wednesday. ?? explore Den Haag, ??? - need ideas for this day.
Day 4. [thursday]. Drive to Maastricht. ? 2 hours? [what to see en route?] rest of day in Maastricht.
Day 5. Friday. Floriade.
Day 6. drive back to Schipol. leaving on flight at 16.40 approx, so need to arrive 14.30 ish. need ideas for what to do on this day.
fortunately mum can get around quite well, but with three of us, the car mostly makes sense. but if there's a really good reason for using public transport, we're open to that too.
thanks!
hi AV,
strangely, i was beginning to think that way myself. great minds!
if we did Delft and Maastricht, would you do 3+2, or 2+3? we arrive just after lunch on the monday, and fly out late afternoon on the saturday. we need at least one whole day in each area, one for Keukenhof, and one for Floriade.
if we stayed 3 nights in Delft, and 2 in Maastricht, our itinerary looks look this:
Day 1 [monday] arrive 13.30 Schipol. arrive Delft approx 15.00. rest of day in Delft.
Day 2. Tuesday. day in Keukenhof gardens then Haarlem, perhaps drive north to....?.
Day 3. Wednesday. ?? explore Den Haag, ??? - need ideas for this day.
Day 4. [thursday]. Drive to Maastricht. ? 2 hours? [what to see en route?] rest of day in Maastricht.
Day 5. Friday. Floriade.
Day 6. drive back to Schipol. leaving on flight at 16.40 approx, so need to arrive 14.30 ish. need ideas for what to do on this day.
fortunately mum can get around quite well, but with three of us, the car mostly makes sense. but if there's a really good reason for using public transport, we're open to that too.
thanks!
Sep 5th, 2011, 09:37 AM
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OK the new link with a smaller URL: http://bit.ly/q0IfgJ Hopefully that works.
Do not do overnighters as you will not see anything. Head for an area and stay there.
If you go to Maastricht then look around the rest of the Province of Limburg. Thorn and the villages area are very nice.
Do not do overnighters as you will not see anything. Head for an area and stay there.
If you go to Maastricht then look around the rest of the Province of Limburg. Thorn and the villages area are very nice.
Sep 5th, 2011, 10:38 AM
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As far as 2 in one place and 3 in another--I guess it depends on what you want to see in the environs of each location to determine which one needs more time.
Let's do both and see: OPTION ONE
DAY 1 ---arriving 15:00 Delft. Gives you half the day to wander around the beautiful canals, see the Prinsenhof(directly on the main square--William of Orange and his dog are buried there), peruse the many Delft blue and white porcelain shops(tip: if you purchase any Delftware make sure you only buy items that read " Porcelain Fles"--the real thing!). Dinner, cafes, relaxing evening.
DAY 2----Keukenhof Gardens and then short drive to Haarlem. I take it that you really want to see Haarlem again. How long do you think you'll be at the Keukenhoff gardens? If you want to stay in the vicinity you can always see Gouda or Leiden(especially on cheese market days). or a jaunt over to touristy Volendam and Marken villages.
DAY 3---if you want to visit a city then yes, The Hague would be a good choice. Close and convenient. If, however, you want something pastoral and are up for an hours drive then you might motor down into Zeeland and visit the small perfect town of Veere. Others' reading this will probably say not to journey this far, but remember I am American so this is nothing for me. In fact, I would probably drive an hour and a half north to my favorite place in the whole world--Hindeloopen. I doubt you'd want to do this. To keep the trip easy, you should probably visit The Hague or Utrecht.
DAY 4 --- Drive to Maastricht. Please stop in beautiful little Thorn en route(it's not out of the way). It's such a lovely little village--about an 90 minutes from Delft, and then you'll be in Maastricht 30 minutes later. Spend rest of day exploring Maastricht with her many beautiful squares.
DAY 5---Floriade in Venlo. Evening in Maastricht.
DAY 6--you could drive around the Limburg countryside but remember you must star heading back north by 12:30 to reach Schipol by 14:30.
OPTION TWO
DAY 1 ---arriving 15:00 Delft. Gives you half the day to wander around the beautiful canals, see the Prinsenhof(directly on the main square--William of Orange and his dog are buried there), peruse the many Delft blue and white porcelain shops(tip: if you purchase any Delftware make sure you only buy items that read " Porcelain Fles"--the real thing!). Dinner, cafes, relaxing evening.
DAY 2----Keukenhof Gardens and then short drive to Haarlem. I take it that you really want to see Haarlem again. How long do you think you'll be at the Keukenhoff gardens? If you want to stay in the vicinity you can always see Gouda or Leiden(especially on cheese market days). or a jaunt over to touristy Volendam and Marken villages.
DAY 3-- Drive to Maastricht. Please stop in beautiful little Thorn en route(it's not out of the way). It's such a lovely little village--about an 90 minutes from Delft, and then you'll be in Maastricht 30 minutes later. Spend rest of day exploring Maastricht with her many beautiful squares.
DAY 4---Take a drive through the beautiful, compact countryside of South Limburg. Drive through the hills of Heuvelland and see gorgeous little thatched villages like Epen and Gulpen. Like I said before, this is the Cotswolds(landscape--not villages) of The Netherlands. You can then go(quick train from Maastricht--5 minutes) to Valkenburg, have dinner, casinos, etc. This is a fun well situated town.
DAY 5---Floriade in Venlo. Evening in Maastricht or Valkenburg.
DAY 6--head back north and stop in Volendam/Marken, or even The Hague. I'm terrible with last days of trips, though. I always want to be fairly close to my departure point and never really plan much to do on those days.
Annhig---as I told you before, I was in Tllburg for 5 weeks many years ago, and took the train back and forth to Maastricht all the time during that trip so I got to know South Limburg pretty well. I was also in Maastricht for another 6 week period--this time with a car, and drove all around the beautiful Limburg countryside. They call the hills The Heuvelland. not to be confused with a hilly region in Flanders, Belgium that goes by the same name.
I was also in the far north of The Netherlands for 3 weeks(Friesland---quite different) and this was where I discovered my favorite village in Europe(including all the wonderful English villages I mentioned on my trip report)---Hindeloopen.
Below is a link to photos of South Limburg near Maastricht.
http://ton12345.deds.nl/photogal.htm
I would choose option 2, only because I know the area and prefer it to Den Haag.
Let me know if more questions!
Let's do both and see: OPTION ONE
DAY 1 ---arriving 15:00 Delft. Gives you half the day to wander around the beautiful canals, see the Prinsenhof(directly on the main square--William of Orange and his dog are buried there), peruse the many Delft blue and white porcelain shops(tip: if you purchase any Delftware make sure you only buy items that read " Porcelain Fles"--the real thing!). Dinner, cafes, relaxing evening.
DAY 2----Keukenhof Gardens and then short drive to Haarlem. I take it that you really want to see Haarlem again. How long do you think you'll be at the Keukenhoff gardens? If you want to stay in the vicinity you can always see Gouda or Leiden(especially on cheese market days). or a jaunt over to touristy Volendam and Marken villages.
DAY 3---if you want to visit a city then yes, The Hague would be a good choice. Close and convenient. If, however, you want something pastoral and are up for an hours drive then you might motor down into Zeeland and visit the small perfect town of Veere. Others' reading this will probably say not to journey this far, but remember I am American so this is nothing for me. In fact, I would probably drive an hour and a half north to my favorite place in the whole world--Hindeloopen. I doubt you'd want to do this. To keep the trip easy, you should probably visit The Hague or Utrecht.
DAY 4 --- Drive to Maastricht. Please stop in beautiful little Thorn en route(it's not out of the way). It's such a lovely little village--about an 90 minutes from Delft, and then you'll be in Maastricht 30 minutes later. Spend rest of day exploring Maastricht with her many beautiful squares.
DAY 5---Floriade in Venlo. Evening in Maastricht.
DAY 6--you could drive around the Limburg countryside but remember you must star heading back north by 12:30 to reach Schipol by 14:30.
OPTION TWO
DAY 1 ---arriving 15:00 Delft. Gives you half the day to wander around the beautiful canals, see the Prinsenhof(directly on the main square--William of Orange and his dog are buried there), peruse the many Delft blue and white porcelain shops(tip: if you purchase any Delftware make sure you only buy items that read " Porcelain Fles"--the real thing!). Dinner, cafes, relaxing evening.
DAY 2----Keukenhof Gardens and then short drive to Haarlem. I take it that you really want to see Haarlem again. How long do you think you'll be at the Keukenhoff gardens? If you want to stay in the vicinity you can always see Gouda or Leiden(especially on cheese market days). or a jaunt over to touristy Volendam and Marken villages.
DAY 3-- Drive to Maastricht. Please stop in beautiful little Thorn en route(it's not out of the way). It's such a lovely little village--about an 90 minutes from Delft, and then you'll be in Maastricht 30 minutes later. Spend rest of day exploring Maastricht with her many beautiful squares.
DAY 4---Take a drive through the beautiful, compact countryside of South Limburg. Drive through the hills of Heuvelland and see gorgeous little thatched villages like Epen and Gulpen. Like I said before, this is the Cotswolds(landscape--not villages) of The Netherlands. You can then go(quick train from Maastricht--5 minutes) to Valkenburg, have dinner, casinos, etc. This is a fun well situated town.
DAY 5---Floriade in Venlo. Evening in Maastricht or Valkenburg.
DAY 6--head back north and stop in Volendam/Marken, or even The Hague. I'm terrible with last days of trips, though. I always want to be fairly close to my departure point and never really plan much to do on those days.
Annhig---as I told you before, I was in Tllburg for 5 weeks many years ago, and took the train back and forth to Maastricht all the time during that trip so I got to know South Limburg pretty well. I was also in Maastricht for another 6 week period--this time with a car, and drove all around the beautiful Limburg countryside. They call the hills The Heuvelland. not to be confused with a hilly region in Flanders, Belgium that goes by the same name.
I was also in the far north of The Netherlands for 3 weeks(Friesland---quite different) and this was where I discovered my favorite village in Europe(including all the wonderful English villages I mentioned on my trip report)---Hindeloopen.
Below is a link to photos of South Limburg near Maastricht.
http://ton12345.deds.nl/photogal.htm
I would choose option 2, only because I know the area and prefer it to Den Haag.
Let me know if more questions!
Sep 5th, 2011, 01:51 PM
#12
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There are other hotels and B&Bs in Haarlem. Stempels is probably the newest but certainly not the only. See my Keukenhof photolog at http://tinyurl.com/y8hltjl.
Sep 5th, 2011, 02:00 PM
#13
wow, AV, how kind to post two such detailed itineraries for me. and what fabulous photos.
in fact we don't mind driving, i've found driving in Holland quite easy and both of us are ok with driving on the "wrong" side of the road, especially with a hire car. so we may well take up your suggestion of going up to Hindeloopen, though there are a lot of good suggestions too on the thread Ribeirasacra found - thanks!
the link works this time, and it's very interesting. I think need to have a map by me when I'm reading it!
so much to think about.
thank you both.
in fact we don't mind driving, i've found driving in Holland quite easy and both of us are ok with driving on the "wrong" side of the road, especially with a hire car. so we may well take up your suggestion of going up to Hindeloopen, though there are a lot of good suggestions too on the thread Ribeirasacra found - thanks!
the link works this time, and it's very interesting. I think need to have a map by me when I'm reading it!
so much to think about.
thank you both.
Dec 18th, 2011, 10:44 AM
#15
thanks, VT. if we get to the airport too early on our way back, I'll bear it in mind.
at the moment, we've got 3 nights booked in Delft [for the Keukenhof gardens and the west] and 2 in Maastricht for the floriade and the east. However I'm considering changing that to a hotel in Arcen or Telegen. [cheaper and closer to the Floriade].
anyone got any recommendations in that area?
at the moment, we've got 3 nights booked in Delft [for the Keukenhof gardens and the west] and 2 in Maastricht for the floriade and the east. However I'm considering changing that to a hotel in Arcen or Telegen. [cheaper and closer to the Floriade].
anyone got any recommendations in that area?
