I am a college student on a budget taking my first self-led trip to Europe with 2 of my friends who have never set foot out of the country. We're staying in Amsterdam and are looking for places to go while we're over there (we're there for a week). We would like to see as much as possible without stretching ourself too thin. What are some good places to go throughout The Netherlands? What are some good day trips to take to other countries? I've heard Brussels and Brugge are places in Belgium I can't miss. What do y'all think? Also, would it be advisable to go somewhere in Germany or would that take too long and too much money?

P.S.-We can also do overnight trips. We're really down for whatever.

Hi, I would go to Brugge for sure. You could go to friesland in northern holland or you take the thalys train to Paris or try Luxemburg. Brugge and Luxemburg at least for 1 night if Paris go for at least 2 nights.

Delft, a very nice old city with some canals and with a big old church on Marktplein where the dutch royal are buried.
Rotterdam with its new citycenter, make a boattour through this busy harbor and take an elevator to the top of Euromast.
Gouda, where the cheese and candles come from.
Schoonhoven, a city with many silverstores.
Zaanse Schans near Koog Zaandijk, many old still working windmills.
Haarlem, nice old city with Frans Hals Museum.

You can also do fnatastic trips without leaving Amsterdam if you visit the Smart Shops and buy the legally sold magic mushrooms!

Train to Dusseldorf. I hear is a really fun town for young people, not too far by train from Amsterdam.

If you will have a car, it would be entirely feasible to combine a Delft daytrip with a visit to Kinderdijk.

Kinderdijk is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has 19 historically authentic 17th century windmills. A great place to wander for an hour or two. A picture of Kinderdijk is on the cover of the Michelin Green Guide to the Netherlands.

I agree/sm; I visited Kinderdjik in 2003 and it was absolutely worth the trip from Amsterdam. It visually was everything I ever thought The Netherlands would look like. It was recommended to us by a local.

Definitely explore more of the Netherlands - Delft, Gouda, Rotterdam, Harlaam, and Utrecht. Belgium is worth exploring too - Brussels and Brugge.

Strongly consider a bicycle excursion - you can rent bikes at Centraal Station in Amsterdam and then buy a Fiets ticket (ticket for the bike) and pop off to Gouda, from where it's a great little (about 10 miles) ride on Holland's nifty bicycle paths to Kinderdijk, which memorable, is even more impressisonable when you approach it from a distance by bike. Once there there are bike paths that go right thru the group of windmills.
There are many other great bike rides from train stations, or just take the free ferries from behind Centraal train station and then on the other side of the port it's not far to sweet little villages like Holysloot - pedaling thru the quintessential cow- and sheep-dotted Dutch countryside, often on special bicycle-only paths (fiets pads). If you really want to experience the real Holland hop on a bike as zillions of Dutch do - even the Queen takes her bike out at times
(This also says something about Holland - imagine QEII of England riding a bike around town! ain't gonna happen!)

On a nice warm day, especially a weekend, head to Zandvoort, a thriving seaside resort about 45 mins from Amsterdam by train. Lots - tons of young folks you age there in summer. For something different part of the beach here is officially designated as a nude beach. But there are many pubs right on the beach and college-age types everywhere.

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Be sure to visit Maastricht in the "appendix" of Holland in the south. If you're in the mood for kitchy fun, visit de Efteling, a Dutch amusement park.

Another option is the Hoge Veluwe park where you can ride free bicycles and view amazing art in the Kroller Muller Museum.

This is regarding the bike trip PalQ was talking about. Can you explain a little more about how and where you got the Fiets ticket? How much was the ticket? Also the bike ride to Kinderdiijk. How long was the train ride to kinderiijk and the how long was the bike ride? I’m going to be in Amsterdam late May and would love to do a bike tour to see the windmills

I would put Antwerp ahead of Brugge, especially for college students, unless you are really keen to see a fairy-tale like town. (Do a little research on the 'net about Ghent, too).

But if you are only in the Netherlands for a week, you will find plenty to do with shorter day trips out of Amsterdam. And maybe you won't want to leave Amsterdam at all! And surely you will meet some locals your own age who will by eager to show you places that most of us have never heard about.

I suggest all three of you do some research on Delft, Haarlem, Den Hague and even Rotterdam and play it by ear once you get to Amsterdam. It may be that not all 3 of you want to do the same things once you are actually, and you shouldn't fear splitting up. Nobody is going to get lost.