Tulip time in the Netherlands
 

I am planning a trip to Amsterdam with a girlfriend of mine on the first weekend of April. We wanted to see the tulip fields in bloom but I am wondering if I might be too early for that. Does anyone know when is the expected peak bloom time for tulips this year?

Also I know there is a bus to Keukenhof flower park from Schiphol airport, but does anyone know a similar public transport bus route from Amsterdam? We don't want to join any overpriced tour group. We might even want to skip the park itself and just see the fields from the bus. Maybe a regular bus service to Lisse or Leiden might be a possibility to see the fields on the way? Thanks for any info!

We went April 16 a couple of years ago and it was still a little early for the tulips. Don't skip Keukenhof garden- it was absolutely beautiful. I think we took a train to Harlem and then a bus to Keukenhof. Seeing the tulip fields from the bus is not too spectacular- nothing like the gardens- more like just driving past a farm.

I expect there will be other early blooming flowers the first weekend of April-

It will be too early for most tulips. There may be a few early blooming varieties, but the bulk of them don't bloom until later in April/early May. Keukenhof has wonderful displays of lots of other flowering bulbs, and will have the earliest tulips there are. The fields will almost certainly still be just green though.
We had a warm week last week which got things growing but this week is cooler, windier and generally less springlike so it will slow things down again.

You can get a bus from Leidseplein which meets up with the Schiphol-Keukenhf bus. It also includes the combi-ticket. It tells you all about it on the Keukenhof site. It isn't a tour bus, but a normal bus service. You are free to wander as you like, but as I say the fields will almost certainly be green still.

Don't miss Keukenhof. It is lovely. http://www.keukenhof.com/calender.php

We took the train from Amsterdam with a bus connection. It was easy.

Here is my journal starting at our day at Keukenhof and photos.

http://travelswithdiane.homestead.com/2007Holland3.html

I went to Keukenhof today. We are Californians currently living in Amsterdam for a year - this is my first spring here, and it was my first visit to Keukenhof.

It was even better than I expected. It is already well worth a visit. There actually are some tulips already blooming in the outside beds, as well as daffodils, crocuses, scilla, forsythia, and various other flowers. The indoor display buildings have many, many gorgeous tulips in full bloom as well as lilac, wisteria, begonias, orchids, and so forth. There were a fair number of people there, but it wasn't really crowded on a Monday.

I'm the kind of person who likes gardens, so factor that in, but I say if you are at all interested in flowers it is more than worth it.

I caught the 58 bus at Schiphol Airport. You catch the 58 at the B1 bus stop. When you follow the signs out to the buses, there are many stops, labeled B1, B2 ... B10, B11 and so on, for different buses. Anyway, you want to go to the B1 stop and catch bus number 58. The 58 takes about half an hour to get to Keukenhof. It runs from Schiphol between about 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM. During the main part of the day it leaves every 15 minutes.

If you do go to Keukenhof, you might see me there - once was not enough for me!

NorCalif you really got the juices flowing in these two Virginians. We arrive two weeks from tomorrow and plan on being in Keukenhof the next day. Did you notice the "whisper boats" while you were there? I learned about them at the Keukenhof website the other day. They are electric powered old boats used by growers etc. for all types of work. An hours ride through the bulb landscape is 7.50 euros.

Good to hear that Norcalif. I was thinking of taking a trip there myself this week, what with the lovely weather and all :).

Ronkala - I didn't see the boats, but I did read that the boat tour was available. I think I'll look into it the next time I'm out there. We have a bunch of visitors coming over the next month or two, so I plan to be at Keukenhof a lot (I bought a season pass - yay!)

I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip. (And say hi to Virginia for me - I went to college at William and Mary. Also a lovely place in the spring!)

hetismij - yes, yesterday the weather was sure a big improvement on what we've had lately! It was wonderful. Going on a long bike ride today with a bunch of other American expats - I hope the rain holds off.

luvtotravel,
Really great pictures. Here are some more. http://tinyurl.com/5nwqzp.

I have a long layover at the Amsterdam airport (8 1/2 hours) and I was thinking about visiting Keukenhof (next Friday the 10th). It sounds fairly reasonable to visit the gardens. Would you agree?

Thanks NorCalif for the bus information. Where would I find the buses at the airport?

Alas, do you know where you can rent bikes at the gardens?
Thanks for any info.

We have a last minute opportunity to go to the Netherlands over the next month or so, with 3 possible choices re date. Which of these would you choose to have the best tulip experience?

April 11-14

April 18-21 (possibly)

May 9-12

If your first choice would be April 18-21, please let me know your second choice and whether you think it would be worth going then, vs. putting it off for another year.

Is it possible to get hotel reservations, rental cars, etc. at this late date, or is this a crazy idea?

Thanks very much!

Len

SmileyKrn you can buy a combined bus/entrance ticket at the tourist information desk at Schiphol. Yes you can rent bikes there.

RCLCOLPB If 18-21 is first choice I would go with May 9-12 as your second choice. 11-14 is Easter and will be packed. There will still be tulips that early in May and the weather should be better.

hetismij,

Me again. Since we decided to bus it from Haarlem to Keukenhof, can combo bus/entrance tickets be bought in Haarlem also? I was going to order the garden tickets on line but the instructions said to use A4 paper. I was told today that A4 is a european paper not available in the states.

I don't want to take a chance of printing them on regular computer paper and then not have them accepted.

hetismij,

Thank you very much. Very good point about Easter--we will not go then. We could go April 18-21 or May 9-12. Which do you think is best for tulips?

Len

Ronkala, no it is a special bus from Schiphol which offers the combo tickets. Your standard printer size paper will be fine, it is close enough to A4, and the ticket doesn't fill the whole page is I remember correctly.


RCLCOLPB the first tulips are now out in my garden - amazing whet two days of sun and warmth will do. It is cooling down again now though :(. I would probably choose the April dates, you stand more chance of seeing tulips in the fields too - they may well have been de-headed by May.

luvtotravel- Great report and beautiful photos. I arrive in 31 days and can't wait to visit some of the same sites. Thanks for your beautiful descriptions. :)

Thanks for all of the great advice, hetismij. We are all set to go on April 16-21. Very exciting.

Although the bus sounds like an appealing way to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam, I assume that if we want to get a good view of the tulips in the fields, we should rent a car? (Bikes won't work for us, unfortunately.) Is that true, or would we see the same things from the bus?

Assuming we do rent a car, are there any roads that would offer the best potential for tulip field views? Any place else that you would combine for a long day trip, such as Leiden and/or Den Haag? Or we could visit them by train another day.

Thanks again,

Len

How long should one plan for a trip to the tulip garden if coming from Amsterdam? Also is it worth the extra money to rent a bike and tour outside the garden or take the boat-tour? Thanks in advance.

Spidey,
The train from Amsterdam Central to Leiden Central takes 33, 35, or 45 minutes probably depending on which route it takes.

The boat ride is new this year and we will take it next week or the following depending on how widespread the blooms are. Iwon't be able to let you know 'til we get back in May.

Hetismij,
Many thanks to you and all others for your valuable information. We leave Monday, staying at an apartment in Zaandvoort for two weeks, then two days in Brugge and one in Brussels.