OT: Visiting the Netherlands

[AllyGirl_79]

Hi -

This is definitely way off topic, but I remember seeing posts on this board and hearing comments on the podcast that indicated several podcast listeners are from the Netherlands. I think Yvet is maybe from the Netherlands? (Is it odd that I think of podcast listeners as "people I know" even if I've never met or talked to them?)

I'm planning a trip to the Netherlands in April, and I'm overwhelmed by the number of things I want to see and do. So, I thought I'd see if I could ask a local expert ... any hints for must-sees that are accessible by train/bus from Amsterdam? We'll have two days in Amsterdam and two days for trips to nearby towns/sights.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Yvet]

I'm from the Netherlands!!!!!!

Please feel free to pm or mail me it's no problem at all to help out a bit.

What are you interested in??
Because there is so much to see and do (you already figured that out).

In Amsterdam you have the city by itself but also the van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.
You can do a boattour around the city in the canals.
Ofcourse it's nice to do some shopping (very expensive for you guys) but even if you don't buy anything it's great to see the shops (it's no mall but just streets with shops).


Daytours:

In april you can visit the Keukenhof this is a place with lots and lots of flowers (tulips) and tourists love this place. -> this you can do by train to Leiden and then a bus (maybe a bus from Amsterdam also) and thru a organized tour.

You can take a tour (organized) to Volendam this is a fishermans city.

Delft the place where i live is beautiful (tourist say that) there is the possibility of doing a boattour thru the canals and climb the church 108 meters high and the second highest church in The Netherlands and all the royals are buried in this church.
Also Delft is the city of the Delft Blue Pottery. -> Just an easy train ride (45 min) from Amsterdam.
http://www.delft.nl/webEN/content.jsp?objectid=33500
http://www.delfttoerisme.nl/eng/index.shtml
http://www.royaldelft.com/nederlands.html

In Den Haag (the Hague) there is Madurodam, that is a miniature city with all the highlights of the Netherlands in it.
The queen lives in Den Haag and you can visit the palace gardens.
The Parliament is located in Den Haag (Binnenhof) and you can stroll around.
Also located in Den Haag is het vredespaleis (peace palace), there are some guided tours available. The gardens are beautiful to visit. -> a trainride away from Amsterdam (30 min).
http://www.vredespaleis.nl/showpage.asp?pag_id=429
http://www.madurodam.nl/templates/mad/global/index.php?lngid=5&sqlmode=1&fid=638

Also Rotterdam is a city you can visit.
There is the Euromast.
Rotterdam has the largest or second largest port/harbor of the world.
What i would recommend if you go to Rotterdam is see the Euromast and then make a boattour on the Pannenkoekenboot (link provided, only Dutch, btw there is also one in Amsterdam) this is typical Dutch food.
http://www.euromast.nl/english/index.html
http://www.pannenkoekenboot.nl/ (if you are interested i can translate for you).


If you plan to visit Delft, Rotterdam or Den Haag just give me a PM or mail maybe we can meet each other!!
That would really be nice, so don't hesitate to do so.
It's even possible for me to come to Amsterdam if you like (it's just a small ride anyway here in the Netherlands).

There is lots more to see and do, again please feel free to inquire some more information.
Just give me some things that you are interested in and maybe i come up with some other things.
Also please let me know what you already thought you wanted to see and do, maybe i have some interesting pointers for you.

 

[luke]

In april you can visit the Keukenhof this is a place with lots and lots of flowers (tulips) and tourists love this place. -> this you can do by train to Leiden and then a bus (maybe a bus from Amsterdam also) and thru a organized tour.

Delft the place where i live is beautiful (tourist say that) there is the possibility of doing a boattour thru the canals and climb the church 108 meters high and the second highest church in The Netherlands and all the royals are buried in this church.
Also Delft is the city of the Delft Blue Pottery. -> Just an easy train ride (45 min) from Amsterdam.

We visited Holland and Belgium a few years back, and went to both Keukenhof and Delft, both lovely places and can highly recommend some time in both.

We also spent a day in Amsterdam and enjoyed the Anne Frank museum and also some of the famous coffee shops, but maybe less said about the latter the better

 

[daneenm]

I had a VERY brief stay in Amsterdam while traveling on business. Besides just walking through the city (which is beautiful!), i visited the Anne Frank museum. I would highly recommend it... it is moving beyond words.

 

[MenashaCorp]

OK.... I'm sold; next DISmeet should be in The Netherlands...

 

[wishspirit]

OK.... I'm sold; next DISmeet should be in The Netherlands...

Sorry, I've already claimed England as your first international port of call for a podcast meet.

 

[Bornteach]

I have relatives in the NEtherlands and have visited as well.

There is a great beach town called Bergen Aan Zee that is quaint and right on the North Sea.

I loved Alkmaar as well!

 

[MenashaCorp]

Sorry, I've already claimed England as your first international port of call for a podcast meet.

Well, I'm OK with THAT!!!! (As long as I can schedule an extra month or two for all the GB travelling I've wanted to do!! )

 

[robind]

We visited Holland and Belgium a few years back, and went to both Keukenhof and Delft, both lovely places and can highly recommend some time in both.

We also spent a day in Amsterdam and enjoyed the Anne Frank museum and also some of the famous coffee shops, but maybe less said about the latter the better

I spent a weekend in Amsterdam last spring and I agree with the suggestion of Keukenhof, I could have spent all day there. I also did the little one hour boat tour and the Anne Frank museum.

We also spent a little time in some of the "other" famous places (did someone say coffee houses and the red light district ? )

 

[Yvet]

OMG
How could i forget the Anne Frank Museum...

I must have been braindead when i wrote this reply...

 

[erogers]

Ally, I lived in Amsterdam for two years and have been back in the States a year and a half now. I definitely agree with Yvet - you should go to the Keukenhof (here's information for getting there http://www.keukenhof.nl/accessibility.php) and Delft is an easy train ride away and a very nice place to visit.

Another nice day trip would be to the Apeldoorn area. If you like the outdoors, Park de Hoge Veluwe is nice. There is an art museum and lots of walking and cycling trails (there are free bikes there for you to use). You would take a train to Apeldoorn, then bus 108 to Hoenderloo, then bus 106 to Otterlo (it stops at the park entrance).

There is a palace in Apeldoorn, Paleis Het Loo, that you can get to by bus 102 and 104, I believe.

There is also a monkey zoo, the Apenheul, where the monkeys run around not in cages that is pretty cool. www.apenheul.nl I'm not sure about how to get there by public transport. I'm sure there is a bus from the train station.

In Amsterdam, for what it's worth, I do not think the canal boat rides are worth it. Definitely visit the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum. I like the Rembrandt Huis, the Heineken Brewery and just shopping (on Kalverstraat, Utrechtsestraat, and "De 9 Straatjes" or "The Nine Little Streets" that straddle the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht).

Have fun!!!

 

[christygobar]

I was in Amsterdam many years ago (I'm thinking 8 - wow!) and I would second the museums and doing a canal boat trip around the city. Simply walking around the various streets is a tour in itself. I really loved the city and the friendliness of the folks who were there.

We were unable to see the Anne Frank museum - the line was pretty far down the street and it moves slowly. I was disappointed about that, but it worked out okay

As cliche and as crazy as it seems - the tourist areas of the Red Light district was fun to walk around. It's really just tourism - I don't remember it being a shady area (but I may not remember it correctly...... )

I combined this with a trip to Berlin and the Duesseldorf/Koln cities in Germany. Wonderful places!

 

[Yvet]

As cliche and as crazy as it seems - the tourist areas of the Red Light district was fun to walk around. It's really just tourism - I don't remember it being a shady area (but I may not remember it correctly...... )

You remebered it good, the red light district was not a shady place at all.
It was just full of live and lots and lots of normal people walking there also not only the creapy guys....

 

[beachwarmer]

When we visited we went to a place with lots of windmills, Kinderdijk.....I think it was a World Heritage site. It was not far from Amsterdam as we were driving from Amsterdam to Brussels and stopped there and Delf on the way...

We also visited a museum in Amsterdam that had a secret church in the attic of several homes. I remember it being very interesting.

I will admit that we lived in Bermuda at the time and had just done a transatlantic cruise so we were happy to see anything but water. Since Bermuda does not have fast food outlets, and we had been two weeks on a Celebrity ship eating our first stop was a McDonalds. It is amazing how much you miss McDonald's when you can't have it. On the up side the McDonalds did have amazing frites sauce to go with the fries.

 

[AllyGirl_79]

Wow!! Thanks for all the responses. I knew the DIS was the place to go!

I have purchased my Kuekenhof tickets online -- great suggestion. (How did people plan trips before the internet?) I also made sure my hotel has internet for guests so I can buy other tickets online when I get there, so as to avoid the lines a pp mentioned at other sites.

Beachwarmer - did you like Kinderdjik? I saw it in my tour book, and I was wondering if it was worth a trip down. It looks like a faerytale.

I'm very excited about the VanGogh museum, the Ann Frank House, the canal cruises, the Hague, Delft, and everything else! Now, I just have to figure out how to fit it into 4 days! I think by the time I get to Belgium, I'll be exhausted!

 

[beachwarmer]

Beachwarmer - did you like Kinderdjik? I saw it in my tour book, and I was wondering if it was worth a trip down. It looks like a faerytale.

Yes we loved Kinderdjik. It was a lovely little villiage. I love World Heritage Sites so this was a must stop for us. I am sure Yvet can give you a much better idea than I can. We were driving by on the way to Brussels so we stopped. We missed so much in Amsterdam with our limited time there.

 

[luke]

I think by the time I get to Belgium, I'll be exhausted!

Belgium is much more low key than Holland i feel.
Where are you going in Belgium? We went to Bruges and loved it.
I recommend watching the film In Bruges (my favourite film of 2008)

 

[Yvet]

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