Netherlands

[Azteccamper]

Off on our first visit to The Netherlands over the Easter break. Doing a bit of research - anybody got places of interest worth visiting, recommended areas, campsites, walks, bike rides, etc. All info gratefully received.
Really looking forward to it. Love our Easter tours!

 

[sapto]

Off on our first visit to The Netherlands over the Easter break. Doing a bit of research - anybody got places of interest worth visiting, recommended areas, campsites, walks, bike rides, etc. All info gratefully received.
Really looking forward to it. Love our Easter tours!

I love the Islands (Vlieland and Terschelling. But only on Therschelling allowed to camp with a camper. Both places great with bicycle). We also stayed in Harlingen to visit Vlieland and Katwjik (nice beach&town).

In Amaterdam we stayed here: http://www.amsterdamcanalapartments.com

 

[WelshGas]

Off on our first visit to The Netherlands over the Easter break. Doing a bit of research - anybody got places of interest worth visiting, recommended areas, campsites, walks, bike rides, etc. All info gratefully received.
Really looking forward to it. Love our Easter tours!

Campsite., Bus Stop 10 min walk. Bus into Leiden, train to Amsterdam.
Plenty of cycle ways. Nice little local town, 20 min walk.
Visit Keukenhof Gardens to see the National Bulb Collection. Unforgettable. 30 min drive.

 

[RoB5urf]

Utrecht is worth a visit. A site called Budget Camping is an easy cycle ride away from the centre.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[soulstyledevon]

Following.
We are doing the same. Drive over on the Thursday and return Monday.
Visited Amsterdam last year for a weekend, which was fun.
Did wonder if there was anywhere worth heading to see a great display of tulips...?

 

[WelshGas]

Following.
We are doing the same. Drive over on the Thursday and return Monday.
Visited Amsterdam last year for a weekend, which was fun.
Did wonder if there was anywhere worth heading to see a great display of tulips...?

Here.

Home

Discover Keukenhof, the most beautiful spring garden in the world!

keukenhof.nl

 

[B J G]

Went to the Keukenhof Garden way back in the seventies and it was a day well spent and would assume it is even better now. The show place for Tulips, and the Black one.

https://tulipsinholland.com/faq-tulips-and-keukenhof/best-time-to-visit-keukenhof/

 

[Nick Stubbs]

Delft, Delflandhoeve camp site, short walk along the canal to town, Delft museum, and nice atmosphere.

 

[Sandyvan]

Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Nijmegen

 

[DavidS]

I love the Islands (Vlieland and Terschelling. But only on Therschelling allowed to camp with a camper. Both places great with bicycle). We also stayed in Harlingen to visit Vlieland and Katwjik (nice beach&town).

In Amaterdam we stayed here: http://www.amsterdamcanalapartments.com

Noorduinen campsite on the edge of Katwijk. Nice cycling to Leiden.

 

[Deskman]

Keukenhof is probably beautiful - never been there (it's 3 miles from where I live). I can guarantee that there is a very long queue at eastern. But the area is full of fields in full blossoming. A lot of farmers are in one way or the other open for tourist. Park the car, take the bike and take a tour in the Keukenhof area. https://www.bollenstreek.nl/things-to-do/cycling/cycling-routes/keukenhof-cycle-route/?lang=en

Just don't park your dogs/toddlers/half-nude girlfriend in the daffodils for a picture. You can easily damage the crop. https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/tulipfields/

Amsterdam: same story. But there are small towns that are a lot less crowded with busloads of travellers. Like Naarden Vesting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naarden and when you are there: Muiden Castle is also worth a visit.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muiden_Castle
If it has to be a bigger city: Utrechts old city is worthwhile a visit.

A bit more nature combined with culture: get the van to Otterloo and visit the Hooge Veluwe. It is an old hunting area sculpted by the retreating glaciers in the ice age, but also contains the Kröller Müller museum with a lot of Van Gogh paintings, a lot of other modern art and a lovely garden with sculptures. I love the spacious setup of the museum - no need to step aside every 10 seconds.
You can't get there by car but since you have your bikes with you... https://krollermuller.nl/en/unique-in-every-season.

The Netherlands seem to be small and flat(and it is) but there is a lot of differentiation in the landscape.

 

[marchugo]

Using the Search function on this forum will give you some more info, such as:

Netherlands Bulbfield Trip

Having gained so much helpful advice from consulting many of the various forum threads before buying our first Cali I now move to planning our trips for 2019 and seeking advice and input. We want to visit the Dutch bulbfield region SW of Amsterdam in April to see the tulips - possible visits...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[Doorbundle]

Camping Enkhuizen within the walls of this historic fortified port city, plenty of cycling, working sailing vessels a lovely working port with atmosphere, great pubs and restaurants. Last year while staying there, our tent blew over in a sudden 3am storm, which led us to the decision we had been delaying for too many years, to buy our Cali!
Also.
Camping Rijnoever, Oosterbeek. Very welcoming and relaxed, the café has ever some of the best koffee and Applecake. In an area drenched in WW2 History.

 

[cleve]

We went last Easter and it's one of our favourite holidays. The children said it is even with Australia!

We did Amsterdam (camping zeeberg was OK, served its purpose) Volendam (loved it for cycling between the windmills, hot choc and waffles and learning about the sawmills) giethoorn (boat trip through little waterways between thatched houses and some cute little Aires nearby) and visited keukenhof (tulips) and butterflies on the vliet (kids loved it if a little rustic) . Make sure you prebook museums in advance if you go into Amsterdam. We cycled in with 3 young children and a friend wasn't kidding when they advised to pedal like you've pinched the bike! It was crazy but so much fun. Finished off at camping duinrell for the children with theme park and water park on site but great cycling to nearby leiden etc.

We flew out last weekend to do all the museums in Amsterdam as we didn't prebook last time so didn't get in. Have fun!

 

[HAPPY_T6_CALI]

We have several video’s on our YouTube Channel about The Netherlands. Actually we are in the Haarlem area. Recommended: take the bikes with you (or rent a bike). This is the link to the most recent video about The Netherlands.

 

[marchugo]

"Enjoy the flowers, respect our pride"

This week the flower bulb farmers in The Netherlands have begun a campaign to teach tourists with selfie cameras not to trample the flowers in their fields: enjoy the flowers, respect our pride.

Campagne tegen toeristen tussen de tulpen: ‘Ze lopen soms met een hele groep de velden in’

Bloembollenkwekers beginnen een campagne om vandalisme door toeristen in de tulpenvelden in te tomen: ‘Enjoy the flowers, respect our pride.’

www.volkskrant.nl

This Easter one million visitors are expected at the already crowded Keukenhof flower show.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[Deskman]

"Enjoy the flowers, respect our pride"

This week the flower bulb farmers in The Netherlands have begun a campaign to teach tourists with selfie cameras not to trample the flowers in their fields: enjoy the flowers, respect our pride.

Campagne tegen toeristen tussen de tulpen: ‘Ze lopen soms met een hele groep de velden in’

Bloembollenkwekers beginnen een campagne om vandalisme door toeristen in de tulpenvelden in te tomen: ‘Enjoy the flowers, respect our pride.’

www.volkskrant.nl

This Easter one million visitors are expected at the already crowded Keukenhof flower show.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

We, California owners, know better. We behave...

 

[MattBW]

Will be adding some of these to our list of places to visit in future, great thread. We traveled through the Netherlands last year on the way to and from the Denmark meet. We were a bit underwhelmed I am sad to say but put it down to travelling through quickly, its why our Denmark trip video literally no footage from the Netherlands. We tried to change this on the way back and somewhat failed.

I would personally recommend avoiding Kinderdijk, we went through there on our way back from the Denmark trip, the famous windmills we expected would be a nice place. It wasn't a very pleasant experience, way too overcrowded, you couldn't move for people and expensive for what it was. I really hope to have a more positive experience in future in the Netherlands so thanks for the suggestions all.

 

[Deskman]

@MattBW
Your experience is one of the reasons I tried to offer some alternatives to the overcrowded spots. Do a google search for 15 best spots when visiting Holland and put them on the 'don't go there' list. There is so much more to see than tourists with bucket-lists. And if you really need to visit Kinderdijk, Volendam, the Anne Frank House or Zaanse Schans - plan your holiday before or after the high season. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a queue and you may ask yourself: How did I get here?

 

[MattBW]

@Deskman That is great advice thanks. These threads are worth their weight in gold! I should have asked on here rather than google some ideas.

Our experience was you pay to park without any indication of what it will cost further to see anything. There isn't any indication of prices until you've already paid. The guy told us, you get a free coffee with the parking ticket but as we found to claim it you need to pay again to get inside the entrance to the windmill path and that is twice the price if you haven't pre-booked online. It felt like a tourist trap, I was scared to leave my Cali in the carpark for fear of damage. We just turned around and left I am sad to say and put the time into getting back to Belgium for Antwerp.

 

[Deskman]

Sorry to hear. I personally leave the Netherlands for holidays and ride & hide somewhere in Norway, Scotland or Wales. Anything that looks like a queue is well worth avoiding - probably in Kinderdijk but also at the Machu Picchu or the Eiffel Tower. Even the Old Man of Storr on Skye... The Internet made it a hit.

The Tourist Trap could well be a Dutch invention but it isn't. You'll find them everywhere. If you want to visit a typical Dutch city, but one that is not flooding with tourist I can list you at least a dozen, if not more.

 

[MattBW]

That is exactly why I love Scotland too, the distance makes it less accessible and makes it quieter and for me more enjoyable. I must admit the internet speaks highly of Skye but it was not one of our highlights of the trip we took there. This forum provided many far nicer places.

This year we are planning a 3 week trip to Norway, if we can fund it we will probably pass through the Netherlands again on the way to Denmark and the ferry.

 

[HAPPY_T6_CALI]

In the flower bulb region. With respect for all the flowers.

https://www.instagram.com/happy_t6_cali/

 

[Andy Bower]

We live in Amsterdam and it's great. Zeeland has stunning beaches and worth a visit... easy to imagine a small tour tour starting in Zeeland, taking in the Hague, Keukenhof before hitting Amsterdam and Utrecht before heading north to Friesland and then the islands as mentioned above. We have a small organization of 'nature campsites' which is worth checking out for nice small places to stay: https://www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl/en/

 

[Bramco]

If you've gone across the channel, then just mozie up the coast. We had a few days around Cadzand. You can cycle to Knokke Heist and north along the coast to Breskens. Great seafood restaurant by the harbour. The beaches are fantastic with strand pavilionen every couple of miles. Strand pavilioenen are basically bars on the beach - very tempting...

Rotterdam is also worth a visit some amazing architecture - google it to find the most interesting.

There is a great campsite at Woerden, small and close the centre. Woerden itself is interesting and worth having a look around. From there you can cycle to Utrecht and Gouda (and lots of other places) or get the train.

If you cycle to Utrecht, you'll go through the village where we used to live, Harmelen, not that interesting but if you head north from there you'll come to Harzuilens which is a quite incredible castle - rebuilt by some Rothschild - again google it to see what it's like.

The Netherlands are a great place to visit and to be honest I'd avoid the mega touristy places and just have a look around all the small places. Do take a bike or rent one though.