April 26, 2005
Travel Guide to the Netherlands
Here's another guest article by Mark Hart. I hope you enjoy it.
Here is a travel guide from a 14 day family vacation to the Netherlands from a few years ago. Train, trams and cycles were mostly used for travel between destinations.
Day 1-3
Arrive in Amsterdam Airport Shiphol, proceed to hotel in the center of the Capital City, Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful and romantic Cities in Europe, it is a city of great diversity, has all the advantages of a big city: culture, history, entertainment, good transport - but is relatively small, quiet, and largely thanks to its canals, has a little road traffic. A must is to hire some bikes and travel round the city like the locals!
Day 4
Travel North to the City of Groningen, the largest 'Northern' City in the Netherlands. Groningen is a very pleasant city, with lots of bars and restaurants in the city center to satisfy anyone’s taste. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, Groningen is an excellent place to relax and unwind. It’s also packed full of museums so you can take in a bit of the local history and culture while there.
Day 5-6
Head South to De Hoge Velue for a weekend of camping and cycling. De Hoge Velue is a spectacular place filled with forests, meadows, sand dunes and much more, including a museum packed with Van Gogh's work.The park has surprises and attractions around every corner, and is well worth the time to visit.
Day 7
Continue South to the City of Eindhoven. Eindhoven is a developing city packed full of things to do, and the guided tour is a must as it takes you around all the points of interest plus the beautiful surrounding area.
Day 8
Carry on South to the border of Germany/Belgium and the City of Maastricht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. Packed full of old narrow cobbled streets and interesting architecture, you really feel a sense of history as you walk around the city. There is a wide variety of restaurants from Dutch, to French, to Indian and Irish so whatever takes your fancy you can get here.
Day 9
Back up North to the city of Utrecht in the heart of the Netherlands. Utrecht is a very cosmopolitan city with lots of street cafes, its great fun relaxing with the locals in the cafes and just taking in the pleasant atmosphere that surrounds the city. Utrecht also has a sparkling nightlife. For those who like to go out, there are many cafés, discos and clubs.
Day 10-12
A short drive West brings us to Rotterdam. Three days are needed here as there is lots to see and do. Highly recommended is the Diergaarde Blijdorp, the extensive zoo that includes the impressive Oceanium, where visitors can walk through the huge shark tunnel surrounded by sharks and giant tortoise. There is also a beautiful Harbor that should not be missed. While here why not visit the Holland Casino for a night of high stakes fun. Again while here I suggest going on a city tour as it is the only way you are guaranteed not to miss any part of
this wonderful city.
Day 13
A further short drive will bring you to The Hague. The Hague is a beautiful city behind the dunes and is today still known as 'the largest village of Europe' It is full of History and Royalty, so this is the place to get a taste of all things Monarchy.
Day 14
Back to Amsterdam for a farewell to this wonderfull country. A trip on the famous canals and a look around the Artis Zoo is the perfect way to end what has been a fascinating vacation.
Posted by James Trotta at April 26, 2005 1:29 AM