3 days in Holland with 9yo in August

[PirateAha]

Random but anyone have any suggestions where to go? DS (9) and I have an opportunity for a long weekend away together and he fancies Holland despite not knowing anything about the country 🤷‍♀️ it's just for fun so we could go anywhere.

We went at Easter with our 4 year old (so appreciate our activities might be a bit young!) Flew to Amsterdam, stayed in an airbnb in Noorwijk which is west coast. Nice white sandy beaches, right in the flower fields but that's season dependent. Spent a day in Amsterdam doing the van gogh museum and shopping/exploring/eating stroop waffles! Spent another day visiting Madurodam which was fab, one day we drove down to Kinderdijk where you can hire bikes and cycle through the working windmills and go inside some of them too. We also visited Keukenhof which is a big tulip garden but that's only open in the spring. Hope that helps! Ps you must try poffertjes- tiny pancakes covered in icing sugar - so good!

Wow that sounds basically perfect. The tulip fields are the real reason he wants to go but unfortunately we don't have an opportunity to visit in the spring so I know those aren't an option for our trip.

Glad I could help 😊 Madurodam is quite cool - it's basically a model version of the Netherlands with some interactive bits too - we loved it!

Efteling

Efteling!

Arnhem is a lovely town with a world renowned open air museum, well worth a trip on the train if you have time

Good choice - it is a fantastic country (not Dutch, but had family living there for a while). Efteling and Madurodam already mentioned are great choices. In addition, tulip fields may not be an option, but you might enjoy the Aalsmeer flower auction. This is NOT a tourist attraction, it's a major business, but it is fascinating to see just how industrialised flower growing, sales and export is in the Netherlands. Tours run daily, and seeing the Dutch Auction process is great.

Amsterdam generally is a wonderful city - Pancakes at The Pancake Bakery on Prinsengracht, a boat tour on the canals, lots of activities in Vondelpark, the NEMO science museum and the art museums are all fantastic.

Away from Amsterdam, I would recommend the Kröller-Müller Museum in Hoge Veluwe National Park. Even if you don't go onto the museum, the park is great, and there are free to use bikes to cycle around.

Also fantastic is the Beekse Bergen safari park and zoo. It's wonderful, and I believe you can now stay overnight in cabins on site.

Body world ( amazing although I went vegetarian for 6 months after visiting ), the zoo and Anne frank house. All in Amsterdam I think. Canal boat meals are also really good.

This is fantastic thanks everyone. Flying to Amsterdam is perfect for us so that would be a good base. Is it possible to day trip to Efteling from there?

We went for our second visit in May half term. Amsterdam was great, my oldest doesn't like cities but she loved it. Definitely do a tour by boat. If he likes theme parks then a day at Efteling would be fantastic. Kinderdijk was very special but not sure how you would get there by public transport. The coast is lovely and if you can stay somewhere fairly close a cycle through the dunes parallel to the coast with a stop for ice cream is really enjoyable. You need more than 3 days. It's a fantastic country for children to visit. Safe cycling, quaint towns, family friendly attractions and food (pancakes, chips and mayo, poffertjes, stroopwaffles).

Efteling is doable for a day. We had a car but you can do it from Amsterdam you can use public transport. If going on a week day late in August it shouldn't be horribly busy.

Another thing, if you plan on doing Anne Frank's house book early. It gets booked weeks ahead. Not sure if a 9 year would appreciate it but mentioning it just in case.

My two loved the Lego shop in Amsterdam as well. There was a fantastic 3D Escher design and lots of other location specific Lego models in store.

I would consider hiring a car, cost dependant

We loved Rotterdam, plenty for kids as there is in all Dutch cities. Very impressive port.

north of Amsterdam there is good cycling and typical Dutch landscape and towns.

i think the Netherlands is a brilliant place for a short break with a child. Very family friendly.

Eftelling might be busy in August since the schools are not all back because they have staggered holidays. You will take about 2 hours each way to drive there. Not sure about public transport.

From Amsterdam you could get a train in an hour to den Haag, Rotterdam slightly longer.

Nemo is great in Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum have a treasure hunt through the museum. Also in english. The zoo in Amsterdam is great.

Duinrell might be easier to get to from Amsterdam than Eftelling. Its not nearly as big but it has the Tikkiebad which is full of waterslides.

PirateAha Why when the train system is good?

Hire bikes at central station, go through the station to the waterfront and get on the free roro ferry to the north side and cycle out to Durgerdam. Stop for poffertjes (tiny pancakes) on the way.

Can you hire kids bikes at the station? DS is a good cyclist but he isn't tall for 9.

Only if I need to, pp suggested it might be tough for certain destinations.

Netherlands has a decent train system

The Hague is by the coast and the beaches are sandy.
We have travelled by overnight ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland. Its an early wake up over the tannoy (about 5.30am) but at least you get the chance to get your head down for a few hours while you travel. DS was 6 when we went that way and he thought it was the highlight of his holiday.

9292.nl Website and app are useful for working out what is doable by public transport (and cost).

There are overnight ferries to/from Harwich, Newcastle and Hull if that works better than flying. I think they all offer transfers to Amsterdam. I quite like a ferry, it feels like an extra little bit of a holiday.

From the link above, this statement is not true......
Only on international trains do they have them.

Moreover, you should know that almost all trains operating on the Dutch railways have a restaurant car where passengers can buy some food and drinks.

They do have kiosks at the major stations where you can buy food and drink.

Iflyaway is right. I live in the Netherlands. I've never been on a train with a buffet car. That said, it's a small country so you're never in a train long enough to need one.