Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Netherlands experts?

69 replies

StillWantingADog · 05/01/2023 10:42

Husband, I and two sons (9 and 8) would like to take the car to the Netherlands this summer, probably taking the boat from Harwich to Hoek. Over the course of a week we'd like to go to Amsterdam (and probably Den Haag), some pottering round the countryside and probably Efteling. At at loss of where to stay - Duinrell initially looked good - kids would love the water park - however having read some reviews on trip advisor I don't think it is for us (we prefer peaceful cottages to busy holiday parks but can tolerate the latter if the kids like it).

I'd appreciate advice on which broad parts of the Netherlands are best to stay in, bearing in mind it will be a base for travelling round. A small pretty town with some local facilities would be ideal. I really don't know where to start. Alternatively we could consider splitting the week between Amsterdam and Efteling (staying at Efteling itself). But if we did this I am really not sure what we'd do with the car in Amsterdam as it doesn't seem very car friendly. Perhaps we'd stay in the suburbs and train it in?

OP posts:
weebarra · 06/01/2023 21:13

If you book direct with Duinrell you get free time in the swimming place, 4 hours if I remember rightly.

BaronessBomburst · 08/01/2023 23:21

I think that Boijmans van Beuningen is closed for renovations - that's the art gallery in Rotterdam.

StillWantingADog · 24/01/2023 13:18

Just wanted to come back and thank people on this thread who were very very helpful. So we're all booked and excited.

Ferry Harwich - Hoek and back, with a cabin
One week at a very peaceful looking and well located Landal holiday park with a house on stilts in the water (De Reeuwijkse Plassen) followed by last two nights in a treehouse in Efteling!

Any further recommendations of stuff to do would be great but current plan will include
Efteling (obviously)
The water park at Duinrell
Madurodam and the nearby beach nr The Hague.
Some (not all!) of The Hague, Leiden, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam. Not sure how much wandering around towns the kids will tolerate.
Hire bikes and go for a potter (we are within easy cycling distance of Gouda which looks cute)

Thanks again

OP posts:
boonboon · 24/01/2023 14:13

welcometogouda.com/cheese/gouda-kaasmarkt

botemp · 24/01/2023 14:53

I'm Dutch and live here, my best tips would be:

The Hague beach go to Kijkduin, or any of other beaches but Scheveningen, it's a nightmare with parking and it's just not a very nice beach, very commercial and busy. There's a sea life but it's a bit crap. Wassenaarse slag (near Duinrell) if you just want a nice beach in the midst of beautiful dunes. There's a lot of infrastructure projects happening in The Hague city centre currently and they'll continue on long term and it includes a lot of the sight seeing places so unless you want to see something specific I'd avoid the city centre and head to Museon instead which is an educational children's museum and there's an IMAX theatre (Omniversum) showing nature documentaries next to it, not very far from Madurodam. Across the road from Museon is the prime Minister's residence (he doesn't live there), Het Catshuis, where you can have a peak through the gates. The nearby Frederik Hendriklaan is a sort of posh high street, good for a coffee, specialty groceries, etc. it's also expat central and there's a nice communal green and playground. When leaving the city you can stop by Huis ten Bosch, again to peak through the gates of where the royal family lives.

If your boys are into curious/sciency things I'd definitely recommend the Teyler's Museum in Haarlem (great little town outside of Amsterdam, have some fries at Friet Hoes, you could potentially park and train into Amsterdam from here, nearby Bloemendaal beach is also lovely), it's a really interesting building and originally a curiosity cabinet and children seem to love it. If you plan on going to several museums get an annual Museumkaart, Nemo in Amsterdam is a definite one to visit with children as is Naturalis near Leiden and the Maritime museum in Rotterdam is a good bet too, and they have a child specific museum in Villa Zebra.

Dordrecht is an amazing little historic city centre that often gets overlooked by tourists. Not too far from Kinderdijk if you're heading there. You can go there by public transport boat from Rotterdam as well (or take the boat into Rotterdam, it's really impressive to see it from the water), I'd suggest stopping off for lunch in Villa Augustus, an old water tower converted into a hotel with a huge vegetable garden that supplies the restaurant. It's very family friendly.

I'd also suggest keeping an eye on www.spoordeelwinkel.nl it's where the train operator hosts special offers from any station in the Netherlands and it's often in combination with attractions, like a canal tour in Amsterdam.

If you want to go out and see the flowers, Keukenhof is the traditional place to go to (have some poffertjes while you're there). There's also some official fields to visit now as tourists and their Instagram pictures were a bit of a nuisance, check with the Lisse VVV (tourist information). Nearby (and probably not far from where you're staying) is Landgoed de Olmenhorst, you can pick apples (bring wellies), there's a farm shop, cafe, etc and they usually have a lot of activities for children going on, especially in the holiday period, but even if you're there on a quiet day, there's always a scavenger hunt available.

Giethoorn is a bit farther out, a sort of Dutch Venice. I've personally never been but any visiting friends who have been can't stop gushing about it 🤷

I personally love visiting Maastricht but it's very far (somewhat closer to Efteling), it feels very different to the rest of NL.

botemp · 24/01/2023 14:59

*Sorry meant to add, the waterbus between Dordrecht and Rotterdam goes by (and stops) at Kinderdijk.

MollyRover · 24/01/2023 15:09

Beekse Bergen is a safari park not too far away from de Efteling, they have huts you can stay in where the giraffes and zebras are roaming around. I've never stayed there but love doing the car safari and zoo. They have animation during school holidays too.

botemp · 24/01/2023 15:19

Also, very close to where you're staying, Archeon, a reconstructed Roman settlement with historical enactors. Children absolutely love it but the entrance fee is pricey, sometimes cheaper offers can be found online.

Mrschocolatepie · 24/01/2023 15:20

We stayed in Breda when we went to Efteling- lovely town about 25/30 mins away.

StillWantingADog · 24/01/2023 15:52

@botemp (and others)
hugely helpful, thank you. Its becoming evident that a week and a bit isn't going to be enough time to see everything so we will have to be very selective and have things in mind for our future 2nd trip when children are a bit older! Very excited. We go in early June, so hoping for good weather (though I understand that's a bit late for tulips)

OP posts:
botemp · 24/01/2023 16:16

For tulips early June does tend to be too late but it's peony season then. You can visit some of those, there's a small field run by a man out of Voorschoten (right outside The Hague next to Wassenaar), Horsthoek, but if the climate is warm this spring you might be too late. It's right next to a historic moated castle, Kasteel Duivenvoorde, it's closed atm but will be open from April again. There's also a bizarre car museum nearby, Louwman Museum, if you're into cars.

For cheaper deals on tickets keep an eye out on www.tripper.nl and sometimes Groupon. Tripper does have an English setting but it seems a bit crap, you're better off using Google Translate, especially as there's often special conditions (like reserving tickets in advance or limited use). They have 44% off on Archeon atm but the voucher is only valid for 4 months so you'd have to see if it's still available next month.

Brefugee · 24/01/2023 16:21

i see i'm too late to throw a day in Utrecht in the ring?
I haven't been to Efteling for about 30 years, but we used to go over when i was in the army, about 10 of us and nary a kid between us. Beekse Bergen too, although i've also been back since then with DCs.

Had a fab weekend in Maastricht last year too. I often think places like that and Utrecht (even Rotterdam) are much lovlier than Amsterdam but without the good museums.

LlynTegid · 24/01/2023 16:24

Unless your DC are old enough to see Van Gogh or other artworks, suggest of the places mentioned, they could enjoy a walk around Leiden (and the botanic garden). Rotterdam may not be for them, the museum is only the depot which is in my view not great for younger people.

Gouda I agree worth a visit (am there soon myself!)

botemp · 24/01/2023 16:39

Without the good museums Shock, the Amsterdam museums are tourist traps, there are plenty of excellent museums elsewhere. Bonnenfantenmuseum in Maastricht is amazing, Het Mauritshuis in The Hague is a better day out staring at Dutch masterpieces than de Rijksmuseum imo, a quality over quantity experience. Rotterdam has some great museums as does Leiden, Haarlem and Delft (basically anywhere that flourished in the Golden Age). De Pont and van Abbe Museum in Tilburg (the textile museum there is fantastic too) and Eindhoven are world renowned in their niche. And then there's Kröller Müller, Groninger Museum, I could go on endlessly. They just don't signpost as much to tourists as few venture past Amsterdam and their guidebooks (it's a real issue that's not easy solved somehow) but none of the above I'd be quick to drag under 10yos to, but there's definitely also great kid friendly museums that I mentioned above.

TreesAtSea · 24/01/2023 17:35

Nothing to add really, but I'd second PP recommendations of Kijkduin and Dordrecht, particularly the Waterbus journey between Dordrecht and Rotterdam.

StillWantingADog · 24/01/2023 19:50

Brefugee · 24/01/2023 16:21

i see i'm too late to throw a day in Utrecht in the ring?
I haven't been to Efteling for about 30 years, but we used to go over when i was in the army, about 10 of us and nary a kid between us. Beekse Bergen too, although i've also been back since then with DCs.

Had a fab weekend in Maastricht last year too. I often think places like that and Utrecht (even Rotterdam) are much lovlier than Amsterdam but without the good museums.

Nope I mentioned that Utrecht is on the list! We may leave amsterdam for another day when they are a bit older.

OP posts:
Brefugee · 24/01/2023 19:54

ah must have missed that. Great.
There is a car park in the main shopping centre in Utrecht. You can reserve a spot, online in advance - and it cost's about EUR 15 for the whole day instead of EUR 45.
We went on one of the boat tours which was really interesting. There's a historical museum there too (and a Miffy museum but that's really for tiny kids). There are also some Miffy pedestrian lights too

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 24/01/2023 22:18

I loved the self-playing musical instrument museum in Utrecht.

soddingspiderseason · 24/01/2023 22:25

Utrecht is a lovely city. I'd never even heard of it till my daughter moved to study there. It's well worth a visit if you have the chance.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page