Amsterdam for a few days and then where would be a second city/destination to get to easily for another 3/4 days

[MsFogi]

We have a week at the end of June with two of the dcs (16 and 18). I am thinking they may enjoy Amsterdam but that a full week there may be too long. Does anyone have any idea how many days would be a good amount to spend there and where else we could get to easily from there (either for day trips) or we could move to a second destination for 3/4 days.
Also any ides on what to do/where to go/eat in Amsterdam with teens would be very gratefully received!

Cologne is lovely, I did a weekend trip from Amsterdam via train. Otherwise visit Rotterdam, den Hague, Utrecht, Nijmegen, Scheveningen for a day at the beach, its so easy to travel round.

Utrecht, Delft, Gouda, Leiden and Antwerp in the Netherlands.

Brussels and Bruge are an easy trip.

Bruges is nice and would be good for teens but probably only need 1/2 days there. Maybe also Brussels for a day or 2?

Brussels, you can get to Paris on Thalys I think it's about 3hrs ish

Leiden is lovely and much more relaxed than Amsterdam.

We took the night train from amsterdam
to Berlin, it made for a great 2-centre holiday. Highlights were hiring bikes in Amsterdam to explore the countryside, visiting the Resistance museum and Anne Frank’s house, and we did a great Fat Bike tour in Berlin.

Stay in amstelveen and you could easily stay a week. You cycle in to the city each day through the parks. It’s lovely.

You'll have a great time, @MsFogi. It’s really easy to travel around, too - you can just use contactless cards everywhere now. One recommendation for where to eat: we enjoyed the food at this place, which does great roast chicken and fries - we didn’t have teens with us but they’d probably enjoy it (unless they’re vegetarian, of course….). I think one of the branches is temporarily closed but the one in De Clercqstraat's open.

Van 't Spit

The Hague is a short train ride away, you can stay right on the beach, plenty to do, and it's much less touristy than Amsterdam. Tram to Delft, train to Leiden, Gouda, Utrecht, Rotterdam. Historical sights, museums, also there's the Haagsche Markt - one of the largest outdoor markets in Europe.

Came on to suggest The Hague too. Lovely town with great beaches and bars

Ooh thanks for all the replies - sounds like Amsterdam may be fab!

I lived in NL for nine years.

Texel Island (pronounced “Tessel”). Would be a fantastic place to visit. There is so much to do. You can get a ferry across, etc. Pretty sure your kids would have a super time.

Another idea is to go across to the other side of the country and stay in Arnhem. (I lived there…) They have a fabulous Outdoor Natural History Museum, (an entire day) heaps of WW2 history, a fantastic tour of the tower in the big church and great markets. If you stay there I would spend another full day to go to the Hoge Veluwe National Park. They have free bikes you can take and schlepp around the park seeing highland cows and giant stags, etc. I have never not seen animals. There are Neanderthal and Neolithic burial mounds and stone monuments. There is also the most amazing art gallery right in the middle with the best collection of Van Gogh and Monet paintings, etc.

https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/en

Utrecht, Ghent or Antwerp. Travel by train - great way to do it.

If you’d been going in July, I would have said to squeeze in a trip to Maastricht and the Andre Rieu outdoor concerts. Even if you’re not particularly a fan, it’s a huge event.
Still worth a wander around in June if you are nearby though.

Antwerp is Belgium not the NL.

D'uh. So it is.......... 🙄. Geography obvs not my strong point.

i love Rotterdam. Very close to Amsterdam and we actually preferred it. Quieter and more friendly but still beautiful river etc. I think it’s been done up a lot in the last few years.

Ghent! It's lovely

There’s also Efteling theme park if you like that kind of attraction. There are areas for little ones but there are also big rides.

Efteling

Stay in Utrecht rather than Amsterdam. Much cheaper, and not yet over-touristed (there are actually a few Dutch people walking around the city centre). Amsterdam is only about half an hour by train.

For the second half, Ghent or Antwerp would be good, with a day trip to Brussels.

Stay in The Hague and just go into Amsterdam during the day. Or Haarlem or Utrecht. Lots of lovely places are near Amsterdam, trains are great and accommodation in Amsterdam is extortionate.