The Netherlands: Amsterdam, the Hague and More
The Netherlands is a balance between tradition and eccentricity. You can have a moment of serenity at a floating flower garden, settle in for a beer at the Heineken brewery, view famous paintings, or explore the Red Light District; the Netherlands truly offers something for everyone. In this guide, you'll find resources for exploring the Netherlands, sites to help you plan a trip, and advice for making the most of your time there.
Expand All Guide SectionsNetherlands Travel Basics
The Netherlands has some well-known and favorite attractions, such as Anne Frank's house in ... read more »
Travel Requirements for the Netherlands
Referred to either as "the Netherlands" or "Holland," the full title of the ... read more »
Getting to the Netherlands
You have a few different options for getting to the Netherlands, depending on where you're ... read more »
Netherlands Hotels
The Web is teeming with sites to help you find and book your accommodation. Below, you'll find a ... read more »
Getting Around the Netherlands
Breathe a sigh of relief; the Netherlands is a pleasure to navigate. Not only does the country feature a top-notch rail system and well-maintained roadways, but it is also compact. Visit the sites below to get the specifics.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you're under 26 years old, you should qualify for a discounted Eurail select pass ticket, which gives you a flat rate for travel through up to five bordering European countries.
- Rail travel is particularly popular in the Netherlands, where trains are spic and span and almost always on time. The Dutch often hop on a train even for a very short trip, so riding the train can be a good way to meet the locals.
- Amsterdam is generally a good jumping-off point for train travel, within two and a half hours of nearly every tourist hot spot.
- Bus travel in Holland tends to be slow, making many stops and often requiring you to switch buses at some point during your trip. However, buses are inexpensive, and tickets may be purchased at railways stations, post offices, department stores, and tobacconists.
- StrippenCards are tickets in the Netherlands that are valid for buses, trams, subways, and trains traveling within Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague/Zoetermeer. Travel is based on a zone system. Cards contain either 15 or 45 strips; traveling through one zone costs two strips, plus one strip for each subsequent zone.
Dulcinea's Picks
For getting from the airport to your destination ...
The Schipol Airport
provides a route planner to help you get to or from the airport via car, train, or bus, or by one of the airport's own taxis. Enter your destination and departure addresses (one of which must be Schipol Airport), and this tool gives quick, convenient directions to almost anywhere in the country.
For train travel ...
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
, Holland's national rail system, maintains a helpful site. On it, you can find everything you need to know about train travel in the Netherlands, including ticket information, seat reservation and booking details, descriptions of station facilities, and more.
For traveling by car ...
Frommers.com
, site of the successful and well-known travel guidebook series, has a particularly helpful section on getting around in the Netherlands, including advice for navigating Dutch roadways and the often reckless drivers. You'll also find information about rental cars (major companies are stationed at the main airport), where to get roadmaps, and more insider tips.
For traveling in Amsterdam ...
Amsterdam City-Discovery
promotes canal tours, offering several different ways to see the city from the canals. One option is a tour in conjunction with a pass to the Rijksmuseum, which takes you to places you've seen in paintings at the museum.
Amsterdam City-Discovery
also includes information about Amsterdam day passes. For 24 Euros, you can purchase an All Amsterdam Transport Pass, which allows you unlimited travel by tram, bus, and metro, as well as one day unlimited use of the Canal Bus.
Cycling in the Netherlands
is the personal homepage of two Dutch cycling enthusiasts. On this site, you'll find recommended long-distance and day rides throughout the Netherlands, in addition to an interactive checklist of what to pack for long rides.
Netherlands Travel Blogs and Forums
Another way to prepare for your trip is to find out what other travelers liked or disliked about ... read more »
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