Planning for the Spring summer already, there are a few things you should attempt to get done!
Firstly, get to the Keukenhof flower grounds, try to get there shortly after it opens in April, as otherwise the flowers start to go out of season and you don't get to enjoy the landscape to its full potential. Its just 45mins from Amsterdam (get train to Schiphol, and take a bus form there directly to the location).
Secondly, the beaches. The dutch love the sun, so much that the first sign of good weather, you will hear them talk about going to the beach, (or if not a picnic in the parks!) So there are a few beaches you will want to check out, some with djs (Bloomendal) and some just relaxing. You can take a train/bus out but then walk through the dunnes to get to the beach. Otherwise, just get your food together, some wine, and head to the local park!
Next, you will want to get onto the grachts (canals!). You can try the visitors boat, Lovers etc from Centraal station to get to see the city, but you can also hire a boat, with a sailor, or you can also hire a smaller boat to go around on yourself with a few people. Its a great way to check out the city. You will notice during the summer a lot of boats out and about! If you can't bring yourself to hire the boats out (there is a location near the Okura hotel), you can also hire the paddle boats from the single/keizer/ grachts.. But i don't honestly know of one person who ever has. Its usually just the tourists!
Day trips, whilst the weather gets better, check out the variety of cities outside to pop to for the afternoon, not just Den Haag, Utrecht or Rotterdam, but also Haarlem, Leiden, Hoorn and Enkhuizen to name a few more all within 1hours train ride. If you really want to get a bit more done, take the train to Den Helder and the ferry across to the island of Texel. Its an island close to the shore, that is a camping spot for the Dutch! The islands are well known, and you must get to at least one of them whilst you are here. There are five of them:
Firstly, get to the Keukenhof flower grounds, try to get there shortly after it opens in April, as otherwise the flowers start to go out of season and you don't get to enjoy the landscape to its full potential. Its just 45mins from Amsterdam (get train to Schiphol, and take a bus form there directly to the location).
Secondly, the beaches. The dutch love the sun, so much that the first sign of good weather, you will hear them talk about going to the beach, (or if not a picnic in the parks!) So there are a few beaches you will want to check out, some with djs (Bloomendal) and some just relaxing. You can take a train/bus out but then walk through the dunnes to get to the beach. Otherwise, just get your food together, some wine, and head to the local park!
Next, you will want to get onto the grachts (canals!). You can try the visitors boat, Lovers etc from Centraal station to get to see the city, but you can also hire a boat, with a sailor, or you can also hire a smaller boat to go around on yourself with a few people. Its a great way to check out the city. You will notice during the summer a lot of boats out and about! If you can't bring yourself to hire the boats out (there is a location near the Okura hotel), you can also hire the paddle boats from the single/keizer/ grachts.. But i don't honestly know of one person who ever has. Its usually just the tourists!
Day trips, whilst the weather gets better, check out the variety of cities outside to pop to for the afternoon, not just Den Haag, Utrecht or Rotterdam, but also Haarlem, Leiden, Hoorn and Enkhuizen to name a few more all within 1hours train ride. If you really want to get a bit more done, take the train to Den Helder and the ferry across to the island of Texel. Its an island close to the shore, that is a camping spot for the Dutch! The islands are well known, and you must get to at least one of them whilst you are here. There are five of them:
Terschelling is the most famous of them, but it is only accessible from taking a long trip around the IJ!
Just a few things to keep in mind, for whenever the spring will arrive!
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