Italy–Slovenia–France–Netherlands Itinerary, April–May 2026 – Final Feedback Please

I'm conservative about positioning myself for critical transportation legs (transatlantic flights, cruises, etc.), so I'd want to be back in Paris the day before the scheduled cruise departure. (You may already be planning to do that.)

My willingness to visit Amsterdam from a hotel in a different city would depend on how intense an Amsterdam sightseeing schedule I had (would you anticipate traveling there four times and spending long days there?) and how much I was saving in lodging costs. I suggest taking a look on booking.com to see what you'd be paying for a well-located place that seems acceptable in Amsterdam, then comparing it to your best options elsewhere. I acknowledge that it can be tricky to figure what is a good hotel location in Amsterdam, because the top sights are somewhat scattered. For example, the Anne Frank House isn't close to the other Jewish-history sights and the Resistance Museum, and the major art museums are in a third area.

Haarlem is an attractive option. (I haven't been to Zaandam.) However, the 18-minute travel time from Haarlem to Amsterdam Centraal doesn't include the time required to walk from a hotel in Haarlem to the train station or the time to navigate (on foot or otherwise) from Amsterdam Centraal to your first sightseeing stop and then repeat the process at the end of the day. Round-trip rail fare is about 9 euros per person.

acraven, thank you- that;s why this helps so much.
I've change to arrive in Paris two days before the cruise now and I hear what you are saying about Amsterdam. I will research on booking.com to see what I can find in Amsterdam. Reavelling to Haarlem toi A'dam now seems like an exhausting way to end our trip .

Consider the Nadia Hotel in Amsterdam, it is close to the Anne Frank house and in a great location.
We stayed a week for $1,000 three years ago.

I've commented on your other thread regarding Piran itself (which is a place I do like myself) - I'll just add than when you're checking the transport options between Venice and Portoroz/Piran, do consider actually stopping in Trieste if it makes sense, since the bus goes there anyway, and it's a rather underrated destination.

What are your exact dates? When do you plan to be in Amsterdam for instance? I ask because, in addition to the tulip blooming, there are some holidays in the Netherlands in April and May which can have an impact on hotel rates, availability and crowds. The above mentioned hotel Nadia for instance would cost you $220 per night if you want to stay there at the end of April/early May.

Thanks Geo, Snoozy and Dutch! I have emailed the Hotel Nadia to see what they can offer. We will be there from the 13th - 17th May next year.

Thursday May 14, 2026 is Ascension Day, an official holiday in the Netherlands and surrounding countries. Many people will also take Friday off from work, so they will have a long weekend. This means it will be busy in Amsterdam and surroundings and hotel prices will reflect that. The Nadia hotel for instance charges $235 per night for your dates.
It would help if you state your budget in Euros, so that people can give you specific recommendations. For those recommending hotels in Amsterdam, it’s good to know that from Jan 1, 2026 VAT on hotel tax will increase from 6% to 21%. In addition to that hotel rates have increased sharply in recent years. So the rate you paid for a certain hotel a couple of years ago, is no longer there unfortunately.

You don’t have to worry about closures due to Ascension Day by the way. In the Netherlands, everything from museums and shops to restaurants and cafes will be open and public transport will be running. It’s just schools and offices etc that are closed.

Hi Dutch, how did you find that price? The best I can see at Hotel Nadia $325/night. I would be mor e than happy to book no with the price you found.
Thanks for the heads up about the public holiday too!

Hi again Dutch, Hotel Nadai just replied to my email with $246/night! Amazing for the heart of Amstrerdam. I'm going to lock that in! Thank you!