one day in netherlands

I think it depends on where you are coming from and where your are going.

If you are working out of Amsterdam, I would do Utrecht.

If you are based closer to Rotterdam, Delft would make a nice day trip. Delft, the birth place of Vermeer, has markets on Thursdays and Saturdays that are fun to wander through and pick-up lunch. If you are there on another day there is a fish market at the corner of the market square that makes for a nice, quick, inexpensive lunch. After lunch you can visit the Royal Delft Factory and learn about Delftware - the factory itself is full of beautiful vase, tiles, and even a Delftware version of Nightwatch. If you are interested you can even paint a tile or vase yourself. I did this with my mom last week and it was a lot of fun. You can find out more information on their website. There are also two churches in town that you can visit with a very inexpensive combo ticket. The new church contains the crypt of the House of Orange (the royal Dutch family). If you are looking for a nice place out to eat my favorite restaurant in the town is Spijhuis de Dis, which is located on restaurant square just off the market square. I think Delft is wonderful example of a small Dutch town and is a nice relaxing treat after Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Either way I would go for a smaller Dutch town to see another side of the country.

We really enjoyed doing a day trip we did to Den Haag to see Madurodam. We spent the morning there, did a little bit of sight seeing in the City and then took the train to Deflt , had dinner there and walked around town.

It was a fantastic juxtaposition to busy Amsterdam.

I would also recommend The Hague as there is so much to see in a very small area - The Binnenhof (Parliament) and Hall of Knights, Mauritshuis Royal Cabinet of Paintings (a great little art museum with a wonderful collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings) and The Peace Palace.

Carol; you're in luck. If A'dam is your home base you can do Den Haag and Delft in an easy, relaxed day. Train A'dam to DHaag - 50 minutes (plan ahead and shoeleather/trams will cover the central city as well as Scheveningen) then off to Delft on the tram (20 minute ride from DHaag Centraal Station & 5 'strips' on your S'penkart). You won't get into the hidden corners of DHaag or Delft but certainly hit the high spots (research). You might have some time left over to do Haarlem on the way back to A'Dam. Haarlem old town square is 5 minutes from the train station and you can walk the old town in an hour or two including brief stops at the main attractions (research!!). Have fun.

We loved Haarlem and during our trip went back 3 times.

I back Laura's push for Utrecht...probably the most underrated destination in the Netherlands. Wonderful canals (much nicer than A'dam's) and great little restaurants and shops. If you do go to Den Haag (not a place to spend an entire day, IMHO), do see the Mauritshuis as has been mentioned. It's the home of Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring," one of the most fantastic portraits ever painted. Watch the movie before you go to get a feel for the time and place.

C'mon Norm, lived in Den Haag for over 2 years and was never bored on my day's off work. Then again, lived in Ottawa for 45 years; now there's a place I wouldn't want to spend a day in January ever again.

Just kidding of course and Utrecht is like a mini-Amsterdam without the grunge. Remember being surprised first time off the train there and walking through a shopping mall for what seemed like 1/2 a mile before exiting the station. The university was in session so lots of youngsters about the streets and cafes giving the city a very vibrant feel. You've got some great choices Carol.

Thanks for your suggestions. We had a car so took a drive to Delft, the Haag and then drove to the ocean for dinner. We had an extra day, which we took the train to Utrecht. We had a great time and your suggestions really helped!