Thanks everybody. Revised the plan with your help. Be grateful for any advice.
We would like some museums, then soaking up the culture/sights and relaxing a bit.
Flying into AMS beginning July 3 nights Haarlem, then 4 nights Delft and fly Rotterdam to London (was afraid transfer timing and passport control for Eurostar)
Take 300 bus (do I have to buy tickets or can tap credit card?) or taxi (what is expected fare?) to Haarlem from Airport. Booked Brasss Hotel Suites.
See some sights in Amsterdam - Van Gogh, Anne Frank or Dutch Resistance Museum and walk around town. Walk around Haarlem and relax. Recommendations for restaurants, other sights? Good place for Indonesian food?
Train to Delft. Booked Arsenaal Hotel. Will catch Market day there. Recommendations for day trips? Plan 2 days Delft and then maybe Haag? Houda? Dordrecht and windmills? Restaurants?
Also I've seen discussions on buying train tickets vs just tapping in with credit card. Register with OV pay? I can use for going to Delft and around Delft also?
Posted by
759 posts
We just spent our last day of a 3 week Belgium and Netherlands adventure in Haarlem on a beautiful spring day. We enjoyed a wonderful alfresco (what is the Dutch equivalent word?) lunch at Metzo on a charming side street (not on the main square).
We also visited Kinderdijk from Delft. Gorgeous scenic day amongst the windmills. Took the train from Ddlft to Rotterdam, then the tram to the port, then the water bus. Look up the summer schedule for the water bus as it seems to only run hourly or less so if you miss it coming or going you have a long wait for the next one.
We just tapped in/out with our credit card (everyone needs their own) Ams>Haarlem and Delft>Rotterdam. Super convenient.
Posted by
Sweden
6856 posts
was afraid transfer timing and passport control for Eurostar
What are you afraid of?
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2610 posts
Remember you will need to purchase advance time specific entry tickets for both Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank House. They must be bought online directly from the venues and you cannot get them through a third party vendor, no matter what you read online. The Van Gogh tickets can be purchased now - and you should do that as it looks like midday time slots are already almost full for your date range. For Anne Frank House they release tickets every Tuesday at 10am CEST (Amsterdam time) for the six weeks following. So for early July tickets you will need to purchase tickets in just a few weeks. And you should get them the Tuesday your date is available - it is possible to sell out in one day. Search this forum for tips how to buy, you may need to get up pretty early to buy.
Posted by
OP
15 posts
Going from Delft to Rotterdam airport to London turned out to be more convenient timing than train.
Posted by
75 posts
You can tap in using a credit card on the 300 bus: https://www.ovpay.nl/en/frequently-asked-questions#how-to-travel-using-my-debit-or-credit-card. Do note each person needs to have their own card. Alternatively, you can still buy tickets on the bus when you only have one (Mastercard or Avis) card between the persons in your group. Get off at the Verwulft stop in Haarlem and walk to your Brass hotel.
A taxi will be around 60-70 euros. That is what I have recently been paying in the evenings (living couple of blocks from your hotel). Price can increase due to being stuck in rush hour traffic with the bus having a dedicated bus lane bypassing traffic jams.
Posted by
75 posts
Do suggest to read though these threads as it discusses the use of credit cards in combination with Apple/Google Pay: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/netherlands/paying-for-amsterdam-public-transit and https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/bus-from-schipol-airport-to-haarlem.
You can use a credit card and Apple/Google Pay linked to that same credit card. So you tap in with your phone using Google/Apple Pay and and you can tap in for another with the actual plastic credit card (Dutch_traveler's credit, not mine, so credit where is credit due).
Posted by
Australia
1071 posts
We stayed four nights at Brasss Hotel Suites a few years ago and loved it.
In Haarlem, we had good meals at De Lachende Javaan (Indonesian) and Ratatouille (French, 1 Michelin star, pricy but food was amazing).