Hello,
We'll be a family of 4 (kids 8/12) spending a few weeks in Utrecht as part of a 10 week trip through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France. We will have a long term rental car, though I had planned on using the train for 3-5 day trips into Amsterdam. I realize that will be the quickest and most efficient, but for 4 of us, the train cost adds up pretty fast.
As an alternative for some of the days, I'm wondering if anyone has experience using the P+R stations in Amsterdam? The P+R Arena is likely the most convenient location. Beyond the extra time and inconvenience of parking and getting on another mode of public transport, will I have trouble getting a parking spot on weekdays when there are regular commuters?
PS: I do realize it would be more convenient to stay in Amsterdam, or Haarlem, but we're doing some slow travel and have a lot of day trips planned from Utrecht, which is more central to the rest of the things we want to see. We aren't huge on big cities and want to be close enough to Amsterdam to go in as little or as often as we feel like it at the time. We're also purposely trying to stay a longer time in one location without moving accommodations...not to mention the much higher cost of places to stay in Amsterdam/Haarlem.
Thank You!