Amterdam, leiden or Haarlem as a base in Netherlands for 3 days

Hi there Raquel, there is quite a bit written already about choosing Haarlem or another town over Amsterdam, suggest you start here - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/netherlands/haarlem-f5e6a998-5745-426a-8a67-d87d9948a016

I loved Amsterdam, but it can get very crowded. For that matter, the crowds in Haarlem were also difficult to deal with. I loved Leiden, though - it's more of a "lived in" city and was beautiful and lovely to walk around in. And it did not have half the crowds of the other two places.

It's about 10 minutes further out (by train) from Amsterdam than Haarlem is, but honestly I think it would be worth it.

We've stayed in all three cities. Stan's favorite is Leiden; I like both Haarlem and Leiden. Leiden was the least crowded of the three, but remember it's a good sized place, itself. We spent about 4 or 5 days in Leiden 5 years ago, and are returning this year for about a week.

Any of these places lots to see, and transportation for day trips is a breeze.

I love Haarlem, but another great option is Zandvoort on the coast. It's 30 minutes nonstop to Amsterdam Centraal by frequent train. It's a beach town, and it was really lovely to return there after a crowded, busy day in Amsterdam. There are nice restaurants and beach bars set up out on the sand in the summer. Have dinner and then watch the sun set over the sea from a beach bar - spectacular! When we were there it seemed to cater mostly to Dutch families, so it had a very safe feeling for my friend and I as 2 older female travelers.

Also mid-50's, I'm in a very small minority that doesn't love Leiden. It did take until my third stay there for me to come to that conclusion. As a city in terms of buildings and geography it's fine; but it's absolutely swarming with university students when the university is in session, and nearly all amenities in the town really cater to them - I don't think I've ever been in a Dutch city where the general vibe has been more tolerated not welcomed out in the restaurants and bars.

I prefer Haarlem. I think it's a better looking city and more dominated by working professionals.

I also like Utrecht a lot, and am head over heels for charming charming little Amersfoort. Both of these places are pretty close to Amsterdam too.

I just returned & Haarlem would be my choice. You can purchase the 3 day regional Amsterdam Pass which covers trains, bus, trams from the North Sea beaches, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Schiphol from the white ticket machine near baggage belt#16. Amsterdam is nice but busy & touristy. Download two apps, NS train & 9292 for transportation help. I found them extremely accurate and helpful.

I am going to suggest alternate housing - Holiday Inn Express, Sloterdijk. We were essentially forced there because of few open bookings and expensive if open. The hotel is on booking.com and is located right next door to the main transportation hub of Sloterdijk Station. On the train route to/from Schiphol & Centraal, trains to south and west Netherlands, buses and trams into town - all a very short walk from hotel. Hotel is okay with good security, very good breakfast and excellent staff. Not much going on the area as it is commercial. For 3 nights/days, it is not worth spending a lot of time on transport. The Van Gogh and Rijks museums were massively crowded but that should ease somewhat as Vermeer is over next month. (Tram 19 to/from museums). Mauritshuis in Den Haag was not much crowded - the Pearl Girl & View of Delft will be back there. Delft is quick train trip from Den Haag. Tulips will be over. Crowds will not. (The Tap&Go for transport is operational and easy to use. Just remember that each person needs their own credit/debit acct - not shared with anyone else. And Tap in & Tap out.)

As a parable, let me point out that the TripAdvisor board for New York City frequently responds to people trying to save $100 a night on hotels, proposing to stay in a New Jersey Suburb. The most common advice is, "To see NYC, stay in NYC."

Now, it's true that most multi-day Amsterdam visitors want to take an unreserved, convenient, local train to one or more nearby cities, for a daytrip. And that's a real nice thing about the area. But you can't "see Amsterdam" in one day. You can tick the box, and tell people that you saw one museum and the Anne Frank house. But you didn't "see Amsterdam". It's a major city of the world.

Saving money is one thing. Hitting the ground running first thing in the morning is quite another. I am the first to say that Delft, Den Haag (3 nights for us), Leiden, Utrecht, and maybe Amersfoort are superb outings. I think Rick over-rates Haarlem. The fact that it's quieter than Amsterdam doesn't make it better, just different. If you stay in your cousin's Connecticut home for free to "see New York City", you were in a quiet place. But you weren't staying in NYC.

Amsterdam has its big-city ills. It's a good perspective for Americans who think that even the paradise of Austin, TX is a behavioral sink, with homelessness and broken bicycles chained to lamp-posts (... I mean, like Amsterdam) is reflected in other rich, successful countries. (I only mention Austin because I read about it in the New Yorker Magazine recently. I grew up in Manhattan.) BTW, I remember seeing the ... er ... red-light district barracks ... for Haarlem from the train. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean that it isn't there. It's not a paradise either.