We are traveling to AMS in April and plan to stay for three night prior to heading on a river cruise. We would like to choose a home base that would allow us easy to travel to some of the smaller cities and towns by rail. Should we stay in Amsterdam or book a different more convenient location. We are thinking about traveling to Haarlem, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp,??? open to other suggestions. Thank you for your experience and thoughts. d
Posted by
Reston VA
330 posts
I wouldn't stay in the Netherlands if I was planning to visit Belgium - especially if just having three days in the area.
I would stay in Amsterdam and spend my three days exploring the city and making short trips around there since there are far more than three days worth of low hanging fruit in and around Amsterdam in April (unless you've already been to Amsterdam for a longer stay).
You can easily PACK those three days with Amsterdam-centric adventures.
Posted by
Jacksonville, Florida
3 posts
We were just in Amsterdam 2 days ago. My 4th visit. We trained in from Bruges and out to Frankfurt. The Centraal station has trains to everywhere.
The city center is crowded and noisy. The tram system is easy and dependable. Get a pass at the office across across from Centraal Station. I recommend staying in the Artis district. The restaurants are better too.
Ray Hays
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8430 posts
I agree with Tom R. Why would you not explore Amsterdam? It's an incredible and vibrant city and there is so much to see there.
If you do feel the need to get out of the city, there are plenty of opportunities for day trips to places like Den Haag, Leiden (one of my favorite towns), Delft and many more. Their train system is great, and you can easily use public transport to get just about anyplace.
Posted by
Northwest Arkansas
755 posts
First, decide where you want to go and what you want to see in your three days. What is a must for you in Amsterdam...canal cruise, museums, walking tour? Then what do you want to see in the smaller cities? Don't forget to consider what will you expect to see on the cruise.
Then, pick your base. As mentioned, the train system is extensive and you can stay almost anywhere. Personoally, I agree with three days in Amsterdam suggestions. And, for a day trip, Delft and The Hague make for an easy day out.
Posted by
UK
831 posts
Utrecht is a great base for the Netherlands. Easy train connections all over the country. Really lovely small city.
Posted by
132 posts
Hotels in Amsterdam tend to be expensive, especially compared to staying in other Dutch cities. I would recommend staying in Amsterdam only for the time that you will be exploring Amsterdam. As for which place to choose as a base, you have many options. I chose The Hague, at a hotel about a 7-minute walk from the main train station and it worked out perfectly for visits to Delft, Leiden, and Haarlem. I agree with others that while it's possible to stay in The Netherlands and take day trips to Belgium, you are much better off staying in Belgium if you want to visit those places rather than spending all of that time on trains.