Hello, my husband and I, in our 60s will be travelling to Amsterdam for the first time to visit the places my husbands parents were born. This is also our first time to Europe. The following is a starting itinerary. We will be travelling the last week of March 2026. Any comments or recommendations on choice of hotels or the itinerary would be greatly appreciated.
4 nights in Amsterdam, trying to chose between Barbizon Palace, Park Place Victoria or Bed and Breakfast Amsterdam a bit outside centre. Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, day trip to Zaanse Schans.
3 nights in Leeuarden, Oranje Hotel. train from Amsterdam to Leeuarden then renting a car? Visiting fatherinlaws birth place Paesen and doing other day trips.
2 nights in Hague, train from Leeuarden or keep rental car til maybe somewhere around Hoorn? Hotel des indes or any other suggestions, day trips to Gouda, Delft, maybe Rotterdam
2 nights in Utrect, Hunfeld Hotel, visiting motherinlaws birth place Beusichem.
Trying to decide whether to just stay in either Hague or Utrect but not both?
1 night Hyatt Amsterdam Airport
Posted by
Franklin, TN, USA
1008 posts
Went spring 2025 and it was delightful. Wish you could work in a trip to Keukenhof to see the tulips…..just amazingly beautiful and so well kept. We stayed in Leiden and loved the smaller town and slower pace. Amsterdam was wonderful……so enjoyed the Rijksmuseum. The 10 minute train ride into Amsterdam from Leiden was wonderful seeing the fields of flowers and countryside. You will have a great time!
Posted by
San Diego, California
6706 posts
If you have any flexibility, note that Easter is early April in 2026, and the weeks before and after will add more crowds, especially in Amsterdam.
Like Jane, I'd also encourage you to visit the tulips at Keukenhof- 7 million flower bulbs are magnificent. And Kinderdijk, outside Rotterdam, was also a highlight of our trip.
Enjoy!
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
1413 posts
If "Bed and Breakfast Amsterdam" means "Amsterdam Bed and Breakfast" Singel 383, then this is not outside the center by any means and is a very good location. For something out of the ordinary, take a look at Sweets, which is a dispersed hotel in disused bridge houses. https://sweetshotel.amsterdam
Why not just stay in the villages where your in-laws were born if that is the purpose of the trip?
Also, your itinerary has you bouncing around the country. I know it's a small country, but you can still put your destinations in a sensible order. It seems like the only times you would need the car are up near the coast (assuming Paesen is Paesens/Peazens) and in Beusichem. If you drop the car in Utrecht after visiting Beusichem, then your other destinations are all very reachable by train/bus.
Depending on the time of the return flight, I would consider staying one extra night in Hague. With only two nights there, you can't day trip to three places and see any of the city itself.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you everyone.
Jane, where did you stay in Leiden. We hope to see Keukenhof and the flowers, plan to be their March 19 - March 31 so will have to wait and see if they are in bloom then.
Pat, I did hear about it being busy at Easter time. Good Friday is April 3rd, so we plan to fly home by March 31st. We are farmers from Canada so we don't have a lot of flexibility. We considered the first week of July but from what I've read it would be just as busy then?
G3rryCee, the bed and breakfast is at 66 Sloterkade
Posted by
Franklin, TN, USA
1008 posts
Steenhof Suites in Leiden……and if you go to Brugge stay in Canal Deluxe B&B…..delightfully wonderful places!