We want to go to Holland and visit lots of the small towns beyond. Would you recommend one hotel in Amsterdam and day trips or going by barge or boat with a group. We do not want to visit Belgium and many trips do so. We also want a smallish group if we go with others? And we've also seen many through university programs. Thanks
Posted by
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
2180 posts
Welcome to the forum!
The Netherlands is a small country with good train and bus service, and virtually everyone speaks English, so if you stay in Amsterdam, it's not difficult to get to all the "small towns beyond" on day trips, especially if you stay relatively close to the central train station.
It would help if you shared a little about who you are, what is your travel experience and style of travel, how much time you have, and what are your interests. What are you hoping to see in those small towns? And what do you want to see in Amsterdam?
Posted by
Washington DC
29622 posts
One thing to be aware of is that regular Dutch train tickets have fairly high prices per mile, making day trips somewhat more costly than you might expect. However, when I was there last month, I sometimes saw discounts offered for specific departure times when I checked schedules in advance. I usually didn't plan far enough ahead (weather predictions being quite unreliable), so I had to pay the regular price.
The rail network is very dense, and distances are often very short, so day-tripping is a good option if you find an appealing lodging close to the train station. Depending on destination, trains may stop at additional local stations, not just at Amsterdam Centraal, There are some rather crowded streets around Amsterdam Centraal, so walking to the station may take longer than expected. I never managed to move as fast in Amsterdam as Google said I could, but that was partly due to stopping to take photos.