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Help with Den Bosch and Amsterdam Day trip logistics

Posted by (New Orleans) on

I am running into some difficulty getting Den Bosch and Kroller Museum/Veluwe Park into my itinerary. I was convinced I was going to spend three nights in Den Bosch, but that means I can't go to Belgium, so thinking about potentially changing to some day trips from either Amsterdam or Leiden (I will be staying in both).

I think I can get a full, fun long day in Den Bosch from Leiden, and a full long day to Kroller Museum from Amsterdam. But I feel I am going all over the place. Any thoughts on this:

Day 1 - arrive Amsterdam 9:30 - sleep in Amsterdam
Days 2-3 Amsterdam - sleep in Amsterdam
Day 4 - Day trip to Kroller Museum and park (not interested in open air museum - I've see a ton of them) sleep in Amsterdam
Day 5 - Move to Leiden and explore (sleep in Leiden)
Day 6 - tulip day (sleep in Leiden)
Day 7 - Den Hague and Delft (sleep in Leiden)
Day 8 Kings Day in Leiden (and potentially will check out Harlem for Kings Day too). sleep in Leiden
Day 9 Den Bosch (sleep in Leiden)
Day 10 - move to Belgium for 4 nights

My other alternative is to skip Belgium all together and stay an extra night in Leiden so I can take a day trip to the windmills in Kinderjiik, and then spend two more nights in Bosch, then get back up to Amsterdam for a flight. I will miss Belgium. I would need to find places that are different enough from the Netherlands (I don't need only canals, cute buildings, etc) to make Belgium "worthwhile." Brugges seems to be the most different but I have my reservations based on the tourist mob. I'll watch for the cruise ship arrivals to help me figure that out. Leuven is intriguing as well for a day.

If I go with option 1, I will see a working windmill in Leiden - I know it's not the same but best I can do.

Any thoughts on my logistics? I have not bought plane tickets yet, but want to this week. I haven't been able to buy them since I don't know if I depart from Amsterdam or Brussels.

Thank you.

Posted by
1613 posts

This itinerary could work, if these are indeed the places you wish to see. You can use the travel planner of the Dutch national railway company to check out train schedules and to plan public transport. The planner will also show busses, for instance if you want to visit the Kröller-Müller museum.
See here; https://www.ns.nl/en

With regards to the Belgian part of your itinerary; there is much more to Belgium than Bruges. In fact it’s not in my top 5 of cities in Belgium. In no particular order my favorite Belgian cities are Antwerp, Leuven, Mechelen, Gent and Brussel. All great cities with lots to see and do.

Also, and please understand I’m not trying to be pedantic, please do mind the spelling of the cities and sights you wish to visit. Spelling errors can potentially lead to all kinds of troubles.
It’s Kinderdijk, Kröller-Müller museum, Den Haag (or The Hague in English), Brugge (or Bruges in English) and Haarlem.

Posted by
173 posts

Thank you. I actually want to see a lot more in The Netherlands - Zwolle and National Park De Biesbosch are two of them. But I feel everywhere I want to see is all over the map, and I have to figure out train logistics as well.

I 1000% know that Brugge is not the only place in Belgium. I was there 35 years ago when it was pleasant to visit. My husband wants to go though, and I am trying to talk him out of it, but don't know if that's fair. I would rather go to Namur, Dinant, and Mons - but I feel a car might be better for those areas. If I am reading things right, Brugge is the new Venice as far as the number of people who are there these days. In Venice, I know I can get away from St. Marks Plaza, but not sure if Brugge is the same.

I could do 14 days in The Netherlands, and could find a ton to do because I like depth. I am very torn.

Sorry about the spelling. I knew better about Haarlem.

Posted by
335 posts

If there’s nothing necessarily pulling you to Belgium, I might skip it this trip and put your time back into the Netherlands. Add a day or two to Leiden and/or expand your day trips to overnights in either Den Bosch or the Hoge Veluwe.

Posted by
67 posts

Bruges is crowded in July and August. In the other months it's less crowded. In some months like November it's not crowded at all, especially if you avoid the weekends. I've been a few times to Venice and the crowds are not comparable at all 😉.

If you go to Belgium. Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Mechelen, Leuven & Antwerp are your best picks. I wouldn't go to Mons or Dinant. They're both quite small and harder to get to. Namur is ok for a day but you can't compare it with the other cities in my opinion.

Btw, Zaanse schans (close to Amsterdam), is beautiful in tulip season.

Posted by
11606 posts

Save Belgium for another trip.
I would arrange your trip to visit Kinderdijk! We loved our day walking among the 19 windmills in their original locations. We took train from Leiden to Rotterdam, then took a tram to the waterfront and a riverboat to Kinderdijk, a very special day.

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