There are some decent deals on airfare from where I live to Amsterdam in May. We would fly into Amsterdam and make a loop through Belgium and part of Germany. From what I can see May would have pretty decent weather. Probably have to wear jackets part of the time but looks pretty good. Plus I hear the tulips in the Amsterdam area are spectacular that time of year.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33817 posts
If you want to see tulips and other bulbs at Keukenhof you need to be there in early May at the latest. They are best in the 3rd week of April give or take depending on weather.
If they open this year the last day will be 15 May.
Posted by
OP
40 posts
Thanks Nigel. Right now we are looking at May 4th - May 18th. So we should plan to do the tulips first thing. Looks like temps should be in the 60's Fahrenheit?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33817 posts
never know about heat or cold - or especially wind and rain - in the Netherlands. I make no guarantees
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7882 posts
Keukenhof replants/re-stages many plant beds, as necessary, throughout the number of weeks they are open. Don't worry about it being a disappointment unless weather is unusual or extreme during the season. Commercial bulb fields (which some travelers look forward to seeing) are a different matter, being planted for production and not for spectators.
Hope you can fly home from Germany. Did you price a "Multi-city" ticket as well as RT Amsterdam? Of course you have to consider unknown Covid-19 rules of the future with three countries on one trip.
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2084 posts
Mai is with an average temperature of just under 20°C ususally a good month for visiting the Netherlands, but nights can be still a bit cold. Rain is always possible so look for things to do indoors too.
Posted by
OP
40 posts
Tim, we are planning round trip out of Amsterdam because it is non-stop both ways. I avoid layovers whenever possible. I could look into flying out of Germany though since it would enable us to spend more time there.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
7975 posts
I was there from mid-May to the end of the month several years ago and overall, the weather was beautiful. I missed Kuekenhof by a couple of days but there was so much else to see in Amsterdam and the the surrounding areas that I really didn't feel any loss.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7882 posts
If you can save some Netherlands stops for the long trip back from Germany, maybe it doesn't matter that you have to return to Amsterdam?
Since we get to leave from the East Coast US, I can understand the attraction of a direct flight. I would only comment that we have had great success getting to where we actually want to be, at zero or only miniscule cost, using two-segment flights. For example, the year we drove across the Netherlands (started at a flower show in Venlo that year, returned car at the edge of Amsterdam and stayed until trip home in Amsterdam), we flew to Cologne, Germany for the first three nights. We like Lufthansa, and their code-shares with United (EWR is a United Hub), and were in Cologne by noon or 1 PM, after changing in a Lufthansa Hub. Since we can't get "into" a hotel at 8AM anyway, we don't find a 1PM arrival a disappointment.
Sometimes, especially with award miles, two-segment flights can cost a lot less, if they happen to suit your needs.
I don't remember a punishing drop-off fee for the car, which would be unusual. I am NOT suggesting that you need a car to visit the Netherlands. It just suited our needs, with the big Floriade show, and visiting places like Monschau, Germany. There are vast numbers of superb daytrips from Amsterdam by train. It is unfortunately difficult to combine the Aalsmeer Flower Auction AND Keukenhof in the same day by public transportation. We used the car, before going on to Amsterdam (which we had visited before) for that double-header.