Hello Forum! We will be visiting the Netherlands for the first time this June. I would love to know what you think of the following itinerary. We will be travelling with 2 adults and 2 girls, ages 13 and 15. The itinerary is currently as follows:
Saturday, June 13- Arrive at AMS after overnight flight, pick up car rental and drive to Groesbeek.
Sunday, June 14- Visit the National Liberation Museum to learn about Operation Market Garden, then drive to Hannover, Germany.
Monday, June 15- Friday June 19- Spend week at business convention.
Afternoon of June 19- Drive to Efteling.
Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21- Visit Efteling amusement park.
Monday, June 22- Drive to Delft to tour 1 or more factories, visit old town, drive to AMS to return car. Bus to Haarlem hotel.
Tuesday, June 23- Minimum sights: Flower Auction, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum.
Wednesday, June 24- Minimum sights: Van Gogh Museum, Canal Tour.
Thursday, June 25- Zaanse Schans and Corrie Ten Boom House.
Friday, June 26- Alkmaar Cheese Market and Town.
Saturday, June 27- Fly home.
Is this reasonable? Thoughts?
Thank you!!
Posted by
Washington DC
28062 posts
I hope you hear soon from folks who've been to Amsterdam very recently, because I know some of your sights require tickets purchased in advance. I'm not certain, but I believe that list includes the Anne Frank House (definitely; it sells out well in advance), the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and perhaps the Corrie Ten Boom House.
I recommend the Resistance Museum in Amsterdam if you can find time for it.
Posted by
North Carolina
2492 posts
There is an hourly train from Amsterdam to Groesbeek - it’s really not a good idea to drive a car right after getting off an overnight flight across time zones.
Posted by
11569 posts
Try to visit beautiful Leiden in conjunction with Delft.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank you everyone for your advice!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14723 posts
I'll just add that the Rijksmuseum has an excellent app to tour the museum. You can also purchase your tickets thru the app and they are then downloaded onto the app for admission. (And I am NOT technologically inclined, lol!!) The tickets for this museum are not for a specific entry time, they are good for a year or something like that but you avoid the ticket line in the museum. The thing I liked best about this app was the "locator" function - yes, I got lost and the app showed me how to get from here to there. Very useful, lol. Great free wifi in this museum.
You do need Van Gogh timed entry tickets ahead of time and last spring when I went the museum did not have it's own app and the others had poor reviews.
I agree to go to the Resistance Museum if you can work it in. It is SO interesting!
We did a Delft workshop tour on a Rick Steves tour and this was not as interesting as I wanted it to be. The workshop we saw was a few doors down from the Delft Tourist Information office. The TI had a gift shop as well and had some interesting stuff in there.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
A few practical points:
1. The only museums for which you have to reserve a time slot are the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum.
2. Groesbeek has no railway station. The nearest is Nijmegen with a half-hourly direct train connection with Schiphol airport (and in between a connection which involves a change). Nijmegen has a Hertz car rental.
... and a question:
3. Do you really plan to spend two days at the Efteling?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
I'm not sure about the two days at Efteling. I was not sure how much time would be needed at that time of year to see the whole park and the shows. Do you think one day is sufficient?
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
One day would be sufficient.
And where are you planning your accommodation for visiting the Efteling? You could try Dordrecht, some 50 km away. Nice city with a lot to explore and also a good base for the windmill complex of Kinderdijk, which is only 20 km away.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
That is very helpful, thank you! I think we are currently planning to stay in one of the park owned hotels. If we only need a day for Efteling maybe we can also include the windmills.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
You can do better than a hotel in (or near) the park. Not very exciting.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
St. Louis , MO
228 posts
P[ease go to this website for Corrie ten Boom museum.
corrietenboom.com
Reservation required at least ! 5 days prior to your desired tour date .