Just returned after a 10 day trip to the Netherlands. Just offering some comments about our trip.
We stayed in Haarlem instead of Amsterdam because of expense of hotels in Amsterdam. Suggestions from several posts recommended the BoutiqueHotel Staats in Haarlem. It was great!! Nice room; delicious breakfast and they also started offering dinner our last evening there- they hire trained chefs and that made everything so much better. Easy access to train back into Amsterdam. Trams outside the train station can take you near any attraction you want. Toured the Royal Palace- we really liked that. Ate at a small cafe on Dams Square. Visited Rijksmuseum and had a nice lunch in their cafe- only drawback was the museum was very crowded with too many people taking selfies or pictures of every painting there!! VanGogh museum was also great. We did not go to the Anne Frank House but heard it was very moving. Thought I had purchased tickets to a boat tour with Captain Jack but instead it was with Flagship. Sadly a bad thunderstorm came up just as we were getting ready to start. Despite the lightning, the crew was insisting we would be safe, but we got off and received a full refund.
On Saturday we stayed in the town of Haarlem- they have a huge market and we enjoyed looking at everything going on. My husband found a beautiful messenger bag from a vendor selling good leather products. Ate at the Volkslust cafe on the canal- great suggestion. Also found the Jopen brewery/restaurant- great beer selections and tasty food but very popular with the younger crowd so was a bit crazy to even get outdoor seating. Visited the Corrie Ten Boom house- very humbling to learn the sacrifices made by this family during WWII. Also toured the Frans Halsmuseum.
Last day in Amsterdam we toured the Verzetmuseum (Dutch Resistance museum)- learned so much about what took place during WWII. Also toured Our Lord in the Attic- impressive what people did to be able to practice their faith. And found another boat cruise that was pretty nice with a nice staff and was cheaper than Flagship to boot!
Took the train into Delft for 2 nights and stayed at Hotel Grand Canal. It was okay but in the midst of major renovations so lots of noise and mess. But staff was very nice and helpful. Toured the Vemeer Centrum museum. Took the train into the Hague and toured the Mauritshuis Museum and the Escher Museum. Couldn't tour the Peace Palace as trials were ongoing.
Next traveled to Utrecht for our final three days. Stayed at the Hampton Inn inside the huge shopping mall and appreciated the location even though the hotel was pretty busy. Train service was somewhat compromised by a rail strike- some areas were unaccessible but luckily we didn't have any issues. Did the Dom Tower climb- I huffed and puffed but managed the climb. Also visited the church associated with the tower. Lots of construction taking place on the tower. We traveled to Castle de Haar- very interesting place. Ate in their cafe and had a nice lunch. Spent last day just traveling around the square. Found a cheese shop that had so many fresh delicious cheeses and chocolates. Bought some to bring back to the states- the cheese tasted so much better than what we get here, at least in Florida. Also did another boat tour- lots of stories about the cafes and residences along the canals. There are so many eating options- most places had english option menus or the staff would help with translations.
We had pretty much no trouble getting around wherever we went. Apple map app worked pretty well.
Sorry for the lengthy post but if it helps just one traveler it was worth it.