I'm planning my first trip to The Netherlands with the help of my RS Amsterdam book and this wonderful forum.
I'm thinking of three nights in Delft and wonder if the Ibis Styles near the train station is inconvenient or too far from the town center?
(A clean budget hotel is fine for this part of the trip - it's after a splurge hotel. Ibis are certainly reliable for this.)
Thanks for any insights. Until you've been to a place, everything looks close on a map!
Have you tried using Google maps? You can use it to show you how far certain places are from each other. It will tell you for instance that it’s an 11 minute walk from the hotel to the market square in Delft. To me that’s a short walk, but to you that may be different.
But based on your previous topic about hotels in The Hague, I thought you also plan to stay in The Hague??? Delft and The Hague are only a 15 minute train ride away from each other. I wouldn’t go thru all the hassle of packing, unpacking and checking in and out only to move to a place 15 minutes away.
The train station in Delft is a 5-minute walk to the "downtown" area of Delft (such as it is). But that five minutes brings you into the heart of a wonderful place where you can immerse yourself in the town and its charm. I don't personally see any reason to stay closer to the train station. I stayed at the Hotel Grand Canal and found it very convenient. I arrived late at night and walked there easily with my luggage. Delft is a very quiet, safe city/town.
https://www.grandcanaldelft.nl/
Thanks for the words of experience. Google Maps are a great help but having been there and done that is much better!
Regarding the second hotel location for The Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam. I have enough days (6) to split up my hotel stay into two locations. Might be a more immersive experience...just considering the options :)
Thanks!
The Hague and Delft are only an 11 minute train ride away from each other. I wouldn’t go thru all the hassle of checking in and out only to move to a location 11 minutes away.
I know that RS has little love for the Netherlands beyond the densely populated western area of our country, but the north, east and southern parts of our country are also very interesting and very much worth a visit. So why not venture out a bit? To the lovely city Utrecht for instance, from where you can also visit the equally lovely Amersfoort. Amersfoort was recently crowned as the European City of the Year 2023
https://www.timeout.com/news/this-surprising-netherlands-city-was-just-crowned-european-city-of-the-year-111423
Another possibility would be to go to Zwolle and visit other Hanseatic cities like Kampen, Deventer and Zutphen from there.
Or for a completely different experience, go to the city of Maastricht, with its completely different and unique vibe.
Dutch Traveler. Thanks for the reply.
I must admit I was surprised to see a lack of enthusiasm in the RS Amsterdam Guide for areas much beyond Amsterdam and very popular tour destinations nearby.
I have over 2 weeks to enjoy the country. I decided, based on much of this forum, to take 6 nights in Amsterdam and divide the rest among The Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam. I enjoy staying in the area and getting to know it more than using towns as a home base and not being right there. That said, I am completely unfamiliar with the ease and speed of getting around in the Netherlands. So picking up sticks may be stupid! I also like to get out early and stay out later for photos in pretty light. Staying there helps with this.
The other locations you mentioned are greatly appreciated. I'll be researching them next. Other places on my list are Kinderdijk, the Kroeller-Muller Museum, Giethorn, and Kuekenhof Gardens. Clearly, I have some research and prioritizing ahead of me.
This is always easier after you've been to a place! I very much appreciate your suggestions and corrections!!
I must admit I was surprised to see a lack of enthusiasm in the RS Amsterdam Guide for areas much beyond Amsterdam and very popular tour destinations nearby.
Rick's books usually focus on the areas where his tours go. Many of us like to supplement his guides with other guidebooks, and also online research (YouTube).
I stayed at Hotel Grand Canal in Delft and liked it. Very close to the train station and everything is walkable in Delft. https://maps.app.goo.gl/XU588RTqi1TiMmcy7
