I took a day trip to Utrecht when I visited the Netherlands during early July and was in awe of its beauty and lack of tourist crowds. It is about a 45 minute drive or a 30 minute train ride away from the heart of Amsterdam, and is worth a visit. The city is has a more youthful energy, as it is home to the University of Utrecht, and has many enticing shops and restaurants, beautiful architecture, and cobblestone streets in the old center. I had a wonderful time visiting, and wish I could have stayed longer! I hope this information is helpful to anyone planning their trip to the Netherlands.
Posted by
Chicago
2660 posts
Excellent!! Good to hear as it is on my list for my 2023 Belgium/Netherlands trip. Thanks!!
Posted by
SE US
2320 posts
Thanks for sharing this! I'm going to the Netherlands next month and have 1-2 days that I'm planning to day trip somewhere from Amsterdam but haven't decided where yet.
Posted by
WA State
3961 posts
Thank you Maddie for your positive review. Yes, very helpful! Love the vibe of University towns.
Sounds like a wonderful extension to a future return to the Netherlands! ;)
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
3813 posts
We’ve been to The Netherlands 2x for a total of 16 nights and still didn’t make it there. Made it to Delft, Edam, Volendam, Haarlem, and Markam. So much to see there, love it. If anyone is going soon, don’t miss the hidden churches, especially Our Lord in the Attic, in Amsterdam.
Posted by
UK
501 posts
I will also add that the same is true of Leiden. I stopped there randomly en route from Amsterdam to The Hague by train, popped my suitcase in a locker at the station and wandered into town. Gorgeous old buildings - and also a university town, so that lovely buzz. I liked it more than Delft & Haarlem because of the sense of local life being lived that you get from a university town.
I didn’t make Utrecht this time but it’s absolutely top of my list for next time.
Posted by
19 posts
We are staying in Utrecht 12 days leaving September 3. We wanted a slower more relaxed pace. We do love Amsterdam but wanted fewer tourist and crowds. Utrecht has a major train station. We can easily and quickly travel to The Haag then on to the world famous Louwman's car museum. We have a wonderful 5 star Airbnb in Utrecht. We are really excited about our trip.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1275 posts
Im glad you enjoyed your visit to Utrecht. It is indeed a very lovely historical university city. The same is true for Leiden, Delft, Maastricht and Groningen. All are beautiful historical cities and all are home to a university giving it a lively atmosphere.
Due to its central location, Utrecht is an ideal base for various day trips. Lots of nice cities can easily be reached by train from Utrecht.
Posted by
35 posts
This is great to know. Do you have any suggestions for places to sleep and/or eat there?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32683 posts
On a driving visit we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express with a free underground carpark. There is a small watercourse around and through the property and when we were there we enjoyed watching the duck family with miniature quackers and a goose family who carefully tended their brood of gooselets. A very convenient location and good (pre-covid) breakfast. Utrecht is a really good town.