after careful planning of my trip to holland, i seem to have overlooked the fact that i will be there over easter (i dont really celebrate easter so it wasnt even really on my "holiday" radar).
Anybody have experience in amsterdam at this time of year? I pretty much figured Sunday was going to be a light day due to the fact its Sunday, but are there going to be excessive crowds, parades, etc?
I have 7 full days in Amsterdam with day trips to Harleem and either Edam or Delft/Hauge. Any advice on good biking excursions from amsterdam are appreciated too! I planned on biking in Edam (if possible?) and maybe take the ferry across the Ij do some biking over there (forgot name of city, but is in Ricks guide).
Posted by
Delft, Netherlands
242 posts
Know that Easter Monday is a national holiday as well - transportation will run a holiday schedule.
My favorite bike trips:
1) Haarlem to Leiden (38 km, flat, easy) - You will go past windmills (3-4), past the tulips fields (and Daffodil & Crocus fields), and can stop about halfway at Keukenhof Gardens. You can also start earlier in the morning and do this backwards to end up in Haarlem in the afternoon to site see there. I would avoid Keukenhof during Easter weekend. You can also add about 4 km to the end of the ride and ride out to Noordijk and the North Sea.
2) Gouda to Kinderdijk Loop (61 km, flat, easy) You will pass by farms selling cheese and other dairy products, tons of canals, through small villages, past 37+ windmills, by Kinddijk (one of the prettiest views in the Netherlands), take the pedestrian ferries across rivers. It is a long ride, but very easy. The diversity of windmills you see along this route is pretty amazing. The landscapes look like they came right out of a Golden Age masterpiece painting.
3) Texel Island Loop (29+/- km, moderate due to some hills and wind on the dikes and dunes). This is a beautiful ride that starts at the Texel harbor and loops its way through the island. You go past beautiful pasture lands and unique sheep houses, ride on dikes, through small villages, if is a Saturday you can stop at the Texel Brewery, visit a seal and bird rehabilitation center, and much more. I really like this ride because you get to see the beautiful dunes. This ride can be made longer by extending the loop.
If you are going to visit Delft and the Hague, the ride between the two is easy and along a canal. It takes just under an hour and is nice because then you have a bike to explore both cities.
If you have any more questions about the specifics of these rides let me know. I can also point you in the direction of pictures taken along the routes.
Posted by
OP
Lake Stevens, WA
26 posts
Laura, thanks again for the awesome advice!
If they rent bikes in Leiden, then i will do your route backwards. If i cant rent or return a bike there, then i'll just start from Haarlem, go halfway to Keukenhof Gardens, picnic, and return to haarlem.
starting to get excited, leave a week from tomorrow!
Posted by
Delft, Netherlands
242 posts
You can rent bicycles in Leiden, but remember you will have to take it back to Leiden. It might be easier to rent the bike in Amsterdam (or Haarlem), buy a bicycle day pass (6 euros), and and take the bike on the train to Leiden. When you are finished in Haarlem you can take the bike back to Amsterdam on the same day pass.
Just for information:
Leiden Bike Rental - in the train station (071 512 0068)
Haarlem Bike Rental - in the train station (023 531 7066)