I have a wk in Amsterdam early Nov. Plan to go to Haarlem for an afternoon. Would like your recommendations for other attractive/interesting towns to visit within 1hr train ride from Ams. I prefer just to do some walking & looking. Love to know what you like about your recommendation. Thanks.
Posted by
Paradise
7063 posts
Zaanse Schans is very good. Train to Koog-Zaandijk, walk from there to and around the village.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
It's more than an hour by train, but Antwerp in Belgium might be worth a visit. It's not the cleanest city in Europe, but it has fun vibe and at least a few sites of interest.
But if you even consider visiting Flanders, I'd check out Bruge first!
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Try Utrecht, one of the most underrated cities in the Netherlands, about 45 minutes away by train from Amsterdam. Great canals, lovely old buildings. And they have a huge street market right outside the railway station, at the entrance to the old part of the city, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Right at the main market entrance is a giant licorce stand. Talk to the lady who runs it with her husband...she's from Wisconsin! Great canals, sunken down a level...much prettier than Amsterdam's, IMHO. Great shopping along there, too.
Posted by
Madison, Wi, USA
107 posts
Justa around the corner from the wax museum in Amst on Dam square is a travel shop. We booked a tour of the windmill area which also had a demo on making wooden shoes. We found this to be a fun trip.
We also spent a fun day just relaxing and walking Haarlem. You can take a canal cruise there as well.
Trains run back and forth Harrlem/Amst about every 15 minutes. Track#1.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
Our family enjoys the towns of Volendam and Edam. They're very cute villages that are fun to walk around in--very quaint. The main walking street in Volendam is along the water. Lots of shops and restaurants. We've also rented bikes and rode along the top of the dikes between the two towns. Went to a cheese factory--a bit touristy but great cheese. We've also taken a short boat ride from Volendam to Marken. However, I don't believe these towns are accessible by trains. Maybe you can catch a bus up there.
Posted by
Omaha, NE, US
53 posts
We enjoyed Delft. We went on a last minute whim and lucked out to be there on market day. The entire square in front of the church was full with stalls and we tasted some wonderful herring and sausages. The tourist info office has a brochure with a short descriptive walk around the old town. There are many shops selling authentic Delftware, which is expensive, but you can always window shop for free!
Posted by
Brangwin, Wa, USA
349 posts
One of my favorite spots in europe is the open air museum in Arnhem about an hour from Amsterdam (as i recall) there is also a world class art museum at the park ( I have lived and been to europe 25 times or more this place is really special to me ) there is a convient bus from station