Where to stay in Holland

[snowman99]

We (family with two kids aged 6 and 4) are going to the Netherlands next Easter too see family south of Amsterdam, near Hilversum. But we hope to do a bunch of touristy things like Efteling, Amsterdam, Madurodam, Leiden/The Hague, tulips and probably some other stuff. I am struggling with where to stay though. We have a week and are driving over so we could break it up. Thought about a base near The Hague and then one a bit more north maybe. Youngest child is currently not great in the car.

Probably looking at AirBnb, £100 a night or so which doesn’t seem to get you an awful lot in Holland. I like peace and quiet as opposed to a city flat or Center Parcs but really not sure what part or parts of the country might be good to focus a search on.

I saw a monkey place in Apeldoorn recommended on here but that only widens my area..

[sunbeam alpine]

Haarlem is a nice city, west of Amsterdam and nicely close to Zandvoort

[junglie]

Alkmaar is nice and not far from Amsterdam.r

Noordwijk gives beach options.

Leeuwarden or Groningen further out, but nice places to be.

[MGJ2]

At first I thought 100 pound a night would not get you much. But then I found this:
https://www.airbnb.nl/rooms/553440631109690293?adu...

The house is located on a small holidaypark here: https://www.google.nl/maps/@52.2814846,4.5040402,1...

We have stayed at this park when our house was sold and our new house was not finished.

Hilversum is 50 minutes.
The Hague/Madurodam: 30 minutes
Amsterdam: drive to Hillegom station and take the train.
Efteling: 90 minutes.
Apeldoorn 80 minutes. (https://www.google.nl/maps/dir/52.2833158,4.5033107/Apenheul,+J.C.+Wilslaan,+Apeldoorn/@52.2006372,4.5767525,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c7c7f7850f4e03:0x60a9082c7f7ee450!2m2!1d5.9184079!2d52.2153836?entry=ttu)

Eastern is the last weekend in March so probably too early for tulips?

edit: feel free to ask more information

[airsafari87]

I can’t remember when it’s on? But the Vollenhove flower festival is well worth a visit.

The town itself is absolutely beautiful, they parade these huge floats through the town with sculptures made entirely from flowers during the day.
Then they loop back around again when it’s dark with everything lit up. It’s seriously impressive.

If you go without the kids, stay till then very end and ask some locals if you can go to ‘The Tent’ with them for some sheer Dutch madness.

ETA.
Just checked and it’s on in August so you will be there too early unfortunately.



If you want somewhere quiet to stay, take a look at Urk. It’s a small little coastal village, and again picture postcard pretty and approx 50 miles outside of Amsterdam.

Edited by airsafari87 on Saturday 26th August 18:05

[MGJ2]

airsafari87 said:

If you want somewhere quiet to stay, take a look at Urk. It’s a small little coastal village, and again picture postcard pretty and approx 50 miles outside of Amsterdam.

Seriously? Urk? You could stay there if you are a religious fanatic...

[airsafari87]

MGJ2 said:

Seriously? Urk? You could stay there if you are a religious fanatic...

I have no idea about the religion of the place tbh, I just know I visited there when I was working at DNW in Marknesse and it was a nice quiet coastal village.

[rdjohn]

We stayed in Leiden centre. It is very nice in its own right, but has a fast train service into Amsterdam and an easy drive south to Delft, or The Hague.