Time for some fun - critique my Holland itinerary
I thought I'd let the experts have a say at my proposed itinerary. I am traveling with my wife and 2 children, ages 3 and 2.
Day 1: Arrive at Arnhem by car on 19 April from Germany around 10:00. Visit Open Air Museum and/or Zoo (worth it?), depending on weather. Stop at Utrecht, canal tour if feasible, have dinner. (Any restaurant recommendations?) Arrive Scheveningen, check in hotel/apartment.
Day 2: Drive to Lisse by 10:00. Tour Keukenhof. Come back to Scheveningen, visit area, maybe see Madurodam ( a little perturbed that 3 year old isn't free, but over 10 euros. Worth it?). Buy groceries, eat dinner in hotel/apartment.
Day 3: Drive up coast to Haarlem, sightsee, and then to Amsterdam by noon. (where to park?) Visit Anne Frank House, tour Red Light Area. Would like to see Van Gogh Museum, but is it possible with strollers? Arrive hotel/apartment around 19:00.
Day 4: Depart. See either Gouda (is there really the best Gouda to purchase there?) or Delft before heading back to Germany. (Lunch recommendation?)
Nothing is set in stone except the dates and the hotel. I'm pretty flexible so any suggestions are welcome.
James
Ansbach, Bayern Germany 3/21/10
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It's fun to read your itinerary. I haven't been to all of the places you listed but here are my thoughts:
On Day 3 did you consider staying in Haarlem and taking the train to Amsterdam? It might be easier to park in Haarlem and it's a nice city with a great square that the children could enjoy playing in.
As far as the Van Gogh Museum, it has a great website with info on accessibility, parking, etc. It has wide walkways and I think that you could easily wheel strollers. Not so sure about the Anne Frank House...
Enjoy your trip--glad that you're making the best of your time in Europe. Hope the tulips are in bloom!
You want to bring your little kids to the Red Light District .... why ? I am a little confused !!
As for your itinerary - Gouda was quaint and charming, but very small. I also recall having to take a little ferry or two to cross a couple of canals to get there ... the whole trip took longer than expected. Not a big problem, but I wouldn't do it again. Your children might like a 2 minute ride on a ferry boat, though. I can't help with a cheese question, as I don't eat it. I do remember several cheese shops there, however, and a good ice cream store.
Delft is larger and was much more interesting to me. If you go there, find the restaurant "Billy Beer" on Beestenmarkt. It's perfect for a family with young children ..... kind of casual, rough, American old-West style .... wood floors and tables, not too fancy, but with really good food. Some of the best French Fries I have ever eaten in Europe. Their theme is a bear ... again - the children will like it ... it was on a corner, and very easy to find ... right near the main square and cathedral. You can see their website @ billy@beren.nl to give you an idea.
The Red Light District is more to say walking around having a gander at whatever sites are in the Amsterdam area. I admit, seeing coffeeshops/prostitute scene is probably more dad's idea...
And I'm staying for 3 nights in Scheveningen because it's easier to manage with a car, and I find the prices in Holland are certainly not "nether" Germany. (Found a great deal near the Hague.)
I saw a number of families walking around the Red Light District. People actually live there. Children of those ages would have no idea what's going on and it will not scar them for life! As far as going into a Coffee Shop with them, now that would be a very bad idea!!! They probably would not be allowed in anyway.
Have a wonderful trip ! The flowers should be beautiful ... Holland is one of my very favorite places in the world ... i'm so jealous !
One more thing: bring warm clothes, and layer them. The weather in Holland is perhaps more changeable than in Germany. A day can be sunny and warm one minute, then turn cloudy & cold the next. There is often a cold wind blowing in from the sea, which can make you uncomfortably cold very quickly. I was last there in May, and had days that were so hot and sunny that i got sunburned, to days that i needed 2 sweatshirts and a jacket and was still freezing cold !!
The Van Gough museum is perfect with strollers. It's a modern building with no stairs. The entire exhibits is on a one-way circuit, you start st the top and take the winding ramp past the paintings down to the bottom.
Also, in the RLD there is actually a large preschool right in the middle of it. There are "windows" on either side of the building:)
I would go to Delft instead of Gouda. There are two beautiful churches there and the square is magnificent. And of course, you've got to buy some Delft porcelain to take home. Ask someone where the small factory is that makes the less expensive Delftware. It's very nice and you can watch the craftsmen (and women) at work. Terry