It’s almost impossible to find anywhere in Europe as easy-going and fun for families as The Netherlands.
It’s also one of the prettiest and most historic countries in the world and small enough to explore a lot, even on a short holiday.
Base a break in Amsterdam and there are dozens of other fascinating cities nearby, you can cycle round tulip fields and along kilometre after kilometre of canal and hundreds of festivals are made for families, all year round.
Opt for Rotterdam and wonderful North Sea beaches are half-an-hour’s drive from the city. Eindhoven’s very cool for design-conscious teens. And places to stay are just as wide ranging and interesting, whether you’re looking for a family hotel, an eco-beach house or a houseboat.
Direct, low cost flights to Amsterdam from the UK take just over an hour, all year round.
Over 90% of Dutch people speak English fluently.
The Netherland’s coastline is over 290km long and known for sandy beaches and the dramatic dunes at Texel National Park.
Amsterdam hosts dozens of children’s events every year including the King’s Day kids’ market, KinderBevrijdings in May and the arrival of Sinterklaas at Chrismas.
From May to September theatre, music, kids’ shows, cabaret and comedy is free to enjoy, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark.
Rotterdam is under an hour by train from Amsterdam, Delft is 40 minutes away and both Utrecht and Haarlem are under half-an-hour from the Dutch capital.
The Netherlands has 20 National Parks including traffic-free Schiermonnikoog, one of the country’s Frisian Islands, famous for beautiful beaches and rare seabirds.
The Dutch capital lives up to everyone’s expectations. It’s enchantingly pretty and good fun, very friendly, easy to get around and almost all major attractions are in the centre or very close. One of the best cities in Europe for a short break, Amsterdam works just as well for longer holidays and as a base for exploring a bit more of The Netherlands.
Rotterdam’s a stunning modern city, home to some of Europe’s greatest contemporary architecture and less than half an hour from The Netherland’s wonderful North Sea beaches.
Design capital and one of the oldest cities in The Netherlands, Eindhoven’s great for older kids and teenagers. It’s famous for festivals, fantastic museums, shopping and cycling.
Famous for blue tiles and Vermeer, Delft’s one of the prettiest towns in Europe. It’s also less than an hour from the centre of Amsterdam.
Just 20 minutes south of Amsterdam, Utrecht is the birthplace of Miffy and one of The Netherland’s most historic cities.
The northern city of Groningen is a lot like Amsterdam only less busy and touristy. This is where you really can skate on the canals in winter and cycle all over, any time of year.
Don’t drive in any of the cities, parking’s impossible and public transport’s very good everywhere. Hire bikes to see the countryside round Amsterdam: flat and made for cycling. The Netherlands is a fantastic country to tour around because it’s so compact. The roads are excellent and even renting a car for a few days lets you see a lot here.
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