Family Vacations to the Netherlands

The Netherlands – Family Vacation Guide

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 shorter trip.

Base a trip in Amsterdam and there are dozens of other fascinating cities nearby. You can bike around tulip fields and along mile after miler of canal and hundreds of festivals are made for families, all year long.

Opt for Rotterdam and wonderful North Sea beaches are half an hour 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.

Why Go

Over 90 percent of Dutch people speak English fluently.

The Netherland’s coastline is over 180 miles 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 weekend from May to September, theater, music, kids’ shows, cabaret and comedy is free to enjoy 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 30 minutes 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.

Amsterdam

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 center or very close. One of the best cities in Europe for a short trip, Amsterdam works just as well for longer vacations and as a base for exploring more of The Netherlands.

Hotels in Amsterdam center range from historic canal houses to international brands. For better value family hotels, look at Amsterdam West or South.
Don’t miss: the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Artis Zoo, Nemo Science Centre, Anne Frank House, Jordaan and De Pijp.

Rotterdam

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.

Try Hoek van Holland and Maasvlakte for broad, sandy beaches and water activities during the summer.
Don’t miss: Rotterdam Waterfront, the Erasmus Bridge, De Markthal, Delfshaven, Rotterdam Zoo, the Katendrecht district, Kunsthal Rotterdam and Withkwartier.

Eindhoven

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 biking.

Lively city with a young atmosphere, plenty of hotels to choose from and significantly less expensive than Amsterdam.
An hour’s drive from Rotterdam, Amsterdam or Antwerp.
Don’t miss: Van Gogh-Roosegaarde Cycle Path, Roundabout Design Route, DAF Museum, Evoluon, Van Abbemuseum and Genneper Parken.

Delft

Famous for blue tiles and Vermeer, Delft’s one of the prettiest towns in Europe. It’s also less than an hour from the center of Amsterdam.

Visit for the 17^th and 18^th century architecture, canal side markets and dramatic medieval town square.
Don’t miss: the Vermeer Centre, Prinsenhof de Delft, Hortus Botanicus, Eastern Gate and Agneta Park.

Utrecht

Just 20 minutes south of Amsterdam, Utrecht is the birthplace of Miffy and one of The Netherland’s most historic cities.

Visit for the 13^th century shipyard streets built at canal level, views from the majestic Dom Tower and lunch on Ledig Erf.
Don’t miss: the Miffy Museum, Archeolab, Dom Under, Trajectum Lumen and Binnenstadt street markets.

Groningen

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 bike all over, any time of year.

Groningen hotels are less expensive than Amsterdam but you can visit the capital in under two hours by train.
Don’t miss: Groningen Museum, Nederlands Stripmuseum, Grafisch Museum, Kinderboerderij Stadspark, Noorderlicht and Goudkantoor.

Educational Value for Kids

Take a 75 minute Spido cruise around Rotterdam harbor area. It’s the best way to see the city’s amazing modern architecture – including the spectacular Erasmus Bridge.

Visit Zaanse Schans, half an hour north of Amsterdam, to see historic Dutch villages, heritage museums and a working 17^th century windmills.

Delightful Delft looks almost exactly as it did in the 17^th century when Vermeer lived and worked here. It’s a fascinating city to explore with kids and just an hour south of Amsterdam.

Go to Amsterdam for King’s Day in April and join the huge, all-inclusive weekend of festivities on and off the canals. Don’t miss the traditional Vondelpark children’s flea market where local kids sell their outgrown stuff.

Getting Around

Don’t drive in any of the cities – parking’s impossible and public transportation is very good everywhere. Rent bikes to see the countryside around Amsterdam: it’s flat and made for biking. 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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