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B and B Hotel Amsterdam-Zandam, Zaandam:
Stayed here for four nights in April 2026
- Pros:
- 1) The place was actually affordable. Anything closer to Amsterdam was astronomically pricey.
- 2) The font desk staff was helpful and courteous and spoke excellent English.
- 3) The rooms and bathrooms were on adequate size and were very clean.
- 4) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 5) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is good.
- 6) There is ample parking in front of the hotel.
- Cons:
- 1) The place in the middle of nowhere. It is difficult to get to without a car. There is sporadic bus connection to the Zaandam station. There are no places to eat/shop nearby.
- 2) The hotel does not have a laundry machine.
- The Usual, Rotterdam:
We stayed here for three nights in April 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) The location is quite good. It is a 10 minute walk to the Markthal and the Museumpark. The tram and metro stations are very nearby. There are plenty of eating and shopping options nearby.
- 2) The tariff is acceptable.
- 3) The front desk staff was courteous and helpful. The check-in/check-out process was smooth and fast.
- 4) The rooms and bathrooms were of adequate sizes and quite clean with modern amenities.
- 5) There is a laundry facility for the guests.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality was great.
- 7) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 8) The hotel decor is great.
- Cons:
- 1) There is no dryer i.e. you can wash cloths but there is no way to machine dry them.
- Stayokay Hostel, Utrecht: We stayed here for two nights in April 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) The location is great. It is a 15 minute walk to the station and to the Domkerk. There are plenty of shopping and eating options next to the hostel. There is a bus stand quite nearby.
- 2) The WIFI is free with good speed and connectivity.
- 3) The hostel has a free luggage storage for the guests.
- 4) There is a laundry machine available for the guests.
- 5) The front desk is manned 24/7 and the staff was quite courteous and helpful. The check-in/check-out was quite fast.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality was great.
- 7) The room and bathroom were of adequate sizes and were quite clean.
- 8) The tariff was reasonable.
- Cons: None!
Netherlands has the best public transportation system in Europe. The trains and buses are quite punctual and we could easily make 5 minute transfers. The train and bus times are reasonably synchronised. But to get to less visited/off-beat spots you might end up waiting up to an hour for your connection.
English is very widely spoken. We had absolutely no problem in communicating in English even in small and less visited towns.
It was quite easy to find vegetarian food in the Netherlands. All the places we visited had a dedicated vegetarian/vegan choices. The dishes that you should try are: Rijsttafel, Bitterballen, Stroopwaffel, Vlai and Poffertjes. Don't miss the most plugged dessert of all: the appletart at the Winkel 43.
- Amsterdam: The absolute must-sees/dos are the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, Canal Cruise, Royal Palace and Our Lord of the Attic. Among these, the first three needs prior booking. If you have time, try to visit one of Museum Van Loons or Museum Willet-Holthuysen to get an idea of how these canal houses look from the inside. A'DAM Tower is also worth visiting for the views.
- Zaanse Schans / Kinderdijk: In both these places it is free to roam around and see the buildings/windmills from the outside. They open and accessible 24/7. There are timed entries and tickets only when you want to visit (i.e. enter) a specific windmill or a museum. Both are must-sees.
- Keukenhof: The gardens are open only for two month from mid-March to mid-May. The tickets sell out several weeks in advance. This was easily the highlight of our trip. If you are seeing just one thing in the Netherlands, it has to be this gardens. Getting in early (i.e. 8 am) can help you dodge the crowd.
- Rotterdam: Must-sees inlucde the Cube Houses, the Museumpark and the Markthal.
- Delft: The two churches - the Old and the New are worth visiting. The view from the top of the New Church tower is simply spell-binding!
- The Hague: You come all the way here for the famous Vermeer painting at its Maurithuis Museum. While you are here you may as well check out the Peace Palace, Panorama Mesdag and the Passage.
- Utrecht: The must-sees are the Domkerk, Domtoren and the DOM-Under tour. If you have the time also visit the Kasteel de Haar. The main hall of the castle is breathtaking!
- Kampen: You come all the way here for the famous 14th/15th century city gates and they are indeed worth the trouble getting all the way here.
- Leiden: It is a very pretty town to walk around. The must-sees would be Molenmuseum de Valk, Burcht van Leiden, Museum de Lakenhal, Pieterskerk and the Egyptian Museum.
- Haarlem: The must-sees are the Grote Kerk, Frans Hals Museum and the Teylers Museum.
- Maastricht: The must-sees are the two Basilicas, the view from the top of the Sint-Janskerk.
- Den Bosch: The main cathedral alone is worth coming all the way here. It is easily the best church we saw on our trip.
- Breda: The Begijnhof and the Grotekerk were worth visiting.
- Gouda: The Sint Janskerk is worth the trouble getting here. It has the largest collection of stained glasses in the country.
- Dordrecht: It is another pretty town to walk around. The Grote Kerk and the city gate are both worth visiting.
TRIP ITINERARY