2idocs

Daughter will be in Amsterdam for a short week.
AirBnB near Sloterpark (just west of city center)

Looking for suggestions for day trips for 4 college girls.
More adventure/activity than musuems.
OK with train to neighboring countries if it doesn't make the day too long.

Thanks

2idocs

2nd week of July.
All are Dutch-American, so I think getting a taste of their Dutch heritage and historical sites top their lists.

Dukey1

Zaans-Schans or Kinderwijk (further away) come to mind

PalenQ

Seaside day -train to Zaandvoort - primo seaside resort- lots of young folks there. Short train ride. For ideas on other day trips and info about trains - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com (check this site's section on The Netherlands and where to go by train.

suec1

If the weather is nice, they may want to rent bikes and ride out to the sea. I think they can take the train to Harlem and rent bikes there. There are bike trails out to a resort, can't remember the name but if they are interested, I'm sure another poster or someone at the train station could help with specifics. We purchased a map at the station to help us find our way. I think the ride was about 30 minutes - we got a bit lost - but once we got to the beach, there were many locals enjoying the day and some cafes to get some lunch or a snack.

suec1

I think Zaandvort is the name of the resort I was thinking of - they can go by train or bike. We really enjoyed the bike ride altho it was a tad breezy! Went thru some scenic residential areas and also wooded area - not too sunny.

Tulips

Bloemendaal beach is nice too. Start in Haarlem and cycle to the beach in about half an hour. It's a nice ride. There are some hip beach bars in Bloemendaal.

Tulips

Or go cycling along the Vecht river and Loosdrechtse plassen. No need to go far from Amsterdam for a nice day out.

If they want to go to another country, take a day trip to Antwerp by train.

PalenQ

We really enjoyed the bike ride altho it was a tad breezy>

Yes rent a bike at Haarlem's train station - long cycle ride from Amsterdam.

PalenQ

Cologne Germany and its great Gothic cathedral is also only about 2 hours away- get a taste of Germany and the Rhine river that runs by the cathedral and town centre.

hetismij2

Or head to Holysloot, just north of the city and rent a boat and explore the waterways. http://www.holyboot.nl/index-english....xhgXIRs8.dpbs

If you know where any of their families are originally from they could do a trip to visit there.

Elisabeth54

Agree with Hetismij, please let us know what part of the Netherlands the families originate from.

Nearer to Amsterdam there is so much to see and do. Avoid Volendam at all times (tourist trap!) but Enkhuizen (short train ride from Amsterdam) and Hoorn are definitely places to see if you are remotely interested in Dutch history.

2idocs

Roots trace back to Friesland, but I don't think it's such a big deal for them to see the actual region.

I think the bike ride would be a hit.
Could that be done and visit Delft or Leiden in the same day?

HappyTrvlr

The university town of Leiden is a great idea too. Many famous people studied there.

menachem

Zandvoort - always a disappointment. ZANDVOORT. How difficult is it to get the name right?
And KinderDijk, not KinderWijk. Anyway.

Leiden is beautiful. I studied there - disclaimer.

As to Friesland: 2.5 hours by train will get them to beautiful Leeuwarden.
Or, they could make a day of it: go to Enkhuizen: take the ferry across to Stavoren, rent a bike, ride around a bit (Hindeloopen for instance, although Stavoren itself is nice too), take ferry back to Enkhuizen, take train back to Amsterdam. A full day, but they would see a lot.

PalenQ

Zandvoort - always a disappointment. ZANDVOORT. How difficult is it to get the name right?>

much ado about nothing - put yourself in tongue of a foreigner -Zaanse Schans (sp?) has to aa's - Zandvoort has one - figure that out!

Tulips

Because it comes from 'zand' which means sand.
Zaanse Schans is in Zaandam.

hetismij2

Someone who has English as a first language is in no position to comment on a language confusing foreigners.

Dutch is a phonetic language for the most part. Single vowel, short, double vowel long.

PalenQ

More adventure/activity than musuems.>

Here's a top choice for this -take train to Rotterdam -and go by boat to KinderWijk -I mean Kinderdijk and Holland's (The Netherland's) largest grouping of behemoth wooden windmills. And also see Rotterdam -the Phoenix that has arisen from ruins of war -great shopping district in center.

Menachem lives in Rodderdram I believe and has given more details about this excursion by boat in the past. The boat ride is an adventure in itself.

Kinderdijk: https://www.google.com/search?q=kind...w=1920&bih=950

PalenQ

More adventure/activity than musuems.>

Here's a top choice for this -take train to Rotterdam -and go by boat to KinderWijk -I mean Kinderdijk and Holland's (The Netherland's) largest grouping of behemoth wooden windmills. And also see Rotterdam -the Phoenix that has arisen from ruins of war -great shopping district in center.

Menachem lives in Rodderdram I believe and has given more details about this excursion by boat in the past. The boat ride is an adventure in itself.

Kinderdijk: https://www.google.com/search?q=kind...w=1920&bih=950