Planning that trip to Holland
In September I am getting married and some of my family will be flying here for the occasion. (Some happy dancing on my part at just the thought!) Since none of them have ever been they need a little guidance as to planning their stay and what is there in Holland. So here I am going to give as many tips and websites as I can possible give to help anyone looking to plan that perfect trip to the Netherlands.
First you need a ticket right? There are so many places to get a flight whether it is an affordable price or if money isn’t a factor. Remember my suggestions for finding the best flights for your trip? Well here is the link to refer back, just in case. Might I also suggest Travelocity as well as the suggestions I made earlier. Now that you are on the path to your flight you need a place to stay. You can book a flight with hotel stay or you can go to hotels.nl for a few more suggestions. There is a little English flag to the right so don’t panic when you see all the Dutch!
Alright, what’s next? What is there to do in the Netherlands? Well, aside from the windmills, wooden shoes and tulips that Holland is known for there is an entire history and culture to explore! Take a walk through the city; admire the views over their bridges, around their canals and parks! Museums can be found all over Holland ranging from historical information to the art work of the famous painters we all know. We have canal rides with some that last an hour and others all day. The rides that last all day are the package deals that really help you see Holland. Amsterdam for example has canal rides that take you through the history of the city with stops at the Anne Frank house and other historical places. Architectural canal rides takes you to the most beautiful places in Amsterdam from beautiful Churches that have been here for centuries to the modern office and apartment styles popping up. You can arrange trips based solely on museums as well! They have the well known home of Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum and the sex museum that’s just a five minute walk away from Central Station. They also have the not so known museums of technology, horror as well as Amsterdam’s football team Ajax and its museum and the Heineken Museum. For a better guide to their museums let me refer you to here. The Amsterdam Escape! For information on dining, night life, more hotels, and things to do let me take you to here; Amsterdam!
Now I know that there are plenty just like me who love to shop. So here I will inform you that just like you and me, the Dutch love to spend their time and money on clothes, shoes, gadgets and gizmos too! The endless shops and markets that go on there is plenty to do and spend your money on! Souvenirs, clothes and anything else you can think of can be found here! Shopping can be slightly different to the average American who is used to the stores being open until eight, nine or even ten at night. Here stores are open until five or six unless you go on a shopping night where the stores stay open later. On average stores are closed on Sunday’s unless you are in a major city such as Amsterdam. You would have to find out if the town you are visiting has shopping that Sunday as each town is different when it comes to having a shopping Sunday and when. As shopping is during the day you can hit the night life that goes on!
Now let us not forget the food! Holland loves food, both native and international. With restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and snack bars that can be found all over Holland, virtually every corner has a snack bar and every center has an endless variety to choose from! Indonesian, Greek, Turkish, American, Italian, Dutch and the list can go on!
One more thing. If you want to learn some helpful Dutch to get around here is a good site that could help you out with simple phrases. But be warned, the Dutch have a tendency to pick up your accent or the fact that you aren’t very good at it and will revert to the language you use so long as they can follow you. They learn English and most are quite proud of it and use it whenever they find someone to try it on!
Now I hope that with the information I have provided as well as the links that you will be able to plan your trip to the Netherlands in no time! Anything I miss, just and I will be happy to find out for you! Happy Travels!
http://goeurope.about.com/cs/holland/l/bl_holland_map.htm
Netherlands, Holland, Amsterdam, Tourists info for Amsterdam, Traveling to the Netherlands
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