FamilyTakeFlight view on : Netherlands

Christy and I both have Dutch roots so we were very excited to visit The Netherlands. We were excited because our hometown is mostly Dutch families so there were many people that we know that have visited this country so we were able to have some discussions of what to expect prior to going. We planned our trip out in Spring knowing it was tulip blooming time as well as King’s day, which I’ll get into later. Here is our thoughts on The Netherlands :

Places visited : Amsterdam.

Time spent in country : 5 days, 4 nights

Language barrier : No barrier. Dutch folks learn English in school so we never had any issue.

Transportation from US to The Netherlands : We came from other European cities prior to arriving in Amsterdam but there are fairly easy flights from the US. Potentially with a layover in London or Paris, it is a relatively simple flight once you get into Europe.

Transportation while in country : Walking and riding bikes. Amsterdam is world famous for more bicycles than people and that is the main mode of transportation. It is a fairly walkable town but you will see people in any type of weather riding bikes.

Hotel : We stayed in an Ibis hotel which is a budget hotel that has a bed, bathroom, and window. It is a nice hotel but has very basic amenities. The best part, it was right by the main train station so we did not have to drag our luggage around too much and we were able to spend more time accessing attractions.

Food : Coming from Dutch roots, I can tell you there is not a Dutch staple when it comes to food. It is a lot of bland food that usually consists of meat and potatoes. Visiting Amsterdam, there was a lot of fish type meals but still nothing to write home about. We never had a bad meal but nothing was extraordinary that I can recall. Also, note that s glass of water with a meal is not free, as we are accustomed to in the USA.

Excursions and things to do : As I stated above, we went in April during Tulip blooming season. We went to Keukenhoff which was an 80 acre garden with upwards of 7 million blooming tulips. It was absolutely amazing how they lined massive striped rows made up of only colored tulips. We also visited during King’s Day which is an independence day for the Dutch and is a huge holiday. Dressed up in orange, all of the shops close down and the town parties all day. From food vendors, to festivals, to boats chartered to hold people to the brim floating down the canal, you will not have to look far to find groups of people having fun. If you don’t happen to visit during spring there is still a lot to do. We visited the Red Light District which is world famous for the legal prostitution. A large mix of drug dealers, cops, and tourists surrounded by weed and mushrooms cafes, it was a very unique experience. In our short time, we also visited a Heineken Ice Bar and even the Anne Frank house that hid her during WW2. There is so much to see and is a great place just to walk around and enjoy.

Cost of living : Being Western Europe, it is still a pretty pricey location. The benefit of a little smaller city, you can walk or ride bikes to most locations. From other Western Europe locations, this didn’t seem as bad with cost for attractions.

Did we have kids with and would we recommend : We did not have kids but could see it being very easy to bring them along. There is a lot of parks and attractions that were kid friendly.

What to expect : The Dutch people are very friendly and welcoming. The country has a lot to do and very active. More than most locations I have been to, everyone seemed to be walking or riding bikes. Built on a series of canals, it is a very unique city which uses waterways as a main form of transportation. Even though we have already been there, it is still on my bucket list to visit the countryside of The Netherlands and see what else it has to offer!

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Cost: 3/5

Safety: 4/5

Food: 2/5

Convenience/Functionality: 3/5

Beauty/Charm: 3.5/5