Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DuTcH DAY
TrIPS
The Historic Triangle • Waterland
• Near Haarlem • Alkmaar and
Zaanse Schans • Schokland and
Flevoland
Any Dutch native will tell you: To really experience everyday life
in the Netherlands, get out of Amsterdam. In a country as tiny as
Holland, day-tripping is easy to do. Within a half-hour of leav-
ing Central Station, you can be deep in the Dutch countryside—
lush, green, and filled with tulips, red-brick houses, quaint canals,
and black-and-white cows. It's a refreshing break from urban
Amsterdam. Match your interest with the village's specialty:
flower auctions, wooden-shoe folk museums, fresh cheese, Delft
Blue porcelain, or modern art. Take some time to learn a few basic
Dutch phrases for the sake of politeness (see page 471), but don't
obsess—even outside of Amsterdam, just about everyone speaks
English.
I describe three Dutch open-air museums in this topic:
Arnhem, Zuiderzee in Enkhuizen, and Zaanse Schans. Doing
more than one is overkill for most visitors—read my descriptions
and choose one. Arnhem's is the granddaddy of them all, but the
farthest from Amsterdam. Enkhuizen's Zuiderzee can be conve-
niently combined with a fun steam-train ride (practically a museum
experience in itself) on the “Historic Triangle” route. Zaanse
Schans is the least appealing (and impossible to pronounce), but
the closest to Amsterdam.
Transportation Tips
Train:
If you're day-tripping, ask about “day return” tickets (same-
day round-trip), which are cheaper than two one-way tickets.
Before you board at Amsterdam's Central Station, check the yellow
train-schedule boards or ask at the information counter to confirm
the details of your trip (such as times, necessary transfers, delays,
and the name of the station you'll be using—for example, to get to
Zaanse Schans, you'll get off at the Koog-Zaandijk station). When
