RCLCOLPB

We just returned from a fabulous but too short trip to the Netherlands. Thanks to everyone on this board for all of the very helpful advice!

We were in Keukenhof on Monday, April 20, and the tulips were gorgeous in the park and in surrounding fields.

I will post more about the trip as soon as I can, but I wanted to provide a few specific suggestions re Keukenhof in case anyone is going there soon.

We were staying near Leidseplein in Amsterdam, and the 2-bus route from Leidseplein to the airport, and the airport to the park, worked well for us. If you know that you will be taking the bus from/to Schipol or Leiden before and after your visit, you might as well buy the convenient combi-ticket on the Keukenhof website. But if you want to keep your options open (we had considered walking along the fields from the Hillegom train station--about 2 km--in one direction), it is actually slightly cheaper to buy 15-strip bus/tram tickets and a separate admission-only ticket to Keukenhof on their website (as long as you have a need for any leftover strips). We found that you could easily purchase strip tickets at any newsstand.

Either way, you are taking the same buses. You will take a 197 or 370 bus from Leidseplein or other stops along those routes, and it takes about 30 minutes to get from Leidseplein to Schipol.

Then you need to go to Stop B3 in the bus area directly in front of the airport. There don't seem to be any signs, and the Keukenhof buses don't appear on the monitors for some reason, so use the schedules on the Keukenhof website http://www.keukenhof.nl/images/fck/F...ion%202009.pdf, making sure you look at the correct schedule (weekend or weekday--there are many more buses on weekends). Despite the information provided at the Schipol tourist information office, the only bus that goes directly from Schipol to Keukenhof is the no. 58 (61 does not go to Keukenhof).

Even though we were there on a weekday, at least the first bus from Schipol ended up with a few people standing, which is not ideal for the 35-minute trip. Although we were near the front of the line, we ended up being among the last people on the bus because the 58 bus stopped short as there was still another bus in front of it when it arrived. So the people at the end of the line got on first. If there are a lot of people waiting, you might consider trying to get in the middle of the line.

In terms of whether there is a significant advantage to having a car to fully view the fields, I would say that you get a very good sense for the fields by looking out from the edges of Keukenhof. The best views we found when we were there were from the top of the windmill, and from the outdoor coffee shop at the SE corner of the park.

You can also see some beautiful fields from the bus, and I'm sure from the train from Amsterdam to Leiden (particularly if you go via Haarlem).

But there is also an attraction to seeing tulips in the field at your own pace, outside of the organized Keukenhof setting. We had rented a car on Sunday to go to the Kroller-Muller Museum and the Hoge Veluwe National Park, which were wonderful. As hetismij predicted, we ended up spending all day there and did not have time to drive up to Noordoostpolder. But we did have time to briefly drive around in the Hillegom area north of Keukenhof, and it was very beautiful. (Bikes would be great, but they did not work for our group. Walking from the Hillegom train station, as PalenQ has suggested on this board in the past, would also be delightful I'm sure.)

I hope this is coherent; I am falling asleep from the time change. Let me know if you have any clarifying or follow-up questions.

Len

crzn1

BOOKMARK

barrister

thanks for the trip report.

barrister

Hey Len - I am going to Amsterdam in about 2 weeks, did you find it overcrowded?

Dukey

Thanks for your report..was just there last week and agree the place is incredible. It was mobbed the day I visited probably because of the exceptional weather but certainly worth the effort.

RCLCOLPB

Amsterdam certainly seemed bustling, but I like busy cities and I guess I considered it positive to experience a lot of apparent vibrancy in the midst of a recession. My sense was that the lines for museums, etc., might be shorter than when I was there 8 years ago at the end of the summer. But certainly not uncrowded.

We intentionally went to Keukenhof Gardens on a Monday, which I gather is less crowded than weekends, and we got there on the first Connexion bus from Schiphol. It definitely got more crowded as the day went on; I'm sure the beautiful weather helped to bring people out. Also definitely not a place to get away from people, but we were so busy looking at tulips that we didn't really notice the crowds much.

sherhatfield

Thanks for the report! I will be in Amsterdam and going to Keukenhof three weeks from today. Sounds like the tulips will probably be spent by then, but Keukenhof should still be nice with all the other flowers.

I am looking forward to more of your report.

illnative

We were also there on Monday the 20th. It was absolutely spectacular. We were probably on the 3rd bus from Schipol to Keukenhof and it was an absolute madhouse to get on it - it was jampacked with many people standing - we were standing in the doorway the whole way. That whole scene was not a testament to Dutch efficiency!

One other pointer I will make is to seriously consider the bicycle rentals in the parking lot - we rented bikes for about 2 hours and road about 10 miles and the tulip fields were outstanding. We are not experienced "bikers" - and you don't need to be to do this trip - they give you a route and it is very safe - mostly bike paths. I think we paid about 16 E for 2 bike rentals.