Day trips from Amsterdam

If you have four or more days, try to get out and explore some of the surrounding cities near Amsterdam. The distances are short and the train makes for easy day trips.

Haarlem is a smaller, quainter version of Amsterdam with the most impressive cathedral in the Netherlands as its centerpiece. Just near Haarlem is Zandvoort, home to the best beaches in the Netherlands.

If you’re an architectural enthusiast, you can find no better place to spend the day than Rotterdam, a veritable laboratory of modern buildings. The city was completely flattened during World War II and has since rebuilt itself as a modern architectural Mecca. Rotterdam is also the largest port in Europe.

If you’re looking for history, head to the seat of government, The Hague, for its museums, palaces and narrow streets.

Utrecht, to the south, is a friendly university town with its own unique double-tiered canals and many outdoor cafés.

Finally, if you’re looking for that famous Dutch village quaintness, Alkmaar has the cheese market, Volendam has the fishermen, and Zaanse Schans has the windmills. In addition, each makes for a great starting point for excursions into the countryside by bike. Conveniently, every train station has its own local rental agency and bikes rent for about 7 Euros per day.