Travel Archives - DutchNews.nl

Holiday voucher holders want their money back as confidence plummets: Telegraaf

Disappointed would-be holidaymakers are demanding their money back as trust in the voucher system plummets amid fears of ‘a tsunami’ of bankruptcies, the Telegraaf said on Friday. The paper said insurers, consumer organisation Consumentenbond and travel umbrella organisation ANVR have been reporting a growing number of people who have seen their travel plans scuppered by the coronavirus crisis and who now want to exchange their holiday vouchers for cash. At the moment some €3bn worth of vouchers is outstanding, the... More >

Dutch destinations: take a walk in the wild Westerkwartier in Groningen

If you are looking to get away from it all, if you love walking or birdwatching or just exploring an unknown bit of the Netherlands, then the western part of Groningen is an often overlooked gem. Muntjersyster Ryd, Middag-Humsterland, Langewold, Elzinge – many of the names in this very rural part of the country sound as they have come straight out of Lord of the Rings. They are names steeped in history, and Westerkwartier, which runs from the Wadden Sea... More >

European travel restriction headache is good for Dutch holiday parks

Looking to get away from it all this autumn? Organising a short break abroad now starts with the government travel website as the first port of call, while many don’t bother and are opting for a holiday in the Netherlands as the safer option. A trip abroad is becoming more and more complicated as countries which are dealing with rising infection numbers impose (local) limits to travel and Dutch tourists themselves may not be welcome everywhere, or subject to conditions.... More >

Dutch destinations: get away from it all in the Veluwe

Many consider the Veluwe, an area of heathland between Arnhem and Apeldoorn to be a sanctuary. Its wilderness areas and small towns offer a welcome respite from the turbulence of the Randstad cities, especially during the off-season. Just watch out for the wolves and wild boars! The Veluwe is about as rural and isolated as things get in the Netherlands. As an area it is best known for the Hoge Veluwe National Park, but the rest of the roughly 1,1000... More >

More than 2,000 shared bikes and mopeds to hit Amsterdam streets

More than 1,400 shared bikes and 700 shared scooters will be landing on the streets of Amsterdam, three years after the city took tough action against a rash of abandoned shared bikes. The city has announced that instead it will be controlling a ‘small-scale, local’ experiment, working with six commercial providers of the shared vehicles. The experiment is due to last for two years, and may be extended for another year if there proves to be space for the extra... More >

All of Spain, more parts of France are code orange, as coronavirus cases rise

The Dutch foreign office has upped its official travel advisory for the whole of Spain to orange, meaning all but essential travel to the popular holiday destination should now be avoided. Monaco and several more parts of France – Sarthe, Hérault and Alpes Maritimes – have also been scaled up to orange because of the rise in coronavirus cases. Alpes Maritimes includes Nice, where the Tour de France is due to start on Saturday. The new advisory comes into force... More >

Dutch Destinations: a weekend in Breda, Pearl of the South

My first experience of Breda was in February and it was cold, wet and grey. Yet the North Brabant city known as the pearl of the South had not lost its lustre. Voted Best City Centre from 2017-2020, Breda is more preened than most – a hangover perhaps from centuries of royal occupancy: the Nassaus, who resided at the castle. But despite its twee shops and chic terraces (do plastic chairs even exist in this town?), the atmosphere is above... More >

Dutch destinations: get away from it all on the island of Schiermonnikoog

If you are looking for a last-minute getaway for the Whitsun weekend, the Wadden Sea island of Schiermonnikoog is the perfect place – as long as you like the great outdoors. Earlier in May, broadcaster NOS reported that the island of Schiermonnikoog was crying out for visitors. The island is largely dependent on tourism and has been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown. Having last been many years ago, we decided to take the plunge and head north. The weather... More >

Had enough of pretty Dutch scenery? It’s time for a dismal day out

If at times you’ve had enough of medieval canal houses, tulip fields and picturesque villages, help is at hand. Treurtrips (dismal days out) is a new guide to some of the places the Dutch tourist board would rather you forget. Decaying snack bars in The Hague, sad playgrounds in the north and gloomy blocks of flats everywhere – they might not feature in the guidebooks and the ‘how to settle in Holland’ handbooks, but they are, nevertheless, an integral part... More >

Dutch destinations: beat the crowds at seaside Scheveningen

The time has come for DutchNews.nl to cover Scheveningen, the famous, and some might say infamous, seaside community that sits on the edges of The Hague. Brandon Hartley took the plunge to find out what else the resort has to offer apart from sunburn and crowds. All right, first things first. Scheveningen is not everybody’s cup of tea. Those searching for some good old fashioned peace and quiet should head to one of the more laid-back towns in the Wadden... More >

No tourist traps! What might a sustainable visit to Amsterdam look like?

With mass tourism now marring the quality of life in Amsterdam, Deborah Nicholls-Lee looks at initiatives to make a trip to the Dutch capital a more sustainable affair. A three-person line of defence along one side of the boat seems to work best, our nets semi-submerged and poised to entrap passing flotsam. We – two boat-loads of eco-conscious visitors – are cruising the Amsterdam canals on a plastic fishing trip with Plastic Whale, clearing the greasy waters of rubbish, while... More >

Dutch destinations: I thought I’d hate the Efteling. I was wrong

With the autumn half term upon us, your thoughts may be turning to taking the kids to an amusement park. Deborah Nicholls-Lee was dreading her visit to the Efteling, but it turned out to be the ‘best family day ever’. Our children told us that they were the only ones at school who had not been to the Efteling theme park. Apparently, we had not parented them correctly and this was a deprivation of sorts. My husband and I had... More >

Dutch destinations: a mid-week in Amsterdam, avoiding tourist crowds

Amsterdammers may go on a lot about over-tourism, but there is plenty to see and do in the Dutch capital which does not involve waiting in queues for hours, or fighting your way through the hoards. A couple of years ago Amsterdam launched a deliberate strategy to try and spread tourism by pinpointing the highlights outside the centre, and urging visitors to spend time there. At the same time, it has attempted to hijack attractions well outside the city –... More >

Dutch Destinations: miracles and Mondrian in Amersfoort

Home of monastic miracles and medieval architecture, but also birthplace of Mondrian, icon of Dutch Modernism, Amersfoort, in Utrecht province, is a rich blend of the new and the old with plenty to discover. An unexpected guide accompanies us on our 15-minute walk from the station to Amersfoort’s historic centre. ‘Sofie’ – as she is known – steers us through the city’s trafficky outskirts, her iconic swishing ponytail and stout mini-skirted form illuminated in red and green on the traffic... More >