Travel Archives - DutchNews.nl

Dutch destinations: further down the lanes of Leiden

We wrote about Leiden for the Dutch destinations series back in 2018, but there’s plenty more to experience and explore. Here’s a second glimpse at one of the most overlooked cities in the Randstad region. Leiden is a city of several contrasts. Throughout much of the 20th century it was considered something of a backwater despite being located in the Randstad and serving as the home of Leiden University. Its industrial and blue collar past still echo through the streets... More >

‘Hysterical’: Amsterdammers slam holiday rental fines

A tough approach to illegal hotels in Amsterdam is unfairly punishing people who make simple mistakes, according to local politicians and a lobby group for B&Bs. Last year, Amsterdam council gave 72 people a fine for holiday rental in breach of the strict rules introduced after universal concerns in the council about over-tourism. Now, however around 30 people have asked for assistance from the Amsterdam ombudsman because they believe they have been unfairly victimised, with fines from €8,700 for what... More >

Union warns of hot summer at Schiphol, as airport boss apologises for chaos

Trade union FNV has warned that it will be a ‘hot summer’ at Schiphol airport unless improvements in working conditions are made as a matter of urgency. The union has written to the airport’s chief executive Dick Benschop with a list of demands and a deadline, and accuses the airport group of ignoring the chaos and shortage of staff for too long. Benschop issued his apologies for the problems of the past few weeks to reporters and on a television... More >

Schiphol warns again of long waits as criticism of cancellations mounts

Schiphol airport is warning travellers that it will again be extremely busy on Sunday and they may have to wait outside the terminal building, after failing in its efforts to cut passenger numbers. The airport had been trying to get the number of travellers moving through the airport on Sunday reduced by 5,800 by asking airlines to cut flights. While KLM has cancelled some services, other airlines and tour operators refused, although Corenden did shift one flight to Rotterdam airport... More >

Street dealers dealt with in Amsterdam anti-drug campaign

As tourists return in full force to the Amsterdam red light district, Amsterdam city council has met them with police action and a campaign warning visitors against street dealers. Over the Easter weekend, the city announced, 69 people were apprehended for breaking various drug and public order laws, and 54 were banned from the area. Almost half of the arrests were for selling fake drugs: 10 suspects will appear before judges in the short term, four have been fined, and... More >

Baggage handler strike causes chaos at Schiphol as school holidays start

Dozens of flights to and from Schiphol airport were cancelled on Saturday morning because of a wildcat strike by KLM ground crew. The strike, on one of the busiest days of the year, led to long queues which reached outside the main terminal building. The A4 slip roads to the airport were also closed for a time as a safety measure. The strike ended in the early afternoon but the airport authority still urged passengers with a flight before 3pm... More >

Dutch destinations: You should definitely go to Goes

This 10th-century town in Zeeland gets its name from the nearby river, de Korte Gos and grew rich in the 12th century by extracting salt from peat in local swamps. Despite its small size – Goes is home to just less than 30,000 people – it offers plenty to do for a weekend. The Zeeland tourism board claims that from any place in the province, you can be on the water within fifteen minutes and Goes certainly meets that promise.... More >

Ski options fall off cliff: Austrian quarantine rule

Austria’s health minister reportedly wants to impose 10-day quarantine restrictions on the residents of four countries including the Netherlands. This will mean, reports NOS, that Austrian ski holidays will be off limits for people who live in the Netherlands, Britain, Norway and Denmark. The quarantine rules are expected to apply to everyone, including those who are fully vaccinated and have had a booster injection. After five days, they will be able to take a PCR test and if negative they... More >

DutchNews.nl destinations: cheese the day in Gouda

‘Cheese’ is the first thing that might come to mind when you think of Gouda, but fear not if you’re lactose intolerant. The city is also famous for its pottery, stroopwafels, and smoking pipes in addition to its picturesque centre. Long before its now world-famous cheese market rolled out its curdy wheels for the first time, it was little more than a swampy marsh. The Van der Goude clan showed up in the Middle Ages to build a castle along... More >

Selfies in cemeteries: dark tourism in the Netherlands

Dark tourists on a quest for the Netherlands’ nastiest narratives raises ethical questions about the commodification of some of the country’s most solemn sites. But condemning the practice without considering its context, say some, misses the point. Amsterdammer Claudia Crobatia has visited many cemeteries, but mostly as a tourist rather than a mourner. ‘It’s the closest you can get to the mystery of death itself,’ says the death awareness coach, who founded A Course in Dying in 2016 to help... More >

Dutch destinations: Dordrecht, or Dordt to the locals

The inhabitants of the oldest town in the province of Zuid-Holland are known to some as ‘sheepheads.’ According to lore, to avoid paying an import tax on meat, two men dressed a sheep up as a man and attempted to sneak the animal through the city gates, only to be discovered when the sheep bleated. There’s a statue to the legend that you can see if you visit this island city. Dordrecht was given city rights in 1220 by William... More >

Public consultation on Amsterdam bridge and tunnel plans

Controversial plans to bridge the IJ between north and central Amsterdam have gone to public consultation. Currently, 70,000 people a day use a ferry service to cross the channel, which is also traversed by 160,000 vessels a year. With predictions that the shipping channel will get ever busier, and more people will live in north Amsterdam and need to cross the IJ, the city has presented its plans to build two bridges and a pedestrian tunnel running north from Centraal... More >

KLM asks pilots to help with baggage chaos: Telegraaf

KLM pilots have been asked to lend a hand in baggage handing at Schiphol due to acute staff shortages, according to the Telegraaf. This summer has seen scenes of reported ‘chaos’ due to a lack of handlers and last month staff at budget airline Transavia formally complained to airline bosses. Although staff from Groningen Airport Eelde airport have been asked to help, apparently now the pilot team of KLM has been asked to employ its handling skills on the ground.... More >

Dutch Destinations: Summer’s almost gone, so start thinking autumn breaks

With the summer holidays coming to an end, what better time to start deciding where to go on an autumn break? Here’s a round up of our most recent travel features to inspire you to see more of the Netherlands. Untangle the history of Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog The great pyramid of the Netherlands Pint sized Staverden packs a punch Lockdown in a lockkeeper’s cottage Take a walk in the wild Westkwartier The Wadden Sea island of Terschelling Get away from it all... More >

Conferences return with (elbow) bump to Amsterdam

Elbow bumping should be the official mode of greeting at Amsterdam’s first major international conference in more than a year. Announcing the reopening of the Dutch capital as a ‘safe’ conference hub, mayor Femke Halsema said that the city looked forward to building a new kind of tourism. ‘We have a tradition of welcoming guests from all over the world, but [in] the last years, we have seen that the image of the city internationally became a little bit common,’... More >

Foreign tourists stay away in early summer

Foreign tourism has not returned to the Netherlands en masse, according to the Dutch statistics office. In the second quarter of this year, traditionally a busy period, around eight million tourists stayed in Dutch accommodation. Although this is more than double the rate during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020, tourism has not returned to the old levels. Compared to the record year of 2019, the figures were 39% lower between April and June this year, mostly due to a lack... More >

Speed limit on Haringvlietbrug reduced to 50kph

A speed limit of 50 kph has been imposed on the Haringvlietbrug on the A29 south of Rotterdam to reduce vibration. Until renovation of the bridge takes place in 2023, reports NOS, the speed limit needs to be halved to stop vibration in 210 aluminium plates on its under side. In 2017, around 20 cars were damaged when a metal part of the bridge came loose. The bridge is an important traffic link between Rotterdam and Antwerp, used by around... More >