|
4 coworkers and I have decided to hit up the Netherlands for Queensday this year. We'll be arriving on the 27th and will be departing Amsterdam for Utrecht on the 1st (Followed by Rotterdam and the Hague). I've been to Amsterdam two times before, so I'm fairly familiar with the place. This will be first my Queensday, however, so I'm looking for any and all advice from any Dutch goons/past attendees. I know that we should stock up on water/food/recreational materials as soon as we get there because everything is going to be swamped/overpriced during Queensday. As soon as the tickets are available for purchase we are going to buy our train tickets to Utrecht. I'm not sure if this is necessary but I don't want to risk getting stranded or having to wait for hours in the station. Are there any other Queensday-specific things that I should keep in mind? Please recommend any fun activities, shows, websites, etc! Is anyone else going to be in attendance?
|
| # ? Feb 15, 2013 21:09 |
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2013 15:43 |
|
|
You'll have to keep in mind that this year we will have an abdication/coronation, so things may be a little different with regards to festivities. Train: you can buy undated printable tickets anytime, just don't forget to stamp them before travelling. Or you can just buy them on the day itself. You won't have to stand in a very long line anyway, because most Dutch people will likely be using their precharged 'OV-chipkaart' and will not require tickets from the machines.
|
| # ? Feb 15, 2013 23:41 |
|
|
You've been there before, so it should be a moot point, but be very aware of your surroundings and be on your guard for pickpockets. Also, do everything you can to have a place booked before you get there. I went to Amsterdam on a whim and found myself there the first day of Queen's Weekend. It was a bitch for about an hour, but after my traveling companion left me on a barstool and went to hunt for hotel rooms, I found out that the bar I was sitting in had rooms to let. I took one, sight unseen, and even though I hauled a giant gently caress-all suitcase up 4 flights of ridiculously steep stairs, it actually worked out to be a reasonable room with a roof window. Staying in the red light district was actually pretty cool, and upon our first trip to a coffee house, we walked in to a dude putting out a giant roach in the sofa area, and didn't have to buy our own. 1 hour later, after the obligatory Hoegaarden and a bit of smoke, and we enjoyed the poo poo out of the carnival rides in town. Be safe, have fun!
|
| # ? Feb 16, 2013 05:26 |
|
|
You get to tell people you were there for the last Queensday. From next year on it will be called Kingsday and held April 27th. No other specific advice, just thought that was a neat thing.
|
| # ? Feb 16, 2013 20:16 |
|
|
Trams and buses don't run in the city centre on Queen's Day, so you may want to plan your activities so that you don't spend 30-45 minutes wading through heinous crowds just to get someplace. The royal family will appear on the balcony of the Royal Palace around 10:30 AM. It will be insanely crowded, and there will be lots of police. Be careful with alcohol. Don't get caught drinking in the train station or on the train. You're only allowed to walk around outside with one drink in your hand. I doubt you'll have any train problems on the 1st. The schedule will be back to normal; in fact, the trains may be more timely than normal because people will take the day off work to recover. But yeah, you can buy tickets online in advance. You don't have to stamp tickets that you buy online. Just be sure you have your passports handy, because you may be asked to show them. Most events haven't been announced yet, but they should be announced in the coming The Clowning fucked around with this message at Mar 1, 2013 around 19:19 |
| # ? Mar 1, 2013 13:00 |
|
|
ChadBroChill17 posted:As soon as the tickets are available for purchase we are going to buy our train tickets to Utrecht. I'm not sure if this is necessary but I don't want to risk getting stranded or having to wait for hours in the station. This isn't necessary at all. Ticket prices are always the same and you won't save any money getting them early. In the Netherlands you buy a ticket for a destination and it is valid for all trains heading there that day. There is no limit to how many tickets they sell, so there is no risk of the trip being sold out either. In the very rare case that the train is full you can take the next one. Trains between Amsterdam and Utrecht take less than half an hour and run every fifteen minutes. As Ericbauman mentioned rows at the machines are rare now that most people use their card so it really is no issue. Be sure to take an Intercity though, this one only stops at some stations in Amsterdam and then goes straight to Utrecht. While the Sprinter might sounds fast it will stop at every station on the route and take you an extra 20 or so minutes. I live in Utrecht so if you want to know anything specific give me a shout.
|
| # ? Mar 2, 2013 18:33 |
|
|
The Clowning posted:Be careful with alcohol. Don't get caught drinking in the train station or on the train. You're only allowed to walk around outside with one drink in your hand. Bring a backpack stuffed with beers. I've never seen people make a problem of alcohol since everyone is drinking out on the streets during the day. Just don't get completely shitfaced and cause trouble and you should be fine.
|
| # ? Mar 8, 2013 15:07 |
|
|
I am so jealous of you right now. I wouldn't mind going to the last queensday until .... who knows when. Also, Utrecht has a lot of neat secound hand and antic shops. they are fun. Also do a boat tour their instead of Amsterdam is possible. I haven't done the boat tour but I have seen boats giving tours so it must exist.
|
| # ? Mar 28, 2013 22:41 |
|
|
DrNewton posted:I am so jealous of you right now. I wouldn't mind going to the last queensday until .... who knows when. Yeah - I've always enjoyed Utrecht. They have a really cool beer shop called Bert's Bierhuis and they have had all styles of Westvleteren both times I visited, including 12.  Judging from the pictures of canals from year's past, I'm not sure that a boat tour will be a possibility. I was hoping that we could make some random friends and just hop on their boat. Who knows? We've planned activities for Amsterdam, Utrecht, and the Hague, but I have no clue on Rotterdam. Anyone have any good suggestions?
|
| # ? Mar 29, 2013 21:31 |
|
|
You could visit the Euromast in Rotterdam. And if you like art museums, the Kunsthal and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen are both interesting. Have you been to De Bierkoning (beer store) or In De Wildeman (beer bar) in Amsterdam? They're both very much worth a visit. I agree with DrNewton that you should do a canal tour in Utrecht (it won't be crowded after Queen's Day). The departure point is on Oudegracht, at Viebrug.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 10:10 |
|
|
If I'm only going to visit one, should I hit up Haarlem or Utrecht? I'm staying in Amsterdam for 5 days (not for Queensday, but I saw this conversation come up) and want to have a daytrip elsewhere, and these are the two places I have been considering.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 10:58 |
|
|
I've only been to Utrecht. I enjoy it, but it feels a lot like Amsterdam-lite. I had the best time when I went to visit a friend who was doing her Masters there. Staying on the campus and hanging out with other young folks was a blast. Wandering the city isn't quite as fun. Honestly, my top 2 favorite cities in NL have been the Hague and Groningen. Groningen is probably a little out of your way, so I'd strongly recommend checking out The Hague.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 16:00 |
|
|
We stayed in Den Haag last time, it's a very pretty city and the Escher museum/palace combo was cool! So I might go to Haarlem instead, if Utrecht is pretty similar to Amsterdam.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 16:22 |
|
|
The Clowning posted:You could visit the Euromast in Rotterdam. And if you like art museums, the Kunsthal and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen are both interesting. Thanks for the suggestion. Was thinking of a canal cruise in Amsterdam, not Utrecht. That would definitely work! I'll also be checking out Euromast. We're doing the Penthouse in The Hague which looks similar but I dig good eats and elevation.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 16:36 |
|
|
Bollock Monkey posted:If I'm only going to visit one, should I hit up Haarlem or Utrecht? I'm staying in Amsterdam for 5 days (not for Queensday, but I saw this conversation come up) and want to have a daytrip elsewhere, and these are the two places I have been considering. Utrecht is an awesome city, but I think Haarlem is better for day-tripping because it's more compact. You can have a nice lunch on the Grote Markt, check out the cool architecture, and tour the St. Bavo church. If you're into museums, the Teylers Museum is close; the Frans Hals Museum is a bit farther away. And you can finish the day with a few beers at the Jopenkerk.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 20:20 |
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2013 15:43 |
|
|
Thanks for the tips! I'm looking forward to my trip, I love that bit of the world.
|
| # ? Mar 31, 2013 21:13 |
|
