Our wonderful trip to the Netherlands!
The Netherlands
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May 13 - May 22, 2024
![Jan](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/57709690abd88d9975baa1e3aec4e1e6e352477d/original-752f0d930b30b4f4929f7b645837d851.jpg)
Mieke did an outstanding job of listening to our wants and needs as she assembled and refined our Netherlands trip plan to address both our preferences, as well as those of our daughter and son-in-law who travelled with us. The finalized trip plan we received was extremely detailed and thorough, including turn-by-turn directions to orient us upon arrival in each city.
Our hotels were clean, comfortable and centrally located. We were pleased to discover that they had period charm and/or amenities that made them much more special. As they had requested, our daughter and son-in-law even had balcony rooms in two cities!
Traveling in and between cities was simple because Mieke provided us with OV-chip cards for public transportation which made hopping on trains, buses, subways and water taxis quick and convenient.
Additionally, Mieke scheduled some activities for us with private guides. One of the highlights of our trip was our driver, Maarten who took us to the flower auction at Aalsmeer and then drove us into the country to see tulips in the fields. He was absolutely delightful and provided us with many helpful observations and suggestions. Another trip highlight was our guide, Tamara who led us on a 3-hour private cycling tour in Rotterdam. Not only was she informative, but she had a wonderful sense of humor!
In Amsterdam, Mieke arranged tickets for us to visit the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. In Rotterdam, Mieke not only included the Cube Houses but also the Markthal. We marveled at the architecture of both. Our boat cruise of the Rotterdam harbor enabled us to have a unique view of the one of the world's busiest ports.
No visit to the Netherlands would be complete with a visit to windmills - Mieke arranged for us to see both the mills in Schiedam and those in Kinderdijk.
Besides our scheduled activities, Mieke provided us with numerous tips and suggestions of places to eat and explore in each city.
We cannot than Mieke enough for a wonderful trip to the Netherlands! Her thoroughness and attention to even the smallest detail was simply amazing!
Hotel Reviews
This hotel is conveniently located near the central train station. The staff was helpful and our room was clean and comfortable. The only drawback was that our stay coincided with a very warm spring day and the window in our room opened to another building only 6-7 feet away. As such, airflow was greatly reduced and our room was quite warm. Other than that, we would defintely recommend the Singel.
The Hotel Corps de Garde is a charming, characterful small hotel conveniently located just on the edge of the city center just opposite a canal. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and provided exceptional service. Our room had beams and a window overlooking the canal. Air conditioning as a welcome bonus. Best of all was the breakfast each morning served in the pleasant dining room overlooking the canal. Breakfast included eggs prepared to order, sliced meats and cheeses, a variety of breads and croissants, as well as cereals, fruit, juice and coffee or tea.
This is a large hotel located in the city center. Our room was on the ground floor with a door to a courtyard seating area. Unfortunately, this proved to be quite noisy in the evening. Additionally, the men in the room next to us were easily heard through the wall which kept us awake until 2 a.m. While the bathroom was spacious and clean, the rest of the room looked "tired" and in need of updating. The carpet was not clean. The redeeming aspect of this hotel was the breakfast buffet that provided a wide variety in a top-floor dining room with a commanding view of the city.
We had asked to have a room no higher than the third floor since we do not use elevators. Upon our arrival we were informed that our room was on the sixth floor. Although the hotel was fully booked, they were able to accommodate us on the fourth floor and even upgraded us to a comfort room. We were amazed at the size of the room - large by American standards, but positively palatial for Europe! Our room had a king-sized bed, a seating area with tv, a refrigerator, and a spacious bathroom. Breakfast was included for which we were provided 10 euro vouchers per person with which we could select a variety of breakfast pastries, juice, smoothies, cereal, coffee, tea, yogurt, and miscellaneous. The hotel staff were friendly and accommodating. We greatly enjoyed our time at The James.
Although this appears to be a somewhat non-descript hotel from the exterior, the interior is a highly polished with a modern, clean design. Many of the ground floor furnishings appear to be Herman Miller Eames design. Our hotel room was "pocket-size" but well-appointed with an i-Pad to operate the window shades and even the color of the lighting! Fun and funky decor and our room was spotlessly clean. Breakfast the next morning was buffet-style and included a wide variety of both hot and convenient grab & go options.
Activity Reviews
![Public Transport Pass Amsterdam](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/71b85211f5b2a1ccf6bab76dd39e53347d3b123c/original-c18d93c1c85676b69f0a4338dd427ecd.jpg)
It allowed us to hop on and off busses, trains, subways and even a water taxi.
![Aalsmeer Flower Auction](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/673b98ae6ce2c65f74efb06c41f233ad4ef945f6/original-7087897ba6f931cb9d6cb17e369584bf.jpg)
The sheer volume of flowers that are moved through this huge facility in a highly orchestrated fashion is nothing short of amazing. And the flowers were varied and beautiful!
![Rotterdam - Private Guided Cycle Tour](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/e2cc0ae2f9ab99d04e5c3777fcf2ebd3fb2d77f8/medium-618fcd7e1158783fc4892e95a61d54c0.jpg)
Tamara, our guide, was informative and had a lively sense of humor. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with her!
![Rotterdam - harbor boat tour](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/4418178421090898298d3d186c203f8bf83ab30e/medium-15101c1f19ee5b0ef0379ba3b3ccbf8f.jpg)
The tour gave us the opportunity to see one of the world's busiest ports in action from a vantage point that we would not otherwise have had.
![Mieke](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/1d75ed8bbaa2607fd7e16ed25f3b3000589f0b83/thumb-7cdbcdb1151747c3fe36db0c6e0dc622.jpg)
Dear Jan & family, Thank you for taking the time to review your trip. Glad you have enjoyed and have survived climbing the Martini tower in Groningen and spending time with your family here.
Your feedback about the different hotels is also very valuable for us, thank you so much!
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke