mkchris
Traveller
20 comments
Posted 13 years ago
Hi,
Getting a bit stressed out looking for places in Amsterdam!
I've managed to find some hostels which are reasonably priced (about 25 EUR) if I book now, but it seems that all places book up really quick - and what's left gets bumped up in price as people are prepared to pay it. If I leave it late it could end up about 40 EUR per night to share in a dorm with 20 people!
I'd rather decide a couple of days before rather than commit now (looking to go there 7th/8th Aug), but am aware that I could end up with a situation where I can't find anything affordable.
Can anyone recommend anywhere as an alternative destination. Not overly worried about the red light district and 'cafe culture' but would like to see a good example of a Dutch city as I've never been to the Netherlands. Or possibly I could stay outside Amsterdam, and travel in to visit. Or maybe a night in Amsterdam and a night outside which would give a bit of variety?
Utrecht, Haarlem or Delft maybe?
Cheers,
Chris.
Hetman
Traveller
364 comments
Delft is nice. there is an old royal manufacture of porcelain. also is near to Hague.
my friends, which lived some months in Holland say that Amsterdam is not so interesting. but i have not been there so i can not to agree
however i have been to above mentioned 2 cities and i liked :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Another vote for Delft.
The train network in the Netherlands is excellent; there are frequent connections during the day and also a hourly night network between the most important cities. So you can stay as long as you want in Amsterdam and can then return to your hostel in Delft anytime. :)
nltrainer
Traveller
1405 comments
AFAIK-and I have been to lyceum there, there is no hostel in Delft.
There is agood one, StayOkay in Den Haag-with 4-6 trains/hr to AMSterdam and the other way-delft Rotterdam too, some 200 mtrs away from the Den haag HS (=Hollandse Spoor, NOT CS=central) station. StayOkay is the same as the official YHA in the UK or DJH in DE etc.-all on hihostels.com. Den haag-Ams takes 45-50 mins by train, on 2 different routes (via schiphol-boring) or via Haarlem-right beside the flowerbulbfields, which are now out of season though.
There is an interesting YH in ROTTerdam-steps from BLAAK small station in the sonamed KUBUSwoningen=flats, that are 6-sides and bend down and were at a time an arcitectual curiosity.
Other towns with a semblance of an old-style inner centre in NL; Alkmaar, HAARLEM, Leiden, Breda, den Bosch.
Delft is a student town (technical uni-many foreign students) but about dead in summertime.