# Trip to Holland



## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Good Evening, thinking of taking our campervan across to Holland next Easter or May half term. We are bound by school holidays as my wife works in education. Does anyone have any tips on good campsites on the west cast between Delft and Leiden or should we venture further in land.
This is our first time every taking our van into Europe so would appreciate any good advice given


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Holland has a huge variety of sites, I'd not recommend any in particular as what we need isn't necessarily going to be the same as you and your Lady want, but there are CC and C&CC sites over there if you are members, or just look here and get your ACSI Card before you go:

http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/netherlands/

Stena are the obvious choice for the crossing, we use them every year:

http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/

Peter


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## Hymie (May 9, 2005)

*Holland*

Hi Windmill,

We have stayed at:

http://www.koningshof.co.uk/camping/ plenty of times - really friendly people, nice facilities and a nice small indoor swimming pool with a safe area for children - its about a 15-20 minute stroll into the town of Rijnsburg.

Nearer the coast is:

http://www.delftsehout.nl/ we have noy stayed here but i have heard it is v nice.

Its quite a long drive via calais - but its much shorter if you travel Harwich - Hook Of Holland.

If you have bikes make sure to take them if you can - bike paths everywhere - you can hire for a reasonable cost at koningshof.

Happy Travels


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## Hymie (May 9, 2005)

*Holland*

Hi Windmill,

We have stayed at:

http://www.koningshof.co.uk/camping/ plenty of times - really friendly people, nice facilities and a nice small indoor swimming pool with a safe area for children - its about a 15-20 minute stroll into the town of Rijnsburg.

Nearer the coast is:

http://www.delftsehout.nl/ we have noy stayed here but i have heard it is v nice.

Its quite a long drive via calais - but its much shorter if you travel Harwich - Hook Of Holland.

If you have bikes make sure to take them if you can - bike paths everywhere - you can hire for a reasonable cost at koningshof.

Happy Travels


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Many Thanks Peter, we are C&CC members but found their site difficult to follow. I see Stena go from Harwich to Hook of Holland which would cut down on traveling time. We have looked at the ACSI cards, however they appear to be a great benefit if you can travel out of season, unfortunateley we are tied to school holidays.


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Thank you Hymie, the Koningshof was on my list of possibilities, so thank you for your recommendation. We do have bikes and intend taking them. I assume when booking a ferry you have to include the bikes in the total length.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

We use Harwich to Hook every year, twice some years, and find the break from driving quite a benefit.

You can also pay £10 extra and have the facility to change bookings and not have any further to pay, which we have used a few times, it also allows last-minute cancellations with refunds on a sliding scale.

There is a real benefit to you and us, as it is all dual-carriageway apart from the last 20 miles or so to Harwich, and the first 5 miles or so out of Hook.

You'll enjoy Holland, and nearly all services sell autogas, including the one 1/4 mile from the ferry terminal on 'your' side of the road, the pump is at the start of the right-hand row.

Peter


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks Peter, would you know if the school holidays in Holland coincide with British holidays, and if so are there any good/bad times to travel

Michael


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

I know their Whitsun is different to ours, as that's when we go over, this coming year it is 8th June, this year it was in May.

School holiday dates:

http://www.holidays-info.com/School-Holidays-Holland/2014/school_holidays_holland_2014.html

Coming out of Hook of Holland on the Friday before Whitsun is always a bad day, the roads are pretty much full to bursting. We travel Wednesday night and get there early Thursday, so we are on site by Thursday afternoon.

Peter


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks for that Peter, this all helps to making it a good trip
Regards Michael


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## chermic (Feb 15, 2013)

We have stayed at Delftse Houte and its a lovely site. The C&CC have a rally there over the Easter period and they run coaches to Kirkenoff and a Flower Festival and bulb fields.

It is very popular and usually 'the regulars' get in the rally field but you get the same deal with a 'proper' pitch with elec in another part of the site. Also if you go with them it is almost half price.

The town of Delft is lovely and you must try their Kibling. There is an Ikea just a short bike ride away that does a 1e breakfast. 

I would go back there like a shot, but we have now been 3 times and OH prefers to go elsewhere now.


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi,

Easter is late next year April 20th so may coincide with the excellent flower festival at Noordwijkhout which we visited around that date a couple of year's ago. It's on the coast a bit north of Leiden and the procession lasts all day and passes Keukenhof which will be at its best then (and busy!)

Campsites will be booked up early and no ACSI discounts available around those dates.

We enjoyed a few days there It was sunny but very windy on the coast. Leiden was a quite interesting town.

here's a link to our website:
Netherlands in 2012

Hope you have a good time

Steve


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Hi Chermic, we have seen the rally advertised on the C&CC website, however we like to travel independantly, so may end up poaching a few ideas.  Deltse Houte was one of the sites we had been looking at, so thank you for the recommendation. Still not yet decided whether to go at easter or May bank holiday, assume the flowers are still in blume at the end of May.
Michael


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Hi Steve, thank you for the link to your website, just the type of things we want to be doing. Is the flower festival weekend over the Easter weekend, if so that will make us decide when to go.

Thanks
Michael


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## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

woodmill said:


> Many Thanks Peter, we are C&CC members but found their site difficult to follow. I see Stena go from Harwich to Hook of Holland which would cut down on traveling time. We have looked at the ACSI cards, however they appear to be a great benefit if you can travel out of season, unfortunateley we are tied to school holidays.


Hi Woodmill, don't worry about the Easter/May dates as this is often in their low season and the discounted rates apply on many of their sites. Have a look on their website. You can search the discounted sites and see which ones are available for your dates. Generally the savings are quite substantial.

Gary.


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## acctutor (Oct 3, 2009)

*Holland trip*

Hi,

Would thoroughly recommend Delft - lovely pizza house in Brabantse Turftmark just off the main square, you can walk in from the main camp site - beware low bridge on the approach to the camp site, we cheated and drove through the bus lane in front of Ikea - luckily didn't see a bus!!! - there were only four an hour - so the odds are in your favour.

Excellent cycle lanes, Leiden has a superb windmill in the middle of the town that you can climb up and see all the old mechanism.

Have stayed in the area regularly since 1980's - brilliant place

Bill & Patsy


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Hi Bill & Patsy, thank you for your advise and suggestions, all sounds very exciting, can't wait to get things rolling

Michael


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## mfa (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi

We travelled north along the Dutch coast last Easter over towards the German/Danish border and took in some great places. Our first site was in Lauwersoog, adjacent to a lake and the sea, which allowed us to go across the Afsluitdijk road/dam (E22) from Den Oever. There is a resting place and small cafe in the middle with some history of how and why it was built. Everywhere is flat so good cycling with little traffic on the roads and we found you didn't need to book ahead at each site. 

Cheers



Mark


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi,

Found it here

Bloemencorso

on 3rd May in 2014

We stayed at Camping Le Parage at Noordwijkhout but luckily booked in advance for the flower festival weekend when ACSI discounts weren't available

Steve


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Hi all, just thought I would give you an up-date on our trip this Easter to the Netherlands.

Booked the ferry crossing with Stena from Harwich to Hook of Holland, went for the daytime crossing leaving at 9.00 am and arriving at 16.45pm, with this being a fairly late arrival we have booked the first campsite at Hoeve Bouwlust which is 20km from H of H and just south of Delft.

We will spend a couple of nights here before we head north via Gouda to Amsterdam where we have booked Gaasper camping for 3 nights so we have a chance to explore the local area and attractions.

We have then booked 1 nights stay at Delftse Hout for our last night in the Netherlands where we have planned to meet up with some friends.

We now have 4 nights, between Gaasper and Delftse Hout for doing a bit of touring, does anyone know of some good places to visit and chill-out. We do not mind going from campsite to campsite or if we find a good one, stay there for the 4 days. 

Kind Regards,
Michael & Julie


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

woodmill said:


> Hi all, just thought I would give you an up-date on our trip this Easter to the Netherlands.
> 
> Booked the ferry crossing with Stena from Harwich to Hook of Holland, went for the daytime crossing leaving at 9.00 am and arriving at 16.45pm, with this being a fairly late arrival we have booked the first campsite at Hoeve Bouwlust which is 20km from H of H and just south of Delft.
> 
> ...


In April you'll still be in time to see the Keukenhof Gardens at Lisse. If you like tulips, flowers, parks this is a spectacular site. Look up their website.

Best way to see Amsterdam in a day is on the canal boats. Terminus in town centre.

Also recommend Zaanse Schans not far from Amsterdam. An authentic Dutch village to walk around and see how things were. Bit touristy but a nice day out if the weather is nice. Windmills, cheese factory, clog factory, hareng etc etc.

Hoge Veluwe national park and Kroller-Muller Museum (Van Gogh artworks). Free bikes on site to scoot around the park.

Haarlem is an authentic town more than 800 years old. Very attractive. Holland has the nicest atmosphere, genteel and friendly people and almost all speak English to some degree.

NB

Travelling by bus/tram requires a pre-paid (Oyster type) card you can get one from campsite but remember to load it with some euros before you set off for the bus/tram stop.

Check campsite prices in season... I got caught - I paid more than E50 a night for 1 person and MH in Whitsun holidays a couple of years ago, albeit for a fairly nice campsite. Most I have ever paid in 5 years anywhere in Europe/UK.


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Many thanks HermanHymer alot there for me to digest and research. All the campsites we have booked so far are to agreed and confirmed prices, so should not get any supprises there.

Keukenhof Gardens were on our list of possibilities, and we do like the sounds of Zaanse Schans

Once again thank you for your ideas and advice

Michael and Julie


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We loved Holland

everywhere was so immaculate and the people very friendly 

It's a cyclists paradise except for one thing, the wind is always against you,especially on the Islands which are beautiful

we gaily pedalled about 15 miles effortlessly and then turned to come back 8O. almost missed the ferry it was like 15 miles up hill

holland was the reason we bought electric bikes :lol: :lol: 

have a great time

aldra


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks Aldra, we will be taking our bikes with us. if we travel in a big circle hopefully the wind will be with us.
Can't wait until Easter

Michael and Julie


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## brockley (Mar 6, 2009)

If you can stretch it to the 26th April, King's Day would be well worth worth staying on for, especially in Amsterdam. Carnival time


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

We go 5th June, the engine show is 8th and 9th, then we leave the trailers with the engines at Nuenen and drive to Nice and back in the two Discoveries, camping both ways.

Collect engijnes etc on the way back and then sail back on the 24th.

It's difficult to recommend things to other people as you don't know what they like, but there are a lot of things, museums, fun parks etc etc.

Most campsites have a selection of leaflets for local and national attractions in reception, grab a few and have a read.

Peter


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## woodmill (Jun 8, 2013)

Well!!! just got back from a fantastic 10 day trip to Holland, weather was excellent, food fabulous, people we met delightful and friendly.
We started and finished at Delft which is a fantastic place to visit and would recommend the Delftse Hout camping site, very close to the town centre which is within walking or cycling distance.
Traveled down to Kinderdijk to see all the windmills which is a great place, had a picnic by the canals and fed the ducks.
Then back up to Amsterdam for the museums, canal cruise and good food.
Finished off with 4 days in Arnhem for some chill-out time, very good campsite Hooge Veluwe right on the edge of their National Forest, good cycling with some small hills.
Never driven a vehicle abroad before, and found the driving a pleasant experience, just need to drive with a little caution.

An absolutely fantastic time and would recommend to anyone who has not yet plucked up the courage to venture abroad.

Michael & Julie


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## skippy1965 (Mar 21, 2014)

*holidays*

we stayed at dunriell its a great site for adults and kids look it up


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