First Time Motorhoming in Holland
Hi Guys
We've covered quite a bit of Europe but 2020 we'll explore Holland in our 8m motorhome with bikes on board.
Your recommendations please:-
Places you would defintely visit, but no cities or large towns.
Any really good campsites or Aires close to places to visit.
T h a n k Y o u one & all.
Me x
Comments
-
Personally I would have thought it was the towns and cities that were the main points of interest in Holland? I suppose the bulb fields and Keukenhof Gardens would be worth considering but you have to be there fairly early in the year. Nuenen is worth a visit if you are a fan Of Vincent van Gogh but far better to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
David
1 -
-
I have lived in The Netherlands off and on for many years and my wife is Dutch. You might like the area of The Veluwe which is, broadly speaking, a forested area between Apeldoorn and Arnhem. There are many sites there as the Dutch view this area as a holiday location. It is not overly commercialised but has many interesting towns and places to visit. In no particular order to might like to consider some of the following (not all of which are, strictly speaking, in De Veluwe. (Each Dutch town has a tourist information office called the VVV where they are very helpful - all in perfect English. www.vvv.nl There are also several cycling maps of the Veluwe with almost all villages having cafes with outside terraces).
Elburg- small historic Hanseatic town. Hattem is similar
Zwolle - beautiful historic city
Apeldoorn. Nice town with Paleis Het Loo and park
Open Air Museum in Arnhem (which also has the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek)
Kroller Muller Park and (Art) Museum near Hoenderloo
There are just too many places to list. Superb public transport everywhere.
You might also like South Limburg near Maastricht and Valkenburg.
Hope this helps.
2 -
henniek, thank you. Seriously useful info.
0 -
Our last stay was in Delft.We were lucky with the weather and we liked the camp site.It had some lovely walking round a lake and was also only about 10 minutes walk from Delft itself which is a lovely small town.Public transport excellent.
1 -
Further to my previous note where I mentioned Hanseatic towns if you look at this link you will see others and they are, without exception, all great places to visit.
https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/holland-stories/hansa-towns.htm
I mentioned Maastricht and South Limburg but one of my favourites is also Groningen. It is perhaps a little isolated "up north" but it has its own charm and the city itself, being a university city, has a great buzz about it.
If I was advising friends to visit NL I would personally say enjoy the tourist sites if you like but to visit the real NL I would do:
Groningen
The Veluwe and quite a few of the Hanseatic towns listed. Paleis Het Loo and Park in Apeldoorn.
The Open Air and Airborne museums near Arnhem
The Kroller Muller Park and Art Gallery which is not at all "stuffy"
(Hilly) South Limburg with Maastricht being stunning
If you are staying in South Limburg it is easy to hop over the border into the Eifel area of Germany which is also great. Several Eifel caravan sites were handing out leaflets at the recent Caravan and Motorhome show. It's very nice near Niddegen.
You can cycle anywhere safely in NL on totally segregated cycle paths and can hire electric bikes just about everywhere. It would be a great shame not to visit and ride your bikes.
I am pretty sure that if you went to the places listed you would not be disappointed
1 -
Zeeland mainland. Superb region. Mainland at Cadzand or Breskens as a base, dozens of sites to chose from, plenty of small towns around.
Zeeland Walcheren island try Zoutelande, Dishoek, Westkapelle, Domburg, Renesse, Veere (possibly the best).
This area is totally sorted for RVs, dozens of sites and never had a bad one. Many on or near beaches, towns are small and roads are superb. The dutch really know how to run sites. Miles and miles of beach with a restaurant every mile or so, walk or cycle everywhere, quiet, relaxed sort of place.
Dont know if you have a dog but the most dog friendly place we have been.
2 -
We've been lucky to have had some wonderful holidays in The Netherlands. The Zeeland area is flat and wonderful for bikes and sandy beaches.
Groningen area, as previously mentioned, is also interesting. They have quite a few nature reserves in the whole NW area. In summer try the islands such as Texel, catching a ferry from the mainland. Good for birds. As are the islands off the coast of Groningen, which stretch around to Germany.
The Limburg area is a bit hillier but Valkenburg and Maastricht are worth visiting. You'll find the Dutch train service to be excellent for access.
One thing not mentioned is that there are a few sites that won't allow M/Hs to be taken off site during your anticipated stay or they may ask you to stay in a certain area, away from the car free caravan pitches. Not many sites do this but we have come across it. In fact the last 2 we stayed at in Limburg both had vehicular restrictions.
The Dutch are excellent hosts and we look forward to returning soon, perhaps having 2 weeks in Autumn.
1 -
Arendshorst camping site in East Holland is a great place to stay if you want to do lots of cycling. The Dutch are buildin more cycle tracks that go through the countryside rather than nest to roads. From the site there are 2 directions of new cycle path that takes you through fields, meadows and rivers. We have been to Holland cycling for over 20 years. We always stay in the countryside. There are always small towns to cycle to and if you want a day out in the city go on the train or car.
1
