The Essential Day Trips from Amsterdam by Train

Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands, is an exciting and fun city. While visiting Amsterdam, you can experience lots of fascinating aspects of the Dutch culture, by exploring the city’s many museums and other attractions, or just by walking around. Yet, venturing a little outside of Amsterdam gives you a vaster view to this egalitarian, diverse, and industrious society.

Doing day trips from Amsterdam by train is actually one of the loveliest ways to get to know a bit more of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is located close to the North Sea, and so there are some amazing coastal locations you can easily get to by train. The public transportation system is pretty great in the Netherlands, and extensive.

Using the capital as a base you can explore stunning historic towns and cities, admire modern Dutch architecture, or visit traditional villages with windmills and factories where you can learn about the local history and traditions.

I find train travel in the Netherlands highly comfortable – and the trains are usually well on time, something that for someone like me, having lived much of my life in African countries, is a rare luxury. I suggest noting one thing though; striking is common in the Netherlands, and the train network is sometimes affected.

But there are so many places to explore and directions to go from Amsterdam, you’ll likely always have options for wonderful, exciting day trips.

Picturesque Haarlem

The historic town of Haarlem is one of my favorite trips to do from Amsterdam. It is close by – the trip here by train takes only about fifteen minutes. However, it’s easy to spend a whole day in this fascinating city. I actually find Haarlem to be one of the prettiest and most walkable Dutch towns I’ve visited.

Haarlem is a historic sea port, and it has a lot of quaint neighborhoods, cute cobble stone streets, and beautiful, traditional, Dutch gabled buildings. At Haarlem centre, the Grote Markt is a stunning square in itself, surrounded by historic buildings such as the City Hall and the Grote Kerk. Both date back to the medieval times. I can highly recommend visiting the Windmill de Adriaan by the river, a place that is quite stunning and compelling in the Haarlem city view.

The windmill has a lovely museum inside, and you can join a guided tour or even combine a windmill visit with a boat tour. Another museum worth visiting is Teylers Museum. It is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, operating since 1784, and its varied, interesting exhibitions range from fossils to art.

Haarlem is known for shopping, too. There are streets lined with both brand stores and characterful antique stores, as well as enchanting small boutiques. On Mondays and Saturdays, there’s a really lovely market happening in Haarlem where local farmers and craftspeople sell their goods and products.

You can also stop by at charming pubs and cafés for something to eat or drink. Uiltje Bar is one of my favorites; they were the first craft beer place in Haarlem.

Coastal town Zandvoort – one of the loveliest day trips from Amsterdam by train

Zandvoort is a fabulous beach and sand dune area just half an hour from Amsterdam by train, and actually very close to Haarlem. I’d still recommend it as its own day trip from Amsterdam; what with both town areas and nature to explore, it is easy to spend a whole day here. What I love about Zandvoort is how close to the capital city this kind of a sandy beach actually is.

Mind you, the beaches in the Netherlands, albeit often white and sandy, are not quite the tropical beaches you may have seen elsewhere. Rather, the Dutch beaches are known for their winds and desolateness; the colors of the water often reflect the color of the sky – that is, grey. Yet, in the summer, Zandvoort attracts hordes of excited visitors. And even in the winter, the place is pretty to see.

I really love just walking along the sandy beaches of Zandvoort. You can buy snacks such as traditional Dutch kibbeling from food trucks lining the coast. Or, you could stop for lunch at one of the many fabulous restaurants found here. I can recommend at least Tijn Akersloot. It is a popular place so it often gets quite busy, but I greatly enjoy their food and I really like their terrasse by the sea. The streets of Zandvoort town are also lined with some picturesque buildings, and nice cafés.

One of the best places for exploring the dunes is Zuid-Kennemerland national park just to the north-east of Zandvoort town. Its grassland-dune landscape is home to wildlife such as konik horses, Scottish Highlander cows, and even the European bison. I highly recommend taking a hike there if you have time during your day trip.

You could also visit Water Supply Dunes a bit south-west from the town. This somewhat drier area has both woodlands and dunes. It is also home to many animals, such as deer, foxes, and hares – and of course seagulls and other birds that you’ll find in the region all year round.

Den Haag, the City of Peace – and Scheveningen beach

I find Den Haag is one of the must options in terms of day trips from Amsterdam by train. This coastal city has lots of really cool things about it: for one thing, it is the home place of the Royal Dutch Family. Also, the seat of the Parliament is here, as well as the International Criminal Court. Peace Palace, a beautiful building in itself, is home to the UN International Seat of Justice.

Apart from these features that lend the city its nickname, “City of Peace“, Den Haag is also close to Amsterdam – just under an hour by train – making it a fabulous day trip destination. Den Haag is beautiful and pleasant; I love just walking around there. The Passage is a gorgeous, covered shopping street, and Mauritshuis Museum is well worth visiting. One of my personal favorite paintings, Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring, is at this museum, along with a significant collection of Rembrandt’s paintings.

Apart from city fun, Den Haag also has one of the greatest beaches of the Netherlands. The lively resort area, Scheveningen beach, is walking distance away from the city centre. It is one of the top places of the country in terms of entertainment and dining. You’ll find a movie theatre and a casino here, as well as lovely cafés and restaurants.

In winter, Scheveningen is a place to be for those who enjoy vast views and chilly Nordic winds. But in the summer, as the Netherlands enjoys some warmth and sun, the beach here actually turns into quite a beach paradise, with the usual sun loungers, umbrellas, and cocktail bars, and of course thousands of visitors.

Rotterdam

The second largest city in the Netherlands makes for a fabulous day trip from Amsterdam. The train journey here takes about 40-45 minutes, leaving you a full day to explore this magnificent city by the river Meuse – also sometimes called the “Manhattan on the Meuse”.

Rotterdam is perhaps best known for its massive and economically important harbor, as well as for its contemporary architecture. After having been almost fully destroyed during World War II, the city was restored to and beyond its former glory. These days, you can still admire historic buildings – and, funny enough, curious street art – at the Delfshaven old harbor area.

In many other parts of Rotterdam, you can explore some pretty fascinating modern buildings that reflect the Dutch ingenuity and creativity. One of the most popular places to visit are the Cube Houses, with their unusual shapes and colors. Erasmus Bridge is well known as an iconic landmark of Rotterdam. I also really like the Market Hall – its design is mesmerizing, and the vast hall contains an amazing diversity of shops and restaurants.

As many other Dutch cities, Rotterdam also has a great focus on sustainability and circular economy. The city has lots of parks, and interesting places that combine sustainability with clever economics – the harbor being one of these exploratory hubs these days. I can highly recommend taking a walking tour in Rotterdam, to allow a local to tell you about the various fascinating initiatives and architectural sights of the city.

And as to lunch, if you’d like to enjoy a meal with a view, I’d suggest trying Celest at Zalmhaven Tower. From there, you’ll have gorgeous views over Rotterdam. Their cocktail bar is really great as well. Or, if you’d like something rather cozy, Restaurant Tosca is really atmospheric and their Mediterranean-Dutch meals are superb.

Zaanse Schans and the windmills

As far as day trips from Amsterdam by train go, Zaanse Schans is one of the most pleasant ones. It is just about 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam, and it is a fantastic place to experience Dutch tradition and history. Zaanse Schans contains several 18th and 19th century windmills that have been brought here to help re-create a historic Dutch milieu. You can visit many of these different kinds of windmills, and learn about their structures and operation.

I really enjoy visiting this fun and educational place, although it can get quite busy here as Zaanse Schans is popular amongst visitors. Apart from the windmills, I highly recommend popping into some of the factories, museums, and shops of Zaanse Schans. They portray many aspects of the historical industrialization of the Netherlands.

The bakery museum is heavenly with its sweet smells and sights, and you can sample cheeses at a cheese factory or see how cogs are made at a local workshop. There’s a really lovely pancake café at Zaanse Schans that I can highly recommend for a lunch spot.

Arnhem – a town for creatives in the green heart of the Netherlands

This city in central Netherlands is about an hour away from Amsterdam by train. As I’ve studied at a university nearby, I’ve spent many a moment on a train between Amsterdam and Arnhem. The train station here is highly modern, and busy; it is a connecting point to many other areas of the Netherlands, and also neighboring countries such as Germany.

Arnhem is yet another wonderfully walkable town – or you could rent a bike for exploring it. There are beautiful parks, such as Sonsbeek park, just minutes from the central train station. Arnhem has traditionally been a creatives’ hub. It is home to the fantastic ArtEZ art and fashion school, and there are many theatres and fascinating museums in Arnhem. I especially enjoy the contemporary and often thought-provoking exhibitions at Arnhem Museum.

The Modekwartier is an interesting area with lots of studios and galleries of artists and craftspeople. And Oosterbeek is lovely to visit, a bit to the west from the city centre, with lots of nice little boutiques and cafés. One café I can highly recommend there is Puur coffee shop, with its laid-back atmosphere and lovely coffees and treats.

The city of Arnhem is also located in what is called the green heart of the Netherlands. Arnhem is considered a gateway to the country’s most-loved national park, Hoge Veluwe. On the outskirts of Arnhem, you’ll also find Burger Zoo. Although one can have various opinions about zoos, this one is really quite beautiful, and educational. The zoo consists of various re-created ecosystems such as mangrove, desert, and savannah-like ecosystems. If you like seeing animals, it is a place worth a visit.

Utrecht

About a half-an-hour train ride away from Amsterdam lies Utrecht, a beautiful city of canals and culture. Utrecht is a busy student town, and partly for this reason it is full of fun little cafés and clubs. I love visiting the amazing Tivoli Vredenburg for concerts; they often receive internationally appreciated artists. The historic city centre looks a bit like that of Amsterdam with its many canals, boats, and gabled houses. In the spring months, the city’s gardens have beautiful flower displays.

I can recommend visiting the Dom Square, where you’ll also find the impressive Dom Tower. This iconic landmark is worth a visit for sure, to climb up and catch the views or to learn about the city’s interesting history. Utrecht, like some of the other places mentioned in this article, can well be enjoyed during a guided walking tour, and I can highly recommend this option.

One other reason for visiting Utrecht is that there are lots of really amazing restaurants in the city. Many cafés and restaurants are found in atmospheric locations by the canals or along pretty, narrow alleyways. Because Utrecht has a highly international population, the city’s restaurants reflect this as well.

You can find superb Asian food, Latin American food, or Middle Eastern food here, among many other options. Taamaraa Indian Restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat at in Utrecht. It’s a cozy, beautiful place, and the food is amazing.

Travel tip: A little bit outside of the city is a fairy-tale-like castle, Kasteel de Haar.

To get here, you’d need to travel by train direction Den Haag a few stops, and then still walk for about half an hour, or catch a bus the rest of the way. However, the trip is worth it. This truly is one place I hold in high regard – a fan of medieval times and castles as I am. This mesmerizing castle is amazing on the inside, and on the outside you can enjoy a walk through stunning gardens. If you’d like to see a really unique place, I’d recommend including this castle in your day trip from Amsterdam to Utrecht.

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