Amsterdam, Haarlem, Day 1

Haarlem – arrival day

20 hours after leaving our front door we arrived in Haarlem and our first our impressions – it’s what we hoped for. Charming Dutch city without obvious tourist entrapments and of course bicycles everywhere!

A short walk from the train to our Airbnb

Bikes are aggressive. They say pedestrians stay away if bikepath is red. – red is dead. Well… Everything is red!

This is in the train station so bikes can roll down the stairs.

We have been to Spain several times in the past couple of years. Well…. this is not like Spain. Haarlem has another special unique charm.

It is so flat that bikes make perfect sense. Just don’t get in their way!

This is a peaceful residential area with lots of restaurants around the corner – about a block from our Airbnb.

Btw- the train from the airport to Haarlem was super easy. 7 euros each. Haarlem has all the beauty of the Netherlands without crowd/tourist craziness of Amsterdam. It is also about half the cost!

Day 1

Today we took the train to Amsterdam for our day at the Van Gogh museum. If you want to impress your friends Van Gogh is pronounced Van Goke not Van Go.

Amsterdam itself was very touristy and too crowded for our liking.

Waiting for the tram to take us to the Van Gogh museum

Getting this picture meant squeezing through too many tourists

The museum overall was great. We got in before the tourist rush and when we left the entry line was long.

The pie was very good. The actual restaurant was so-so

Cannels are bigger in Amsterdam and full of tourists

Back in Haarlem – for day 1

We were glad to get back to Haarlem. Even though Haarlem is also large it is much more peaceful with smaller streets and less traffic. Although perhaps more bikes!

Wonderful dinner spot far from the tourist area and crowded with locals.

Day 2 – Staying in Haarlem

Stay tuned….. Go to the newest blog entry for Day 2. This entry is getting too lang

Our Essential Amsterdam and Haarlem Itinerary

After landing in Amsterdam, we’re committed to a deep dive into Dutch history and culture, starting with the relaxed charm of Haarlem before tackling the major sites in Amsterdam.

It’s been a logistical challenge, but we’re set for an incredible few days before we head off to Germany!

The Itinerary

Day	Destination & Key Activities	Planning Notes
Arrival	Travel Day: Train from AMS airport to our base in Haarlem.	A smooth start, settling in away from the city hustle.
Day 1	Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum, then a required stop for authentic Dutch apple pie at Café ‘t Papeneiland. Return to Haarlem in the evening.	Classic art and a legendary treat!
Day 2	Haarlem: Corrie Ten Boom House (Our top priority for the day). If time allows: Teylers Museum and Frans Hals Museum.	Must-See: Getting tickets for the Corrie Ten Boom House was incredibly difficult, but a must-do.
Day 3	Amsterdam: Anne Frank House. If time allows: Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Lord in the Attic).	Major Feat: Securing Anne Frank House tickets required setting an alarm 6 weeks ago for 1 AM—they were sold out five minutes later!
Day 4	Off to Germany!	Ready for the next adventure.

That completes our structured time in the Amsterdam area. We’ve managed to lock in access to two of the most historically significant, high-demand spots in all of the Netherlands!

Tomorrow, the train leaves for Germany, and we are ready for a change of pace.