HOLLAND IN SPRINGTIME
09 April 2023
4 Days / 3 Nights
Golden Tulip / Tulip Inn Leiden
£635 per person sharing
£150 supp for single room
SORRY - NOW FULLY BOOKED
What’s included:
• Return flights Belfast – Amsterdam
• Hand luggage allowance – See below for details
• Return transportation by train direct to hotel
• 3 nights at the Golden Tulip / Tulip Inn Leiden
• Bed & breakfast with two evening meals
• Full day excursion by coach to Keukenhof
• Full-day excursion to Amsterdam with guided walking tour (2 hours approx)
• Canal-cruise
• Escorted throughout by Alan Couser
• Tips to dining staff.
• Full ATOL Protection.
Please note that some of the detail may change slightly.
Flight details:
09 Apr 2023 Easyjet EJU 7834
Dep. Belfast Int’l 6.45pm Arr. Amsterdam 9.20pm
127 April 2023 Easyjet EJU 7833
Dep. Amsterdam 5.35pm Arr. Belfast Int’l 6.15pm
Baggage allowance 1 piece hand luggage per person
(Max dims. 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. No weight limit)
See below for details
Hotel details:
4* Golden Tulip Hotel, Leiden.
A modern, first-class hotel located right in the heart of Leiden, offering speedy transportation to the centre of Amsterdam, the airport and the gardens of Keukenhof.. The restaurant offers a superb breakfast and dinner and you will definitely not be disappointed. There are also various other food outlets just outside the hotel. Each hotel room has air-con / heating and offer tea/coffee facilities and minibar, flat-screen TV and modern bathroom with walk-in shower.
Tour Details:
Sunday, 09th April 2023 – Arrive Amsterdam 9.20pm
After arrival at Amsterdam Airport, we will transfer by train directly to the hotel, which is opposite the station. Journey time is around 20 minutes.
Due to the lateness of the hour, we highly recommend you having something to eat either prior to your flight or during it. For “late birds” there is a host or restaurants, bars and take-aways within a few minutes of the hotel for a late-night snack or drink. There are also great outlets at Amsterdam airport, which you could visit quickly before the train journey.
Monday, 10th April 2023
Full-day visit to Keukenhof Flower Gardens
Monday is a good day to visit Keukenhof, as it gets unbelievably busy over the weekend. We will set off shortly after an early breakfast to beat the crowds, enabling you to enjoy as much time as you wish at the beautiful Keukenhof Gardens. Our journey is by regular shuttle bus from the station opposite direct to Keukenhof. You will spend about four or five hours there to enjoy the park, learning about its history and its current “raison d’etre”. Why not bring a picnic and enjoy it on one of the many benches, set amongst acres of flowers....or you can eat at one of the several cafes and restaurants, which are surprisingly quite well priced. Sit a while and lilt along to the music of the beautiful Amsterdam street organ.....and don’t forget to buy some bulbs! There will be a set time, around 2.00pm to travel back to Leiden with your guide, Alan. Or, you can stay as long as you wish and catch a suitable shuttle back to the hotel at your leisure.
Dinner is included this evening. Details to follow.
Tuesday, 11th April 2023
Full-day excursion to Amsterdam with Canal Cruise
Today we set off around 10.00 for the 35-minute ride by train to the centre of Amsterdam. On arrival, we will embark on a short walking tour lasting around two hours at a leisurely pace. Afterwards, you have several hours free time to explore, shop, visit a museum or just relax at a street-side café or bar and watch the world go by.
We will meet again around 5.00pm outside the Main Station (Centraal) to join a one-hour canal cruise.
After the cruise, Alan will take you to his secret dining venue, loved by locals and hardly known to tourists. Here you will enjoy a two-course evening meal (main and dessert). You can add a starter, if you wish, at your own cost.
After dinner, we will return to our hotel in Leiden.
(Please note: We may swap the order of canal cruise and dinner depending on reservations for both)
Wednesday, 12th April 2023. FREE Day
Optional excursion to Rotterdam
You have the morning free to enjoy the beautiful city of Leiden. Check-out time has to be confirmed but should be around 11.00am / 12.00 noon. Leave your bags at the hotel and have a bite of lunch before catching the train straight to the airport. You may wish to join us on a morning visit to Rotterdam or spend the morning under your own steam in Amsterdam.
Rotterdam
We depart after breakfast for the short journey to Rotterdam Central, where we’ll deposit our luggage, as we return from here non-stop, straight to the airport.
Rotterdam was flattened during the second World War but re-emerged as one of the busiest port cities in Europe. For many years it was rather lifeless but in recent times it has exploded into a “happening” city, with exciting architecture, great street life and riverside action. One of the most magnificent market halls in the world has been built here, with great spots for food and drink. Join a guided walking tour at 10.30am (2 hours, €10) or simply relax and enjoy your day in this amazing city. Our train returns to the airport at around 2.30pm (30 minutes journey), leaving plenty of time for check-in, airport shopping or something to eat.
Amsterdam on your own (£10 extra for train)
If you would prefer another day in Amsterdam, this may be an opportunity to visit one of its famous museums, such as Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum.
Anne Frank House CAN ONLY be booked on their website, two months in advance. We do not make the bookings but you can do so at www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets
Notes:
Luggage:
As this tour is only for three nights and only casual clothes are required, we have priced this holiday based on “Hand Luggage Only”. We will fly with Easyjet and we have included a generous hand-luggage allowance. Everyone is allowed one piece of luggage, with maximum dimensions of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. There is no weight limit but you must be able to put all your belongings into it. A small handbag also permitted.
Save £30. If you are travelling as a couple and can manage with just one piece of luggage, as above, we’ll knock £30 off your fare.
Dress Code. This is a very casual tour, so no need to dress up. Evening dining is also casual. Good walking shoes are essential, as is wet-weather gear in case we are unlucky to encounter some Dutch rain. It makes the flowers grow!
Tipping. Tips for the waiting staff in the hotel and the restaurant staff have been included in the cost of your holiday. It is, however, customary to leave a tip in your room for cleaning staff, approx €3 per person, per day (€9 - €10 for the weekend). This is by no means compulsory and is at your own discretion. It is also customary to leave a small tip 50C/€1 for the captain of the canal cruise boat. If you order a drink or a meal at a café or restaurant, a tip of approximately 5 - 10% is appreciated.
Bicycles – VERY IMPORTANT
There are more bikes than people in Amsterdam and in the Netherlands, in general! On the cycle-lanes, which are well marked and usually red in colour, they have right of way over pedestrians and cars, etc. If you get knocked down or injured on one of these cycle lanes, it is deemed as your fault and, if the cyclist is injured or his/her bike damaged, you could be held liable. We simply urge extreme caution
Security of valuables. Amsterdam is full of tourists and, where there are tourists, there are pickpockets. We urge you to use the safe in the hotel for all your valuables and only carry the bare essentials. What you carry with you should be kept in an inside pocket or a double-zipped enclosure in your handbag. Once again, we simply urge caution.
