Heading off to Duinrell at start of August for a week with the kids (13 and 17), following a week in France. Apart from getting taxi lifts from stanton, is there anything else worth doing there? Will probably head to Den Haag and Amsterdam whilst there but wondered if there is any good pump tracks for the bikes/good cycle routes? I'm guessing the cycle routes will be excellent but just want to know if ones worth doing in the area. Do a wee bit of mountain biking, so wondered if any places worth going to? Also, is the indoor ski slope worth hitting?
Have only driven through Holland on way back from Austria a couple of times and spent a week there with the BB back in the 80's at Noordwijk aan Zee, so know virtually nothing about the area. Also would it be worth taking the golf clubs in the car - I'm used to playing links golf in Fife, so it it's not up to that standard, then no point in taking the clubs.
Thanks folks
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hi @boabski,
I took my family to Duinrell a few years back. I can't answer many of your questions but I'll try.
Duinrell is on the edge of a hill. Not a big hill, but you might find some tracks. We didn't have bikes with us on the holiday so I didn't go looking for trails.
The Duinrell camp site itself is OK, although we found it a bit noisy. We enjoyed the pool and slides more than the rollercoasters, some of the waterslides are very fast!
The nearby town is nice enough, nothing special but a pleasant walk out for a drink or a meal.
Beach is a few km away. Would be very easy to get to on bikes.
No idea about golf, sorry.
We drove up to Amsterdam for a day, very easy drive of about an hour.
Hope you have a great trip.
Tom
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Think there's a BMX track next to Zoetermeer Indoor ski place? No idea what the deal is for using the place.
Holland isn't exactly the top destination for MTB. Loads of cycling though, naturally, but it isn't all totally flat if you go near the dunes (although you have to check where is and isn't allowed since it's a nature reserve or something). I'd ride in to somewhere interesting like Leiden or Den Haag or Scheveningen or Delft (depends how far you want to ride).
Never been to Wassenaar or Duinrell, even though I lived in the next town for several years. Actually never went to the ski slope either, and that was at the end of the bus route from my house.
Dunno about golf, but there was a top international tournament at Noordwijk when I lived there.
Space Expo in Noordwijk might be an interesting day out.
Been years since we went to visit BIL and family with our own kids, but we enjoyed Scheveningen, Leiden, Burger's Busch at Arnhem (Zoo), and Zaanse chans ? windmills.
People laugh at me when I tell them of my next holiday - skiing - in the Netherlands - in August, but we are off to Skiworld in Landgraaf.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If you are really interested in indoor skiing in the Netherlands, then their are 2 serious options, Zoetermeer (near Den Haag) and Landgraaf (most southern point almost, near Maastricht). Zoetermeer has quite a good and steep slope, but they are working on the snow deck and from what I've heard it won't be any good before the end of august. Landgraaf as a day trip is more then a 2,5 hour drive from Duinrell, so that's a bit long. Indoor skiing is excellent there, though.
And for other options, it depends on what you like. If you've got your own wheels and sleep in Wassenaar, then you've got plenty of options. The beaches north of Amsterdam are pretty good (although very busy with Germans). In Zoetermeer there is also a water park, with tubing and thing like that.
Let me know if you would like to know more.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Leiden is nice (for the Netherlands) but I find the whole place boring. Nice people, but not a lot to do that you couldn't do elsewhere (ar galleries, museums etc). Except the other places have other things to do.
Weather is generally okay. Food is not a lot to write home about in my experience.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Stanton will be along to tell you it is the best place in the world.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@boabski,
We went camping near Bloemendaal just north of Duinrell last year and really enjoyed it.
We loved the beach cafes.
I asked a question on here a few months ago about insurance for skiing in a snowdome abroad, and I don't think anyone was sure of the answer.
That is, will your normal holiday insurance cover you for medical expenses if you injure yourself in a snowdome?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
It is flat
It is clean
People are not fat
There are lots of bikes
The food is average at best
The humour is absent
There is a lot of fascinating history, much more than I had imagined. I quite like the place
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
The food is average....says an Englishman?
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
All good info folks - thanks. Re the food - being based in Glasgow, anything not deep fried will be a bonus
Presume lots of German/Austrian biers available? Would quite like to stock up the car but may need to sacrifice a kid/wife for that. Hey ho
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@boabski, Beer will be Dutch. Indonesian food is good, traditional Dutch food is ok but not very exciting.
Take plenty of insect repellent. The country is basically a swamp so you get lots of mosquitos in summer.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Langerzug wrote:
The food is average....says an Englishman?
In the words of a Dutch friend, with a straight (humourless) face, 'The Dutch have no culture of gastronomy'
If you like mayo on your chips, you'll be fine. There are good restaurants, but you need to search them out. They're lovely people, but they don't party like the Brits!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
boabski wrote:
All good info folks - thanks. Re the food - being based in Glasgow, anything not deep fried will be a bonus
Presume lots of German/Austrian biers available? Would quite like to stock up the car but may need to sacrifice a kid/wife for that. Hey ho
Wrong.... Deep fried is a bonus
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
They're lovely people, but they don't party like the Brits!
have you ever been to St Anton/Saalbach? The Dutch I've seen lurv to party and usually good fun too.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well dutchie here...
When you want to mountainbiking, you need to go inland. The hills east of Utrecht are famous and about 40 minutes by car from Den Haag
For indoor skiing, the fridge in Zoetermeer is by far the best in western NL, especially since the extended it from 200 to 300 metres. Only the one in Landgraaf is better.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
