Considering a family staycation in the Netherlands?
But feeling less than inspired by the more tourist focused online travel advice?
I’m in a slightly privileged position when it comes to knowing the best places for family vacations in the Netherlands, as I have a personal expert advisor with insider tips…aka my Dutch husband.
When I have gone online to research however, I’ve noticed that there is a really underdeveloped link between Dutch travel and expats who often have the desire to explore the local terrain, stay in nice places, but are often left with little guidance outside of online sites pointing people to the well-known tourist hot-spots. Whilst the really nice places like Bergen, Terschelling, etc, are seemingly on the radar of Dutch families alone. I’ve also noticed that many of my international friends here aren’t doing much in the way of local holidays with their families and it’s even more noticeable when I often feel like the only non-Dutch when we do holiday in stunning locations here. I’ve always found this odd, as I can honestly say that the Netherlands has some of the best, stylish, kid-friendly, whilst also adult friendly holiday options, a combination that is actually pretty hard to find in most places.
Especially when kids are very young, sometimes swapping international travel, with a local holiday here and there, can be an attractive option for obvious reasons. Or perhaps you are just looking to do a long weekend somewhere with your family. Either way, there are just SO many fantastic options to choose from, whether you are looking for a more high-end luxury treat for your family, or a more wholesome holiday affair with a focus on nature and kids activities.
The Netherlands has it all (well except hills and mountains) and whether you are looking for boutique kid friendly camping, more high-end family holiday parks, lux kid friendly beach hotels, or more nature based holiday home hire in beautiful island/ beach locations, there are some pretty incredible options to choose from. The hard part however is knowing how to find them, oh, and making sure to book well in advance for the more in demand spots.
Whilst there are great options to look at throughout the country, a little golden nugget of advice I will share now, is look to the Wadden Islands. They have a very New England/ Nantucket feel, they are chic, have epic almost white sand beaches, are dotted with stylish family friendly beach restaurants and are largely underdeveloped with stunning nature. Honestly, it’s mind boggling that they aren’t more widely known about, however something tells me the Dutch are quite happy to keep it that way, and I get it!
