The Netherlands as a family - 9 days: Europe that marks children for life
As spring break approached that year, we knew one thing for sure: we weren't going south. No all-inclusives, no crowded beaches, no all-you-can-eat buffets. We wanted something else - but what exactly, we didn't yet know.
So I started looking. Several hours on the Internet, comparing destinations, flights and prices. And then, in the course of a search, I came across: a round trip Quebec City → Amsterdam at 700 $ per person, departing Friday, returning Monday. Nine days. An unbeatable price. I look at the screen. I look at the calendar. I don't hesitate for long.
The ticket is bought before you even look for a hotel.
Honestly? I knew Amsterdam - the canals, the bikes, the tulips, the reputation. But the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam? No idea. Kinderdijk, Utrecht, Zaanse Schans, Rotterdam - all names I was discovering as I built the itinerary. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.
And that's exactly what made this trip so extraordinary.
You're going to the Netherlands and Amsterdam, are those 2 places?
There's something special about traveling to Europe from Quebec. You immediately think of city trip Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam... We visit capital cities one after the other, tick off the big ones on the list, and go home proudly announcing that we've done «Europe». But really digging into a single country, taking the time to explore it in depth, is something we rarely do.
The Netherlands showed me what a shame this is. You think you know the country because you know its capital, only to discover that it's actually much richer, more varied and more surprising than you imagined. Each city has its own personality, its own rhythm, its own way of life. Rotterdam is nothing like Amsterdam. Utrecht is nothing like Rotterdam. And in a fifteen-minute drive, Zaanse Schans transports you straight into another century.
Our 9-day itinerary in the Netherlands
- Days 1-5: Amsterdam (main base)
Arrival in the Netherlands - canals - bicycles - neighbourhood life - market - Day trip: Utrecht
Unique elevated canals - Medieval old town - Dom Tower - Day trip: Zaanse Schans
Authentic windmills - cheese factory - wooden clogs - 18th century village - Day 6-9: Rotterdam (secondary base)
Modern architecture - Erasmus bridge - Markthal market - town completely rebuilt after the war - Day trip: The Hague
Dutch Parliament - Mauritshuis - Scheveningen beach - Day trip: Kinderdijk
19 UNESCO windmills - boat trip - iconic sunset - Surprise: Efteling Park
Europe's most magical amusement park - totally unknown to Quebecers!
Why two bases? The intelligent travel strategy
As soon as we drew up our itinerary, one thing was clear: we didn't want to spend our trip lugging our suitcases from hotel to hotel. With teenagers and 9 days' luggage, changing accommodation every two days is a source of stress that can easily be avoided. The solution? Two fixed bases - Amsterdam for the first five days, Rotterdam for the last four.
The principle is simple: you put your suitcases down once, go exploring on a day trip, and come back to sleep in the same place at night. No daily check-in/check-out, no suitcases in the trunk, no exhausting logistics. Just the freedom to leave lightly in the morning and return to base in the evening.
And in the Netherlands, this format works wonders - because the train network is one of the most efficient in Europe. Fast, punctual, frequent - Rotterdam to The Hague in 25 minutes, Amsterdam to Utrecht in 30 minutes. The whole country is accessible in less than an hour from any major city.
One honest note: this dream network comes at a price. Train tickets in the Netherlands are not cheap - count €15 to €30 per person per journey, depending on the destination. For a family of 4, that adds up quickly over 9 days. Our advice: buy your tickets in advance on the NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) app, and avoid last-minute purchases at ticket offices.
What to do and where to stay
Amsterdam - day 1: art, canals and... the red light district
Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum - art in the heart of the city
First morning in Amsterdam, and we're off to a great start. Our hotel bears the same name as our first destination - the Van Gogh Museum is literally a stone's throw from the door. We step outside, turn right, and there we are. It's hard to think of a better way to start.
The Van Gogh Museum is an experience in itself. The canvases we've seen thousands of times in photographs - Sunflowers, Starry Night, Wheatfields - are there, in front of us, for real. There's something strange and moving in realizing that these colors, these raging yet precise brushstrokes, were created by a single man, often on the brink of the abyss. Surprisingly, teenagers are hooked. No impatience, no «can we go?» - just eyes that really look...
Right next door, the Rijksmuseum takes over. It's the national museum of the Netherlands - and it's huge. Rembrandt, Vermeer, the Dutch Golden Age - we plunge into 800 years of Dutch history through works of astounding precision. Allow at least 2 hours - you could spend all day there.
Getting lost in Amsterdam - the best map of the city
At the end of the afternoon, we put the card away. Yes, the map. We simply decide to get lost - and it's the best decision of the day. That's the way to experience Amsterdam: by the random bridges and canals, the bicycles that brush past you without warning, the hidden terraces at the end of a cobbled alley. Each neighborhood has its own atmosphere, each canal its own reflection. You walk, you stop, you start again. You don't really know where you are anymore - and that's exactly what's so wonderful about it.
Teens, phones in hand, document everything. Leaning facades, bicycles stacked by the hundreds on bridges, barges transformed into floating homes. Amsterdam is a city that photographs itself.
The red light district - the unexpected scene of the journey
In the evening, we decided to finish off with the Red Light District - De Wallen. Not for the usual reasons, rest assured 😄 - but because it's an Amsterdam staple that can't be ignored, and because... we wanted to see the reaction of the teenagers.
We weren't disappointed.
The two guys, who think they're hard to surprise, didn't know which way to turn. Wide-eyed, half-whispered comments, elbows in the ribs - it was a festival all on its own. The best part? They were honestly the only kids their age in the area that night. Amidst the adult tourists and regulars, two teenagers from Quebec City were discovering a side of Amsterdam that no travel guide can really prepare for.
One thing's for sure-that evening, we didn't need to look for a topic of conversation for supper.
Amsterdam - day 2: Anne Frank and the windmills of Zaanse Schans
Anne Frank House - the visit that stops time and makes your blood run cold
That morning, there was no question of dawdling. We had a reservation for the Anne Frank House - and that's no joke. Tickets are booked up weeks in advance, and the slots sell out at breakneck speed. We ate breakfast at the hotel and headed off.
As soon as you walk through the door, something changes in the air. The tone, the atmosphere, the light - everything becomes more serious, slower, quieter. We climb the stairs hidden behind the revolving bookcase, enter the secret annex, and realize. Two years. Two years hidden away in these tiny rooms, making no noise, staying away from the windows, waiting.
For Mom, who had read Anne Frank's Diary, it was a deeply personal experience - putting images, dimensions, a physical reality onto pages she knew by heart. An emotion difficult to describe, easy to read on her face.
For the two guys, who didn't really know who Anne Frank was, it was a shocking discovery. No screens, no distractions - just the story of a girl their own age, in a town they were visiting, who hadn't had their chance. We saw them change during this visit. Silent, attentive, touched. One of those rare travel moments that goes beyond tourism and becomes a lesson in life.
The Anne Frank House is the most important visit of our entire stay in the Netherlands. Not to be missed - and book well in advance on the official website.
Direction Zaanse Schans- Dinner on the train
As we leave the museum, the mood in the family is still a little suspended. We take a leisurely walk to the station, collect our wits, and board the train for Zaanse Schans.
A small practical detail - and we'll be honest with you: eating in the Netherlands is expensive. We'd decided to save a little money that lunchtime, so we concocted ourselves a little express picnic bought at the local bakery before boarding. Sandwiches, fruit, drinks - on the train, we dined while watching the polders, canals and first silhouettes of windmills on the horizon.
In fact, this is one of our number-one budget tips for the Netherlands: make your lunches at the local grocery store or bakery - you'll easily save €60-80 a day for the family, and Dutch bakeries are excellent. Save the restaurants for dinner - it's much more worthwhile.
Day 3 - Utrecht: the bell tower, the train museum and dinner at the end of the canal
Early start - early risers are rewarded
Third day in Amsterdam, and we're applying our golden rule of European travel: leave early. While the city is still asleep, we're already on the train to Utrecht. A 30-minute journey, and we disembark in a city that will surprise us far more than we expected. Utrecht is not Amsterdam - and that's exactly why we love it. Fewer tourists, more authenticity, a local life that pulses at its own pace.
Guided tour of the bell tower - the view that makes it all worthwhile
First stop: the Dom Tower - Utrecht's cathedral steeple, and at 112 meters the tallest in the Netherlands. We opt for the guided tour, and it's the right decision. The guide tells the fascinating story of this 14th-century tower, whose central nave collapsed during a storm in 1674 - and was never rebuilt. This detail alone is enough to pique the curiosity of teenagers.
We climb. The steps are numerous, narrow and unforgiving - but the view from the top rewards every effort. Utrecht spreads out below, the canals glisten in the sunlight, and Amsterdam can be seen in the distance through the mist. A panorama you can't see anywhere else.
Dinner at the end of the canal - the perfect moment
Then it's on to the Spoorwegmuseum - the Dutch National Railway Museum. And here, a total surprise. Expecting a dusty museum of locomotives in glass cases, we find ourselves in an immersive, spectacular space, with life-size trains that we can ride, explore and experience from the inside. From 19th-century steam locomotives to modern high-speed trains - the railway history of the Netherlands told in a lively, interactive way.
The guys, who had no particular expectations for this museum, spent far more time there than they had anticipated. Sometimes the best surprises on a trip are exactly that - the places we hadn't put on a pedestal.
Le Dîner au Fond du Canal - The Perfect Moment
And then comes perhaps the most memorable moment of our day in Utrecht. Utrecht has a unique feature that Amsterdam doesn't: its canals are elevated, with quays at water level - restaurant terraces literally built at the bottom of the canal, below street level. You go down a few steps, sit down on the terrace, and the world above disappears.
Above us, passers-by on the bridge. All around us, the water gently lapping against the stones. On our plates, generous, tasty local cuisine. It's one of those moments on a trip when you put the phones down, when everyone's there, really there - and you tell yourself you did the right thing leaving early this morning.
Utrecht for dinner at the bottom of the canal - make a note of it. You'll thank us for it.
Amsterdam - day 4: the zoo, the Resistance and a final stroll
Last day in Amsterdam - early start again
Fourth day in Amsterdam - and already the last. Tomorrow we'll be moving to Rotterdam. So we decide to leave nothing on the table and set off early, one last time, to enjoy the city before it really wakes up. There's something special about those quiet mornings in Amsterdam - the canals reflecting off the facades, the first cyclists gliding silently over the cobblestones, the smell of coffee coming out of the bakeries. We've become attached to it faster than we thought we would.
Artis - the oldest zoo in the Netherlands
First stop: ARTIS, Amsterdam's zoo - and one of Europe's oldest, founded in 1838. This is no ordinary zoo. The setting is magnificent - century-old trees, historic architecture, paths winding between enclosures like a botanical park. The animals are numerous and varied, the spaces well thought out, and you feel you're in a place with character and history.
The guys, long past the zoo age according to them, ended up spending hours watching the great apes and reptiles. Some things don't change, no matter how old you get.
The Musée de la Résistance - following in the footsteps of Anne Frank
Following on from the Anne Frank House visited two days earlier, the Museum of the Resistance was a natural choice. And it's a visit that perfectly complements that of Anne Frank - here we understand the wider context, the impossible choices of the Dutch under the Occupation, those who resisted, those who collaborated, those who simply survived.
For teenagers just discovering this page of history, it's a second lesson in two days - and we can see that it's taking root. Less than an hour's visit, but dense, well-told and never boring. A museum we warmly recommend to all families.
Artis Groote Museum - the finishing touch
To round off the day, we push open the doors of the ARTIS Groote Museum - the natural history museum integrated into the zoo. Natural science collections, biodiversity, the history of life on Earth - it's beautiful, well presented and accessible. A great way to round off an already busy day.
The return journey - stroll, eat, enjoy
At the end of the afternoon, we drop all plans. No more museums, no more schedules - just stroll. We lose ourselves one last time in the narrow streets of Amsterdam, stop on a bridge to watch the boats go by, enter a cheese shop because the smell was too tempting.
For dinner, we settle into a little restaurant we've found along the way - terrace overlooking the canal, local menu, perfect atmosphere. We order, take our time, talk about the trip. What we liked, what surprised us, what we won't forget. Amsterdam was much more than we expected.
Tomorrow, Rotterdam awaits us.
Day 5 - Amsterdam → Rotterdam: Welcome to another dimension
A pressure-free morning - for once
This morning, it's a change of pace. No waking up at the crack of dawn, no museum opening at 9am, no train to catch while swallowing your coffee. We get up quietly, enjoy breakfast at the hotel without looking at the clock, and pack without hurrying. Check-in in Rotterdam is only in the afternoon - so we might as well make the most of it. After four full days in Amsterdam, this slow morning is a blessing.
Amsterdam → Rotterdam - 40 minutes and another world
We board the train mid-morning, suitcases in the compartment, and 40 minutes later disembark in Rotterdam. And then, as soon as we left the station - shock!.
We're not in Amsterdam anymore. Not at all.
Amsterdam is all about narrow 17th-century facades, winding canals, bicycles stacked on bridges and historic charm around every corner. Rotterdam is the architecture of the future. A city razed to the ground by World War II bombers in 1940 and rebuilt from scratch - and architects have taken advantage of this to set no limits to their imagination.
A city to discover with eyes wide open
We put our suitcases down at the hotel and set off straight away - not for a planned activity, not for a museum with a reservation. Just to walk and look. And in Rotterdam, that's more than enough.
Piet Blom's Cube Houses - yellow, 45-degree tilted houses set on pillars like balanced dice. The Markthal - a giant arch covered in colorful frescoes, home to a spectacular indoor market. The Erasmus Bridge - nicknamed La Cygne, which spans the Meuse with disconcerting elegance. And just around the corner, an old medieval church that miraculously survived the bombs, surrounded by glass and steel. Old and new, living side by side.
Beautiful. Really beautiful. And completely unexpected for those expecting a second Amsterdam.
The lesson of Rotterdam
In the evening, sitting on the banks of the Meuse watching the sun go down behind the Erasmus Bridge, you realize something. Rotterdam is proof that a city can rise from the ashes and become something extraordinary. Not in spite of its destruction - thanks to it, in a way. It's a city that hasn't rebuilt itself in nostalgia for the past, but in boldness for the future.
And for teenagers growing up in an ever-changing world, it's perhaps the most inspiring lesson of the whole trip.
Rotterdam - Day 6: the port, cabs and the distillery
A day without a big plan - the best ones are often just that
This morning, no tight itinerary, no compulsory reservations. Just a flexible wish list - the naval museum, water cabs, a distillery and a harbor cruise. We'll see what order they come in. And that's often how the best travel days are made.
The Naval Museum - the maritime history of the Netherlands
First stop: the Maritiem Museum Rotterdam - and for a city whose entire identity is built around water and maritime trade, this museum is an obvious choice. Here you can discover the fascinating history of the Netherlands as a world maritime power - the VOC, the great expeditions, navigation techniques. Extraordinarily detailed ship models, old maps, navigational instruments. A dense, well-told museum, accessible even to teenagers with low expectations.
Water cabs - getting around on the water
Then comes one of the most fun parts of the day: Rotterdam's Water Taxis. Here, there's no need to look for a cab on the street - you can hail one on the water. These little yellow boats speed along the Meuse from quay to quay, with an efficiency and casualness that make you smile.
For the guys, it's immediately the best means of transport of the trip. We cross the Meuse in just a few minutes, the wind in our faces, the Erasmus Bridge in the background. A detail of the trip that costs very little and will live long in the memory.
The distillery - An unexpected break
Along the way, we come across a local distillery - and push open the door. The Netherlands has a long tradition of genever (jenever) - the ancestor of gin - and a visit to an artisanal distillery in Rotterdam is to plunge into this history from the small end of the spyglass. Copper stills, the scent of grains and herbs, passionate explanations from the distiller. Adults taste, teens watch with curiosity.
An unexpected and authentic break - exactly the kind of discovery you don't plan and never regret.
La Croisière dans le Port - The highlight of the show
And then comes the moment that crushes the rest of the day: the Rotterdam harbor cruise. And here - we weren't prepared for what we were about to see.
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe. On paper, that doesn't mean much. On the water, by boat, in the middle of this titanic infrastructure - it takes on a whole new dimension. Container ships 400 meters long glide across the water like floating buildings. Cranes as tall as buildings. Terminals stretching as far as the eye can see. Incessant activity, day and night, driving much of the world's trade.
We're silent for a while - the kind of silence we've come to recognize in this family. The kind that means something is really impressive. Rotterdam isn't just a beautiful modern city - it's a colossal economic machine that we had no idea existed when we arrived.
It's the road, as they say. And what a road it is.
Day 7 - The Hague: Miniatures, Prison and Banking Adventures
By Metro to The Hague - The simplicity of Dutch Transport
This morning, we're testing a new facet of the Dutch transport network: the direct metro from Rotterdam to The Hague. Convenient, fast, efficient - in less than 30 minutes you're in the administrative capital of the Netherlands. No need for a car, no need to look for parking - it's one of the great luxuries of traveling in the Netherlands.
Madurodam - The travel scene... on the bank side
First stop: Madurodam - the famous miniature park which reproduces the Netherlands' most beautiful monuments on a scale of 1:25. We approach the ticket office, look at the prices - and then, first shock. It's much more expensive than advertised on the internet. Immediate reflex: get out the phone, go to the official website, buy online to get the reduced rate.
Except that my bank decided otherwise.
Transaction refused. Message from the bank : «Suspicious activity detected - please confirm by text message.» Confirmed. Refused again. I call my daughter back. She tries again. Refused. Now the bank wants me to call their customer service. We're in The Hague, outside Madurodam, with a family waiting and a Quebec bank that thinks we're being robbed.
After a while, I stop fooling around - and pay the big bucks at the ticket office. Lesson learned: tell your bank BEFORE you travel. No exceptions.
💡Board absolutely buy online in advanceThe Madurodam Museum - A pleasant surprise
Once the banking saga is behind us, we enter - and immediately forget everything else. Madurodam is magnificent. Dozens of Dutch monuments reproduced with extraordinary precision and care: the port of Rotterdam in miniature, the windmills of Kinderdijk, the center of Amsterdam, Schiphol airport with its moving planes. Everywhere, little animations, films integrated into the scenery, details that you discover by leaning in.
Teenagers - who might have rolled their eyes at the idea of a miniature park - are the first to point out the details, to recognize the places they've just visited reproduced in miniature. «Look, it's the Erasmus Bridge!» «It's Kinderdijk!» Madurodam is ultimately the best visual summary of a trip to the Netherlands. A must-see - but buy your tickets online before you go.
The Hague Prison - Dark History
In the afternoon, we head to downtown The Hague for a visit as fascinating as it is disturbing: the Gevangenpoort - one of Europe's oldest prisons, dating back to the 13th century. In its dungeons were locked up famous convicts, political prisoners and fallen nobles. Conditions were terrible - cold, dark, inhuman. The tour doesn't mince words, and all the better for it.
After Anne Frank, after the Museum of the Resistance - this prison fits naturally into the historical thread of our trip to the Netherlands. A country that's not afraid to look its history in the face, even in its darkest pages. The boys exit silently, a second time.
Back to Rotterdam - Satisfied and exhausted
Late afternoon, we take the metro back to Rotterdam. Full day, excellent mood - even the banking saga is now part of the anecdotes we'll be telling for years to come.
The Hague was well worth the detour - and now it's easier to understand why this city, often overshadowed by Amsterdam, is considered one of Europe's most beautiful capitals.
Day 8 - Kinderdijk: Windmills, Shuttles and... Memorable Toilets
The shuttle adventure - when the village forgot to change the times
Getting to Kinderdijk isn't quite a direct line. First you have to find the right quay - an adventure in itself - then take two successive shuttles to reach this village that seems to have stopped time somewhere in the 18th century. We were expecting a classic tourist attraction. Instead, we arrive in an authentic, inhabited, lively place - where the mills are not backdrops, but buildings that are part of the daily lives of the people who still live there. It's a total surprise, and one of the best of the trip.
🚻 The toilet incident - where bad luck becomes a family classic
But just before boarding the first shuttle, nature strikes. A sudden, urgent, almost biblical urge takes hold of the head of the family - that's me. 😅 Don't panic: there are public pay toilets on the platform. Perfect.
I pay, go in... and there's the shock.
Cleanliness, let's say, wasn't quite up to scratch. That's a polite understatement. As soon as I cross the threshold, I realize we're in the realm of bad decisions. I hardly dare approach the bowl. But envy doesn't negotiate, so I take my chances. And I miss. 😳
I'm getting out of there with as much dignity as possible.
Mom looks at me, with that devastating calm that moms have at moments like this, and blurts out, all too calmly:
«It certainly wasn't you who did it...»
The two guys approach to check for themselves. They understand. And collapse with laughter. 😂
🎭 A free show, while waiting for the shuttle bus
Here begins the funniest part of the trip. While waiting for the shuttle on the platform, we have a direct view of the famous toilets. And for a good 20 minutes, as unwitting spectators, we witness the same scene repeated over and over again:
- A tourist arrives, dutifully pays.
- He enters, two seconds of silence... then rushes out, head slightly turned, face frozen between disgust and disbelief, muttering «Oh my God...» - without daring to sit down.
The guys were watching the new visitors as if it were a live comedy show. We even counted the seconds between entry and exit. It was gratuitous, completely human, perfectly absurd - and we cried with laughter, almost as much as with shame.
Les Moulins - Magic all the same
Once on board the shuttle - and with a slight feeling of guilt on my part - we finally arrive in Kinderdijk. And the magic happens immediately. 19 UNESCO-listed windmills lined up along the canals, slowly turning in the Dutch wind. The village is frozen in time - red-brick houses, wooden bridges, canals reflecting the windmills' wings. We walk along the banks, enter a mill to discover how families used to live there, take photos from every angle.
It's beautiful, peaceful, authentic. Exactly what we'd hoped for - and more. Kinderdijk is the image of the Netherlands you have in your head before you leave - and the reality is even more beautiful than the postcard.
💡 Practical note: Plan to use the toilet BEFORE you leave Rotterdam. We can't say we didn't warn you.
Day 9 - The Efteling: The surprise of the trip
The Perfect Plan - or how to lie to your children in style
Last day in the Netherlands. And we'd saved the best for last - without anyone knowing. This morning, we announce the day's program to the guys with the utmost seriousness: «We're going to visit the oldest city in the Netherlands. It's a bit complicated to get there - no train this time, you have to take two buses.»
The two teenagers take in the information with the polite resignation of those who don't really have a choice. Two buses. The oldest town. All right, then.
We take the first bus. Then the second. We arrive at a parking lot - which is under repair, adding to the general confusion. The guys don't really understand where we are. They look around, looking for an old town, medieval ruins, something historic.
And then they see the entrance.
Silence. Two seconds. Then the explosion.
The Efteling - The European Disneyland you've never heard of
The Efteling, founded in 1952, is one of Europe's oldest and most beautiful amusement parks - and one of the least known outside the Netherlands. It's an absolutely unique blend of fairytale beauty and Disney-like attention to detail, combined with thrill rides that have nothing to envy the big American parks. Sumptuous fairy-tale settings, a millimetre-spanning enchanted forest, attractions themed with extraordinary care - and roller coasters that rip your heart out.
We arrive 30 minutes before opening - and leave at closing time. A full day, from start to finish.
A day without queues - Le Jackpot
And here's the unexpected bonus: there was hardly anyone there. It's not school vacations in the Netherlands - and that changes everything. We got on the rides straight away, followed them up without waiting, returning to the best attractions twice, three times. I don't think I've been on so many rides in one day in my life.
Mom, brave and valiant, jumped every other ride to recover a little - high doses of thrills eventually take their toll. As for the boys, they just wouldn't stop. The adrenalin, the beauty of the park, the lack of crowds - it was all perfect.
The forest of tales - Pure magic
Between two rides, you'll pass through the Fairytale Forest - the historic heart of the Efteling, a magical journey through the great classic fairytales recreated with breathtaking precision and poetry. Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Thousand and One Nights - sets that have stood the test of time, animated, sonorous and magical. Even 13-15 year-olds can get carried away.
The perfect conclusion
We leave the Efteling at closing time, legs heavy, cheeks flushed and smiling ear to ear. It's the perfect conclusion - not planned as such at the outset, but dropped in at exactly the right place. After Amsterdam, the museums, Anne Frank, Rotterdam, The Hague, Kinderdijk and the memorable toilets 😂 - to end on a day of pure family bliss in the most beautiful theme park we'd ever seen is a gift.
The Netherlands had said hello to us with a plane ticket priced at 700 $. They said goodbye with the Efteling. We couldn't have written a better scenario.
💡Board definitely buy online in advance — you avoid the box office price AND the line. We can't say we didn't warn you.
Le Retour - A suitcase full of surprises
On the plane back to Quebec City, we take stock. Nine days. Two bases. Two unfamiliar cities. Windmills, canals, cubicles, a colossal port, a medieval prison, catastrophic toilets, and a secret amusement park. The Netherlands had surprised us every step of the way - and that's exactly what we'd been looking for when we'd bought that 700 $ ticket without really knowing what we were getting into.
The next time someone tells you to concentrate a trip on a single country rather than hop from capital to capital - think of the Netherlands.
How much should you budget for 10 days in the Netherlands with your family?
The Netherlands is one of Europe's best value-for-money destinations - but let's be honest, between trains, museums and the Efteling, the bill is rising faster than you'd expect. The good news? Airfare at 700 $ per person provides an excellent starting point. Here's our realistic estimate for a family of 4.
Flights Round trip Quebec City → Amsterdam for the whole family - 2 800 $
Hosting 5 nights in Amsterdam at €220/night + 4 nights in Rotterdam at €160/night - 2 820 $ CAD
Local transport Trains, metros, Kinderdijk shuttles, Rotterdam boat cabs - 600 $
Activities Van Gogh Museum (€22/pers), ..., Efteling (€51/pers) - ~1 800 $ CAD
Food Hotel breakfasts + restaurant dinners + bakery lunches - ~1,400 $
Miscellaneous Paid toilets, souvenirs, unforeseen events - 300 $<
Total trip: ~10,000 $ for 2 adults and 2 teenagers
💡 Our tip #1: For the museums in Amsterdam, look at the Go City Amsterdam Pass — it bundles admission to major attractions and public transportation into a single purchase. For a family of 4 on several days of sightseeing, it's a simple way to control the budget without juggling individual tickets.
Travel Checklist — Netherlands · 9 days · March
📋 Documents
- Valid passports 6 months after return
- No visa required for Canadians (Schengen area 90 days)
- Scanned copies in Google Drive
- Printed and PDF travel insurance
- Credit card with no foreign transaction fees
👕 Clothing — Dutch March
- Mars = coolness and frequent rain — 5 to 12°C
- Waterproof coat required — non-negotiable in the Netherlands
- Layered clothing: t-shirts + sweaters + coat
- Waterproof or water-repellent shoes — wet pavement everywhere
- Compact umbrella — buy before, not after
- 1 formal outfit for restaurants and museums
Daypack
- Compact backpack for train day trips
- Reusable water bottles
- Lightweight sunscreen (optional but useful for surprise sun)
- Headphones for train commutes
📱 Tech — eSIM First
- eSIM strongly recommended — buy and activate BEFORE leaving Quebec
- Keep your SIM Québec active to receive banking SMS and 2FA
- NS (Dutch Railways) App – download before departure to buy train tickets
- iAmsterdam app and offline maps.me
- Power bank — long hiking days
- Type C/F adapter (European plugs) - mandatory
Medicine
- Basic first aid kit
- Sufficient quantity of usual medications
- Foot cream — lots of walking on cobblestones
💰 Budget & Logistics
- Euro (EUR) — credit card accepted everywhere, even small businesses
- Cash useful for paid public restrooms (€0.50-€1) - have change ready!
- Buy Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum tickets online BEFORE you leave — sold out in March
- Book Anne Frank House weeks in advance — mandatory
- Efteling Tickets Online — Significant Savings vs. Box Office
- Madurodam in The Hague — buy online, avoid the banking saga 😄
- Trains NS: Buy via the app in advance — avoid ticket counters
