Here's Why You Should Sail to Holland this Summer

For anyone who hasn’t been onboard yet, the overnight crossing to Amsterdam is a fun way to kickstart any holiday with numerous bars, two restaurants, live music, a cinema and plenty of kids’ play areas to keep them entertained. The compact cabins range from sea view to pet friendly, but all are ensuite and mean you can get a good night’s sleep before waking up in Europe.

Your early morning arrival into Amsterdam gives you plenty of time to explore the fascinating city with its many museums and art galleries, crossing over the pretty canals, stopping at one of the many canal-side cafés and marvelling at the towering historic buildings which line the water. Whilst there’s plenty to keep you busy here, Amsterdam is a convenient gateway into Holland, famous for its windmills, clogs and of course, tulips, but if you have a car full of family, there’s no need to travel too far whether you are looking for great beaches, cycling trails, some history or captivating culture.

Nearby Rotterdam is famous for its modern architecture, and is an edgy contrast to most Dutch cities. Delft is renowned for its blue pottery, and Utrecht for historic canal-lined cobbled streets. Explore the fairytale old town, the delightfully odd Museum Speekklok and spend time soaking up the creative buzz in a cosy café in what is the oldest city in The Netherlands. History buffs should definitely make a detour to De Haar Castle, 30 minutes from Utrecht and simply the largest and most magical castle in the whole of the Netherlands, with its Gothic towers, magnificent moat and beautiful gardens.

Just over an hour’s drive from Amsterdam, the Hoge Veluwe National Park is a vast area of heathland and drifting sand dunes, all dotted with wildflowers and a smattering of ancient forests. It’s great place for cycling and the park actually supplies free bikes for you to get around on. Don’t miss the Van Gough originals and sculpture garden at the Kroller-Muller Museum, and kids will love Museonder, the world’s first fully underground nature museum exploring the roots of trees and skeletons of prehistoric animals.

The Frisian Islands (or Wadden Sea Islands) stretch between the Netherlands and Denmark. A UNESCO site, they are famous for wide sandy beaches, mudflat walking (wadlopen) and birdwatching. Perfect for those wanting peace, and space, much of the area is a no-car zone so cycling is the primary transport mode and there’s an efficient ferry services connecting these stunningly beautiful islands, the biggest and most popular of which is Texel, famous for its beer and just two hours from Amsterdam.

There are plenty of clean, safe sandy beaches, busy seaside towns and countless beach clubs to keep all the family happy on holiday along the Zeeland coast in the south west, bordering the North Sea, South Holland and Belgium. Zandvoort, a popular resort renowned for its vast sandy beaches backed by dunes, is just a little over 40 minutes by car from the centre of Amsterdam if you are keener on a day trip. Nestled against the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, it’s perfect for walking and cycling in the dunes and you can take your pick from more than 30 beach bars, many of which turn into party spots at night. Trendy Bloemendaal aan Zee is often referred to as the Ibiza of the Netherlands with plenty of beach pavilions hosting beach parties, whilst quieter parts of Bloemendaal are known for the forests which front the sandy dunes. If you did bring your dog on the ferry then head to Parnissia beach between Bloemendaal aan Zee and IJmuiden. It is one of the few places where your dog is allowed to run free on the beach all year round.