I like Haarlem , it is a more low-key version of Amsterdam. I had the impression of seeing and interacting more with the local Dutch people compared to Amsterdam, which has a lot of non-Dutch workers. I made a day trip here , it was unfortunately rainy that day – which happens quite a lot in Netherlands. I would definitely recommend a visit if you get bored with Amsterdam (highly unlikely) , but visit anyway!
Zaandvoort is the seaside resort close to Haarlem.
Getting Here
In the Amsterdam post, I recommended highly to buy the Amsterdam Regional Travel Ticket which enables you to do multiple trips in Amsterdam and its surroundings. Haarlem is one of the valid destinations.
By Train: From Amsterdam Centraal there are many trains heading to Haarlem Centraal en route to Den Haag or Zaandvoort ; I only name 2 but there are way more – check the schedules before leaving from https://www.ns.nl/en
Upon arrival , head south to cross the Canal less than 1 km away to get to Grote Markt in the centre of Haarlem.
If you like to get to Zaandvoort , just take the train to destination : Zaandvoort aan Zee.
Seeing Haarlem / Zaandvoort
Zaandvoort has a long stretch of sandy beach which faces the North Sea. When I saw it, it was not tourist season – people were flying kites as it was very windy and the waves were strong.
There are also plenty of mobile stalls selling finger-sea food. We tried one of the platters.
Haarlem is a walkable area with nice sights. Here are some photos.
Happy Travels!
Day Trip Ideas:
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