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In April, we embarked on another Camper trip through the Netherlands together with Etrusco. We wanted to go to Holland and experience the tulip blossom, but we also wanted to visit typical Dutch towns and the North Sea coast.
Once again, we set off relatively unplanned and took advantage of the fact that you can be so spontaneous and flexible with a camper. This time we were traveling with the beautiful T5900 FB model, which is a bit more compact but still offers enough luxury. Our home for the 10 days really has everything you need. The equipment with kitchen and shower & toilet inside, made it possible for us to stop at special places and not always have to stay at a campsite. In this article you will find all the places we visited and, of course, all the pitches and campsites where we spent the night:
Our route through the Netherlands:
- Maastricht
- Utrecht
- Amsterdam
- Haarlem
- Lisse
- Wassenaar
- Gouda
- Kinderdijk
- Zoutelande
- Middelburg
Utrecht
Utrecht is often called the little Amsterdam and I think it meets the expectations of a typical Dutch city exactly.
The Oude Gracht runs through the entire city center and as you stroll along the water you will find countless stores, cafés and restaurants.
Highlights in Utrecht:
- Oude Gracht
- Domtoren
- Trajectum Lumen (unfortunately we couldn’t try it out ourselves, but this special light installation is supposed to allow you to take your own city tour along the lights at night)
Accommodation:
Budget Camping Utrecht
Ariënslaan 5, 3573 PT Utrecht, Netherlands
The campsite is a bit out of town and it takes some time to walk into the city. (It took us about 30 minutes) However, it is beautifully situated on a small lake and the path to the city leads through a lovely park. The campsite is currently being renovated and is therefore not the most modern, but it is really suitable for a stay in Utrecht.
Amsterdam
We then went on to Amsterdam. Anyone who has ever been there knows that you can’t really skip this city on a round trip. We spent three days exploring this special, loud and crazy city:
First of all, I have to admit: I had respect for traveling to Amsterdam in a motorhome! But it was incredibly uncomplicated and incredibly relaxed! We left the highway and were almost at our campsite – so it was really no problem.
Accommodation:
Camping Vliegenbos Amsterdam
Meeuwenlaan 138, 1022 AM Amsterdam, Netherlands
It was quite a long walk from the campsite to the city center. However, there is no real alternative to this in Amsterdam. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk to the ferry, which you can then take for free. Once on the other side, you find yourself in the middle of the city at Amsterdam Central Station and you can start exploring.
Canals in Amsterdam:
The canals, of course! The small and large canals run through the city like streets in all directions and give the city a magical feel.
These are the most beautiful canals:
Prinsengracht
Gouden Bocht on the Herengracht
Reguliersgracht
TIP! Explore Amsterdam’s canals from the water. This really is a unique experience that you won’t forget in a hurry. In Amsterdam, you can hire small boats (e.g. from Boat4rent) and explore some of the canals.
More highlights in Amsterdam:
This is Holland
Fancy a short sightseeing flight? In the 5D flight experience This is Holland, you can experience the whole of Holland from above. You fly over huge fields of tulips, smell the scent of the flowers and seconds later you reach the North Sea coast and feel a fresh breeze on your skin.
Bloemenmarkt
This flower market floats completely on the water. In the stalls you can buy countless flower bulbs, tulips and souvenirs.
A’DAM Lookout
The A’DAM Lookout offers a 360° view of Amsterdam from the 20th floor. You will also find Europe’s highest swing on the roof.
Haarlem
Haarlem was one of my favorite cities that we visited in Holland. Typical Dutch houses line the beautiful city center and the whole city is pleasantly relaxed and unagitated. A highlight is of course the windmill in the heart of the city. It is called Molen de Adriaan and you have the opportunity to visit the mill and learn more about its history.
Highlights in Haarlem:
Gouden Straatjes (many small streets with individual & special stores, cafés etc.)
Molen de Aadrian
Grote Markt
In Haarlem, we made full use of the advantages of traveling with a motorhome. We didn’t spend the night there, but arrived in the morning, took a leisurely stroll through the city and then drove on to Lisse in the afternoon.
Lisse
Our search for the tulip fields was not so easy. The end of April – beginning of May was relatively late for this season.
The Dutch tulip blossom can basically be experienced from the end of March to mid-May. Of course, nature always depends on external circumstances, especially the weather. We visited the tulip region at the end of April and were relatively late this year.
However, we finally discovered the first tulip fields in Lisse.
The best thing about it? The long side road is surrounded by tulip fields and countless camper vans are parked along the edge. You can spend the night there in a relaxed atmosphere and, above all, with a fantastic view.
This beautiful place is not actually an official campsite, so there is nothing there except a place to park. However, this was no problem at all with our Etrusco motorhome. It is so well equipped with a shower and toilet that you can easily stay for a few days in pure nature. I think that’s the great thing about traveling with a motorhome: you can not only explore special and beautiful places, but also stay there and spend the night.
You can find the pitch here:
Address: Zuider Leidesvaart 15
Keukenhof
The Keukenhof – a garden complex with countless tulips in all shapes and colors – is very close to the pitch in Lisse. We walked for about 20 – 30 minutes along the long tulip-lined road to Keukenhof.
The Keukenhof is a huge park in which thousands of tulips bloom in an artistic arrangement. If you really want to see tulips and learn more about how they bloom and how they are used, this is the place to go.
However, there are no huge fields here like the ones I showed in Lisse, but rather small, artistic arrangements of the different tulip varieties. I personally liked the park very much, but we didn’t see many tulips outside the park either. I think if you are there during the main flowering season and see lots of tulip fields on the way, you don’t necessarily have to visit the park. At €18.00 per person, the park is not really a bargain.
TIP: If you want to visit Keukenhof, I would go to the park really early. Of course, this is the case with all popular attractions, but I noticed it very strongly here. We were in the park very early – I think around 8am. We left the park again at 10 o’clock because it got so uncomfortably crowded that it wasn’t really fun anymore. It can be so nice and empty if you get there early enough. I think it’s definitely worth getting up early here!
Here you can find the Keukenhof:
Adress: Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, Niederlande
Wassenaar
We chose the beach in Wassenaar quite spontaneously and it’s the perfect place to get some North Sea air.
There is a parking lot nearby, from where you can walk through the dunes to the beach. For €5 (for cars) or €10 (for camper vans) you can park there and explore the area at your leisure.
The beach there is kilometers long and almost deserted while we were there (early May). Just sea, dunes and sand.
There are also some wonderful beach cafés here for a short break. You can enjoy the perfect view of the sea over a coffee or a small snack.
Gouda
We then continued on to Gouda. As the name so inconspicuously suggests, this is where Gouda cheese comes from and you can see it everywhere in this small town.
The small town of Gouda was a nice stopover for us and a good place to spend the night on our way to Zeeland. Here you can stroll through the city center and some unusual stores, buy cheese as a souvenir or try out the cafés and restaurants on the market square.
Accommodation:
Camperplaats Klein Amerika
2806 VE Gouda, Netherlands
The pitch is located right next to the city center and you can stay here for €8 per night. (Electricity and emptying facilities are included)
Kinderdijk
19 well-preserved windmills can be found along the Kinderdijk. The path along which the mills are located can be entered free of charge. Although you can buy tickets at the start of the cycling and walking route to visit two of the mills from the inside, the route itself is free to walk along.
The mills have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are therefore a popular destination for tourists. Here, too, I would definitely advise you to get here early. It gets really crowded here from 10 a.m. and the leisurely stroll along the mills is over. We were there again at around 8 a.m. and had this beautiful place almost to ourselves.
Zeeland – Zoutelande
Then we continued on to the province of Zeeland. We drove to Zoutelande and spent the last few days at a very nice campsite just a few meters from the sea. You just have to cross the dam and you’re already by the sea.
Zoutelande is a fairly small town, but you can really get that North Sea feeling here. The perfect place to round off a trip.
Accommodation:
Camping Weltevreden
Westkapelseweg 55, 4374 ND Zoutelande, Netherlands
The campsite is not only right by the sea, but is also incredibly modern and beautiful. By far the nicest campsite I’ve ever stayed at!
Middelburg
Middelburg is the capital of Zeeland and really worth a visit. We took the bus there from Zoutelande one morning and strolled through the town. There are lots of cafés and small individual stores here too:
My highlights there:
Dille & Kamille
Café Honeypie
This café is a bit crazy and that’s exactly why I liked it so much. Sofas and armchairs everywhere, crazy furnishings that don’t fit together and cake tasting plates. Need to say any more?
What you should have done during your camper trip through the netherlands:
Try the Vlaamse Friet:
These huge fries are incredibly hyped in Amsterdam and we couldn’t resist trying them. You should try the typical fries somewhere in Holland.
Admire the canals:
The canals are really beautiful and can be found in several Dutch cities. They are particularly beautiful in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Visit beach cafés:
I am particularly fond of the beach cafés. You can find special and really cozy beach cafés on almost every major beach – my favourite here in Zandvoort:
Try kibbeling:
The fish fillet covered in batter is a typical Dutch snack that you should definitely try. You can find kibbeling stores or stalls in many towns near the coast.
Motorhome + camping:
The Netherlands is not only perfect for a round trip, but also for camping. There are many campsites – whether on the coast or near large cities such as Amsterdam. It is also easy to get from A to B in a motorhome, as there are many highways, freeways and wide country roads on which you can make great progress in a motorhome. You can explore the country from a completely different perspective and have the freedom to stop spontaneously, change your route or simply drive on if you feel like it.
This time we were again traveling with a camper van from Etrusco. The motorhomes are super nice and of course practically furnished and perfect for road trips all over the country. The motorhomes from Etrusco not only have a beautiful design, but also great equipment. The kitchen, for example, is designed in such a way that you can easily cook for yourself while traveling, which we did very often during our trip. The shower and toilet are also integrated, so you can spend the night wherever you want and don’t always have to stay at a campsite.
Nothing is missing here. The motorhome has heating, air conditioning, a fridge … and is therefore perfect for anyone who is in the mood for an adventure but doesn’t want to do without anything.
If you want to find out more about Etrusco, then take a look.
Thanks to Etrusco for the collaboration and the provision of their beautiful motorhome.
