Can anyone recommend a private tour in Amsterdam?

[12B@C]

Four of us will be in Amsterdam on a Monday during a cruise to the Baltic and we are interested in doing a morning excursion to Volendam and the Zaansche Schans (a rebuilt village just north-west of Amsterdam with several windmills and an interesting history).

Can anyone recommend a way to do this? Taxi, tour bus, private tour, or how? We rather not rent a car in or near Amsterdam and think that doing this by train is not too practical.

We want to spend some time in Amsterdam in the afternoon, so we are only looking at a morning tour.

[Ine]

Zaanse Schans is easy to do by public transport. Train to Koog-Bloemwijk( abt. 15 minutes-4th stop after Centraal Station) and walk for another 10 minutes. Entrance is free. http://www.zaanseschans.nl/

However getting from there to Volendam by public transport is a little complicated. The easiest way is to travel back to Amsterdam and take the "Arriva"bus nr.116 to Volendam (travelling time in the bus about 25 minutes). Once in Volendam you can make a nice tour by boat to Marken.

 

Otherwise various companies in Amsterdam offer tours like:

http://www.thebestofholland.nl/

http://www.keytours.nl/

 

In the past I have seen postings from other passengers, that used this private company: http://www.seniorhollandtravel.com/

[Ine]

I realise I made a small mistake...The trainstation to go to for Zaanse Schans is KOOG-ZAANDIJK. (not K. Bloemwijk which is the 3rd.stop)

[mktmzm]

For those of you who have been unable to find a private tour in Amsterdam that can accommodate less mobile individuals, I wanted to let you all know that there is an option available to you.

I am a single woman who has Rheumatoid Arthritis and was going to be in Amsterdam for 1 day. As I had never been in Europe and was traveling alone, I was concerned about trying to tour on my own.

 

I found http://www.seniorhollandtravel.com to be an excellent solution for me.

When I called the office, Wynand Vandiggelen answered. He is the owner and operator. He was very pleasant and spoke English (which was a strong requirement for me). We setup a pickup time at the airport and I gave him some information about the things I would like to see. I had wanted to see the countryside and such places as Zaanse Schans and the Keukenhof Tulip gardens were of interest.

My flight to Amsterdam was delayed and I was concerned that Wynand would not have realized that I would be late. I was very happy to see him waiting for me dressed very neatly in sports jacket, dress shirt and tie. He was holding a sign with my name and was very easy to find.

 

The rest of the day was a wonderful experience. We first went to the Keukenhof Gardens (http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html) and saw the tulips and spring bulb flowers in full-bloom. As I was traveling alone, I greatly appreciated having Wynand walking with me and providing education about the gardens and the flowers.

We had coffee and pastries at a small cafe in the gardens and chatted about many things. Wijnand was very affable and it was a pleasure to talk about his life in Holland.

 

After the Keukenhof gardens, we proceeded to a small village called Zaanse Schanse (http://www.zaanseschans.nl/). Once again, Wijnand was very informative and stayed by my side for the entire visit. We also enjoyed a local lunch of Dutch Pancakes (Do not think these are covered in maple syrup!).

 

Once we left Zaanse Schanse, Wynand drove toward the fishing town of Volendam. We traveled many small local roads and the view was dotted with small farms along the way.

 

Once in Volendam, Wynand and I walked throught the town and I was amazed by the local architecture and the clean, well-kept aura about the town. We then stopped at a local pub and were treated to some snacks from the barmaid as we drank some Amstel Light.

 

By this time I was very tired from Jet Lag and a wonderful touring day. Wynand deposited me safely to my hotel. I enjoyed the entire day ALL inclusive for the low price of 199 EUROS. This was for the Car and Chauffer/Tourguide. It was NOT per person!!

 

I want you all to know that this day TOTALLY exceeded all of my expectations and I feel that I saw more of Holland than I would have seen in 3 days on my own. I also feel that I have a better sense of the "real" Holland, not just the "tourist" Holland

 

For those of you who have not been able to get an exclusive tour... THIS IS THE ONE!!

[Ine]

A reminder, Keukenhof is closed. Only open between Mid March and Mid May, which is the bloomingseason for daffodils, tulips etc.

[Beaniemom59]

Ine -

 

Off the subject, we will be in Amsterdam in August and would like to know of somewhere in Amsterdam we may purchase flower bulbs that will ship them back to the US for us. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Ine]

Ine -

 

Off the subject, we will be in Amsterdam in August and would like to know of somewhere in Amsterdam we may purchase flower bulbs that will ship them back to the US for us. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

August is not really the best month to buy bulbs, it might too early.

On "Flowermarkt" - Bloemenmarkt at Singel - city-center - you might find some. Check if the bulbs are not too old. Sometimes you can order them from a catalogue.

At Schiphol airport there is a taxfreeshop that sells bulbs too.

[Jaalice]

I totally agree with mktmzm, Senior Holland Tour is one of the best tours my husband and I have ever taken. Wynard took us on a more personalized tour than we could have ever received from anyone else. My husband had recently had a knee replacement and could not walk far without resting. Wynard paced this tour to my husbands pace, but at the same time covered everything that we could possible see in our tour.

He got us into places without waiting in line. I highly recommend Wynard at www.seniorhollandtravel.com. You will not be disappointed.

 

Alice:)

[irb33785-2]

We agree heartily with Jaalice. SeniorHolland Travel is super. Wynand gave us a two day tour and provided fantastic service. We go to see parts of Amsterdam, as well as taking some boat and driving tours of the surrounding areas and the Tulip gardens. I would not hesitate to endorse Wynand's tours to anyone. Just tell him what you are interested in, and he will put together a package just for you.

[Carmic]

Thank you Ine for all your good information. We will be in Amsterdam on October 1, 2007. Our ship will dock at 7 AM and depart at 6 PM..........meaning we need to be back by 5:30 PM. Do you think we will have time to take the train to Zaanse Schans and still do a canal tour of Amsterdam in the afternoon? Is Zaanse Schans one of those places we shouldn't miss? Will we see windmills in Amsterdam on the canal bus?

 

Thanks,

Carol

[Ine]

Thank you Ine for all your good information. We will be in Amsterdam on October 1, 2007. Our ship will dock at 7 AM and depart at 6 PM..........meaning we need to be back by 5:30 PM. Do you think we will have time to take the train to Zaanse Schans and still do a canal tour of Amsterdam in the afternoon? Is Zaanse Schans one of those places we shouldn't miss? Will we see windmills in Amsterdam on the canal bus?

 

Thanks,

Carol

 

You can easily do that. Centraal Station is walkable (abt. 10/15 minutes) or take tram 25. Train to Koog-Zaandijk, ("Stoptrein" to Uitgeest/Alkmaar -2-4 trains every hour) takes another 20 minutes. Walk to Zaanse Schans for 10 minutes, over there probably (depending on the weather) between 1-2 hours. Windmills here still work, they make e.g. mustard (for sale), saw wood, make paint etc. There is a places that makes cheese, oldest AH shop, watchmuseum etc. all along the river Zaan.

There is a nice pancake house for lunch.

 

On the way back across from Centraal Station you will find various companies that offer canalboatrides. They usually last about 1 hour.

[Carmic]

Thanks Ine..........will follow your advice and go to Zaanse Schans do the canal tour in the afternoon. It should be a fun day. Can't wait to see your country.

 

Carol

[FinelyRetired]

For those of you who have been unable to find a private tour in Amsterdam that can accommodate less mobile individuals, I wanted to let you all know that there is an option available to you.

I am a single woman who has Rheumatoid Arthritis and was going to be in Amsterdam for 1 day. As I had never been in Europe and was traveling alone, I was concerned about trying to tour on my own.

 

I found http://www.seniorhollandtravel.com to be an excellent solution for me.

When I called the office, Wynand Vandiggelen answered. He is the owner and operator. He was very pleasant and spoke English (which was a strong requirement for me). We setup a pickup time at the airport and I gave him some information about the things I would like to see. I had wanted to see the countryside and such places as Zaanse Schans and the Keukenhof Tulip gardens were of interest.

My flight to Amsterdam was delayed and I was concerned that Wynand would not have realized that I would be late. I was very happy to see him waiting for me dressed very neatly in sports jacket, dress shirt and tie. He was holding a sign with my name and was very easy to find.

 

The rest of the day was a wonderful experience. We first went to the Keukenhof Gardens (http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html) and saw the tulips and spring bulb flowers in full-bloom. As I was traveling alone, I greatly appreciated having Wynand walking with me and providing education about the gardens and the flowers.

We had coffee and pastries at a small cafe in the gardens and chatted about many things. Wijnand was very affable and it was a pleasure to talk about his life in Holland.

 

After the Keukenhof gardens, we proceeded to a small village called Zaanse Schanse (http://www.zaanseschans.nl/). Once again, Wijnand was very informative and stayed by my side for the entire visit. We also enjoyed a local lunch of Dutch Pancakes (Do not think these are covered in maple syrup!).

 

Once we left Zaanse Schanse, Wynand drove toward the fishing town of Volendam. We traveled many small local roads and the view was dotted with small farms along the way.

 

Once in Volendam, Wynand and I walked throught the town and I was amazed by the local architecture and the clean, well-kept aura about the town. We then stopped at a local pub and were treated to some snacks from the barmaid as we drank some Amstel Light.

 

By this time I was very tired from Jet Lag and a wonderful touring day. Wynand deposited me safely to my hotel. I enjoyed the entire day ALL inclusive for the low price of 199 EUROS. This was for the Car and Chauffer/Tourguide. It was NOT per person!!

 

I want you all to know that this day TOTALLY exceeded all of my expectations and I feel that I saw more of Holland than I would have seen in 3 days on my own. I also feel that I have a better sense of the "real" Holland, not just the "tourist" Holland

 

For those of you who have not been able to get an exclusive tour... THIS IS THE ONE!!

 

Thank you, mktmzm!

 

Since both you and irb33785 gave such thoughtful recs for Senior Holland Travel, I booked Wynand today for a June 2008 pre-cruise stay in Amersterdam!

 

He was polite and prompt. He remembered both of you.

 

Feeling both comfortable and excited now for this pre-cruise stay and I very much appreciate that both you and irb33785 took the time to post your thoughts here.

 

Martha

[genmasjoy]

Thank you for the recommendation for Senior Holland Travel. I have sent an email to Wynand and look forward to hearing from him.

[FinelyRetired]

For those of you who have been unable to find a private tour in Amsterdam that can accommodate less mobile individuals, I wanted to let you all know that there is an option available to you.

I am a single woman who has Rheumatoid Arthritis and was going to be in Amsterdam for 1 day. As I had never been in Europe and was traveling alone, I was concerned about trying to tour on my own.

 

I found http://www.seniorhollandtravel.com to be an excellent solution for me.

When I called the office, Wynand Vandiggelen answered. He is the owner and operator. He was very pleasant and spoke English (which was a strong requirement for me). We setup a pickup time at the airport and I gave him some information about the things I would like to see. I had wanted to see the countryside and such places as Zaanse Schans and the Keukenhof Tulip gardens were of interest.

My flight to Amsterdam was delayed and I was concerned that Wynand would not have realized that I would be late. I was very happy to see him waiting for me dressed very neatly in sports jacket, dress shirt and tie. He was holding a sign with my name and was very easy to find.

 

The rest of the day was a wonderful experience. We first went to the Keukenhof Gardens (http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html) and saw the tulips and spring bulb flowers in full-bloom. As I was traveling alone, I greatly appreciated having Wynand walking with me and providing education about the gardens and the flowers.

We had coffee and pastries at a small cafe in the gardens and chatted about many things. Wijnand was very affable and it was a pleasure to talk about his life in Holland.

 

After the Keukenhof gardens, we proceeded to a small village called Zaanse Schanse (http://www.zaanseschans.nl/). Once again, Wijnand was very informative and stayed by my side for the entire visit. We also enjoyed a local lunch of Dutch Pancakes (Do not think these are covered in maple syrup!).

 

Once we left Zaanse Schanse, Wynand drove toward the fishing town of Volendam. We traveled many small local roads and the view was dotted with small farms along the way.

 

Once in Volendam, Wynand and I walked throught the town and I was amazed by the local architecture and the clean, well-kept aura about the town. We then stopped at a local pub and were treated to some snacks from the barmaid as we drank some Amstel Light.

 

By this time I was very tired from Jet Lag and a wonderful touring day. Wynand deposited me safely to my hotel. I enjoyed the entire day ALL inclusive for the low price of 199 EUROS. This was for the Car and Chauffer/Tourguide. It was NOT per person!!

 

I want you all to know that this day TOTALLY exceeded all of my expectations and I feel that I saw more of Holland than I would have seen in 3 days on my own. I also feel that I have a better sense of the "real" Holland, not just the "tourist" Holland

 

For those of you who have not been able to get an exclusive tour... THIS IS THE ONE!!

 

 

Confirmed for 2 days with Wynand. Thanks again.

 

Off topic to this thread.......what Hotel did you use in Amsterdam?

 

Thanks, Martha

[12B@C]

Post by Ine: “Windmills here still work, they make e.g. mustard (for sale), saw wood, make paint etc. There is a places that makes cheese, oldest AH shop, watchmuseum etc. all along the river Zaan.

There is a nice pancake house for lunch.

Windmills here still work, they make e.g. mustard (for sale), saw wood, make paint etc. There is a places that makes cheese, oldest AH shop, watchmuseum etc. all along the river Zaan.

There is a nice pancake house for lunch.”

Thank you, Ine, for your reply about the train travel to the Zaan. It sounds like the best way to go there with our two American friends. My wife and I were there several years ago with our two daughters and thoroughly enjoyed it. The quaint village, the demonstration of making cheese and “klompen” (wooden shoe) was neat. Not only did three of the windmills actually operate, we were able to climb up to where we could see the wooden gears and shafts rotate. Being a bit of a wood worker myself, I was so intrigued that I made a couple of windmills models. Perhaps you would like to have a look at

Maybe it is best to skip Volendam (too touristy, anyway) and spend more time in Amsterdam itself. One day is just not enough.

[Ine]

Thank you, Ine, for your reply about the train travel to the Zaan. It sounds like the best way to go there with our two American friends. My wife and I were there several years ago with our two daughters and thoroughly enjoyed it. The quaint village, the demonstration of making cheese and “klompen” (wooden shoe) was neat. Not only did three of the windmills actually operate, we were able to climb up to where we could see the wooden gears and shafts rotate. Being a bit of a wood worker myself, I was so intrigued that I made a couple of windmills models. Perhaps you would like to have a look at http://www.*****.com/windmill.html

Maybe it is best to skip Volendam (too touristy, anyway) and spend more time in Amsterdam itself. One day is just not enough.

 

I am very much surprised by those windmills you made. Must be quite a job, but they really look authentic.Also the riddle at the bottom, is welknown. I saw on your website you have dutch ancestors, which I already thought seeing your last name.

Besides windmills, you make beautiful furniture and gardenworks!

 

Yes Zaanse Schans is a very nice place, people still live there, the windmills still work , cows and sheep are in the meadow, and like you say "klompen" and cheese are made etc. We like to go there...on our bike.

Maybe just a little too far out to walk is this windmill in Westzaan.;

http://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=741

Also working, but no museum, making paper from old clothes. Usually open Monday-Friday between 10 and 4. The site is in dutch, but maybe you can find a translationprogramm to read it. Or find an english site for: "Molen De Schoolmeester Westzaan"

 

If you ever have more time a visit to the Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen, (more north of Amsterdam) is worth a visit too. http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/?language=en

All about the old dutch fishingvillages around former Zuiderzee and again very authentic. Old houses and buildings rebuilt here.

 

Volendam and Marken are very touristy, but special. Tourists come there since a long time.