Netherlands

The Netherlands is flat, dense and built around water management, which shaped its canal cities, polders and dykes. Trains link the main cities in under an hour, and cycling is the default way to move within them. Spring bulb fields and the Wadden islands are the seasonal draws outside the cities.

Cities

Amsterdam

Amsterdam's seventeenth-century canal ring is a UNESCO site and still the shape of daily life, with narrow gabled houses, houseboats and bikes on every bridge. The major museums sit together on one square south of the centre. Three days is enough for the museums, a canal district and one outer neighbourhood.

Utrecht

Utrecht's canals are unusual: the quays sit a level below the street, so cellars open directly onto the water and now hold cafés and terraces. The Dom tower stands apart from its nave, which collapsed in a 1674 storm and was never rebuilt. The city is compact, student-heavy and easy as a day trip or a quieter base.

When to go

See all seasons

• Spring: Tulip season from late March; changeable weather.
• Summer: Long days, canal terraces, busiest in Amsterdam.
• Autumn: Cooler and wetter, museums quieter.

Entry & visas

Entry rules for this country aren't published here yet.

Always confirm entry rules with the official source before you book.