General

Holidays by Destination Europe Netherlands General 

The Netherlands, just a ferry ride from the UK, is an excellent holiday option for families. The big draw is Amsterdam (see separate report), but there is more to the country than that, with everything from historic small towns to a surprising density of theme parks within easy reach.

There are parts of the country devoted to tourism, the sandy coast or Friesian islands for example, along with family friendly centres like the Dutch-invented Center Parcs (see the report on Holiday Villages). But the visitors are very predominantly locals and the atmosphere remains relaxing in a way more international tourist destinations can?t be. Making things more relaxing still, English is very widely spoken.

Although the country as a whole merits exploration, this report concentrates on an area easily manageable with children ? the part known as the Golden Circle, surrounding the one-time sea inlet northwest of Amsterdam, dammed to form a large lake. There are however pointers on some other highlights as well.