The Netherlands is a small country and many towns and cities are only a short train ride away from Amsterdam. Many visitors go to the picturesque town of Alkmaar for the traditional cheese market on Friday mornings where porters are in colourful hats and dealers in white smocks. Travel time by train is about 30-40 minutes. www.vvvalkmaar.nl.
Zaanse Schans is the re-creation of a local village from the 17th and 18th centuries. The most striking feature is the six working windmills along the riverbank. The railway journey there is only 15 minutes. www.zaanseschans.nl.
Haarlem has a refined elegance with a wealth of historic buildings, courtyards and up-scale antique shops. Also a museum dedicated to the artist, Frans Hals. 15-20 minutes from Amsterdam. www.haarlem.nl. A little farther afield are important cities such as The Hague (40 minutes) and Europe’s busiest port, Rotterdam (60-70 minutes).
The town of Delft is where the distinctive blue and white Dutch porcelain is made and it attracts many tourists in the summer. One of the greatest of the Dutch Masters, Vermeer, lived his entire life in Delft. www.tudelft.nl
For details of fares and timetables for rail trips to any of the above go to the website of Dutch railways, www.ns.nl.
