Farm Stay North of Amsterdam
♦ A selection of farm B&Bs across the Netherlands
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Holiday parks are popular and convenient accommodations for family stays in the Netherlands. Their main drawback is that you have to check in on a specific day and check out on a specific day (usually Mondays and Fridays), and the minimum stay is 3 nights (7 nights during peak summer for most of them). For those seeking lodging solutions for a single night or even 2–3 nights, I warmly recommend staying at a farm B&B. Hotels in Amsterdam are quite expensive, and in return for the high price, you get small and cramped rooms that generally cannot accommodate families of 4–5 people.
When traveling with children, it is preferable to stay outside the bustling city centers, in peaceful villages or pleasant countryside towns. After an intensive day touring Amsterdam, it is wonderful to return to a serene, lush green place abundant with waterways—a setting where children have space to run around, pet rabbits and baby goats, and get acquainted with the "real Dutch life."
Below is an example of a charming farm located 15 km north of Amsterdam, where I stayed with my family.
It is an organic farm raising cows, sheep, goats, and rabbits. The hosts are delighted to give their guests tours of the farm, explain their organic farming practices, and let the children cuddle and pet gentle kid goats and lambs. The farm is nestled between water canals, and reaching it requires crossing a narrow bridge and driving along a scenic road flanked on both sides by water, birds, and lush vegetation. It is hard to believe that such a peaceful, picturesque spot lies just a short drive from the big city.
The farm has three guest rooms for rent, each accommodating 2–3 beds. The rooms are relatively small, but clean and well-kept. One room features an en-suite bathroom (shower and toilet), and there is an additional bathroom and toilet shared between the other two rooms. A family of 4–5 can comfortably occupy two rooms.
There is no TV or telephone in the guest rooms, but there is a spacious common lounge for all guests equipped with a television, board games, and tourist information on regional attractions.
The rooms do not have air conditioning (typical across the Netherlands), but they do have heating for the cooler months.
The farm serves as an ideal base for excursions to Amsterdam and the surrounding area: the traditional fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, Alkmaar—famous for its cheese markets—the Afsluitdijk (Northern Dike), and even slightly farther to the fairytale village of Giethoorn.
Volendam
Giethoorn
