Keukenhof Gardens

[ab0si]

I hope Ine will respond to this one.

April 8 is awfully early for Keukenhof and I doubt it will be open. Right now only daffodils and some hyacinths are popping up. So don't expect a large display of tulips.

 

BTW Did you really mean April 8?????

 

Keukenhof opened 19 March this year.

[Ine]

Is it better to take a train or bus to Leiden to catch the bus to Lisse from Rotterdam? I have heard the traffic in/out of rotterdam is rough. We are there on a Monday, this year, 2009.

 

Hi from Mexico.

Indeed you can easily take a combination of train and bus to/from Leiden.

This site is also in english recently and tells you all.

http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/

Your trip will start at Wilhelminakade in Rotterdam to the áttractie "Keukenhof. Fill in day and time of departure etc. The total trip will take about 1.30 hr. It also gives directions and incl. walking times to the station etc.

For the return to be safe try to be back at least 1.30 hour, better 2 hours before your ship sails in case of traffic problems.

Inside Keukenhof you will easily spend 3-4 hours.

Or find a private driver (maybe with others from your sailing). The time for the trip will be just a little shorter due to traffic problems, but it is more convenient.

 

Since keukenhof has a lot of big old trees flowers bloom later and longer. Also they often replant small sections, so you still will see flowers.

Only no more on the fields, they will be topped by then.

Enjoy.

[CruzinFamilyof5]

Ine, on a 23 hour layover, do you know if someone that is not a US Citizen needs a visa? Also, for a 23 hour layover, which attractions should we focus on? What is your top 10? How about the canal boat or Ho Ho? We're staying at the Marriott Renaissance in Amsterdam. We arrive at 1pm and leave the next day 12pm. :)

 

Thank you.

[Globaliser]

Ine, on a 23 hour layover, do you know if someone that is not a US Citizen needs a visa?

Can you be any more specific? What nationality is the non-US citizen? What is the "layover"? Do you have a 23-hour stop on a ship, arriving and leaving on the same ship? Is it 23 hours between flights (and if so, are the arrival and departure flights on the same ticket)? Is it 23 hours between inbound flight and ship sailing? Or is it 23 hours between ship arrival and outbound flight?

[Ine]

Ine, on a 23 hour layover, do you know if someone that is not a US Citizen needs a visa? Also, for a 23 hour layover, which attractions should we focus on? What is your top 10? How about the canal boat or Ho Ho? We're staying at the Marriott Renaissance in Amsterdam. We arrive at 1pm and leave the next day 12pm. :)

 

Thank you.

 

This depends what nationalty you have. When in doubt call with a dutch embassy in your country.

Personally I prefer the "normal" canalboatrides of about 1 hr. leaving from various spots in the city, a.o. around Centraal Station.

They give a lot of information while sailing.

[CruzinFamilyof5]

The nationality is Argentine, the rest have U.S. Passports. It is a 23 hour layover between flights on KLM. I called NCL and they told me that the information posted on their website is for U.S. Citizens only. Which was incorrect. :rolleyes: My mom called the Dutch Embassy in Buenos Aires and was told my aunt wouldn’t need one, but what happens if we all try to leave the airport and my aunt gets held up? Should we have something in writing from the Embassy? On the way back, we’re doing Air France with a 23 hour layover thru CDG with the same concern. :)

[Ine]

The nationality is Argentine, the rest have U.S. Passports. It is a 23 hour layover between flights on KLM. I called NCL and they told me that the information posted on their website is for U.S. Citizens only. Which was incorrect. :rolleyes: My mom called the Dutch Embassy in Buenos Aires and was told my aunt wouldn’t need one, but what happens if we all try to leave the airport and my aunt gets held up? Should we have something in writing from the Embassy? On the way back, we’re doing Air France with a 23 hour layover thru CDG with the same concern. :)

 

I checked the site of the dept.of foreign affairs and indeed people from Argentine donot need a visum unless they stay longer than 90 days.

As The netherlands and France are in the "Schengen-countries"the same goes for France. So your aunt can come with you. Of course her passport has to be valid for the trip.

Although the site is in dutch you can check the link for passengers not needing a visum;

http://www.minbuza.nl/nl/reizenlanden/welkom/visum,niet_visumplichtige_nationaliteiten_voor_een_verblijf_van_maximaal_drie_maanden.html

Enjoy your cruise

[CruzinFamilyof5]

Thanks INE, for directing me to the correct information. How about that visit to Keukenhoff Gardens? Rick Steves says to visit on the way back to the airport. How much time should we allow?

[Ine]

Thanks INE, for directing me to the correct information. How about that visit to Keukenhoff Gardens? Rick Steves says to visit on the way back to the airport. How much time should we allow?

 

I donot know when you will be in Amsterdam, but Keukenhof closes around May 23. After that no more tulips etc.

If you do this on your way to the airport you might have a porblem with your luggage. Unless you take a private driver and can leave it on his cab.

From Amsterdam to Lisse takes about 45 minutes, once inside the park you need between 2 -4 (or more) hours for a visit. Back to the airport can be done within 30 minutes.

[lambs2]

INE, we will be in Amsterdam deparing from a cruise on May 9. Unfortuneately that will be our only day as we fly out the next morning. After a quick morning seeing the Anne Frank House, canals, and a few other sites, we want to take the rain to Schipol airport and catch the Connextions bus to Kuekenhoff. Is that closer than Leiden? Which would be best? Also, can we purchase the tickets right before we take the bus or would it be best to pre-purchase online?

[Ine]

INE, we will be in Amsterdam deparing from a cruise on May 9. Unfortuneately that will be our only day as we fly out the next morning. After a quick morning seeing the Anne Frank House, canals, and a few other sites, we want to take the rain to Schipol airport and catch the Connextions bus to Kuekenhoff. Is that closer than Leiden? Which would be best? Also, can we purchase the tickets right before we take the bus or would it be best to pre-purchase online?

 

Schiphol is closer to Keukenhof then Leiden if you come from Amsterdam. (Leiden is more south and better if you come from e.g. The Hague or Rotterdam.)

You can take bus nr. 58 from Schiphol to Keukenhof.

For ordering online you can check this site:

http://ticketing.wheretocard.nl/keukenhof-combi/ctrl/orderentry?language=en

That ticket includes bus, entrance fee and you donot have to wait pnline to get in.

 

Or you can buy tickets at Schiphol but then of course you loose time.

[lambs2]

Schiphol is closer to Keukenhof then Leiden if you come from Amsterdam. (Leiden is more south and better if you come from e.g. The Hague or Rotterdam.)

You can take bus nr. 58 from Schiphol to Keukenhof.

For ordering online you can check this site:

http://ticketing.wheretocard.nl/keukenhof-combi/ctrl/orderentry?language=en

That ticket includes bus, entrance fee and you donot have to wait pnline to get in.

 

Or you can buy tickets at Schiphol but then of course you loose time.

 

Thank you, Ine. We will pre-buy the Combi-tickets to use from Schiphol. :)

[Ine]

Also check the posting "Easter in Amsterdam", that person just returned from Keukenhof and Amsterdam.

[Denali2003]

I know this thread has not been active since 2009 - but I was wondering if anyone can help me.

We will be in Rotterdam / Amsterdam on May 9th, 2012 (yes, next year). Will the tulips still be in bloom at Keukenhof? I know they are only in bloom for a short while.

Thank you for your help!

[Ine]

I know this thread has not been active since 2009 - but I was wondering if anyone can help me.

 

We will be in Rotterdam / Amsterdam on May 9th, 2012 (yes, next year). Will the tulips still be in bloom at Keukenhof? I know they are only in bloom for a short while.

 

Thank you for your help!

 

In general around May 9 you will still (late blooming) tulips in Keukenhof. You will see there are many different types of tulips, some of them bloom early, some of them later, all more or less between mid April till Mid May.

Keukenhof has a lot of shade because of many trees, so tulips often bloom a little later there. Most likely you will not see any tulipsfields outside the park anymore.

Keukenhof also does a lot of replanting, so I am sure it is worth the visit.

Much depends how warm/cold spring is. This year it is warmer then usual, but there have been springs which were rather cold so blooming started later.

[Bowie MeMe]

Go on over to Trip Advisor forum (April 5,2011) there is an update on flower fields around Amsterdam. According to the Dutch reporter there are fields of daffodils in almost full bloom and hyathinc (sp?) spreading purple and just starting. Some of the earliest tulips are budded but not yet out in full color. We arrive a week from today and tulips are on my mind. :D We leave Paris France on April 28 so really hoping that we will see some beautiful things. I think if you start a new thread on this topic perhaps will get more response. Also the older posts are still valid. According to a piece in the Washington Post, they were explaining the cherry blossom blooming timetable -- it started last summer and has to do with the length of the sunlight in the day and warmth. When the warmth and length of the day comes back they produce a growth hormone and the blossoms come about. Probably tulips are in the same way -- the length of the day and the warmth of the soil. But it usually is just a week or so difference.

[Denali2003]

Thank you for your help.

Here in Nashville some business' plant tulips. My office building does/did. Then the other day we got some nasty wind storms and tornado activity. There was no tornado at my office, but the winds bent the tulips over. It was sad to see. I hope they pop back up.

I am really looking forward to seeing the Gardens. I've been wanting to see them for over 25 years. I hope it's all that I imagine them to be. My grandparents went to Holland about 50 years ago. They loved it then. Wish they were here for me to talk to them about it..