Hi, I am going to Holland on Sunday, Harwich to The Hook, Does anyone know of any smallish sites...Not too keen on the large all singing and dancing ones...just somewhere for a caravan, hookup, dog and cycles, close to bars etc for the odd beer or wine! Also, do we need to book or can you just turn up?...any advice would be great....
many thanks, Dawn
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Not sure if you've been before, but from my experience of Holland and Belgium, there are plenty of sites to go around at this time of year. They are also very friendly towards the English. They still haven't forgotten the war and can't do enough to help.
We are off to France and Holland on 9 June, we get to Holland on 14th, we always stay in Delft at Delftse Hout, check it out at http://www.delftsehout.nl/uk/index.html its convenient for the city of Delft (10 mins walk) or by bus from outside the gate. Delft is a beautiful place and you can get to the North Sea beaches at Den Haag or Scheveningen, not far to the great Amsterdam (we never take the car there preferring to use the train) its not school holiday time at the moment so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting into any site in Holland, why don't you also try googling for Dutch Campings?
Enjoy your time in Holland, we love it there, clean and the natives are very friendly
------------- Gaynor
I have three sides, left, right and wrong - which one are you on?
It's a bit of a contradiction by the way if you want a smallish queit site, but near to 'bars etc'...
Whether you can just turn up depends very much on the time of the year and region.
But a simple phonecall just the day before you plan to go to a particular campsite won't harm. It usually works and towards me never has been considered as booking to charge. But than again that was always for three or four days, long weekends, usually just off peak time.
If you plan to go a bit to the east 'Landgoed Molencaten' has a charming campsite, dogs allowed, very nice well fenced (protects the dog mainly against wild bore that can be very nasty when having piglets) training area very nearby (ask where it is). Pub on site, good restaurant on the estate, old village nearby with a few nice pubs, but not around the corner.
Hattem is on the IJssel river in the region 'Overijssel', with many beautiful old towns alongside the river, beautiful very differentiated landscapes too due to intereactions between rivers, ice age etc..
Many thanks for that info....when I say bars I mean a quite spot to have a drink, meal and watch the world go by...
We have booked Delft for the first three days and then have no idea, we like to move every three days or so just to see as much as possible and will look up your two suggestions, really enjoy beautiful old towns etc, gentle cycling and the dog adores water and swimming...are there for two weeks, never been to Holland before and really looking forward to it.
Actually it's only one suggestion. Molencaten is in Hattem, an old little fortified tow, nowadays we would call it a village.
Their website is http://www.landgoedmolecaten.nl/
Choose english, or look around in dutch a bit first. Somehow the adobe link does not come up if choosing english on my computer, so save the documents and open them separately with Adobe Reader for price information.
The field with pitches nrs 15 and 16 for me is the nicest field, rather intimate. 15 and 16 are rather secluded, ideal with a dog, like us.
Mind you no swimming pool, but the municipal swimming pool is in 5 mns walking distance.
Dog traing area is goig out, turn left, 2 mns first path right and you will see it after 2 mns, left of that a little creek/sand area. The dog will go crazy if he likes water and sand.
From Hattem do visit Deventer, Zutphen, Doesburg etc, and drive or walk throuh the 'Vecht' valley.
The IJssel is the river on which you will find the old cities of the old 'Hanze' association, so very old charming trading cities.
The area probably will need more than three days.
From here you could visit the provinces of Drente or Friesland. Old agricultural areas. Friesland loads of lakes and water, old villages and towns. Drente originally dry and poor, much more sand in the soil. interesting pastural area.
From there maybe turn to the south, the province of Limburg. Take the very southern part of that. A large but good campsite would be near Valkenburg, the village of Schoonbron, campsite: camping Schoonbron (pub on site has good Belgium beer, the village supermarket/butcher 500/700 mtrs away across the road into the village has some excellenty ready made dishes, some very local). Large, but the tenting and carvan area is positions separately from the seasonal pitches. Take the furthest field and you will have a nice view too, although you will be further away from sanitary facilities. Or go 15 minutes further to Gulpen or to the area of the village Epen. Possible campsite: 'Grensheuvel'. There are many more good campsites in this area, like the 'Gronseler Put' (NIVON, nature friends campsite), just on the other side of the river Geul of Schoonbron. Plus some nearer to Valkenburg.
If camping on Schoonbron (or nearer to or in Valkenburg), walk from there to Valkenburg alongside the river Geul: the dog will love swimming in it. Or just let him swim in it behind the campsite.
Or park your car near the litle castle 'Schaloen'or the neighbouring Genhoes, and walk along the little river.
Also loads of good walks on the other side of the road, a large part still belongs to the domain of 'Genhoes'.
Excellent cycling routes, but you may encounter some hills.
Most of these can be easily found on the internet. If
not tell me, i can give further specifications if necessary, but in my opinion looking around for yourself is part of the holiday fun.
Post last edited on 31/05/2006 19:30:10
------------- WL
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Holland?
