Idea Practices travel blog

May be you have booked one of the cozy holiday apartments in Amsterdam and you are close to all he landmarks and places of interest in the city center, not to mention the pubs, the cafes and the coffee shops. But if you have more time to spend in Amsterdam and you have already seen all the places of interest that are there to be seen, then may be it is time to go outside the city and visit some other places near Amsterdam city.

The first on our list here would be the town of Utrecht, which is located some 45 minutes away from the city of Amsterdam. The place is famous for its tall cathedral, the Utrecht University and the excellent restaurants. The town is reached through one of the most beautiful canals in Amsterdam, and along this canal there are many narrow streets with small shops and cafes, etc. Every year in June here is organized the Blues Festival.

This photo of The Hague

Den Haag is another tourist destination close to the city of Amsterdam. Here is the seat of the government of the Netherlands and also the residence of the royal family. The town has picturesque houses and palaces, as well as several museums and historical landmarks. In the town is annually organized the biggest jazz fest in the world known as the Sea Jazz Festival.

The town of Haarlem is also close to the city of Amsterdam. It is situated on River Spaarne banks and is a center for making of cloths and a center of arts. The town is famous with its old buildings, peaceful atmosphere and the Frans Hals Museum. The place is also famous with the flower fields around it.

Among the other places near Amsterdam is the town of Aalsmeer, where is situated the largest flower market in the area. This town is also close to the Schiphol Airport. It is visited by many tourists who want to buy flower bulbs. Aalsmeer is well known for the Flower Parade organized here, which is among the most important annual events in the country.

Another interesting town near Amsterdam is Alkmaar, which features medieval buildings and a cheese market. The village of Marken is also interesting with its museum, nice built houses, souvenir shops and snack bars. The old fishing village Volendam is also interesting to see. Here for a shirt period came the painters Renoir and Picasso. The place features many nice souvenirs.

Edam, placed near Amsterdam, is a beautiful town with brick buildings and nice houses, canals and open-air cheese market on certain days in July and August. Tourists also love to visit De Zaane Schans, which features seven working windmills and cottages, as well as a network of canals. There is also a bakery and a cheese-making workshop, as well as clog making shop.

Also popular is Scheveningen, which is a Dutch seaside resort with a great harbor and a museum. The resort has many restaurants serving sea food and various attractions including the eight meter long tunnel under the sea, where one could see sharks, jellyfish and other sea creatures.

A post by Albert Jansen who also writes about Warsaw apartments and Budapest apartment.

You already have the airplane tickets, you have made an online booking for your London apartment and now you have to figure it out how you will visit all the places that are there to be visited in London. There are many options to see the city of London, but if you have limited time for that then going on a bike tour may be a very good idea. Exploring London city on two wheels only is a great way to see all its main landmarks, stay fit and have enough time for a beer in a pub later. There are several good companies that offer bike tours in the British capital and we will try to present here, so that you can have an idea whom to turn to when you are making the planning.

This photo of The London Bicycle Tour Company

The first on our list is the London Bicycle Tour Company, which offers three cycling tours that come with a guide. These include the Central London Tour, the Royal West Tour and the East Tour. Each of the tours comes with a bike hire and with an experienced and professional guide. The London Bicycle Tour Company offers bikes that fit all sizes and shapes and are good for beginners and for experienced bicycle riders. The company has a central location by the river, wherefrom one could go on long rides along Thames, the Royal parks and the canals and thus to avoid the pollution and the traffic. The guided tours usually last for three hours and make the travelers experience the real atmosphere of this cosmopolitan city.

This photo of The London Bicycle Tour Company

The other popular company that offers this kind of tours is the Flat Tire Bike Tours Company. It has comfortable bikes and experienced guides, who do not spare their time or energy to provide the travelers with information, so that they can make most of the trip. The company was founded in year 1999 and it works also in other cities such as Berlin, Barcelona and Paris. The one day bike tours they offer cover Hyde Park and the Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben and Trafalgar Square, the St. James Park and the Parliament. The rest of the stops include Kensington Palace and Park with the Princess Diana’s Memorial, the Cabinet War Rooms and the Royal Albert Memorial.

This photo of Fat Tire Bike Tours

Another good company is Capital Sport, which offers day bike trips as well as longer tours for groups and families. The tours start from London and from Windsor and the rates include the bike hire, as well as the luggage transfer and the accommodation. The areas that are explored include Oxford and Windsor, Cotswolds and Kent, as well as the Devon coast. There is also a Heritage Tour de Great Britain that lasts for twelve days.

Great service is also offered by the Blue Badge Tourist Guides. During the bike tours, these professionals are presenting all the must see sites in the British capital. They offer professional guides in forty languages and can also recommend museums, restaurants, cafes and pubs.

A post by Lily Green who usually writes about Paris apartments and apartments in Prague.