We took a 30-hour car ride through the Netherlands during our stay in Amsterdam. It was a spectacular journey, and I highly recommend renting a car for two days to explore the countryside. Here is how we did and what we did on our trip!
We started the day on the later side and went to Amsterdam Central to catch the train to the Schiphol Airport. I wish we had started earlier to have more time, but it all worked out!
I rented the car through Hertz with my Venture X Card through Capital One. One of the card benefits is rental car insurance and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle just for having the card.
Getting the car was effortless. If you take the train to the airport, the stairs will lead you right to all the rental car desks. We were able to walk right up and get our Toyota Corolla. We were offered an electric car, but I had never driven one, and I didn’t think my first time renting a car and driving an electric vehicle would be a good idea.
Once on the road, we drove to Hillegom, searching for tulip fields. We were too cheap to buy tickets to Keukenhof and wanted to explore the areas you could find for free.
We found some beautiful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth fields. It was fun and nerve-wracking at the same time to pull over to the different fields.
From the fields, we had the goal of going to Gouda and visiting some cheese farms in the area. Unfortunately, we did not give ourselves enough, so we went to the next destination instead, UNESCO Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk.
Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk is a must-stop!!
The Windmills were incredible, and it was such a beautiful place to walk around and look at all the historic windmills. We stayed in this park for about 2 hours and could have stayed longer.
We also got to try poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes) here for the first time! They were so tasty!! We also got lunch at the cafe on-site to save time for the drive.
Then we hit the road again. Getting to our next destination was very easy; primarily, highways and some smaller roads took you right to town. I was initially scared to drive in another country, but it was similar to driving in the U.S., and I almost wish it was a little more different!
We made it to our destination, Giethoorn! If you have yet to hear of this town, you must go! It is often called the Vince of the Netherlands or a fairytale village with its canals and thatched-roofed houses. It is a beautiful town. Check out what we did on our adventure in Giethoorn: 10 Tips for Visiting Giethoorn, Netherlands – 24 Hour Trip
After spending the night in Giethoorn and walking around in the morning, we started our journey back to Amsterdam. One of my favorite things about renting a car is that you can stop wherever you want!
As we were driving, we drove past this little fruit farm called Vink Fruitboerderij. It was the cutest little shop, and we found these mystery desserts that we later found out were gingerbread cakes. They made for the best road trip snack!
We also stopped at Clara Maria Kaasboerderij – the best cheese farm outside Amsterdam! The owner spoke with us about the farm and the cheese, and we were able to join a cheese tasting. They even let people enter the barn and play with their baby calves (of course, we went in and played!).
Going to stores like these makes me grateful that we rented a vehicle to experience these parts of the Netherlands. I love taking trains and other modes of public transportation, but it was nice to have the freedom to stop and see things we would have zoomed by.
If you have time, I recommend renting a car for two days, maybe even three. We only got to go to a few places on our list, which means we will have to return! The cost for the car for two days with Hertzs was $237, and with all the driving, we spent about 50 euros on gas.
