A weekend in Helmond and Utrecht, Netherlands

[QueenOfGoths]

Mate of mine lives in Leiden and he says the same thing. Generally quieter and more relaxing, he reckons, too. Personally, I can't imagine much worse than being stoned off your tits on White Widow in a horrible Bulldog type place with 2 Unlimited on top volume.

Went to Leiden when the Rembrandt 500 festivities where on - lovely place, we did a walking tour of the town which was just great, then found a little bar to retire in for a few before we got the train back to the Dam

Haarlem is also really nice, the Franz Hals Museum is excellent

 

[Idaho]

I was in Leiden only briefly, but it seemed very pleasant. I fancy a cycle-camping tour of the Netherlands in a couple of years.

 

[editor]

After my experiences in Helmond, I've started my rant about UK cycling here: http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=283275

 

[moon]

I always travel around Europe by train its wonderful, am off to Amsterdam next week for a gig so will be doing the usual St Pancras to Amsterdam Central route and am really looking forward to it.
Hoping to travel to spain by train later on in the year.

 

[editor]

I always travel around Europe by train its wonderful, am off to Amsterdam next week for a gig so will be doing the usual St Pancras to Amsterdam Central route and am really looking forward to it.

I love watching the architecture change as you travel through Europe and getting into conversation with locals (and humiliating myself wit my dreadful language skills).

St Pancras really sets the tone for a European trip too. It's a stunning station.

 

[Voley]

I was in Leiden only briefly, but it seemed very pleasant. I fancy a cycle-camping tour of the Netherlands in a couple of years.

My mate lives in one of these temporary houses near the tulip fields. Because they're meant to be tied to the farms, you're only allowed to live in them for 3/4 of the year; they're not classed as permanent accommodation. He bought his for something stupidly cheap like ten grand a few years back. He buggers off to India for the spare 3 months. I was just a wee bit envious when I heard of this.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

£90 return from St Pancras to Helmond in the Netherlands and our ticket let us go to any destination in Holland.

Seems very reasonable to me.

OK, I have to say that is excellent value. Was that a special 'book online' deal though?

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I liked Utrecht, much better than Amsterdam. Gosh, Helmond! I not heard that name for ages!

I also liked groningen. Had quite a good lost weekend in groningen with a mate who lived there. We went to utrecht to to see some other friends, then went back to groningen and stayed out for about 24 hours in various insalubrious bars and all night club/bar type places. The Es were flowing like smarties...

 

[editor]

OK, I have to say that is excellent value. Was that a special 'book online' deal though?

Eme (who booked it) says it was just a regular online deal from RailEurope. You pay an extra tenner on top of the Eurostar ticket to go anywhere in Netherlands which is one hell of a deal!

 

[Idaho]

Eme (who booked it) says it was just a regular online deal from RailEurope. You pay an extra tenner on top of the Eurostar ticket to go anywhere in Netherlands which is one hell of a deal!

Can you take bicycles with you?

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Eme (who booked it) says it was just a regular online deal from RailEurope. You pay an extra tenner on top of the Eurostar ticket to go anywhere in Netherlands which is one hell of a deal!

that's relaly good. for some reason I'd thought it was more like the 150quid and the rest if you just booked the regular deal.

Do you have to go at a set time with that ticket?

 

[QueenOfGoths]

that's relaly good. for some reason I'd thought it was more like the 150quid and the rest if you just booked the regular deal.

Do you have to go at a set time with that ticket?

I think you normally have to specify which train you want from St. Pancras as this can affect the cost.

 

[editor]

Do you have to go at a set time with that ticket?

Certainly for the Eurostar - which is reasonable enough else we'd never get a seat (it was full both ways).

Eurostar are currently offering £59 return fares to Brussels, btw.

Can you take bicycles with you?

I've no idea. This might tell you: http://www.raileurope.co.uk/

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Certainly for the Eurostar - which is reasonable enough else we'd never get a seat (it was full both ways).

Eurostar are currently offering £59 return fares to Brussels, btw.
I've no idea. This might tell you: http://www.raileurope.co.uk/

Right - but the included 10 quid fare within the NL is flexible?

Might have to book myself a trip to Ou Zhou (europe) soon.

I used to get the eurostar back from paris. Actually 59 quid is exactly the same as I was paying then (10 years+ ago). it was the STA deal. So it sounds pretty good

 

[HackneyE9]

I love watching the architecture change as you travel through Europe and getting into conversation with locals (and humiliating myself wit my dreadful language skills).

St Pancras really sets the tone for a European trip too. It's a stunning station.

Yeah. I used to get the train to Rotterdam from London a lot, via Brussels, and it used to amaze me how different Belgium and the Netherlands were (for two small, northern European states, that is). Belgium sort of down at heel, older buildings, crumbling, then as soon as you're over the border, the Dutch housing all mahoosive cinema-sized windows, modern, functional, kind of cool in it's own way.

But in both, the amazing lack of car traffic, and number of people happily cycling.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I was just having a quick try and the cheapest I could find was 107 each way (London to Amsterdam)

Why do I never have any luck with booking these things online?

 

[Idaho]

Some info:

Bicycles on the Eurostar

If you can fold or dismantle your bike and place it in a bike bag with the saddle, handlebars and wheels removed, you can carry it on board yourself as part of your luggage allowance as long as the overall size is no bigger than a normal suitcase.

Alternatively, you have 2 other options.

You will be able to reserve a place for your bike on the same train that you are travelling on. (This is subject to space being available). This service operates on our London, Paris and Brussels routes only and will give you added assurance of knowing that your bike is travelling with you.

A bit pricey. £20 a bike each way for 5 people

 

[davesgcr]

Went to a meeting with the Dutch rlys last year in Utrecht - had about an hour to look around and it seems a lovely place .....I presume Ed went to the railway museum (which is on the list to do at some time)

The travelling was a piece of cake - Brussels - Rotterdam on a "proper" old style inter city and an easy change to Utrecht on a local train via Gouda.

Not much traffic , plenty of bikes and a nice atmosphere to the place,

 

[editor]

Went to a meeting with the Dutch rlys last year in Utrecht - had about an hour to look around and it seems a lovely place .....I presume Ed went to the railway museum (which is on the list to do at some time)

I tried to entice my friends to go but the Rietveld Schroder House won out. Bah!

We went past the museum though and I noticed what really looked like a Class 08/9 diesel shunter outside.

The trains in Belgium were in a pretty poor state, btw - covered in graffiti and some looking very tatty.

 

[davesgcr]

Off thread - yes SNCB arent known for their station ambience (bar Antwerp which is amazing) - or a policy of keeping the older trains clean and graff free(the new ones are kept OK) - the Dutch had a major problem but they seem to be on top of it now.

And yes - the Dutch did have some class 08 lookalikes ! Am up for that museum when I can get some quality time arranged.

 

[HackneyE9]

I tried to entice my friends to go but the Rietveld Schroder House won out. Bah!

We went past the museum though and I noticed what really looked like a Class 08/9 diesel shunter outside.

The trains in Belgium were in a pretty poor state, btw - covered in graffiti and some looking very tatty.

'Tis Belgium for you, I'm afraid. Bit run down and seedy in a lot of ways, compared with the other continental northern European countries.

 

[HackneyE9]

'Tis Belgium for you, I'm afraid. Bit run down and seedy in a lot of ways, compared with the other continental northern European countries.

I did London-Brussels-Cologne-Berlin by train a few weeks ago, and the Eurostar was, well, the Eurostar, posh, bit antiseptic, but lovely, the Cologne-Berlin ICE train was simply out of this world super sonic in every sense, and the Brussels-Cologne THALYS was, frankly, borderline skanky.

 

[davesgcr]

Thalys trains now well worn - but are getting an internal makeover to pep them up a bit (cant say i thought they were that bad)

Hard to beat the leather seated German ICE trains .....


General thing about Belgium is its general scruffy ness with some of the worst botched back extensions to housing ever seen - along with very random chimney pots .....

 

[Mr Retro]

We changed at Brussels and after taking an hour to look around (and boy is it a dump around the station!), we got a train to Dorecht, hopped across the platform and then on to Helmond.

It was infinitely more comfortable and convenient than taking the plane.

I loved Utrecht.

Utrecht is beautiful.

I booked a flight on Thursday to fly return Amsterdam to London Stansted in 2weeks. £165. From my door to the door of the office is just over 3 and a half hours. To go by train is apparently 6 hours - I've never done it.

It's a bit too much travel time for a business really, but for a holiday I think it's much more pleasant to take the train.

 

[Mr Retro]

The prices were more or less the same as the UK, maybe a bit pricier.

The bars, in Amsterdam at least, are very pricey now if you are changing sterling. Your going to pay 5 Euro for a half litre and if you want Guinness or other export beers, it's about 6.

On the other hand beer in the supermarkets is cheaper than water. About 50-60 cents for top quality Dutch or Belgian beer.

I've noticed far fewer tourists around than this time last year.

 

[editor]

Utrecht is beautiful.

I booked a flight on Thursday to fly return Amsterdam to London Stansted in 2weeks. £165. From my door to the door of the office is just over 3 and a half hours. To go by train is apparently 6 hours - I've never done it.

The train journey takes around 5 hours, and later this year it will be down to under 4 hours.

Personally, I'd take 90 mins extra on a train and avoid the misery of an airport trip, and the face isn't bad either: £89 return.

http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/latest_deals/london_amsterdam.jsp

 

[Mr Retro]

The train journey takes around 5 hours, and later this year it will be down to under 4 hours.

Personally, I'd take 90 mins extra on a train and avoid the misery of an airport trip, and the face isn't bad either: £89 return.

http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/latest_deals/london_amsterdam.jsp

Wow! I didn't realise that. 4 hours is as good as the plane.

I think I'll try the train next time round because I assume once you aren't under the sea there is internet access? The only prob is pitching up at work at lunchtime.

I agree an extra 90min is well worth it. Arriving at Stansted and getting The Stansted Express to London is one of the most depressing journeys there is. It's an embarrassment it's one of the first experiences tourists get of the UK. And it's £28 return.

 

[editor]

Wow! I didn't realise that. 4 hours is as good as the plane.

I think I'll try the train next time round because I assume once you aren't under the sea there is internet access? The only prob is pitching up at work at lunchtime.

I agree an extra 90min is well worth it. Arriving at Stansted and getting The Stansted Express to London is one of the most depressing journeys there is. It's an embarrassment it's one of the first experiences tourists get of the UK. And it's £28 return.

For me, a train journey often forms part of the holiday where I can enjoy interesting views, have a snack, stretch out and relax and maybe get to chat to fellow travellers, whereas getting to the airport, waiting about, being searched and shunted into a tiny seat is a dull ordeal from start to finish.

 

[Mr Retro]

For me, a train journey often forms part of the holiday where I can enjoy interesting views, have a snack, stretch out and relax and maybe get to chat to fellow travellers, whereas getting to the airport, waiting about, being searched and shunted into a tiny seat is a dull ordeal from start to finish.

Couldn't agree more. We got the ICE train from Amsterdam to Berlin last month. 6 hours of chilled out pleasure followed by arriving in the middle of the city chilled and relaxed.

It's not often I get time to just spend hours sitting next to my wife chatting and having a laugh and pissing about. Or to feel if I want to, I can just read for 3 hours without thinking I should be doing somthing "more productive".

Taking the train is the new planting a tree

 

[editor]

I finally found a bit of time to post up my pics from Utrecht:

More here: http://www.urban75.org/photos/netherlands/utrecht-netherlands.html

Helmond pics coming soon!