It also makes an excellent destination for budget travelers. It has historic streets galore, impressive Gothic architecture, and plenty of free attractions to keep you busy. Plus, if you have the Amsterdam City Card, entry to a few Haarlem museums are now included. There are also lots of affordable restaurants and tons of fun shopping options.

Best of all, adorable and quaint Haarlem is just a 20-minute train ride from Amsterdam Central station, making it an easy day trip, overnight, or affordable home base for those visiting Amsterdam by day. Some tourists just come for its lower-priced hotels and quiet vibe, then commute by train into “the city” in the morning and evening.

Getting there

The train from Amsterdam Central station is the simplest way to Haarlem, with frequent trips every 10 or 15 minutes. Round-trip tickets cost about €8.20.

Beach Tip: For an extra special getaway, buy a round-trip from Amsterdam to Zandvoort aan Zee for €10.80. This North Sea beach destination is a mere 10 minutes more from Haarlem. Trains go either direct from Amsterdam Central, or include a change in Haarlem. Spend a day in the two areas by starting with a morning beach session and ending with an evening around town. If plans change on the fly, bus No. 81 rides from Haarlem Central to Zandvoort aan Zee in half an hour for about €3.

Related: Pros and cons of the Amsterdam & Region Day Ticket

Catch a ride into town (or just rent your own!). Photo: chelmsfordblue

Things to do in Haarlem

Getting to Haarlem’s center is a 10-minute walk from the station. Exit the bus station side (look for the Starbucks), and head down either Kruisweg or Jansstraat. Either choice spits you right out at the Grote Markt.

Strolling the historic streets and gardens

Jansstraat is lined with enough impressive 17th- and 18th-century homes and buildings to be deemed one of the city’s historic streets. Be sure to check out the 12th-century Janskerk (Jansstraat 40) and St. Barbara women’s hospital, which dates from the 1430s (Jansstraat 54).

Additionally, Bakenessergracht and Spaarne, which run along the river toward the Adriaan Windmill, are two more notable historic streets that are worth a wander. Throughout the city you’ll notice small courtyards around private houses and old buildings. There are “hofjes”, or small gardens, and are open to the public for free to peruse and admire the peaceful vibe and greenery.

Kruisweg is a shopping street full of bakeries and boutiques. Grab some fries at the organic potato shack Friethoes (Kruisweg 43).

Corrie Ten Boom house (free)

Most notably, Kruisweg leads to the home of the Corrie Ten Boom House – a family that helped hide and protect more than 800 Jews during the Nazi Occupation, until they were betrayed in 1944. Named after the family’s only survivor, the home is now a free museum, much like the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where visitors can walk through the home and hiding areas that resemble its time during the Occupation.

Grote Markt is the center of Haarlem where tourists and locals mix. Photo: zemistor

Main square: Grote Markt

The heart of Haarlem, the central market square (“Grote Markt”), is topped by the massive 15th-century Gothic-style Grote Kerk. It’s only €2 to go inside and admire the soaring stained glass windows, graves in the walls, and the gigantic 18th-century St. Bravo Organ.

This bustling open square is lined with other attractions, including the De Hallen Museum of contemporary art, cafes and restaurants (most featuring “tourist prices”).

The Grote Kerk’s St. Bavo organ is a stunner. Photo: bertknot

Archeological museum (free)

Haarlem’s Archeological Museum is located in the celler of Grote Markt’s 17th-century Vleeshaal (meat hall), and is a small museum exhibiting amazing archeological finds discovered throughout Haarlem, some of which date as far back as the Stone Age (4,000 years ago).

Shopping in Haarlem

Shopping is huge in Haarlem, with dozens of independent shops that range from toy stores to department towers. For fun browsing, try visiting the Grote Market on a Saturday, when the square is overtaken by the farmer’s market or Monday’s clothing market.

The main shopping streets include most of the walkways between Gedeempty Oudegracht and the Spaarne River: Barteljorisstraat, Zijlstraat, Gierstraat and Grote Houtstraat, to name a few. Sales are common (and dangerous!), and most accept credit cards.

Eating and drinking in Haarlem

Looking for a terrace to grab a bite with a view? Try the Botermarkt Square, a quaint alternative to the Grote Market, with slightly cheaper drinks and snacks. It’s also a bit more lively, as the locals prefer the more snug and cozy setting.

Nothing compares to the Jopen microbrewery and restaurant that’s housed in the Jopenkerk church. Choose from more than a dozen beers on tap and bottle, plus feast on snacks like homemade fried bitterballen with homemade mustard that (ordered by the piece, €1 each). The lunch menu is decently-priced; expect a beer and burger for about €10.

Also nearby is Woodstone Pizza and Wine (pizzas around €9), but the real cheapo winners are the authentic Crostino Gelateria, and the massive Albert Hein grocery store with its ready-to-eat salads, sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and more.

The best sandwich shop hands down is Baguetterie Vlaar, a small nook with fresh cheeses and veggies on soft baguettes starting at €2. The corner department store V&D has a gourmet lunch canteen upstairs on the top floor called La Place (Grote Houtstraat 70). Fruit smoothies, stir fry, salad bar, you name it – all affordable and freshly prepared. To compliment the food, the seating area offers spectacular rooftop views of Haarlem.

Near Grote Markt, Sumo (Riviervismarkt 11) is a well-known Japanese place that offers an all-you-can-eat philosophy. For two hours patrons can stuff their faces with dozens of rolls and Japanese-style tapas, like grilled salmon and shrimp tempura. Lunch starts at €19.50 per person, dinner €24.50, excluding drinks.

Music and nightlife

Going out in Haarlem is a blast for those who enjoy taverns and live gigs. For brown cafes, try the authentic Dutch hotspot In de Uiver just off Grote Markt (Riviervismarkt 13). Belgian beer lovers and pub food goers should try the friendly and atmospheric Café Bruxelles (Lange Wijngaardstraat 16).

Vinos will want to check out the retro chic Vigh (Grote Markt 4), but the glasses start at €5. A top choice for a summer spot on the cheap is the city beach bar and food bungalow De Oerkap (Harmenjansweg 95). A hangout spot with a waterfront view, plus sand and beach chairs for catching sun after work, this is really a local’s bar with a location (literally) on the other side of the train tracks, but it’s worth the trip. Snacks and sandwiches start around €4, and pizza is €10.

The main concert hall is the Patronaat (Zijlsingel 2), a big music hall bringing acts from Pink Martini to Pharcyde and Counting Crows. Next door, the Patronaat café has a smaller stage with local gigs that are more on the pop and jazzy side. For a jazz and blues hangout, musicians and locals hang at the small brown bar and jazz club Café Steils (Smedestraat 21) near Grote Markt.

The family-run Amadeus Hotel is a top pick for budget stays in Haarlem. Photo: Booking.com

Affordable hotels in Haarlem

Compared to pricey Amsterdam, Haarlem offers a great hotel bang for your buck. Several affordable hotels are located right in the middle of town, including the Amadeus Hotel, located directly on Grote Markt, with rates as low as €60. From modern boutiques to charming old-world guesthouses, you can search here to see availability for over 100 Haarlem hotels.

Haarlem also makes a suitable alternative for a home base if the best budget Amsterdam hotels are filled up. Remember, Amsterdam is only 20 minutes away by train!

The post A guide to visiting Haarlem, Netherlands on a budget appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

While the usual choices are 24-hour city transport cards and Euro rail passes, new to the scene is the Amsterdam & Region Day Ticket. At €13.50 a day, it offers unlimited city transport PLUS regional buses that stop at prime destinations like Zaandam and Edam to name a few.

It’s not for the elite traveler, but perfect for Cheapos wanting a sight-seeing deal. Here are some pros and cons to help decide:

Pro: Cheapest “combo ticket”

After doing the math, one round-trip out of town and two tram rides means you’re already saving with Amsterdam & Region Day Ticket. So to get the most with this ticket, travel in and out of the Amsterdam center—spend a morning in Zandvoort aan Zee, and then hit the big city. Don’t venture from one far region to the other in one day, it’s too much traveling.

Con: Only for day trippers

The weekend-long smash and grab job when seeing Amsterdam doesn’t include day trips outside the city. This ticket works best for visitors spending at least a long weekend in Holland, and those interested in seeing the outskirts of Amsterdam. Places like Delft, Den Haag and Rotterdam are not included regions in this ticket.

Pro: Night buses included

A night out on the town in Amsterdam leads to a €4.50 night bus ticket home when returning after midnight. It’s great to always get a travel ticket that includes these after-hours buses.

Con: Only buses included

Besides the city trams, this ticket means bus travel only. It’s not the best pick when strapped for time, but a great “sceonic route” option (travel time can be twice as long compared to the train). Rides can be bumpy and jerky—anyone prone to carsickness is better off with sticking to trains.

Pro: Marken, Zaanse Scahns and Haarlem

These are the easy top three places to reach on the regional bus routes. Haarlem has its historic and quaint charm, Marken’s isolated fishing community still lives in traditional wooden houses, and Zaanse Schans has its scenic windmills and wetlands. While Haarlem is accessible by train, the other two are accessible by bike or road only.

Con: Almere, Ijmuiden and Amstelveen

While Ijmuiden shows the industrial side of Amsterdam, Amstelveen is a typical Dutch suburbia, and Almere offers insight about “planned city” structures in Holland. Are they worth the visit? Outside of niche interests and modern European history buffs, most travelers will get their money’s worth in other traditional hotspots.

Pro: Perfect for cool or rainy seasons

Dutch transport resilience is at its best in rainy weather, and buses are no exception. When the weather is windy, wet and cold, hitch a ride inside (leave the biking to the weatherproof locals). Buses have great heating—a soothing plus after walking on cold cobblestone.

Con: Sticky and sweaty in summer

Buses might have heating better than your hotel, but they lack air conditioning. Summertime can turn buses into saunas. They get crowded, cramped and borderline claustrophobic. It’s not uncommon to see locals just shout in desperation to be bucked off at the next stoplight. During sweltering summer days, either bike it or plan a tour via private coaches.

The post Amsterdam & Region Day Ticket: The pros and cons of this 24-hour deal appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.