The Rough Guide to the Netherlands is your complete handbook to this unique part of Europe. From the pretty village of Edam and Van Gogh’s spectacular masterpieces to Amsterdam’s famous canals and vibrant nightlife, the 24-page full colour section highlights all the ‘things not to miss’. The guide includes detailed listings for all the top places to stay, eat and drink, from bars and coffee shops to luxury hotels and restaurants, plus the new ‘Authors’ Picks’ feature will highlight the very best options. You will find plenty of practical information on exploring historic towns, dunes, beaches, islands and of course, the famous bulbfields. The guide includes detailed listings to help you make the most of the capital, Amsterdam and takes an informed look at the art, literature and history of the Netherlands. The Rough Guide to The Netherlands is like having a local friend plan your trip!
My habit when I plan to travel, is to buy a travel book. Like this one. I bought it for my 11 days trip to Brussels and the Netherlands. As for the Netherlands, it really helped. You can find suggestions on activities to you, local attractions although there are few that was quite outdated by a year, lists of hotels and trams numbers to take from point A to point B, to do lists in the cities and most importantly, suggestion on museums and places to eat. I finished reading the whole book about 3 hours before I arrived in Amsterdam. After surviving 11 days of travelling, I can safely say, this book is a good guide book.
Great start to planning a trip, but could use a few small features, such a place to write a wishlist for destinations, and identifier for where the pictures are from. The pictures are intriguing, but have no labels to tell of which destination they are associated with. Overall, this is definitely the book I am using to plan my next trip.