This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
If you want to enjoy the seaside and the tulips when you visit this country, Noordwijk, Netherlands, is a great choice! Noordwijk is a small village on the North Sea coast, about half an hour from Leiden and one hour from Amsterdam by public transport.
Noordwijk is known as one of the nicest beaches in the Netherlands, with a beach that stretches for thirteen kilometres. Not that the weather in the Netherlands is frequently good enough for sunbathing, but when the weather is good, the Dutch make their way to the beach in large numbers. Even if the weather is not nice enough to lay down your towel in the sand, then the boulevard with all its beach cafes is a nice place to enjoy the sun rays. Noordwijk is a town that everyone can enjoy, but you may notice that there are more posh restaurants than elsewhere in the Netherlands -- the citizens of Noordwijk have the twelfth-highest average income in the country.
Are you travelling to Noordwijk in spring? Then you should definitely rent a bike or car and get out of town. Noordwijk is located at the edge of the so-called "Bollenstreek," the area where flowers grow, and this is where you can find the endless flower fields that you typically see on postcards. Go for a bike ride in the direction of Noordwijkerhout and/or Lisse, and you will certainly see some. As they are just alongside the road, no entrance fee is required. You may also like to visit Keukenhof, the world-famous flower garden, for which an entrance fee is required. It is about ten kilometres from Noordwijk.
You may not find many options for a Noordwijk, Netherlands hostel. There are some accommodations identifying themselves as a Noordwijk, Netherlands hostel, but strangely, you cannot book a dorm room here. Prices depend a lot on the season. If you do not find a Noordwijk, Netherlands hostel that suits you, you may want to consider a hostel in nearby Katwijk or the city of Leiden.
Written by local expertz for Noordwijk
Martin Straatman
