Amsterdam, Tulips, Cheese & Steam

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then onwards through the Netherlands to Alkmaar and our base for four nights, the Grand Hotel, where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we travel eastwards to the town of Hoorn where we join the historic Museum Steam Train that meanders along a unique railway line, across the West Frisian meadows, and past characteristic station buildings to Medemblik. Here an old-fashioned steamer awaits to sail gently across the IJsselmeer to the village of Enkhuizen and, after a day of nostalgia amidst the timeless scenery of North Holland, we re-join the rail system at Enkhuizen and travel back to Alkmaar.

DAY 3

It is Friday in Alkmaar and this can mean only one thing - it's Cheese Market Day! Spend the morning watching the spectacle of cheese trading in the town's Waagplein beside the weighing house. In the afternoon, we enjoy time at leisure to explore or relax at the hotel before we reconvene in the early evening and enjoy a meal together in the hotel restaurant.

DAY 4

Today, we travel by rail to Amsterdam where we enjoy a cruise along the city's most beautiful canal belt, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore; perhaps visit Anne Frank House or learn about beer at the Heineken Experience before returning to Alkmaar in time for our evening meal.

DAY 5

Today, we journey by coach to the fabulous Keukenhof, "the most beautiful spring garden in the world", open just a few weeks each year, where awesome swathes of tulips, crocuses and daffodils burst out of the rolling countryside. Discover huge rivers of colour beneath great avenues of trees with the greatest collection of bulbs including over 1,000 varieties of tulip. In the afternoon we transfer to Bergen op Zoom via medieval Delft, home of the famous blue and white Delft pottery, and we can stroll around the beautiful town centre that is rich in history and awash with delicious craft beers and picturesque canals. Following our visit, we continue to our base for next two nights, the historic Hotel De Draak, the oldest hotel in the Netherlands. Tonight, we dine at leisure in the city centre on the Grote Markt Square with many great restaurants to suit every palate and budget.

DAY 6

Today we make our way by train into the rural province of Zeeland for our visit to the Goes-Borsele Steam Railway. The historic steam and diesel trains ply the route from Goes itself along 13km of track through a beautiful rural route through orchards, fields, and small villages to the charming village of Hoedenskerke. Later we return to Bergen op Zoom for our final evening, dining at leisure in one of the many wonderful restaurants.

Day 7

We bid farewell to Bergen op Zoom and the Netherlands, returning by rail to Brussels, where we will join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner