Netherlands - Travel Deals

Whether or not you’ve ever heard specifically of Queen’s Day in the Netherlands, chances are good that if you hear it’s one of the nation’s biggest holidays and brings out the party-hearty spirit in Amsterdam, you’ll understand that it’s a holiday worth traveling for.

The Netherlands has been celebrating Queen’s Day to mark the birthday of the reigning queen every year since 1889, but it wasn’t until 1948 that the April date was set. Now, no matter when the queen’s birthday is, Queen’s Day is on April 30th. The only exception to this rule is when April 30th falls on a Sunday, in which case Queen’s Day is celebrated on the 29th to make it a Saturday holiday.

Amsterdam has some of the biggest Queen’s Day celebrations each year, although cities throughout the Netherlands also celebrate – it is one of the Netherlands national holidays. To find out more about visiting the Dutch capital, whether you’re traveling for Queen’s Day or not, be sure to check out this Amsterdam travel guide.

>> Queen’s Day in 2011 is on Saturday, April 30.

One of the biggest holidays in the Netherlands is Queen’s Day, celebrated each April 30th throughout the country. As it’s the capital of the country, however, Amsterdam is where you’ll find the biggest and most boistrous celebrations – so if you’re contemplating a trip to party with the Dutch on Queen’s Day, Amsterdam is the place to be.

Thankfully, Amsterdam is home to one of Europe’s big international gateway airports, Schiphol – and April isn’t technically part of the European high season yet, so airfare to Amsterdam prior to Queen’s Day isn’t typically as expensive as airfare to the Dutch capital can get in (for instance) June or July. Still, airfare is usually the biggest expense of any trip, so if you can start off with a cheap flight to Amsterdam you can stretch your travel budget that much further.

>> In 2011, Queen’s Day is on Saturday, April 30.

Any backpacker worth her weight in salt probably knows a thing or two about Holland’s crown jewel, Amsterdam. The Red Light district is well revered, the drugs are part of travel folklore, the canals are ingrained in the mind, Anne Frank’s home is a must see and a trip to the Heineken factory is a right of passage for those who like barely with their hops.

Amsterdam is a destination that you probably know well even if you haven’t been there yet, but here are few things that you might not know about the city and that could lead you to win trivia night at your local pub.

• Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but only 700.000 Amsterdammers
• When you land at Schiphol Airport, you are actually four meters below sea level
• The Dutch people are are the tallest in all Europe
• Amsterdam is built entirely on piles, huge stakes driven into the ground.Central station has 6000 of them keeping it up.
• Visiting the Amsterdam parliament building could prove difficult as there isn’t one.

The things you learn visiting CheapTicketLinks! Here’s one more handy little fact that you should commit to your memory: prices on flights to Amsterdam are quite reasonable at the moment so now would be the opportune time to head to Holland and learn some more tidbits about one of the world’s great travel destinations.