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Beat the Dutch Travel

Looking for the real Holland? Unique places, routes & excursions, the best boutique hotels, friendly local guides and away from the crowds? We would love to host your holiday in the Netherlands! The country of cheese and tulips, windmills and polders, Rembrandt & Van Gogh, stunning architecture and beautiful beaches… We will show you the best places to experience the real Holland. Founded by two young veterans from the travel industry, Beat the Dutch Travel is an energetic and dynamic travel company that is always striving for amazing experiences, looking for new places, ensuring great quality in everything we do, and focussing on your wishes and needs. Whether you would like to focus on culture, travel on a bike, indulge in luxury, relax with your family, we will surprise you with exciting itineraries. Feel free to contact us for your travel adventure in the lowlands

Beat the Dutch Travel is part of the following groups: Belgium Travel Agents, Luxembourg Travel Agents, The Netherlands Travel Agents

Featured trips & expertise

Top itineraries and travel advice

Recent Trip Reviews for Beat the Dutch Travel

Everything was well planned and very enjoyabl...
Belgium | Feb 11 - Feb 18, 2024

J
Jacob M.
South Salt Lake, UT | Reviewed on Feb 19, 2024
Everything was well planned and very enjoyable. The driver was very accommodating and all the locations and services were top notch. Read more

Everything was well planned and very enjoyable. The driver was very accommodating and all the locations and services were top notch.

Hotel Reviews
Dikker & Thijs Hotel
Amsterdam

Hotel was close to a lot of restaurants and shopping locations, and served a delicious breakfast

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Collector Hotel
The Hague

Close to a lot of restaurants and shopping, clean, and has a delicious breakfast. Rooms are a little on the small side but very nice.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Feb 20, 2024

Hi Jacob and travel mates,
Thank you for your kind review! I am so glad that you have had a good trip. A big shout out to our first travelers brave enough to face the Dutch February weather - which was not too bad in the end
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke

Great time in the lowlands
The Netherlands | Oct 31 - Nov 5, 2023

Susan
Susan N.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Nov 12, 2023
Mieke did a great job planning our trip and answering all of our many questions quickly. We had a wonderful time in The Netherlands despite the rain! Our hotels were perfectly located and we walked everywhere. Alex our walking guide and Maarten our driver were pleasant and very knowledgeable. Unfortunately we cut them both a little short because of the pouring rain. Thanks so much for your great work. Read more

Mieke did a great job planning our trip and answering all of our many questions quickly. We had a wonderful time in The Netherlands despite the rain! Our hotels were perfectly located and we walked everywhere. Alex our walking guide and Maarten our driver were pleasant and very knowledgeable. Unfortunately we cut them both a little short because of the pouring rain. Thanks so much for your great work.

Hotel Reviews
Singel hotel
Amsterdam

Small and quaint. Good location

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel van Walsum
Rotterdam

Comfortable hotel. Very pleasant staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk
Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk
The Netherlands
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Public Transport Pass Amsterdam
Public Transport Pass Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Quality of Experience
Amsterdam - daytrip to Volendam, Edam and Alkmaar
Amsterdam - daytrip to Volendam, Edam and Alkmaar
Amsterdam

Maarten was great. We loved the cheese factory tour and the cows! We did cut the trip short because or the downpour of rain.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Nov 12, 2023

Dear Susan, thank you for your kind words! You id have your share of bad weather during your trip... but I am glad you have enjoyed nevertheless. It's always a bit unpredictable here, and can change quickly. Thank you for your flexibility! We loved hosting your trip for you.
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke

Book Bas for Belgium!
Belgium | Oct 13 - Oct 18, 2023

Annette
Annette F.
New Zealand | Reviewed on Oct 19, 2023
We had a wonderful 5 days in Belgium . BAs arranged excellent accommodation in Antwerp and Brussels that had perfect locations for walking to attractions and food and drinks.
Our guide in Antwerp, Dave, was knowledgeable, friendly and really loves his city. Even though it poured with rain during most of our tour he persevered and we didn’t feel that we had been short changed at all. He was also our guide the next morning when the sun was out and showed us some more of his beautiful...
Read more

We had a wonderful 5 days in Belgium . BAs arranged excellent accommodation in Antwerp and Brussels that had perfect locations for walking to attractions and food and drinks.
Our guide in Antwerp, Dave, was knowledgeable, friendly and really loves his city. Even though it poured with rain during most of our tour he persevered and we didn’t feel that we had been short changed at all. He was also our guide the next morning when the sun was out and showed us some more of his beautiful town.
Janne was our lovely guide in Ghent for the morning and we thoroughly enjoyed her view of her city. Very knowledgeable and funny and such a good guide, we learnt a lot about Ghent and its place in the old world.
We had a couple of easy tours on our own one to a chocolate factory and museum and another to a beer brewery.
The whole experience dealing with kimkim agents has been only positive and we’ve already booked our 3rd one for next year.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel FranQ
Antwerp

Fabulous staff, great location, clean and very welcoming

Authenticity & Character
It’s a little bit quirky in its interior design and very comfortable. Some of the original features are still in place
Location
Really close to lots of historical sites and excellent bars and eateries
Staff
Would have to be one of the best assets of this hotel. Very welcoming and helpful always
Cleanliness & Comfort
The best bed!
Hotel des Galeries
Brussels

The location is great for wandering around the older parts of the city and through the Galleries passages. The rooms are clean and surprisingly large by European standards.

Authenticity & Character
In some ways it’s a very simple hotel with a few quirks. All good quirks though
Location
Perfect for wandering around, very safe and lots of beautiful Belgian chocolate shops close by.
Staff
The staff really make this place special, really helpful with tips on where to eat and drink away from the tourist traps. Always friendly and willing to help sort any problems out
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean and comfortable but I found it odd that the room didn’t contain a small fridge of any kind. Coffee and tea were provided but no milk or creamer, and no way of keeping milk cold. There was also no electric jug in the room making tea. Staff were always willing to bring a teapot of hot water or a jug of milk to the room but it was a bit odd.
Activity Reviews
Antwerp - Private guided Evening walking tour
Antwerp

Dave is a passionate and lovely guide, we immediately felt comfortable with him. And we felt really sorry for him because it rained quite heavily on our tour but he was such a trooper that we kept going! The next day was a lot better and we had a really good tour of old town. We tried amazing chocolate s and a really smooth liqueur. He showed us covered canals and all sorts of things that we would never have found on our own or maybe missed by being part of a larger group

Quality of Experience
Antwerp - Private guided walking tour
Antwerp - Private guided walking tour
Belgium

Dave also took us on this tour and I can’t recommend him enough.

Quality of Experience
Antwerp - De Koninck Beer Brewery Tour
Antwerp - De Koninck Beer Brewery Tour
Belgium

Well worth a visit but the entry process is a bit of a shambles. One person selling tickets, pouring beers and checking those ticket holders who purchased on line. The whole place felt a little understaffed

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Bas Naus
Bas
Bas Naus
Local specialist in Nijmegen, Netherlands | Replied on Oct 25, 2023

Dear Annette, delighted to hear you had a great time during your stay in Belgium and that you appreciated our help in hosting this trip. Glad to hear also tha you already booked a new kimkim trip for next year. Enjoy! Warm regards, Bas.

We had a wonderful 2-week trip to the low countries in Europe
Belgium | Sep 29 - Oct 12, 2023

R
Robert H.
Paradise, NV | Reviewed on Oct 15, 2023

We had a wonderful 2-week trip to Belgium and The Netherlands. We worked with Bas and Mieke. They were thorough and provided us with a wealth of knowledge. During the planning process and throughout our trip, Mieke was amazingly responsive, day and night!

We enjoyed the flexbility in travel style we had with them. Our trip was a mix of self- led and private guided travel. We used public transportation extensively. The detailed instructions on all forms of public transportation was much appreciated.

Local specialist: Bas Naus

Netherlands and Belgium tour
Belgium | Sep 8 - Sep 17, 2023

D
Darrell Z.
Sunnyvale, CA | Reviewed on Sep 25, 2023

Our Kim Kim trip was excellent. It saved us a ton of time in planning and research. Our organizer Mieke was super helpful and we enjoyed all her recommendations. Having all the trains tickets and passes made traveling easy and saved alot of time. We spent 10 days travelling through the Netherlands and Belgium . Both were wonderful countries with much to see and do. The tours we took were all well organized and informative. Its always great to spend some time with local people and get there perspective on their cities and country.

Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Sep 26, 2023

Dear Darrell and Cheryl,
Thank you for your kind words! It was a pleasure hosting you here and hopefully you have enjoyed the prolonged summer weather. You are right, there is enough to see and do here to keep you busy for a few weeks.
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke

Belgium is fantastic
Belgium | Sep 11 - Sep 16, 2023

Gail
Gail K.
Palm Desert, CA | Reviewed on Sep 23, 2023
I arranged a side trip to Belgium from Amsterdam through KimKim. We went to Amsterdam to attend my son’s wedding. There were three separate ceremonies and a number of additional activities. After all the festivities, our goal was to enjoy some carefree traveling without any pressure and with all the plans made in advance. The travel plans through KimKim started in Amsterdam where we were picked up by an excellent driver with a nice van. The previous night, the driver and I texted and... Read more

I arranged a side trip to Belgium from Amsterdam through KimKim. We went to Amsterdam to attend my son’s wedding. There were three separate ceremonies and a number of additional activities. After all the festivities, our goal was to enjoy some carefree traveling without any pressure and with all the plans made in advance. The travel plans through KimKim started in Amsterdam where we were picked up by an excellent driver with a nice van. The previous night, the driver and I texted and confirmed the pickup location and time. Our first stop was Brussels. The driver was friendly and very accommodating. We stopped along the way for coffee and a snack. We were safely delivered to our hotel, Hotel Dixseptieme, about midday. Our hotel and room were excellent. The daily breakfast was also top notch. In Brussels, we met up with my cousin who gave us a tour of the countryside and the city over the next two days. Nothing like having a local take care of our every need. Our next stop was Ghent on our way to Bruge. A driver was supposed to pick us up 9:30 but no one showed. I had texted the number the night before but did not get a response. I didn’t know I was texting a landline. When the driver didn’t show, I called the taxi company and they were unaware of the booking. I immediately called the emergency line and Meike went to work. Unfortunately a driver didn’t arrive until after 11:00 reducing our time in Ghent and making that day somewhat of a disappointment and hectic. The driver showed up in a little taxi and he was not familiar with Brussels. We were going around in circles trying to get out of town. Just about every road was under construction and we were rerouted at every turn. The driver was trying hard but the trip and miserable. Once we arrived in Ghent, we were met by a most pleasant guide,Christien Batsle, who walked us through the town and gave us history lessons and tales to embellish the beautiful surroundings. Our tour was cut short to make time for our scheduled boat tour. The tour included a chocolatier and a nice box of delicious chocolates. There was no time for lunch. We proceeded to the boat tour and got a different perspective of the charming little town. From there we scrambled back to the taxi where our driver took us on to Bruge in the same small taxi. The same driver and car was scheduled to drive us the final day to Antwerp and Amsterdam on the final day of our excursion. The driver was not happy with the plan and asked if we could find another driver from Antwerp to Amsterdam. I got back in touch with Meike requesting that she sort out the situation. When we arrived in Bruge we were exhausted and glad to have a nice room to relax in and a beautiful little historical hotel, Boutiquehotel ‘t Fraeyhuis, with beautiful grounds and restaurant. I asked the owner and front desk lady to help me find a driver for the final day drive. She and her brother called a couple companies, got prices and gave me the info that I passed along to Meike. Fortunately, the change was made and we had an excellent driver and car for the final day of our excursion. We spent two nights in Bruge. While the hotel was nice and everyone was very accommodating, it was problematic. There was no lift and we were up two and a half flights of narrow stairs which is fine for young able bodied people. My husband is 80 and has two replaced knees. He managed to get up and down, but there was no way for him to manage our luggage. For check in, there was a nice young man that happily helped us out. For our check out there were no men on duty. Two young ladies had to carry our bag down the stairs. We were so thankful for all of their help! The hotel and the staff were excellent and very professional. In Bruge we were met at the hotel for an extensive walking tour of the town. Our tour guide, Roland Schils, was very knowledgeable and happy to show us all over Bruge. Of all of the places we visited, I think Bruge was our favorite. We walked almost 12,000 steps on that tour. The following day we were picked up at the hotel and driven to Antwerp where we visited the Red Star Line Museum. My great grandparents immigrated to the US on one of their ships @ 1900. The museum is very interesting. The driver waited while we toured and then drove us back to our hotel in Amsterdam. Belgium is a delightful country to visit. I’m so glad that we were able to take this trip. With the exception of the transportation issues from Brussels to Bruge, we had an excellent trip. Meike got the problem resolved to our satisfaction. And I have to put a good word in for the poor taxi driver who had to drive from Ghent to pick us up in Brussels and then drive us back to Ghent, wait for us and then drive us on to Bruge. He was a very nice man who tried to do his best under the circumstances. Unfortunately his little hot, older, small taxi car was not his doing. Our knees were up against the front seats. This is maybe ok for a short taxi drive, but not for a long distance drive. His objection to the second drive to Amsterdam was a blessing.
I’m thankful that I asked for the phone numbers of the drivers and tour guides ahead of the trip and added them to my contacts. As Americans we make assumptions that hotels have elevators and cars have air conditioning. If we take another trip to Europe, we’ll be better prepared.

Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Sep 25, 2023

Dear Gail,

Thank you so much for writing a review and taking the time to write feedback about your trip. I'm glad that the issue with the transport, as we have discussed, was solved to your liking for the last stretch of the trip from Bruges to Amsterdam.
How lovely to see the amazing pictures that you took! Those chocolates also look very tasty!
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke

The ideal itinerary (and trip) that fit us perfectly.
The Netherlands | Aug 16 - Aug 24, 2023

David
David R.
Berkeley, CA | Reviewed on Aug 28, 2023
We were thrilled with the trip that was planned and supported by our Kim Kim guide, Bas. Based on our very specific interests, and the way we like to travel, Bas planned a perfect itinerary. The plan included a nice balance of self-led activities and guide-led activities. It included guided walking tours, boat tours, and cycling tours as well as a self-led cycling activity. We had some input on the Bas' initial plan, and he was happy to make accommodations to fit our requests. Bas was... Read more

We were thrilled with the trip that was planned and supported by our Kim Kim guide, Bas. Based on our very specific interests, and the way we like to travel, Bas planned a perfect itinerary. The plan included a nice balance of self-led activities and guide-led activities. It included guided walking tours, boat tours, and cycling tours as well as a self-led cycling activity. We had some input on the Bas' initial plan, and he was happy to make accommodations to fit our requests. Bas was also available to make some changes during the trip. For example, when a cancelled flight at the outset of the trip forced us to change some of our planned activities, he moved things around to make it work. We were able to get hard-to-secure tickets to the Anne Frank museum, and we had the pleasure of having tremendous, friendly, and fun guides for four of the activities. We weren't sure what to expect as this was our first full Kim Kim itinerary, but we couldn't have been happier with the trip.

Local specialist: Bas Naus
Bas
Bas Naus
Local specialist in Nijmegen, Netherlands | Replied on Aug 29, 2023

Dear David and Carla,
Delighted to hear you truly enjoyed your visit to the Netherlands and that you appreciated our help in planning and organizing this! It is a great pleasure to host a trip for positive-minded and enthusiastic guests like you. Thanks for visiting and I hope you will cherish your memories from the lowlands for a long time!
See you again and with warm regards,
Bas.

What a pleasure it was working with Mieke and...
The Netherlands | Jul 15 - Jul 22, 2023

S
Scott D.
San Carlos, CA | Reviewed on Jul 27, 2023
What a pleasure it was working with Mieke and KimKim on our family trip to the Netherlands and Belgium! I have to say that planning and coordinating the trip with Mieke was actually a real pleasure. She is very knowledgeable and extremely responsive. I never had to wait for responses of excellent, creative suggestions from Mieke, at any hour. Our trip went quite well. Mieke developed an itinerary for my three kids (22/20/17 - GGB ) that everyone enjoyed. We were in Amsterdam for 3 nights... Read more

What a pleasure it was working with Mieke and KimKim on our family trip to the Netherlands and Belgium! I have to say that planning and coordinating the trip with Mieke was actually a real pleasure. She is very knowledgeable and extremely responsive. I never had to wait for responses of excellent, creative suggestions from Mieke, at any hour.

Our trip went quite well. Mieke developed an itinerary for my three kids (22/20/17 - GGB ) that everyone enjoyed. We were in Amsterdam for 3 nights and Belgium for 4 nights. We are active and did bike rides in the countryside in Holland. We also did a bike ride around the ancient city of Bruges. To top it off, we kayaked in the countryside out of Ghent in Belgium.

United Airlines cancelled our return flight from Europe (just as they did last year - Oh, how I'd like to write a crushing review of UAL!). Anyway, we had 2 extra days in Amsterdam at the end of the trip. Mieke worked closely with me on this portion of the trip in real time while I was in Europe, despite the fact that I booked the hotel and activities myself, so she made no money from these efforts whatsoever.

Our transportation was spectacular. Our driver, Fred, was more than a driver, he became our guide and a friend. The mini-bus was a beautiful Mercedes Benz, and Fred always had cold water bottles for us. We stopped and charged the bus and got food at some cool roadside areas along the way. He always texted ahead of time with exact ETA's.

Our hotels were very nice, especially the Pillows Hotel in Ghent - OMG, it was a five-star experience. We felt like royalty. Our guides for Amsterdam and Ghent were both great and very knowledgable. We did a canal cruise in Amsterdam, which was fun, but I'd recommend a dinner or drink cruise in the evening. Also, be sure to have a rice table (reis taffel) dinner in Amsterdam, it was the best meal of the trip.

My only complaint is that it is not that easy to access KimKim on your phone remotely. I had to find an old email from Mieke in my Gmail box, and then connect to the website, and then select the trip itinerary, then finally, access a PDF of tickets etc. It was a bit of a hassle and could be better designed and more functional. But the good news, is that all your activities and tickets can be accessed from your phone with a little bit of work. So, I didn't even carry a backpack around for most of the trip, just my phone and wallet -- and that was super cool!

Three cheers for Mieke - she is truly a star and is great at what she does. You will love planning the trip with Mieke and KimKim almost as much as the trip itself.

Please add a sixth star, so that we can truly identify Mieke as one of the best travel professionals you will ever work with!

Scott D.
San Francisco, USA

Hotel Review
Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof
Ghent

Beautiful, luxurious hotel. On a fairly ugly street in Ghent, so the entrance is not much to look at. But the hotel is wonderful and it's a 5 minute walk to the ancient city, without all the crowds and bustle. Breakfast is very nice. They have a gym. The staff is friendly and will pamper you, if you want.

Authenticity & Character
More modern than classic -somewhat of a contrast for an ancient city like Ghent, but very nice indeed!
Location
5 mins from old town - the facade of the hotel is not impressive, but interior is great
Staff
Very friendly and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sterling
Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Jul 27, 2023

Dear Scott

Thank you so much for your wonderful review and amazing words. You make me blush :) It was a pleasure working with you and I am glad the trip turned out so well for all of you. You have been very flexible about the bonus time that the airline threw in by cancelling their flight.
Thanks for your notes about the documentation and information; we're working on ways to make this easier to access and more user-friendly. Your insights are very welcome!
Best regards,
Mieke

Can’t say enough good things
The Netherlands | Jul 4 - Jul 16, 2023

Amber
Amber A.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jul 24, 2023
This is my second time traveling with kimkim and my first time flying overseas. We couldn’t have asked for a better planner. Mieke was so knowledgeable and helpful, although we never met it seemed she was there every step of the way. Hotels were carefully chosen with wonderful locations to meet our needs. Christien was our guide for a bike tour. She was so kind and shared great tips for getting around Ghent. Martin was another guide whom we can’t say enough good things about either. We came... Read more

This is my second time traveling with kimkim and my first time flying overseas. We couldn’t have asked for a better planner. Mieke was so knowledgeable and helpful, although we never met it seemed she was there every step of the way. Hotels were carefully chosen with wonderful locations to meet our needs. Christien was our guide for a bike tour. She was so kind and shared great tips for getting around Ghent. Martin was another guide whom we can’t say enough good things about either. We came across a hiccup where I lost my luggage and kimkim was kind enough to gift us a wonderful experience at the end of our trip to help soften the loss. I now can’t see myself traveling without kimkim.

Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Jul 24, 2023

Hi Amber
Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review. You were wonderful guests, and surely made the best of it, in spite the loss of the luggage and summer storm! It's been a pleasure organizing your trip!
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke

The activities Mieke planned for my family we...
The Netherlands | Jun 24 - Jul 3, 2023

Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen H.
Hamtramck, MI | Reviewed on Jul 04, 2023
The activities Mieke planned for my family were exceptional. The trip to Den Bosch on a very hot day was for adults and included a wonderful museum exhibition on Van Gogh in Brabant and a quirky Bosch museum. The next day for family was a trip to Moduradom which enchanted the entire family.Equally fun and informative were trips on a steam train, a day trip to the Kinderdijk, and and another to cheese market day Gouda. The children and adults loved making Stroopwaffels at the Berg bakery in... Read more

The activities Mieke planned for my family were exceptional. The trip to Den Bosch on a very hot day was for adults and included a wonderful museum exhibition on Van Gogh in Brabant and a quirky Bosch museum. The next day for family was a trip to Moduradom which enchanted the entire family.Equally fun and informative were trips on a steam train, a day trip to the Kinderdijk, and and another to cheese market day Gouda. The children and adults loved making Stroopwaffels at the Berg bakery in Gouda. Our driver Martin was exceptional. All in all our grandchildren had a very special introduction to the Netherlands thanks to .Mieke. The Ambassador Hotel was comfortable, clean, and has an incredible central location. Haarlem was a wonderful base for our train travels.

Hotel Review
Ambassador City Centre Hotel
Haarlem
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Gouda - Stroopwafel workshop
Gouda - Stroopwafel workshop
The Netherlands

A hit with everyone!

Quality of Experience
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen
Mieke
Mieke Arendsen
Local specialist in The Netherlands | Replied on Jul 05, 2023

Dear Mary Ellen and Jim,
Thank you for your kind words! It was my pleasure organizing the trip for you and I am delighted that it worked out so well for all of you. And what a lovely picture from the cheese market!
Wishing you all the best,
Mieke