Both of you know that I like taking a European vacation every summer. It is an excellent way to break from the working world, experience other cultures, and blow off steam. I find Europe fascinating and never get tired of going there. We visited well-known countries like Germany, Austria, and France the past few summers. We saw several scenic sites, climbed cathedral spiral staircases, and witnessed world-class art. It was impossible to get our schedules aligned this year, so I went to Europe this summer without you. Instead, Kim (my new girlfriend) and I went to the Netherlands. Why there? We only had a week for the trip, and the Netherlands is one of Europe’s smallest countries, so it seemed like a good choice.

I had never visited the Netherlands before

The Netherlands was new to me. I had driven through it several times en route to Belgium and England but never spent time there. To be prepared, I did a fair amount of research before going. I watched several YouTube travel videos from various travel experts. The one found below is both entertaining and educational. I also read Rick Steve’s book about Amsterdam and the Netherlands to plan how to spend our time. We only had a week – which is pretty short for a European trip. I wanted to make sure we made the most of our time there.

We had a good plan for the week.

Based on my research, we decided to spend a few days in Amsterdam and then head south, visiting several of Holland’s best cities, including Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, and Rotterdam. For any purists – we stayed in Holland the whole time, so I am comfortable using that term. We did not venture into the other parts of the Netherlands. I plan to do that on a future trip. Public transportation seemed promising, so renting a car was unnecessary. Instead, we would use trains to travel from town to town and backpack the whole way—no luggage for the journey. We would carry everything we had on our backs from place to place. As both you boys know I like to create charts for our trips. The slide below details the trip. When we were wheels up in America, I was confident we would have a great vacation. I was not disappointed.

I gain practical experience with each trip.

Every trip to Europe is different. No country is the same. All of them are unique. Traveling can be hectic, especially if you do not know what you are doing. Each summer, I hope to get better at traveling. I am convinced that doing it is the only way to get better at something. Sure – you can read a book, talk to others, and watch videos. I do a fair amount of that before each trip. But nothing trumps practical experience. I gain more and more every summer. After each trip, I jot down the best practices (what went well and should be factored into plans) and lessons learned (what did not go well and should be avoided in the future). I am sharing what went well on this trip in this blog post. Consider this list of the top ten best practices from Holland.

1. Train travel was easy in the Netherlands.

The Dutch train system is well-organized, efficient, and inexpensive. Traveling between cities took less than 30 minutes. The Dutch trains ran on time (similar to Germany), and we did not have to worry about employee strikes (like in Italy). We did not need a car. I would only rent one if you are going to see sites away from the cities. If you are looking for help with train tickets, check out Trainline.

2. The museums were world-class.

Each city we visited had museums worth visiting, and Amsterdam has several world-class ones. I was impressed with the art museums. We chose not to spend too much time in museums because the weather was great.

3. Dutch apple pie was excellent.

I like to drink coffee every afternoon and eat something sweet while on vacation. The Dutch offer several options, including pancakes and pie. Their apple pie is particularly good. I highly recommend it—it’s well worth the calories.

4. Staying on a canal in Amsterdam was worth it

The canals in Amsterdam are beautiful, different from the ones found in Venice (which are also excellent). I am not going to lie. Hotels in Amsterdam are expensive. Since the cost would be high, we chose to stay in a boutique hotel. Our room had a small nook that looked at the water. It was a funky place to drink morning coffee and discuss plans for the day. It was a splurge, but well worth it.

5. Taking canal tours helped us meet others.

Most cities in Holland offer canal tours. We took two. One in Amsterdam and one in Leiden. Both were excellent. We were able to bring a picnic lunch on the one in Amsterdam. We chose a smaller company (thosedamboatguys.com). During the tour, we learned a lot about the city and Europe. The other tour participants were from all over Europe. They were a diverse group happy to share their perspective on many topics, including American politics. They made fun of Obamacare. After all, who pays that much for healthcare? Also, we don’t get nearly enough vacation days. Five weeks is the norm, and some countries offer six weeks. Amen. It was an excellent opportunity to see the world through others’ eyes. The canal tour in Leiden was piloted by a student (it is a large university town) who spoke excellent English. We could ask him many questions about the city, which was helpful for the rest of our stay.

6. You do not need cash in the Netherlands

some European countries prefer cash. Not the Netherlands. They use the Euro and accept credit cards almost everywhere. My special travel card offers a reasonable exchange rate with no foreign transaction fees. This convenience helped us save money and reduced the cash we carried, which is a good thing in large cities.

7. Rick Steve’s walking tours helped a lot

In his book about the Netherlands, Rick Steves provides detailed instructions for a self-guided walking tour in each city. We went on several of them. They are a great way to learn the basics about the city without paying for a tour guide or following one in a large group, like sheep. I am not a fan of those types of tours.

8. Most food in the Netherlands is not that great.

Several travel videos warned me that Dutch food is not that great. They are right. Most Dutch food is okay, so we avoided going to pricey restaurants, which helped us save money on the trip. The best meal I had on the trip was German. The Dutch are not afraid to import other cultures, so some of your best options, like Indonesian food, maybe from different parts of the world. As mentioned already, their sweet treats are also excellent. The pancakes were delicious.

9. Dutch cafe culture was fun.

I am talking about places that sell coffee, not cannabis. Places that sell cannabis are called coffee shops, which can be sort of confusing, although the smell gives it away. Dutch cafe culture is not as incredible as French, but we enjoyed hanging out at several cafes in various town squares. As always, excellent people-watching.

10. You can see a lot in a day in the Netherlands.

We spent only a day in several cities, which, oddly enough, was enough time. Most of them are not that big. You have to do some walking, but that is part of the fun and helps burn all the calories from the Apple pie. Did I mention that it is excellent?

The bottom line is that we had a great time in the Netherlands. It is a small European country that offers a lot to travelers. I hope you get a chance to visit it one day.

I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.