🇳🇱 Skip Amsterdam? Why Haarlem Is the Smarter Dutch Stay

✨ "Visiting the Netherlands? Don’t default to Amsterdam—Haarlem is safer, cheaper, and just as charming!" ✨ 🏨 Hotel Pick: Hotel Lion d’Or 📍 200m from Haarlem Station | 👨👩👧 Family-friendly | 🧳 Easy for luggage A generations-old boutique hotel with old-world warmth—close to trains but quiet at night. No hostel vibes here: Think floral wallpaper, antique furnishings, and Dutch hospitality. 🚍 Why Haarlem Beats Amsterdam 1️⃣ Safety First Amsterdam’s Central Station area reeks of weed and chaos (especially at night 🚬), while Haarlem feels like "the Netherlands before mass tourism." Fewer crowds, more locals—ideal for solo female travelers. 2️⃣ Effortless Transport Schiphol Airport → Haarlem: Direct bus in 30 mins (card-only payments 💳). To Amsterdam: Trains every 10 mins (15-min ride 🚆). No trams, no transfers! 3️⃣ Price & Value Same cost as Amsterdam’s Jordan/De Pijp—but bigger rooms, lower taxes. (Yes, Belgium’s Antwerp is cheaper—but where’s the Dutch charm?) 4️⃣ Hidden Perks Film buffs? Haarlem starred in "Daisy" (’s movie)! 🎬 Foodies? Church-square restaurants + annual Restaurant Week (Michelin deals!). 🍽️ Local Eats Near Grote Kerk De L’Europe: Cozy Dutch stamppot (mashed potato bowls 🥔) Ratatouille: French-Dutch fusion (try the bitterballen upgrade!) 💡 Pro Tips NS app = Real-time train updates 🚉 Haarlem Station has luggage lockers (free up hands for stroopwafels!). #NetherlandsTravel #Haarlem #SkipAmsterdam #DutchHotels #TravelSmart