In our monthly newsletter, you'll find travel tips and updates to travel regulations that we have researched so you don’t have to. We also include restaurant and experience recommendations every time we travel; most of our content is on Europe and the UK.
Tips For Visiting The Tulip Fields In Holland, And More Italy Travel Tips/News
Published 4 months ago • 13 min read
June 2026
Tulips in Holland, Coastal Carrara, Italy, and the reserved ticket process on Trenitalia just got easier.
Ciao Reader,
We have been busy girls between planning client trips, a little bit of our own travel, catching up on doctors' appointments, and more. In April and May, we planned client trips to the Amalfi Coast of (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal), Paris (France), London (England), Split & Dubrovnik (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro), and Costa Brava (Spain).
We had a great, although short, trip to Holland. We got to meet up with our lovely stepmother, our dad, and our other sister. We all enjoyed a return visit to Amsterdam, our first trip to the Tulip gardens in Lisse (Keukenhof), and our first visit to The Hague (Den Hague). It was a special trip because we were all together on Mother’s Day AND we were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary a little early. It was a bit windier than we expected, but other than that, the weather cooperated with our plans.
The Twin Spin: Tulips in Holland
This was our second visit to the Holland region of the Netherlands, excluding all of the connecting flights we’ve had there over the years. A quick note on Shipol airport (because it is constantly in the news for delayed and cancelled flights): it was smooth for our whole family- don’t let the headlines scare you.
One of the many things Holland is famous for is the Tulips in bloom, particularly in Lisse. For a limited time, in the spring, every year, visitors are delighted with visions of the colorful flowers as far as the eye can see. There are a few ways to go about seeing the tulips; these are our recommendations on how to do it. We’re also including info on some top museums to visit in the area.
Keukenhof Gardens is the main destination for seeing tulips.
The Keukenhof Gardens are open for roughly 60 days of the year, starting in mid-March to mid-May. Next year (2027), they are projected to open from March 18 to May 9th.
Our top recommendation is to go around the middle of April when the surrounding tulip fields are still in bloom. If you go later, you may only get to see the tulips in the gardens.
There are a few ways to get to the gardens, and for the most part, the garden encourages public transportation because it cuts down on emissions, and they have limited parking.
If you are staying in the Amsterdam area, we recommend buying a combined ticket for garden entry and the Keukenhof Buzz shuttle bus, which has 3 pick-up locations (Hoofdorp bus station, Amsterdam Central bus station, and Amsterdam RAI convention Center). If you are staying further away, you can also find shuttle buses from Rotterdam, The Hague, and Leiden.
There are other city buses you can take, but they will have stops in the route, whereas the shuttle buses don’t stop.
Make a day of it and bring a picnic or plan to eat on site; there are several restaurants, cafes, and food trucks inside the gardens.
If you go at a time of year when the tulip fields are still in bloom, you can take a boat ride on the whisper boat in the canals. The tour is about 45 minutes; it starts inside the garden and goes through the tulip fields. Another option is to rent a bike outside the main entrance near parking lot 1 and bike between the tulip field plots.
Tulips at Keukenhof
Tulips at Keukenhof
The tours we recommend for visiting Keukenhof
We think most would be happy just wandering through the beauty and wonder of the hundreds of varieties of tulips; however, there are tours available if you want to enhance your experience.
Just want to explore on your own? Get your entry and shuttle tickets on the official website https://keukenhof.nl/en/ (this is what we did).
This 10.5-hour, large-group tour from Amsterdam to Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans & Volendam includes a wooden clog-making demonstration, a boat cruise, Dutch syrup and waffle tasting, a cheese factory demonstration and tasting, and more.
If you happen to be there on April 17th, 2027, catch the Tulip Parade! The Amsterdam: Flower Parade Grandstand + Keukenhof Gardens Tour, April 17th, 2027, combines 3 hours at the Keukenhof gardens with 2 hours at the parade in Noordwijk. You’ll have a seat in the grandstands for the parade, and it includes a box lunch. This is NOT a small group tour. The tour includes transportation to and from Amsterdam Central Station (by bus) and is about 8 hours total.
Our Take on a few Museums in/ near Amsterdam
Amsterdam: Of course, you could visit the famous Van Gogh Museum or The House of Anne Frank (we did on our first trip to Amsterdam). Not too much planning ahead is needed for these, but you should definitely purchase tickets in advance. Both will have timed entries to limit the number of people in each museum at a time.
Amsterdam: Of course, you could visit the famous Van Gogh Museum or The House of Anne Frank (we did on our first trip to Amsterdam). Not too much planning ahead is needed for these, but you should definitely purchase tickets in advance. Both will have timed entries to limit the number of people in each museum at a time.
The Hague: On this trip, we got to spend a day in Den Hague (The Hague). We saw Johannes Vermeer's famous painting The Girl With The Pearl Earring, at the Mauritshuis Museum. We also saw the permanent exhibit 'Escher in the Palace'. Escher is known for his mind-bending perspective, tessellation, and other artworks that came long before we had software for graphic design. We were able to enter both museums by paying upon arrival.
On our radar for next time we visit Amsterdam: We still haven’t been to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which is full of Dutch history and art; it’s near the Van Gogh museum, and most people say it’s better. We’d also like to see Museum Het Schip, which depicts the history of social housing in Amsterdam. STRAAT Museum houses a variety of street art in an industrial building complex.
Next time we’re in The Hague, we will plan ahead to get a tour of the Peace Palace. We were able to see the visitors center, but there are very limited tours of the actual courts within the Peace Palace (this is where international war crimes cases are held). We recommend getting tickets in advance for this (like a few months in advance). We will also be sure to see Kunstmuseum, this Art Deco style building has contemporary and modern art collections that pair well with the unique architecture.
Twin Spin: Coastal Italy: Carrara
You may have heard of Carrara, Italy, or at least the Carrara marble that is mined in the mountains of Carrara. While it is a popular material for marble countertops and backsplashes, it’s also what Michelangelo's famous David statue was carved from. We had the pleasure of a day trip to Carrara, and we are looking forward to going again. We experienced two sides of Carrara: the beach and the old town.
Italian beaches and bagni are the cornerstone of ‘La Dolce Vita’. Bagni (yes, this is also the word for bathrooms) on the beaches of Italy are establishments that rent out space on their beaches. They often offer lounge chairs, beds, umbrellas, and cabanas for rent, and many have restaurants. The price and quality will vary, and some will have a pool, kids' playground, and/or be dog-friendly. You will find some that have service to the beach (meaning they will come take your order for snacks and drinks), and others you have to order it to take away from the bar. When we went to Carrara, it was a little too early for the beaches to be set up, but the restaurants that are attached to the bagni had started to open. We had a fabulous seafood lunch sitting with a lovely seaside view.
View from Ristorante Ca Del Mare
Vermentino with a view
Linguine con vongole with a lime sauce and bread crumbs.
Mussels!!!!
Planning a beach trip to Italy? Here are the exact steps we would take to ensure a perfect day, no matter which seaside town you are in.
Secure a spot on the beach in advance. Use the Spiagge.it website or app and search by dates and the town you are going to (for example, Carrara, Viareggio, Monterosso Al Mare, Sottomarina, Bari, Positano, etc.). You’ll find a list of bagni with a brief description of their offerings, prices for rentals, and more.
Cross-reference this with Google Maps to see more photos and reviews, and pick the one that’s right for you.
You can choose your seating area from a map, so if you’d rather be closest to the beach so you can watch your kids play, or closest to the bar so you can get drinks quickly, you have that option.
The Spiagge app has protection if your beach day gets rained out (you’ll automatically get a refund), so no risk in planning ahead.
Decide where you want to have lunch; it doesn’t have to be the bagni you are renting beds from, but it’s always nice if you find one that has the amenities you want and good-looking food.
We search Google Maps for the restaurants that are along the beach, and it’s pretty easy to tell which bagni they are connected to.
Make a reservation at the restaurant for lunch. You can usually find that option within their Google Maps page or on their website. Most will have limited hours for lunch (12-2:30 ish), so you want to secure a spot for lunch.
Bring all your creature comforts for a long beach day. Some bagni will rent out towels, but make sure before you are stuck at the beach with no towels. Pack your sunscreen, a book, earbuds, and a change of clothes or a swim cover-up that is like clothing. You don’t want to wear just your swimsuit to lunch; although you are at the beach, you should be presentable for lunch. You’ll have the bed for the day and can return to your same spot after you enjoy a nice lunch.
The exact Bagni/restaurant we went to in Carrara:
Bagno Lunezia - clean, well-organized, and friendly staff. They weren’t open yet, but they were getting set up to open a few days later.
At Ristorante Ca Del Mare, we had some of the most perfectly cooked and delicious mussels, fritto misto (fried calamari and shrimps), and a tasty linguine con vongole (clams) with a hint of lime juice.
After lunch, we took a bus to the old historic center. We were in awe of the architecture and building materials used. Many parts of the town were built with, you guessed it, marble. In addition to endless marble statues, most staircases and the street curbs were marble. As we made our way to the larger piazza for some late afternoon spritz, we noticed a number of mine workers who had finished their shift and had the same line of thought as us; sunny day = beverage in the piazza. They were easy to spot because their sturdy workboots were dusted with ground white marble. It was such a pretty town, and we looked forward to going back and doing a tour of the marble mines, visiting a palazzo, and seeing the museum of marble statues.
Marble curbs in Carrara, Italy
Tower of Castruccio
Carrara, Italy
Mural in Carrara, Italy
Piazza Alberica Carrara, Italy
Drumroll please…
We have launched a brand new website for our custom travel planning services, but that’s not all. We’re also offering a new service. We’ve stopped offering our 1-hour travel coaching calls, and instead we’re offering rough itinerary services and 2 levels of custom travel planning services.
Previously, we had a page about our custom travel planning services on our blog site, and we’ve just launched a separate site dedicated to our custom travel planning services. This project has been a labor of love since January, and we’re quite happy with the results since we built it ourselves. We haven’t shared this on social media yet, but we’re very excited to share it with you and wanted our subscribers to be the first to know. You’ll always be able to find tips, resources, travel guides, and stories on our blog site. Our custom travel site is where people can learn more about our services, pricing, expertise, how it works, and request a complimentary consultation for our planning and rough itinerary services.
Our custom travel planning services are for those who don’t want to or don’t have the time to plan and book their own trip. We offer two service levels, one for the person who just wants it done so they can start counting the days, and another for the person who needs a little more “hand-holding” and more time to make decisions.
Our rough itinerary services are for the person who wants to book and do some planning on their own, but needs some guidance and a skeleton with some suggestions or recommendations to work from.
Updated Process For Riding Trenitalia Trains With Reserved Tickets
If you’ve ever ridden a Trenitalia train in Italy, you are probably aware of how important it is to validate your ticket. Well, this just got a little easier for all Inner City, Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, and Frecciaargento trains (everything but regional trains). Keep reading to learn more.
All trains except regional trains require a reservation. This means that, depending upon your seat class, a seat is either assigned to you or you might have the option to select your seat. 1st class seating (and business class seating offered on Frecciarossa trains) allows you to select the option to choose your own seat. 2nd class seating is automatically assigned to you when you book your ticket. Regardless of the class and your seat selection or assignment, you had to check in. Paper tickets were validated at a machine, and electronic tickets had to be validated (by 'checking in') in the app… until now!
You also used to need to check in before the train departed, but not too early, because if you checked in and then missed your train, you would have no way of changing the ticket once you checked in (most ticket changes must also be done 20 minutes before the initially scheduled departure). Now the train manager will scan your printed ticket or the QR code on the electronic ticket (when you're on the train) and check you in. Pro Tip: Download your ticket to your digital wallet for faster access to your ticket- that QR code works too. Yay for one less thing to worry about while you’re navigating the trains in Italy.
We want to quickly remind you that if you are taking a regional train, you still have to validate your paper ticket. Stick your paper ticket in the machine at the station to validate it. If you bought your regional ticket on the Trenitalia app, it will automatically validate at the scheduled departure time. And if you use tap to pay, you just show the train manager the card you used when they come around to check tickets. To use tap to pay, you tap your card at the same machine you would validate your ticket at.
We want to hear from you. If you have any questions about travel, please send us an email or reply directly to this newsletter. We’re happy to help.
We plan your trip, you travel your way. Our new site covers what travel planning and rough itineraries are & why you need a custom travel planner. Learn more about the vibes and destinations we create and who we can help.
A guide on all of the best things to do in Florence and how to do them. The guide includes information on when and how to DIY, and when to take a tour, along with a link to the best tour that we recommend.
Save yourself from sifting through hundreds of search results. In this post, we tell you the best things to do in Rome, how to do them, which tours to book, which to do on your own, and pro tips to help make the most of your time in Rome.
Everything you need to know about using the trains in Italy, from train lines, routes to take, train types, and which seats to book (updated with new information about validating tickets).
A Few Of Our Favorite Travel Resources:
VoiceMap - Harness the power to explore on your own, at your pace, with a self-guided audio tour. No big tour group, no failing equipment, and straining to hear a guide. Select a tour, download it, grab your favorite earbuds and phone, start, pause, and stop at your leisure!
Get Your Guide - A marketplace for tours that is growing every day. Compare tours and reviews to find the best one for you. We typically find tours for larger historical sites and museums here.
Walks - This company curates some of the best and most exclusive VIP and small group tour opportunities. We use this company to find extra special experiences.
Devour - This tour company is obsessed with finding the most authentic and tasty food. We think that’s the best approach to a food tour! A food tour usually takes you to multiple locations to try the best foods in town, and they often include drinks. We highly recommend a food tour anytime you visit a new country or region.
Rail Europe - Rail Europe is a good place to start for a Eurail pass (travel in 1 European country or multiple countries).
DiscoverCars - These car rentals are not only competitively priced, but they are in just about every destination you might be headed to. A bonus: they have a high customer satisfaction rate, and we love that.
You can find more of our favorite travel websites, apps, and products on our website in the Resources section. These are all the resources that we frequently use to plan and enjoy a trip.
*No BS, we want to be transparent; some of the links included on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase. We only recommend products and companies that we have vetted. Thanks for your support, this helps us bring you travel tips!
In our monthly newsletter, you'll find travel tips and updates to travel regulations that we have researched so you don’t have to. We also include restaurant and experience recommendations every time we travel; most of our content is on Europe and the UK.
