The national tourist office (website: www.visitholland.com) can provide information on travelling outside Amsterdam.

For a Half Day

Castricum: A 25-minute train journey from Centraal Station, approximately 40km (25 miles) north of Amsterdam, this coastal town is wonderful for getting away from it all. Bikes are available for hire at the train station (tel: (0251) 654 035). Maps can be obtained from the station restaurant, before cycling through beautiful woodlands and meadows to reach the dunes. VVV Castricum, Dorpsstraat 62 (tel: (0251) 652 009; website: www.vvvcastricum.nl) can provide further information.

Marken and Volendam: Two of the region's prime tourist attractions, these pretty fishing villages are easily accessible from Amsterdam. Marken is situated on an island, joined to the mainland by a bridge, while Volendam is situated on the banks of the IJsselmeer, both approximately 15km (9 miles) north of the city. The locations both have plenty of atmosphere - there are lots of wooden houses and many of the locals still wear traditional dress. Visitors can wander through streets of quaint old houses, dress up in traditional costume and learn how to buy and sell fish at the Volendam fish auction. The outing can be extended into a full-day tour by stopping off for a fresh fish lunch and visiting the Volendam's Museum, where one old sailor's collection of over a million cigar bands is on display. Volendam also offers a variety of watersports, including excellent windsurfing. Transport is through an organised coach tour or the excellent bus service from Centraal Station. Departure times are available from the public transport information line (tel: 0900 9292). VVV Marken, De Zarken 2 Monnickendam (tel: (0299) 651 998) and VVV Volendam, Zeestraat 37, Volendam (tel: (0299) 363 747; website: www.vvv-volendam.nl) can provide further information.

For a Whole Day

Tulips: Between the last week in March and the last week in May, is the best time to head for the 28 hectares (69 acres) of the Keukenhof Gardens, Stationsweg 166A (tel: (0252) 465 555; website: www.keukenhof.nl). Open daily 0900-1800, the themed gardens are filled with tulips, narcissi and hyacinths. Trains run from Amsterdam's Centraal Station to Leiden, from where a shuttle bus connects to Keukenhof. Eight kilometres (5 miles) north of Keukenhof is Haarlem, where the Frans Roozen Nurseries and Tulip Show, Vogelenzangweg 49 (tel: (023) 584 7245), can be visited from late March to late May, daily 0800-1930; entrance is free. Haarlem town centre is a beautiful mixture of 16th- and 17th-century buildings, with two fine museums. The Frans Hals Museum, Heiligland 62, is home to paintings by the artist of the same name, while St Bavokerk Cathedral contains a 5,000-pipe organ that Mozart is reputed to have played. Regular trains from Amsterdam's Centraal Station run to Haarlem. VVV Haarlem, Stationsplein 1, Haarlem (website: www.vvvzk.nl) can provide further information.

Rotterdam: Holland's second-largest city is often neglected by tourists but has a lot to offer. It might be most renowned as the home to Europe's largest port and it is, to some extent, blighted by the mass of industrial infrastructure that goes with this. Nevertheless, Europoort is an attraction in itself, with daily boat tours of the massive port. Rotterdam has a real buzz and character, which was further enhanced by its stint as European City of Culture in 2001. Situated 45km (28 miles) south of Amsterdam and neighbouring The Hague, this city boasts a number of first-rate museums, an impressively modern city centre and plenty of shopping opportunities. The city's nightlife is also legendary, with a more cutting edge and raffish feel than touristy Amsterdam. In addition to this, the red-light districts of Rotterdam have a harder edge that is a million miles away from the much tamer tourist venues in Amsterdam. Over the last few decades, the city has boldly let itself become a testing ground for the avant-garde ideas of some of the world's more esoteric architects, with a variety of stunning and challenging buildings dotted around the city. Regular trains run to Rotterdam from Amsterdam's Centraal Station (journey time - 1 hour). ANWB/VVV Rotterdam, Coolsingel 67, Rotterdam (tel: (010) 413 3124 or 0900 403 4065; website: www.vvv.rotterdam.nl) can provide further information.