Duinrell Holiday Park

We have just returned from a 2 week holiday to Duinrell and had an amazing time! Myself (26) and my boyfriend (25) booked through Keycamp and flew from Liverpool to Amsterdam. Getting there We flew from Liverpool to Amsterdam Schiphol with Easyjet. Managed to get some special offer seats for £9.99 - with taxes etc it worked out at about £50 return per person. The flight was just under an hour and couldn't have been any better really! From Schiphol, we caught a train to Leiden - the train station is actually in the airport so really easy to find. The train to Leiden cost 5 euros per person and took about 15 minutes. At Leiden we caught a taxi from the rank outside, asked the guy to take us to Duinrell. He dropped us right outside the Keycamp reception which was very handy! The taxi journey took about 15 minutes and cost 29 euros. It's also possible to catch a bus from Leiden for about 6 euros for 2 people. However it drops you about a 10 minute walk from Duinrell and if you are not sure where you are headed, a taxi may be a better choice - especially if you have suitcases! Alternatively, on the way back to the airport we caught a bus to Den Haag and then got the train from Den Haag to Schiphol. It's probably simpler to just hop a taxi from Leiden on your way to Duinrell, then when you are more familiar with the area and the buses, use public transport to get to the airport on the way home. Duinrell Duinrell itself was brilliant! There's the amusement park, the waterpark and the Kikkertown. Firstly the amusement park. It's absolutely brilliant for children, although plenty of fun to be had for adults as well! There's loads of novel and unique attractions that you won't find anywhere else! Such as cannon boats which pull you up a ramp backwards and then let go, you go shooting off the end and splash into the water! The park is much more laid back than places like Alton Towers. Some rides are even unmanned and you are left to your own devices! In terms of "fast" rides, there is not a huge selection but still enough to enjoy. There's Splash which is a sort of log flume, but the 'splash' at the bottom is much bigger than usual! Waterspin is where you all sit in a line and then get twisted and swung all over the place. The Mad Mill lives up to its name,and is a version of a pirate ship except it also involves spinning round....The Kikkercoaster looks like it may just be for kids, but is actually enjoyable and goes quite fast! And the toboggan is fun, its about the only thing that had a queue but didn't take too long to get to the front. There are a few places to eat in the park, mainly fast food but not expensive. The waterpark - called the TikiPool - is brilliant! If you are staying onsite then you get 2 hours entrance per day for free between 10am - 2pm. If you want to go outside these hours its 3 euros 50 cents for 2 hours - absolute bargain! There are loads of slides: Cyclone and Tornado are brilliant - start of as a tube slide and then shoot you out into a huge funnel, you spin round and round and then fall out of the bottom! Moonlight and Starfright are tube slides in the dark, great fun! Bits and Flits are SUPERFAST - one of them is almost vertical at the start! Family Slide and Superslide - don't be fooled by the name, family slide starts off nice and slow but by the end you are going pretty fast! And the "death" slide which is a vertical drop into a deep pool. There;s also a wave pool and a Lazy River, and a children's section so plenty to do. There's a snack bar overlooking the pool which you access from the pool area so dont have to get changed to go into. Also part of the Tiki Pool is the TikiSauna. Originally we thought this was just the steam rooms that are next to the wave pool. However we were wrong! You go up the spiral staircase at the entrance to access the sauna. It costs 5 euros for 4 hours and comprises a jacuzzi, steam room, 2 saunas, and an outdoor plunge pool. There's a routine up on the wall for you to follow, if you repeat the circuit 3 times then you will be relaxed like you have never been before !! One thing to note - no swimwear is allowed in the sauna, i.e. you have to be naked. At first we felt a bit self-conscious but you soon relax especially when you realise no-one else is bothered! Finally the Kikkertown, this comprises the Supermarket, Irish Pub, Jazz Frog brasserie, Jungle Buffet and Snack bar. The Irish pub is great, they have mini bowling which is miniature bowling alleys, great fun. There's also table football and air hockey games. At the weekends when we were there they had entertainment such as kids discos, karaoke and a casino night. The other parts of the kikkertown, I have covered below. Wassenaar Wassenaar is a great little town, the town centre is literally across the road from Duinrell. There is one main street which I think is called Laangstraat which has an array of small shops, snack places, restaurants etc... Bagel Alley is a great place for lunch or a drink, the Oranjerie is also nice. HEMA is a kind of department store that sells all kinds, including food and also has a very cheap cafe. There is a market on Tuesdays which is in the market square by the library (not the main street as we thought!). It is mainly food and fruit/veg stalls, but worth a wander round. There are about 3 or 4 banks all together at the top of the Laangstraat. The ING doesn't have a foreign exchange, the ABN does. However the rates are really rubbish! So take plenty of Euros with you. Other things to do There is a beach in Wassenaar which is signposted from Duinrell (look for "Wassenaarslag" or something similar) It is possible to walk to the beach which is what we did - it takes about 50 minutes ( or 2.5 hours if you try and take a "short cut"....my advice is stick to the main road and don't follow the red posts into the sand dunes!!) It was really windy when we visited the beach and quite cold but there were still a few brave people taking a dip in the water! There are a few snack bars which were closed, and a really nice restaurant which was open. It's definitely worth popping into the restaurant for a cup of tea and a bite to eat. Getting to Amsterdam is quite easy, but can be expensive. There's no direct bus, and no train from Wassenaar so the best option is to get the bus to Leiden which costs about 6 euros return for 2 people. Then the train from Leiden to Amsterdam costs 14 euros return per person. So its about 17 euros per person to get to Amsterdam, works out about £11/12 and takes about 40/50 minutes. However! If you go on a weekend, there is a bus that comes into Duinrell and takes you to Amsterdam.A day ticket costs 10 euros and covers 2 adults and up to 3 children. The only drawback is that is doesn't drop you in the centre. It drops you in the outskirts, and you have to hop on another bus to the centre, then get the ferry across to Centraal station. No extra costs, but it just takes a bit of time. All of the above refers to out of season - if you go in June - Aug then no problem as there are buses that go straight from Duinrell to the centre. In Amsterdam itself there are plenty of things to do. The Anne Frank house is definitely worth a visit. The queue looks long but goes really quickly. The entrance fee is about 7 euros. Also worth a visit is the "Artis" which is around by the Jewish quarter I think. It's a zoo, aquarium, planetarium, and museum all in one and is really good, especially if you have children, they will love it! It's not particularly cheap, about 17 euros for adults, but plenty of stuff included for the price. You could easily spend a good few hours or even a whole day here. Also I would definitely recommend a visit to Rotterdam. Its much less touristy than Amsterdam, not as busy and easier/cheaper to get to. There's a bus that goes from down the road from Duinrell to Den Haag, then hop on the train from Den Haag to Rotterdam. Takes about 40 minutes and costs about 10 euros per person. Rotterdam is the place to go for shopping - there are endless shopping streets and shopping centres/malls. Don't miss V&D which is a huge department store spanning about 6 levels, it sells absolutely everything, and you could easily pass a good few hours just in here! There's absolutely hordes of places to eat, all the usual fast food, loads of Chinese restaurants, Japanese restaurants, italian....We didn't stay late enough to sample the nightlife but there were plenty of bars and clubs and it seemed like it would be quite a lively place at night. Accommodation We stayed in Keycamp's Supernova 29 mobile home which sleeps 7 - so for the 2 of us there was plenty of space! There was a double bedroom, a twin bedroom with bunk, a shower, a toilet, a kitchen and lounge. For 7 people it would probably get a bit crowded, but for 2-4 people it's ideal. You have to take your own sheets towels and pillowcases (or can rent them from keycamp for about £14) but you get all the other essentials such as kettle, pans, cutlery etc...Oh yes, you need to bring your own toilet paper as well! We found the caravan really comfy and cosy and it felt like home after no time at all! Food / Eating out The facilities in the caravan made it really easy to prepare our own food which was a nice change! There is a large refrigerator and also a freezer so plenty of storage space for food. The Duinrell supermarket on site is large and well stocked. We had read reviews saying that it was overpriced but we found it to be very reasonable. Compared with the supermarkets in wasenaar, it is more expensive, but for convenience it is well worth a visit. It is open till late as well which was very handy when we first arrived. C1000 in Wassenaar is probably the best supermarket, has a wide range of products and is very cheap. To find it, you turn left off the main shopping street and then left again, and it's on the second main road. Aldi is very cheap, a bit harder to find. If you find the town map which is down the side of HEMA I think, then look for Dominos pizza and Subway - Aldi is opposite these. There are plenty of places to eat out, in Duinrell itself and in Wasenaar. In Duinrell there is the Jungle Buffet, the Bistro, the snack bar and the Pizzeria. We only went to the Jungle Buffet, it cost 19.95 euros per person which we thought was slightly overpriced. The food was nice, but there wasn't a huge selection. In Wassenaar, there are plenty restaurants to choose from. Don't miss the "Mie-Li" Chinese restaurant. We ended up going there twice, it was that nice! I definitely recommend the Chinese Fondue - you get a huge wok of boiling water on your table and a platter of raw meat, fish and vegetables which you then cook yourself and eat with a choice of 5 sauces. Delicious! The banquets were about the same price in euros as they are in pounds here - i.e. quite a bit cheaper. Also worth a visit is the pancake house right next door to Duinrell. They have an unbelievable choice of savoury and sweet pancakes as well as some traditional Dutch dishes. I can also recommend the Amaretto Chocomel Hot chocolate! Weather The weather wasn't that great during our stay (last 2 weeks of September) We had one nice weekend when it was really sunny and hot. However we also had a few days of heavy rain. The majority of mornings, we woke up to rain but it usually cleared up by lunchtime, leaving a clear and fresh afternoon. The weather didn't really affect us that much though. The amusement park seemed to open no matter what the weather was like, and of course the Tiki Pool isn't affected at all by the weather. It does get really cold at night though. Our caravan had heaters which warmed us up nicely, but I would recommend you take nice warm pyjamas and not summer ones like I did! Overall we had an absolutely brilliant time, and if you are considering Duinrell for a holiday then go for it!

What a great holiday. We have 3 children 12, 6 & 3 and are big kids ourselves. Via North Sea Ferries Hull-Rotterdam it took an hours drive to get to Duinrell, it has a free theme park and water park attached to the caravan/campsite. These were both excellent, the theme park had rides for all and were very querky, the playground too had slides and rides that I have not seen for years. The water park was busy but had enough flumes to scare the life out of you and also a lovely area for the smaller children to play. Wassenaar was a lovely town to visit. Aldi and C1000 were great supermarkets to stock up the BBQ. The beaches at Schenevigan and Katwijk were lovely and we also drove to Amersterdam (Park and Ride) for a massive £7 for all five of us!! Go go go!!!

We spent a week a Duinrell and had a fab time. Two adults, 3 children (Girls x 2 10 years old and Boy 15). There was fun for all. We hired bikes on our first day and although a bit wobbly at first it was great fun and brilliant to get around. The theme park was really well organised and the girls were old enough to go on their own as it was a really safe environment. The indoor swimming pool was brilliant for rainy days (we had two of those) and for evening times (to tire them out) - while we sat and drank wine on the patio of our cabin - we got a cabin about 5 min walk from the main area which was lovely and quiet at night. Lots and Lots to do for everyone. The nearest town - Wassenaar was lovely and had lots of nice places to eat (would recommend eating in Wassenaar rather than Duinrell - nicer choice and cheaper) Also the supermarket in Wassenaar is much cheaper than the one on site - although it is handy for essentials. Wassenaar is about a 5 min bike ride with lots of lovely little shops to browse around. The beach is about 15 minute cycle away but absolutely fantastic if you get the weather. So lots to do and fun for all - highly recommend it for holiday with slightly older children.

Just returned from a brilliant Spring Bank break at Duinrell - who cares about the weather? This site is exactly as described, a large, lively, clean, safe, efficient and mainly **FUN** getaway for those with kids and boundless energy! Don't come here looking for peace & quiet - our camp site was surrounded on 3 sides by an excellent theme park and an even better water complex. Where most of the time the kids stroll off to play on a few swings and perhaps a small climbing frame that most sites offer, here instead they wander just 50yds to the free roller coaster, big wheel or bumper cars. Yes, when the camp site is full you'll be packed a bit like sardines. Yes, the Dutch and Germans aren't known for being quiet when there are parties to be thrown. But will we go back? - Definitely! The public areas, in true Dutch fashion, are spotlessly clean. For the younger ones there are characters in costume, shows, kiddies trains and plenty of tame ducks to be fed. In short, the best comparison for me is like camping inside a smaller version of Disney's Magic Kingdom. .... and all within a hour of the ferry. Brilliant !!

Stayed with Keycamp at Duinrell for a week in the beginning of September when the weather was lovely. Got the fast ferry over from Harwich to The Hook of Holland (3 1/2 hours) which was great although I have since heard that this service is going to be stopping shortly. Was easy enough to find the camp even with the sat nav not working. My children are 11 and 14 and they voted this the best holiday ever. Facilities are fantastic on site with the theme park and water park so saves us parents plenty of cash. Must hire out bikes or go carts, great fun. Food on site is very poor and the supermarket was over priced. The Irish bar was dissapointing aswell, no entertainment and expensive for drinks. Take a short walk into the village of Wassennar as there are plenty of places to eat. Turn left when you exit the camp site and Pancake House is just there and the food was lovely. Took our parents with us too (both in their 60's) and they enjoyed the walks in the forest and to the Wassennar beach (lovely). We only ventured out one day to Amsterdam to go to Anne Frank Museum and Dam Square, we drove and parked all day in the city centre for £14. I would highy recommend this camp site, it is great for familys and we would love to go back next year.

We discovered this campsite when we visited the theme park for a day last year. My husband is Dutch so we go to Holland regularly and fancied a change from staying with relatives. I booked through the Eurocamp.nl as the English Eurocamp was much more expensive (typical rip off Britain!) and booked the stenaline ferry crossing seperate. The campsite is enormous and well spread out. There are many different tour operators offering different types of accommodation, from tents and caravanns to villas. You can also take your own tent or caravan. While you are staying there you all get free access to the theme park and 2 free hours a day swim time in the waterpark between the hours of 10am-2pm. It is a kids paradise, our teenagers loved it. The weather was awful, it was the wettest August in 100 years! Weather permitting though you can hire bikes on site... be warned you have to peddle backwards to slow down/stop! There are many cycle paths to follow, well signposted. We cycled to Leiden, well worth a visit and a good shopping street! It is a 5 minute walk into Wassenaar. There are 3 supermarkets in Wassenaar and they are cheaper than the Duinrell supermarket. There is a Greek restaurant in Wassenaar called Olympia that serves the best souvlaki ever. The pancake house just outside Duinrell wasnt our favourite, drive a little further out for a better choice of pancake at the Pannenkoeken Hut. We were NOT impressed with the buffet restaurant on the campsite at all. The food was mediocre, the soup tasted burned and there was limited choice. We asked the waitress the price before eating and she told us it was E12.95 pp however when we came to pay they charged us E17.95pp and would not back down when we explained that the waitress had misinformed us. This really annoyed us and we advised everyone we met about the appalling way we were treated. Other than that we were really happy and think Duinrell is fantastic value for money. There is plenty to do both inside and outside the park. Take warm PJ's though, it gets cold at night!

Just got back from a week at Duinrell, Wassenaar, Holland. We stayed in a Canvas 3 bed caravan, had a brilliant week. Kids have so much to do, swimming, theme park, hiring gokarts, bikes. The fun is endless, superb pancake house just down the road from the campsite, well worth a visit!!!!!! Would recommend this site for fun, liveliness and handy for touring. Can be a little noisy if you are near the road after the pubs shut! If you have children it is the ideal site for them and adults can relax or join in the fun.

2 sep 06 our second trip to duinrell went last september after our campsite in interlaken was flooded we have used canvas holidays for years they were brilliant and someone in there office sugested duinrell 3 days later we left harwich for the hook of holland my 19 year old daughter emma map read left at every roundabout keep the sea to the left 35 mins later we were there our ages went from 3 to 60 and everyone had a fantastic time in the pool and theme park we agree about following reports about on site supermarket and food outlets but wassenaar had everthing one could need except as my daughter said not the sunshine of The Gambia hope this note was a littlehelp to anyone contemplating going there regards malcolm

First - getting there. Try and sail into hook of holland or europoort if bringing the car as the drive from calais takes much longer than you expect and if you hit rush hour in belgium or holland you won't like it! Once there, don't bother with the onsite restaurants/bars or the supermarket as they are all overpriced and poor quality. The village of wassenaar is five minutes walk away and has much better alternatives. It's also an absolutely beautiful village and well worth a visit anyway. There is plenty to do on camp with the tiki pool and theme park and you must rent bikes and get out and about on the superb cycle paths. Off site - you are well placed to visit amsterdam, rotterdam and the hague. We found driving to leiden (10 mins) and getting the fast cheap trains the best bet. We got an excellent price on our holiday (stayed in a mobile home with keycamp, for british visitors you can also book with eurocamp, both of which are much cheaper than booking direct with duinrell), and wiil be returning in the next couple of years. also, a tip for you - teach your kids how to say please and thank you in dutch...the local people semmed to love it and the kids kept getting free ice creams!!!

On the whole camp Duinrell worth going to if you have kids. Negative points first. Camp hard to find, hardly any signs for Wassenaar until you get near it. Buy a really good map or you could find yourself driving around The Hague in circles. Avoid the on site restaurant and smaller food outletss, food not very good and opening hours tend to vary a lot. Camp supermarket way over-priced and they easily run out of bread and milk. Best to stick to restaurants in nearby town of Wassenaar if you don't want to cook. Pancake house just outside main gate really good but beware they close at 8.30. Quite a few restaurants close early in Wassenaar. Make sure you take a lot of the basic food you need with you. The Irish pub is pretty grot as well. Positive points Great for kids, nice theme park and swimming pool. You can hire pedal go karts and bikes and all sorts of things on wheels. Whole place really well landscaped. You'll like it as well cos in general they manage to avoid the usual tacky theme park/camping site atmosphere. Swimming pool is great but will be very crowded if you get in free with your holiday tickets. For 10 Euros for 2 adults and 2 kids you can go at a less crowded time. Town of Wassenaar very nice and only ten minute walk away, lots of cafes (just as well cos you won't get a decent cup of coffee on site) shops and a fair few restaurants. Would say place ideal for kids from 7 to 14. Over or under this age and some things could be too old or young for them. There is only one white knuckle ride in park and it's not really a "Big teenager" kind of place. The smaller kids won't be able to go off on their own without supervision. On the whole would say this is a very good place to go.......................