Take a Train Through the Netherlands' Iconic Tulip Fields for $8 — Here's How (2024)

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Sure, the northeast was just hit with a major snowstorm, but I promise you, spring is almost here. The first official day of spring is March 19, meaning warmer weather and flower blooms are right around the corner. And we've got the perfect train to take to celebrate the new season.

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch national railway company, is always here to help guests get from point A to point B with ease. Its Haarlem-to-Leiden route takes just 21 minutes to complete, with 92 trains departing daily, and tickets begin at just €6.90 ($7.43). And while the train is comfortable, it's not an over-the-top luxury experience. However, you're not here for the views inside the train — you're here for the view outside.

On the quick journey, the train passes through the town of Noordwijkerhout, a destination that comes into full bloom in the spring when thousands of flowers burst through the Earth reaching toward the sky. And it's not just the famed regional tulips on display here. As the community's official website explains, "You can smell and see daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips everywhere."

Travelers are welcome to make their way to the town (it's just a 12-minute taxi ride from Leiden, and buses are available), where they can head out for a leisurely walk or rent a bike to cycle through the fields dotting the community. The town makes it rather easy to explore all the picture-perfect spots thanks to its easy-to-follow Flower Map. The one thing the community asks is that you please respect each and every bloom as if it were your own garden.

"When you find yourself standing beside a brilliantly colored flower field, it can be all too tempting to charge in amongst the flowers. Resist the urge," the town's site reads. "The flowers and bulbs are fragile, and if you have any plant diseases on your shoes, you risk taking them in with you. This would be a pity for nature but also a major loss for the growers. So enjoy the view, but please show respect for the flowers and grower: do not enter the fields without the grower's express consent."

Of course, you can always choose to just stay on the train for the 21-minute journey to Leiden and ride it back again, taking in the view of the flowers from there. Just be sure to time your visit between March 21 and May 12, as that's when the official Tulip Festival begins and ends, ensuring you get to indulge in the sweet, sweet scent of spring soon.