In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Netherlands
Alkmaar
Give Alkmaar one full day: Friday morning cheese market, Waag and old town on foot, then train out. Sleep one night only if you add the dunes.
Alkmaar is a compact 17th-century town 35–40 minutes by Intercity from Amsterdam, and the base for the North Holland dunes and polders. The old centre is about 1 km across and walkable in half a day. Most travellers come for the Friday cheese market (spring and summer) and leave the same evening.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds at the cheese market), Nov–Feb (cold, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards dominate; some shops and cafés are card-only and a few supermarkets accept debit cards but not all credit cards, so carry both.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- KPN, Vodafone and Odido run the networks; Lebara and Lyca sell cheap prepaid SIMs in supermarkets and at Schiphol.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard continental two-pin; UK and US plugs need adapters.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up.; Restaurant: 5–10% for good service; tell the server the total when paying by card.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Not expected.
- Water
- Tap water is among the best in Europe; restaurants may charge for it, so ask.
- Toilets
- Stations charge about €0.70–1; cafés expect you to buy something; free urinals (and a few public toilets) in city centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2.50–4 |
| Cheese sandwich or broodje | €4–8 |
| Museum entry (Stedelijk Museum, Cheese Museum) | €12–16 |
| Beer: café / supermarket | €4–6 / €1–2 |
| Train Alkmaar–Amsterdam, one way | €10–12 |
| Bike rental, one day | €10–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMS · Amsterdam Schiphol
- Train to Amsterdam-Sloterdijk, then Intercity to Alkmaar; about 1 h 10 min total (check)
Typical fares
- Train Alkmaar → Amsterdam Centraal
- about €10–12, 35–40 min (check)
- Bus Alkmaar station → Bergen aan Zee
- about €4–6, 30 min (check)
- Bike rental, one day
- €10–15 (check)
Get around
Walk. The old city is about 1 km east–west and everything inside the moat is on foot. Buses from the station serve the coast villages; rent a bike at Fietspoint Stoop beside the station for the dunes and polders.Walk. The old city is about 0.6 mi east–west and everything inside the moat is on foot. Buses from the station serve the coast villages; rent a bike at Fietspoint Stoop beside the station for the dunes and polders.
See and do
Known for
- Friday cheese market on Waagplein
- Waag weighing house and Cheese Museum
- Sint Laurenskerk and Langestraat
- Moat, bastions and De Molen van Piet
- Gateway to the Schoorlse Duinen
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bergen and Bergen aan Zee | Bus 166 from Alkmaar station, about 20–30 min | About 45 min |
| Schoorlse Duinen | Bus toward Schoorl, then walk or bike into the reserve | About 45–60 min |
| Broek op Langedijk | Bus 169 from Alkmaar station | About 30 min |
| Hoorn | Train toward Hoorn, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Enkhuizen | Train via Hoorn, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Castricum | Train south, about 25 min | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Old city west (near the station)
- Closest to the station and the shops; 5–10 min walk over the Bergerbrug into the centre.
- Waagplein and Langestraat
- The market square and main street; noisier on Friday mornings in season.
- Station and Noorderarcade
- Cheaper chain hotels and a shopping centre; 10–15 min walk to the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HalloHAH-loh |
| Thank you | Dank jedahnk yuh |
| Excuse me | Pardonpar-DON |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-VAYL kost hut |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan ik met kaart betalen?kan ik met kahrt buh-TAH-lun |
| Where is the station? | Waar is het station?vahr is hut stah-SHON |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Hugging new acquaintances
- Directness: Say what you mean; expect honest, blunt answers; avoid: Taking bluntness as rudeness
- Punctuality: Be on time; diaries plan weeks ahead; avoid: Dropping in unannounced
- Money: Split bills; pay your share; avoid: Showing off wealth
- Homes: Bring flowers or a small gift; congratulate everyone at a birthday; avoid: Expecting dinner if invited for coffee
Scams and watch-outs
- The cheese market runs Friday mornings only, spring and summer, roughly 10:00–12:30; outside that window Waagplein is an ordinary square.
- Some old-town streets are brick and uneven; watch cyclists, who have priority.
- Many small museums and shops close on Mondays; check before you plan a Monday visit.
Alkmaar is a low-risk Dutch city; the real issues are bikes on the pavement, uneven brick streets and pickpockets in the Friday market crowd. Emergency number is 112.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alkmaar yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Friday cheese market on Waagplein
- Waag weighing house and Cheese Museum
- Sint Laurenskerk and Langestraat
- Moat, bastions and De Molen van Piet
- Gateway to the Schoorlse Duinen
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Alkmaar (official tourism): www.visitalkmaar.com/
- Municipality of Alkmaar: www.alkmaar.nl/
- NS (Dutch Railways): www.ns.nl/en
- Wikivoyage: Alkmaar, revision 5333697 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5333697
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Alkmaar
Naar dit adres, alstublieft
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance112
No embassy in Alkmaar; embassies are in The Hague and consulates in Amsterdam.
Cheese market Fridays only, spring and summer; check the official visit site before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/alkmaar). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.