All things you need to know about the Flower Parade Holland 2015
When is the flower parade?
The flower parade Holland for 2015 is held at Saturday the 25th of April.
The flower parade Holland 2015 will start from the seaside town of Noordwijk and rides through the different cities of Voorhout, Sassenheim, Lisse, Hillegom, Bennebroek, Heemstede to arrive in the city of Haarlem at night.
View the map of the Keukenhof flower parade 2015 and the timetable.
At Sunday the 26th of April 2015 the flower parade is parked until 16.00 hrs in the city center of Haarlem (at the Grote Markt and surrounding areas).
Some quick tips:
Travel as EARLY as possible! (Preferably opening time) Every year there is a big traffic jam to Keukenhof from 10AM. Even the roads the local people use are completely packed and there are no short cuts. (Locals are traveling only by bike on parade day!) If you are traveling after 9 AM be aware of the traffic jam it can take 2-3 hours one way to get from the train stations (Haarlem, Sassenheim, Hillegom, Leiden, Schiphol) by bus to the Keukenhof area! Taxis, (organized tour)busses and people traveling by car all use the same roads. Visiting the flower parade is a whole day event.
The Keukenhof is completely filled to capacity on this day. The flower parade is scheduled to travel by Keukenhof around 15.45 – 16.00. It is a slow moving parade and it takes around 45 – 60 mins. Most people are lining up 1 – 1,5 hours before and some people sit next to the roads all day. Bring snacks, drinks and something to sit on (like a plastic bag so you can sit on the grass/road/curb).
If you want to return to the Keukenhof after the flower parade make sure you have your entrance tickets with you. Some times you get a stamp on your hand when you leave the exit and say that you will return to Keukenhof after the flower parade.
A lot of tourists are trying to leave immediately after the flower parade. Busses are lining up behind the parade and another traffic jam is created. (This solves around 18-19 hrs) It can take a couple of hours before you arrive at the train station, the public transportation busses, taxis are all in the same traffic jam. If you are done with Keukenhof than walk to the center of Lisse, shop around, have dinner and relax there before you take the bus back.
There are some alternatives
- Use the bike. Travel to Leiden train station and rent a bike for the day. It is app. 30 minutes to Voorhout by bike and it is about 20 km to Lisse. And be early here as well, they don’t have an unlimited supply of bikes and more people know the bike is the best option.
- See the flower parade in Voorhout. The trainstation is on the line Haarlem to Leiden. From the trainstation you can walk to the flower parade within minutes. The parade travels by in the morning. See the timetable and map.
- See the flower parade in Hillegom. This trainstation is also in the line Haarlem to Leiden. A slightly longer walk than in Voorhout. The flower parade travels by in the afternoon. See the timetable and map.
- See the flower parade in Haarlem. Take the train to Haarlem central station and walk to the parade area in app. 30 min. After seeing the flower parade walk back to the train station and take the train back to your hotel.
- See the flower parade on Sunday: The floats are parked in the city center of Haarlem until 16.00 on Sunday. You can see them here without any traffic problems too.
Ideally I think it is best to separate a visit to the Keukenhof and seeing the flower parade. Keukenhof is so packed on parade day that it isn’t fun anymore to walk through the park. (see at the photos of 2011 how busy it can be) If you like to see the flower parade and Keukenhof on one day, travel to Keukenhof early, rent a bike for the day, see the Keukenhof in the morning, have lunch in the lovely town of Lisse, see the flower fields and drive back to your hotel after 6 PM to avoid the biggest part of the traffic jam. And if you are planning to see the flower parade during your day in Keukenhof, get a stamp on your hand before exiting the Keukenhof. With the stamp and your ticket you can re-enter the Keukenhof on the same day.
Have a great flower parade day!
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Interesting links
When are the tulips in bloom in 2015?
Do you have a map of keukenhof?
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