With the end of winter comes the start of spring and as people are dropping off the detox wagon, the time has never been better to start up a new hobby or resurrect old ones that somehow got laid by the wayside.

In early March, the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show offers a great opportunity to remind yourself what you used to love about sailing (if you’re a veteran) or, if you’re a newbie, get a taste of what lies ahead.

This fantastic, wide-ranging exhibition marks the beginning of this year’s sailing season. From 1st to 6th March, more than 350 exhibitors will set up shop in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition centre to engage around 50,000 visitors in a number of activities, workshops and displays.

Last year, there was an artificial Wavesurfer, where visitors could try their hand at wind surfing under the watchful eye of Olympic silver medallist Marcelien de Koning. Visitors could also check out the latest developments in the sailing world: from new navigation equipments to glow-in-the-water rescue jackets, the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show was a great place to get excited about braving the waters of the world.

Tickets for last year’s event cost between €16 and €17.50. Check the HISWA website for up-to-date ticket information.

The way to Amsterdam is short, thanks to P&O Ferries: you can take a ferry to the Dutch P&O port in Rotterdam, from where it is a short drive or train ride to Amsterdam.

Tags: Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Matthias Scherer
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We know that January isn’t usually a month when people want to leave the house, let alone cross the channel over to Europe. You might want to make an exception for the International Film Festival Rotterdam, however.

As befits a city known for its cultural ambitions, the International Film Festival Rotterdam is hosting a huge range of leftfield, emotive productions from all over the world. From 25th January until 5th February, seven venues in the city centre will host the festival, and P&O Ferries can take you there.

The main focus of the festival will again lie on the Tiger Awards Competition, which recognizes innovative films made by first-time directors who are likely to become household names in the future. The full line-up will only be announced in January, but the contenders that have been revealed so far promise a fantastic range of talent.

There is ‘Return to Burma’, a feature film by Midi Z which was mainly shot (secretly) in Myanmar, one of the most repressed countries in the world. The film deals with a man who comes back to the country of his birth after years of absence and deals with the changes – or lack thereof – which have occurred in that time.

There is also a Tiger Award Competition for short films, as well as a Best Young People’s Film and Best Asian Film award, among many more accolades.

You can take a look at the festival’s current line up and check out trailers and clips on the official website.

To get to Rotterdam for the International Film Festival, you can get a P&O Ferry from Hull over to the Netherlands. Two people leaving on 25th January and returning on the 5th February pay only £238, including a car and bunk.

Tags: Netherlands by Matthias Scherer
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2011 is so… well, 2011. We’ve only got a few more weeks left, so you’d best plan your NYE sharpish. The end of the year is the perfect excuse to go on a little break abroad to exorcise the demons of the 12 months gone by.

Last week, we recommended Amsterdam, and this week we turn to Rotterdam, the capital’s perpetually underrated rival. In P&O Ferries’ Dutch port city, there will be the usual array of firework displays: at the Erasmus bridge (the bridge connecting the northern and southern halves of the city), the National Firework Show will take place, illuminating the city from the bridge’s great location near the docks.

Whether you want to check out the fireworks or not, you will want to book an advance ticket for one of the many parties happening in clubs around Rotterdam. For inspiration, you might want to look at our post about Rotterdam’s clubs , or you can check out one of our suggestions below:

The grain silo-turned-amazing-club Maassilo will host what looks like the most banging NYE party ) in the country. In three floors, techno and house DJs from all over Europe will spin records from 9pm until 8am the next day – with only a short break for an indoor (!) firework display.

Fancy dress fan? Then you should check out the zoo party organised by the, you guessed it, Rotterdam Zoo. Presumably due to the somewhat harsh temperatures, the party won’t actually take place in a lion’s cage, but in an abandoned train station. Tickets are a snip at €25, for which price you get live music and DJs in a somewhat leftfield setting. Dress as and party like an animal!

Those in the know are already looking forward to the warehouse techno extravaganza being hosted at Pakhuis. A cosy yet feverish atmosphere is guaranteed by the organisers of this bash, who have already managed the wildly successful Pakhuis festival earlier this year. For their NYE party, they have joined forces with other local promoters and record labels for a party involving an art exhibition, special light shows, and of course cutting edge DJ sets. You can check out a mix by the Rotterdam duo Khalil & Steven Pieters here – both will be among the 40-plus artists playing at Pakhuis on 31st December. You can get tickets here.

You can get to Rotterdam incredibly easy with P&O Ferries: Just take a ferry from Hull, and you’re on your way to an unforgettable NYE party.

Image credit: Rool Paap

Tags: Netherlands by Matthias Scherer
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We’re a week into December so it’s now officially the festive season whether you like it or not. So what better time to start thinking about New Year’s Eve? For those of you who want to do something special to bring in 2012 a stint overseas with the family or friends could be in order.

Amsterdam is renowned for having a good time so you can expect parties of the highest order to celebrate the coming of a new year. From roof top terraces to public squares the city of Amsterdam will be full of good cheer, merry making and all round fun.

We should warn you now, accommodation will be filling up fast so we suggest you go with your gut and make your bookings now so you won’t be let down later. As a bit of good news, and perhaps added incentive, New Year’s Day offers free public transport in Amsterdam. So you can party on, spend as much as you like on revelry and not have to worry about the fare home, good eh? That said on New Year’s Eve you’ll have difficulty even using the public transport since it grinds to halt due to the masses of crowds celebrating in the streets.

The restaurants, the bars and clubs and streets will all be crammed so plan out what you want to do first and be sure to hold on to your friends tight, lest you get swept away in the crowds and have your voice drowned out by cheers and fireworks.

But enough of the warnings New Year’s Eve is all about fun afterall!

For major mass celebrations you’ll want to crack open a bottle at Leidsplein, Dam Square, Nieumarkt or Rembrandtplein, at these spots there will be city organised firework displays come the close of the countdown live music and oodles and oodles of people to party with. Beer tents are provided for you to stock up and truly make merry.

To get to Amsterdam for New Year’s Eve 2011 an P&O Ferry is a great moneysaving way to get to the Netherlands.

Image credit: aloxe

Tags: Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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Art inspires the mind, relaxes the soul – and is a great investment to boot. At the PAN Amsterdam art fair, hundreds of dealers and investors will hobnob among some of the most beautiful works of art available anywhere in Europe.

Paintings, silverware, antiques and sculptures, as well as works of graphic design, will be showcased at the PAN Amsterdam fair, taking place in the Dutch capital from 20th – 27th November. Only the best of the best will be allowed to present their wares: every work of art is checked for authenticity and quality.

This year marks the 25th PAN Amsterdam fair, and in the last two and a half decades it has built an international reputation as a fantastic hub of modern works of art and artefacts. Last year, almost 50,000 art lovers and buyers descended on Amsterdam, surely a sign of a buzzing event this year.

PAN Amsterdam takes place at the Amsterdam RAI Parkhal, which is close to the Amsterdam RAI Station.

Tickets for this must-attend occasion for art lovers are mercifully cheap: adult day passes cost €15, with students paying €12.50.

Tags: Netherlands by Matthias Scherer
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In the last few weeks, we’ve been talking up the virtues of Bruges, Lille and Strasbourg as great destinations in the pre-Christmas period. This week, we’d like to point you towards the P&O Ferries port city of Rotterdam.

Some people might already be familiar with the weekly Binnenrotte market, where all sorts of delicacies and goods are sold twice a week in the biggest market square in the Netherlands. In the run-up to Christmas, this area of Rotterdam is turned into festive zone full of more than 100 themed market stalls and a smell of mulled wine, sausages and spices. You’ll be able to browse for hours and hopefully head home with some classic Dutch decorations and culinary discoveries.

The Binnenrotte market is a great place to shop for Christmas presents, or just to hang out, soak in the European Christmas atmosphere and come home inspired. Trying out the Poffertjes, a sweet sort of Dutch pancake, is highly recommended.

The Rotterdam Christmas market starts on the weekend of the 12th December, and around the market there will be ice skating rinks set up, as well as a live band belting out all the classics.

To get to Rotterdam for a Christmas getaway, all you need to do is jump on a P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam. Tickets are available form only £109 each way, which covers the price for a car and two passengers.

Image credit: Joseph Nadler

Tags: Netherlands by Matthias Scherer
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Next week will see the 19th installment of Crossing Border, a literary and arts festival spanning both Holland and Belgium, tickets are on sale now; we suggest you hurry though this year’s line up is attracting a lot of attention so tickets won’t last.
The Dutch installment of Crossing Border lasts from 16th-19th November and then it moves over to Antwerp over the 19th-20th.
Crossing Border is hosted in multipl locations in The Hague’s Theatre Quarter, comprised of Royal theatre (Koninklijke Schouwburg) and the National Theatre (Nationale Toneel Gebouw). And the festival continues in Antwerp’s Toneelhuis theatre.

This arts festival is true blend of creative disciplines, including film, music art and literature. It encourages flourishing talent, workshops, talks and Q&As are all a part of it. There will also be readings and performances from celebrated artists over the course of the festival.

The lineup has now been confirmed so for more information look at the Crossing Border website, some of the stages that have drawn our attention include this year’s Pulitzer winner Jennifer Egan as well as novelists Ali Smith and Paul Murray. We’re also going to be fighting our way to the front of the crowd to see Laura Marling, Emmy the Great and CAKE performing on stage.

Tickets are selling like hot cakes but there’s still time to get to this amazing festival. P& Ferries is an ideal way to get across the Channel on your way to Holland or Belgium.

Image credit: Ludovic Hirlimann

Tags: Belgium, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
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A canal in Haarlem

No, this is not the Spanish Harlem Elton John sang about in “Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters”, but a city in the Dutch province of North Holland you should include in the itinerary for your next ferry trip to Europe.

Haarlem’s proximity to the coast gives it a vibrancy and variety that many other European cities lack, and there’s a wide range of museums, historic sites and pleasant cafes and bars inviting you to sit down. Only an hour’s drive from P&O Ferries’ Dutch port in Rotterdam, it’s a great stopover if you’re on your way to Amsterdam (20 miles drive or 15 minutes by train) or even as a destination in itself.

The Corrie ten Boom house is a place worth visiting for everyone – it tells the story of the ten Boom family, who during WWII provided a hiding place for Jewish families, resistance fighters and anyone else deemed in danger. This inspiring story should be heard by as many people as possible, and with free guided tours available, you’d be a fool to miss it!

Art lovers will be pleased to hear that the Frans Hals Museum contains a fantastic collection of European paintings. The artist who gave the museum its name lived in the 15th century and is particularly famed for his sumptuous, incredibly detailed group portraits, but the museum features work from other Dutch and European masters as well (e.g. Monet, Pieter Bruegel) and is housed in a gorgeous mid-19th century building. A must for art lovers.

Walking around Haarlem’s canals is a pleasure – trees line many of them, and the atmosphere is a lot less busy than in Amsterdam, leaving you to take in the fresh air, the reflections, buildings and bird sounds. If you’re into your classicist and gothic buildings, you can take a look at the Nieuwe Kerk (based on a Jerusalem temple), and the St.-Bavokerk, located on the main market square.

All in all, Haarlem is like a smaller, more relaxed and less touristy Amsterdam. The local beer is fantastic yet cheap, and all main sights (as well as the hidden ones) can be reached by walking.

To get to Haarlem, you can take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, from where it is only a short drive. A highly recommended winter trip!

Image credit: Bogdan Migulski

Tags: Netherlands by Matthias Scherer
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