Dutch Zoo Tour
- Thread starter Shirokuma
- Start date
From Antwerp, you can easily get a train to Rotterdam. You can walk to the zoo from Rotterdam Central station, but it's easier to get a tram or bus ride. The Rotterdam Zoo specialists here could give you the exact number of the tram you need.
Amsterdam Zoo is just as easy, same train just stay on it a little longer. Get out at Amsterdam Central Station, and either take the tram or the canal-boat combi ticket. Canal-boatrides start at the central station and take you very close to the zoo's entrance in about 20 minutes or so. You can take the boat back later that day. The exact tram number will be on the (english) site from Artis Amsterdam.
Other Dutch Zoo's are a little harder to go to by train, the easiest being Arnhem and Amersfoort. I highly recommend Arnhem which is (together with Rotterdam) easily the best zoo of the Netherlands. Take a train straight to Arnhem from Amsterdam Central station, or (faster from Antwerp) take a train to Roosendaal (first station over the border) and switch there to a direct train to Arnhem. In Arnhem central station, take a bus to the Zoo's entrance, there's usually at least 3/4 busses an hour, so it shouldn't take that much extra time.
Emmen Zoo is also doable by train, but is on the other side of the country from Antwerp (4/5 hours by train?). Amersfoort is about 30ish? minutes from Amsterdam Central station. You can take a bus from Amersfoort Central station to the zoo's entrance (2 an hour) which is pretty easy. You can also walk in about 20 minutes if you know where to go.
The only other option from Antwerp I can think of is Safaripark Beekse Bergen, but i think that's kinda hard to reach with public transport. If i where you, i'd go Paradisio, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Arnhem, with Amsterdam as a bonus if you have the time...
Amsterdam Zoo is just as easy, same train just stay on it a little longer. Get out at Amsterdam Central Station, and either take the tram or the canal-boat combi ticket. Canal-boatrides start at the central station and take you very close to the zoo's entrance in about 20 minutes or so. You can take the boat back later that day. The exact tram number will be on the (english) site from Artis Amsterdam.
Other Dutch Zoo's are a little harder to go to by train, the easiest being Arnhem and Amersfoort. I highly recommend Arnhem which is (together with Rotterdam) easily the best zoo of the Netherlands. Take a train straight to Arnhem from Amsterdam Central station, or (faster from Antwerp) take a train to Roosendaal (first station over the border) and switch there to a direct train to Arnhem. In Arnhem central station, take a bus to the Zoo's entrance, there's usually at least 3/4 busses an hour, so it shouldn't take that much extra time.
Emmen Zoo is also doable by train, but is on the other side of the country from Antwerp (4/5 hours by train?). Amersfoort is about 30ish? minutes from Amsterdam Central station. You can take a bus from Amersfoort Central station to the zoo's entrance (2 an hour) which is pretty easy. You can also walk in about 20 minutes if you know where to go.
The only other option from Antwerp I can think of is Safaripark Beekse Bergen, but i think that's kinda hard to reach with public transport. If i where you, i'd go Paradisio, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Arnhem, with Amsterdam as a bonus if you have the time...
-Diergaarde Blijdorp(in Rotterdam), is a 10 minute walk from the Rotterdam main station and has a very good collection and some very nice exhibits.
-Artis(Amsterdam), 20 minutes walk from the main station, nice cityzoo, with some small exhibits, but overall a nice zoo.
-Burgers Zoo(Arnhem), in the east off the netherlands(but only 1:20hours from Rotterdam), about 15 minutes with buss 3(or 13) with the biggest indoor rainforest and desert and a very nice aquarium. Also some very rare animals, like hartebeest(not always visible), blue and red duiker, bighorn sheep, ringtailed chacomistle and dusky leaf monkeys.
-Dierenpark Emmen, in the north of the Netherlands, takes 2 hours by train from Arnhem to come there, but the zoo isnear to the station. It hasn't the most spectacular collection, but big groups of hippo, penguin, elephant, babboons and many others. The Elephant bull Radza is the most beautiful elephant in Europe.
that are 4 that I would reccomend.
-Artis(Amsterdam), 20 minutes walk from the main station, nice cityzoo, with some small exhibits, but overall a nice zoo.
-Burgers Zoo(Arnhem), in the east off the netherlands(but only 1:20hours from Rotterdam), about 15 minutes with buss 3(or 13) with the biggest indoor rainforest and desert and a very nice aquarium. Also some very rare animals, like hartebeest(not always visible), blue and red duiker, bighorn sheep, ringtailed chacomistle and dusky leaf monkeys.
-Dierenpark Emmen, in the north of the Netherlands, takes 2 hours by train from Arnhem to come there, but the zoo isnear to the station. It hasn't the most spectacular collection, but big groups of hippo, penguin, elephant, babboons and many others. The Elephant bull Radza is the most beautiful elephant in Europe.
that are 4 that I would reccomend.
You take the train to Apeldoorn - which is also a major trainstation - and there are several busses driving to the Apenheul. Just as easy as getting to Burgers' Zoo.
For directions to the several stations you can check 9292ov.nl: OV-reisinformatie en routeplanner voor bus, trein, metro, tram en veerboot. Actually you can check directions to the actual zoos (incl. which busses go when) when you enter their visitor address.
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
If anyone can help me, I'm putting together a database with statistics of some of the world's top zoos. Essentially, I need the annual attendance figures for the following Dutch zoos:
Artis Royal Zoo Amsterdam, Burgers' Zoo,
Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam, Noorder Dierenpark Emmen
Can anyone help me? Is there a good internet source where these can be looked up?
Artis Royal Zoo Amsterdam, Burgers' Zoo,
Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam, Noorder Dierenpark Emmen
Can anyone help me? Is there a good internet source where these can be looked up?
Actually also Planckendael is doable by public transport. Go to the trainstation in Mechelen and behind the station is a boat that goes to the zoo each half hour.
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Elly. Sadly, I don't speak the language of my Dutch ancestors well enough to negotiate this site. Could you possibly post these (or some of these) attendance figures for me?
Dan
Well-Known Member
I could find the numbers for two of the Dutch zoos.
Artis: 1.236.000 according to Year Report 2007
Source : http://www.artis.nl/paginas/i/img/JVS2007.pdf
Diergaarde Blijdorp: 1.561.891 in 2009 according to the web site´s News section. The web site says that this was the highest visitor number for any Dutch Zoo.
Source: Diergaarde Blijdorp - Blijdorp best bezochte dierentuin
Artis: 1.236.000 according to Year Report 2007
Source : http://www.artis.nl/paginas/i/img/JVS2007.pdf
Diergaarde Blijdorp: 1.561.891 in 2009 according to the web site´s News section. The web site says that this was the highest visitor number for any Dutch Zoo.
Source: Diergaarde Blijdorp - Blijdorp best bezochte dierentuin
Click on this link: Nederland | Zoosite and there you see paws representing all the Dutch zoos. Click on the respective paws and you find the dutch information on the zoos. Just scroll down and there is a annual visitors' section (it's just numbers, so no translation problems there). As this site is very active, you will find 2010 year's figures next year there as well.
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
UntBwe
Well-Known Member
I would sugest Utrecht. From there (Central Station) it's 30 minutes to Amsterdam, 45 minutes to Rotterdam, 40 minutes to Arnhem (Burgers' Zoo), 10 minutes to Amersfoort, 35 minutes to Rhenen (Ouwehand's Zoo), 2 hours to Emmen, 40 minutes to Apeldoorn (Apenheul).
Except voor Emmen you don't have to switch trains. For Emmen you must switch in Zwolle.
Walking (which I normally do):
Artis from Central Station: 20 minutes
Rotterdam from Central Station: 10 minutes
Amersfoort from Central Station: 20 minutes
Ouwehand's: 10 minutes.
Emmen: 10 minutes
By bus:
Burgers (every 15 minutes)
Apenheul (every 30 minutes)
My sugestions to go for:
Apenheul, 90% of the animals are monkeys or apes, some of them are roaming freely through the park. They have bonobos (only zoo in The Netherlands), gorillas, orangutans, gibbons, many species from Amazonia, langurs, etc.
Diergaarde Blijdorp / Rotterdam Zoo, one of the most beautiful zoos of The Netherlands.
Burgers' Zoo: With the 'Bush', 'Ocean', and 'Desert': large halls with very interesting animals
Emmen: with the largest elephant herd (15 with at least 1 pregnant)
But: Artis has a very interesting 'Small Animals House" with a lot of monkeys and other species. As the oldest zoo of The Netherlands it has some beautiful old buildings such as the Aquarium.
Amersfoort and Ouwehand's are not very large but both are beautiful zoos.
Well, if you stay for 7 days you can visit them all...
Except voor Emmen you don't have to switch trains. For Emmen you must switch in Zwolle.
Walking (which I normally do):
Artis from Central Station: 20 minutes
Rotterdam from Central Station: 10 minutes
Amersfoort from Central Station: 20 minutes
Ouwehand's: 10 minutes.
Emmen: 10 minutes
By bus:
Burgers (every 15 minutes)
Apenheul (every 30 minutes)
My sugestions to go for:
Apenheul, 90% of the animals are monkeys or apes, some of them are roaming freely through the park. They have bonobos (only zoo in The Netherlands), gorillas, orangutans, gibbons, many species from Amazonia, langurs, etc.
Diergaarde Blijdorp / Rotterdam Zoo, one of the most beautiful zoos of The Netherlands.
Burgers' Zoo: With the 'Bush', 'Ocean', and 'Desert': large halls with very interesting animals
Emmen: with the largest elephant herd (15 with at least 1 pregnant)
But: Artis has a very interesting 'Small Animals House" with a lot of monkeys and other species. As the oldest zoo of The Netherlands it has some beautiful old buildings such as the Aquarium.
Amersfoort and Ouwehand's are not very large but both are beautiful zoos.
Well, if you stay for 7 days you can visit them all...
Dolfinarium Harderwijk
Im a bit surprised that no one mentioned the Dolfinarium Harderwijk. This marine mammal park is one of the most specific animal collection and exhibition in Europe. A big breeding group of Bottlenose Dolphins live in a naturalistic lagoon, which contains 15 million litre real sea-water. The volume of the walrus-pool is more than 1,8 million litre. You can see both of these species underwater. Just mention other rarities: Steller’s Northern Sealions, Harbor Porpoises.
Harderwijk is 74 kilometres (approx. 50 min) far away from Amsterdam by train, and there you can easily reach the Dolfinarium by local bus services.
Trust me, Shirokuma, dont miss the Dolfinarium, its a very unique experience …
Im a bit surprised that no one mentioned the Dolfinarium Harderwijk. This marine mammal park is one of the most specific animal collection and exhibition in Europe. A big breeding group of Bottlenose Dolphins live in a naturalistic lagoon, which contains 15 million litre real sea-water. The volume of the walrus-pool is more than 1,8 million litre. You can see both of these species underwater. Just mention other rarities: Steller’s Northern Sealions, Harbor Porpoises.
Harderwijk is 74 kilometres (approx. 50 min) far away from Amsterdam by train, and there you can easily reach the Dolfinarium by local bus services.
Trust me, Shirokuma, dont miss the Dolfinarium, its a very unique experience …
Lintworm, yes, You are right, the Dolfinarium is an amusement park as well (the owner is Compagny des Alpes since 2002). But, beside the fact the institution is member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, they are also member of the Nederlandse Vereniging van Dierentuinen, European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, International Marine Animal Trainers Association, European Association for Aquatic Mammals and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. Furthermore, taken into account that the institution has a special educational system (especially for children), and such a proper and unique captive environment what they provide e.g. for their Dolphins, I dont think so we can call the Dolfinarium only an amusement attraction, which can be spared the interest of zoo professionals and professional zoogoers. Of course, the number of the exhibited species is low, but dont worry, many zoochatters tend to visit collections only for the sake of one species
. The difference of the admission fees between the mentioned big Dutch zoos and the Dolfinarium is not so big in my opinion, its worth to pay eight more Euro to see a marine mammal park than a ’typical zoo’. Of course, everyone has the own reasons visiting different zoos and why visiting the given collections. When I was in the Netherlands, my aim was not only to see the bigger zoos (Blijdorp, Artis, Arnhem), but visiting specialized animal parks, like the Dolfinarium and Apenheul. Well, its up to Shirokuma, but shall continue to give any suggestions, Dolfinarium Harderwijk is absolutely worth a visit, because this institution is very unique in Europe from many aspect.