The Netherlands looks easy on a map. It is compact. Cities are close. Trains are good. English is common. Amsterdam feels walkable. Rotterdam feels modern. Utrecht feels calm. The Hague feels like a good idea once you realize it is not far away. So at first, it feels like the trip does not need much preparation. Then you arrive. And the small decisions begin. Which tram? Which platform? Which canal side? Which bike lane am I definitely not supposed to stand in? Is this museum entrance around the corner or across the bridge? Why does “5 minutes away” involve water? The Netherlands is not difficult. It is just full of small navigation moments. A different way to think about the trip I would not plan the Netherlands as a list of attractions. I would plan it as a chain of movements. Airport to city. Hotel to canal area. Canal area to museum. Museum to café. Café to train station. Amsterdam to Utrecht. Utrecht to Rotterdam. Rotterdam to The Hague. Back to the hotel before your phone battery starts judging you.…