A Dutch bed and breakfast is usually one or two guest rooms in a private home, a converted farm building or a small guesthouse, with breakfast prepared by the owner. They are most common in the countryside and in smaller historic towns, and in Amsterdam they are tightly regulated, so there are relatively few of them.
Types of B&B you will find
- City and town B&Bs. Rooms in townhouses or canal houses in places such as Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Utrecht and Maastricht. Expect steep stairs and compact rooms, often with a private bathroom.
- Farm B&Bs. Rooms or apartments in converted barns and outbuildings on working or former farms, especially in Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, Gelderland and Zeeland. Some sell their own dairy, eggs or produce.
- Garden studios and annexes. A separate small building or room in the garden with its own entrance, popular with couples who want privacy.
- Houseboat B&Bs. Mostly in Amsterdam and a few other cities; rooms are small but the setting is the draw.
- Hosts for cyclists and walkers. Vrienden op de Fiets is a long-running network of private hosts offering a bed and breakfast to people travelling by bike or on foot. You need to be a member to book.
What breakfast looks like
A Dutch breakfast is bread-based and simple. Expect several kinds of bread and rolls with butter, sliced cheese (usually Gouda-type), ham or other cold cuts, jam, and hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles eaten on buttered bread). Many hosts add a boiled egg, yoghurt, fruit, fresh orange juice, and ontbijtkoek, a dense spiced breakfast cake. Coffee and tea are standard.
Regional touches are common. In Friesland you may be offered suikerbrood, a soft bread studded with sugar lumps; in Limburg, appelstroop, a thick apple and pear syrup, often appears on the table. Farm B&Bs sometimes serve their own eggs, milk or cheese.
Breakfast is often served at a set time or in a fixed window, since the host prepares it personally. If you need to leave early or have dietary requirements, tell the host when you book rather than at breakfast.
Where B&Bs make most sense
B&Bs work best where there are few hotels and where you are travelling slowly, by car or bike.
| Region | Typical setting | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| South Limburg | Farmhouses and villas in hilly countryside around Valkenburg and the Geul valley | Walking, cycling, Maastricht day trips |
| Veluwe (Gelderland) | Houses near the forests and heath | Cycling, Hoge Veluwe National Park |
| Zeeland | Farms and village houses near the coast and dykes | Beaches, cycling, Delta Works |
| Friesland | Farmhouses and lakeside villages | Sailing lakes, Frisian towns |
| Drenthe | Farm B&Bs in brink villages | Quiet cycling, hunebedden (megalithic tombs) |
| Wadden Islands | Rooms in island villages | Beaches, birdwatching, cycling |
The national cycling junction network (knooppunten), with numbered signposts across the country, makes it easy to plan B&B-to-B&B routes.
Amsterdam's B&B rules
In Amsterdam a B&B must be run by someone who lives in the home, needs a permit and registration number, and may only host a small number of guests at a time in part of the house. The city has also capped the number of B&B permits in busy districts. The result is that Amsterdam B&Bs are few, small and book up early. If you want a B&B-style stay near Amsterdam, look in Haarlem, Zaandam, Amstelveen or the villages of Waterland north of the city.
Booking and costs
B&Bs are listed on general platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb, and on the Dutch site bedandbreakfast.nl, which only covers B&Bs. Many hosts also take direct bookings by email or phone.
- Minimum stays of two nights are common at weekends and in summer, especially in popular areas.
- Tourist tax is set by each municipality and is often collected separately, either at check-in or added to your bill. In Amsterdam it is 12.5% of the room price in 2026; elsewhere it is usually a fixed amount per person per night.
- VAT on accommodation rose from 9% to 21% on 1 January 2026, which affects B&Bs registered as businesses.
- Payment. Small hosts do not always accept credit cards. Ask in advance whether you can pay by debit card, credit card or bank transfer, and carry some cash as a fallback.
- Cancellation terms are set by each host and are often stricter than hotel terms; read them before you pay.
House rules and etiquette
Staying in a B&B means staying in someone's home, and Dutch hosts tend to be direct about the rules.
- Arrive within the agreed check-in window. Hosts often have other commitments; let them know if you will be late.
- Expect quiet in the evening. Many B&Bs are in residential streets or isolated farms.
- Smoking indoors is almost never allowed.
- Bikes. Rural B&Bs usually have a shed or barn for bikes; some can arrange bike rental or charging for e-bikes. Ask in advance.
- Children and pets. Policies vary widely, so check before booking.
A short checklist before you book
- Check the location on a map: a "village" B&B may be several kilometres from the nearest shop or bus stop.
- Confirm whether the bathroom is private or shared.
- Ask whether breakfast is included and at what time it is served.
- Check how tourist tax is charged and which payment methods the host accepts.
- If you are arriving by public transport, ask the host about the nearest bus stop or station and how to get from there. Rural buses run less often in the evening and on Sundays, and some routes are on-demand services that must be booked by phone or app in advance.
