The 4 Star Carlton Square Hotel

The 4*carlton square hotel has 122 spacious and comfortable ensuite guest rooms. They all have the usual modern facilities, including air-conditioning. If springtime is warm, you may like to enjoy a drink on the heated terrace. If it is cold, sit by the cosy fireplace or have a nightcap in the authentic scottish whiskey bar. This intimate hotel is located within walking distance of the old central section of the historic city of haarlem, which has been voted the “best shopping city in the netherlands”. The old city centre is dotted with many beautiful and stately courtyards as well as impressive monuments. If you walk over the cobblestones alongside the elegant buildings on the canal, you will be taking a walk through history.

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OUTLINE ITINERARY Talisman Travel reserves the right to alter this itinerary if required

• DAY 1 After completing our schedule of pickups, we drive direct to the port of Dover for our channel crossing with Seafrance, to Calais, arriving late morning. We drive north, using the motorway network and taking time enroute to Haarlem to visit the world famous pottery town of Delft. We hope to arrive in Haarlem, late afternoon. After checking in, you are free to relax until dinner which will be taken in the restaurant “De La Paix”.
  
  
• DAY 2 Following breakfast, we board the coach and drive the short distance to the Keukenhof Gardens at Lisse. One of the worlds most spectacular flower gardens, Keukenhof is an absolute joy to the eyes, and the nose. Consisting of nearly 80 acres of winding paths, trickling streams and ponds and more flowers than you can imagine - glorious displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowering bulbs, flowering shrubs, ancient trees and countless natural surprises. Furthermore there are ten ever-changing indoor exhibitions or flower parades, seven themed gardens, a corn mill and a sculpture trail. The Spring Meadow and Flowering Forest areas are new developments for Keukenhof and the ever changing displays mean that even if you have visited in past years, it will all be new to you in 2008! We spend most of the day here, departing mid afternoon. Weather permitting, we will stop for afternoon tea in the pleasant seaside town of Noordwijk, before returning to our hotel for dinner and a free evening.
  
  
• DAY 3 Today we visit the old fishing village of Volendam. Here you will see traditional costume still being worn. Take your time to wander through the maze of narrow streets, wooden houses and little canals or sit and watch the hustle and bustle in the small harbour. With a large selection of restaurants and cafés to choose from, we will take lunch here. Early afternoon, we depart Volendam and make our way to a Cheese and Clog makers, where you can enjoy entertaining demonstrations of both of these traditional crafts and, should you wish, make purchases in the shop. Then we head back to the Carlton Hotel for our final evening.
  
  
• DAY 4 After a leisurely breakfast, we depart the hotel and make our way toward Belgium, where we visit St. Flora Castle, the grandest and most stylish wine, beer and cigarette outlet we know. Then on to Calais docks for our mid afternoon sailing with Seafrance to Dover, arriving back in our location, late afternoon.