Vlieland

Vlieland is one of the West Frisian Islands in the Netherlands.

Understand
Vlieland is neighbored by the islands of Texel and Terschelling. It is wonderfully peaceful and natural, as it is car-free, except for a few permitted vehicles of locals.

The island measures 4,052 hectare, of which the largest part is a desert-like area in the west, the Vliehors. There is one village on the island, Oost-Vlieland. On the empty plain on the west used to be another village, West-Vlieland, but it was taken by the sea in 1736. The plain is now used for military exercises. The island has a population of approximately 1100 people and is well known for the beautiful landscape, the large and various bird population and the peacefulness. In summer, many tourists come to visit the island.

Vlieland was divided from the mainland of Friesland in a flood in 1287, which formed the Waddenzee. It used to count two villages, West- and Oost-Vlieland, but the former was evacuated after repeatedly being flooded.

Vlieland is an island of dunes. It has the North Sea to the north and the Waddenzee to the south. The north coast has beautiful, peaceful beaches.

Get in
To get into Vlieland, you'll have to take the ferry from Harlingen. The average travel time for this route is 1½ hr for the normal ferry or 45 min for the fast service. Both are operated by rederij Doeksen, which has times and prices are available on their website. Usually, there are at least 3 daily regular ferries and an additional 1 to 3 fast ferries, but always check shortly before as the schedule can change subject to season, weather and number of passengers. A one way ticket (adult) will cost around €25, with an additional €7 for the fast service. Vlieland is in principle car-free, so although the ferries can transport cars (from €140 single trip), usually only residents will get the special permit.

There is a train to Harlingen Harbour from Leeuwarden, and also by car, this is easy to reach: see the Harlingen article for details.

People planning a return tour by train from Leeuwarden can buy a "Waddenretour" (€28 in 2011) ticket that is inclusive of the train ticket (Leeuwarden - Harlingen Haven trajectory) and the ferry ticket. This is a cheaper option than the normal ticket.

If you happen to be on Terschelling, there are a few daily ferries between the two islands, operated by the same company.

Get around

 * Vlieland is a small island, you can if you choose walk from one end of the island and back in a day.
 * You can choose to rent a bicycle. Three major rental shops on the island provide a selection of bicycles from city bikes, mountain bikes to "bakfiets".
 * There is a bus service on the island and it touches almost all the major landmarks on the island. You can catch the bus from the ferry drop off point.

See

 * The Vlieland lighthouse. €2.50 to visit inside, timings restricted.

Eat
The village has a bunch of restaurants, varying from romantic restaurants to snack bars.



Sleep
There are plenty of places to stay. Apart from a few hotels and camp sites, there's a wide range of holiday houses available, many of them privately owned but rented out via the Tourist Information Office, which can be of great help when finding a place to stay. Some of them are right on the beaches.



Go next
Hop on the ferry to Terschelling, or make your way to one of the other West Frisian Islands. Texel is the largest one, with most attractions. Alternatively, head back to charming Franeker and explore the often overlooked destinations in the Northern Netherlands, including Leeuwarden and Groningen.