Vlieland

Vlieland (West Frisian: Flylân) is the second of the West Frisian Islands in the Netherlands, being located between Texel and Terschelling. It is wonderfully peaceful and natural, as it is car-free, except for a few permitted vehicles of locals. After Schiermonnikoog, it is the most thinly populated island of the bunch.

Understand

Vlieland is neighbored by the islands of Texel and Terschelling.

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

The Midsland departing Vlieland's harbour for Harlingen.

To get into Vlieland, you'll have to take the ferry from Harlingen. The average travel time for this route is 95 minutes for the normal ferry or 50 minutes 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 three daily regular ferries and an additional one to three fast ferries. The schedule and what service are in and out of operation can change subject to season, weather and number of passengers. A one-way ticket (adult) will cost around €33.54 in summer, €32.40 during winter (as of Aug 2024), with the fast service costing €49.50 regardless of season. Vlieland is in principle car-free, so although the ferries can transport cars, costing €186.24 in winter and €195.56 in summer. The permission to bring a car onto the island, however, is normally only granted to those who depend on it for mobility (in other words, people with a mobility-impairing handicap), or to companies that require vehicles to do their work on the island.

By car

As mentioned above, private cars cannot be brought onto the island. This section therefore details directions to the ferry terminal in Harlingen.

• From Amsterdam, use the A7 highway to head north. Directly after leaving the Afsluitdijk, leave the highway at exit 15 (Zurich). This drops you on the N31 provincial road, which you should then follow until exit 19 (Harlingen Havens). Cross underneath the road you were just on, and keep to the road you're on now.
• From the Groningen, use the A7 to head west towards Heerenveen. At Drachten (exit 30A), turn onto the N31 heading towards Leeuwarden, and keep following this road until you've passed Leeuwarden. Use exit 19 (Harlingen Havens), and turn right at the roundabout you find yourself on.
• From Utrecht, use the A27 highway towards Lelystad, and follow that direction when the A27 ends and meets the A6. This highway then ends near Joure. There, turn onto the A7 heading for Sneek, and follow the A7 beyond that town. At exit 15 (Zurich), leave the highway, turning onto the N31. Exit the N31 at exit 19 (Harlingen Havens), and turn to cross underneath the N31.
• From Zwolle, use the N50 towards Emmeloord, where the road joins into the A6, from where you can follow directions as described from Utrecht. Alternatively, use the A28 towards Meppel, switching onto the A32 just before reaching the city itself. This then sets you up to go to Leeuwarden via Heerenveen. Once you reach Leeuwarden, turn onto the N31 towards Leeuwarden-Noord and Harlingen. Stay on this road until you reach exit 19, and turn right on the roundabout at the end of the exit ramp.

All of the directions above should have brought you onto the N390 heading towards Harlingen. As you cross through the harbours and approach the and the sluices in the Van Harnixmakanaal, turn left onto the Harlingerstraatweg. This brings you to P1, P2 and P3 in that order. From these parking lots, a shuttle bus to and from the harbour terminal is in operation, but the distance can also be easily walked free of costs.

Parking at the long-duration parking spaces costs €7.50 per day when reserved in advance via the associated website (as of Aug 2024). Without a reservation, parking costs €8.50 per day. Reservations can be cancelled completely free up to two days in advance.

By public transit

The end of the line at Harlingen Haven, with the ferry terminal right behind it.

All direct trains to Harlingen go via Leeuwarden. From there, a single ticket costs €6.35 for second class (as of Aug 2024). As this is a regional service, upgrading to first class for this journey has no real benefits. The train takes 28 minutes to reach the end of the line, Harlingen Haven station. From there, it's a short walk to the ferry terminal, for which you're best off using the pedestrian-only route via the Sasbrug.

For a cheaper fare, consider the Waddenretour. It comes in three forms: a bus or train from Leeuwarden to Harlingen Haven (€10), a bus or train to Harlingen Haven from anywhere in Friesland (€17) or anywhere in Groningen (province) (€27 as of Aug 2024). This used to include the fare for the ferry, but in the modern day, comes as an 'extra option' with your ferry ticket.

By boat

The Waddenhaven can get rather crowded during the summer.

Vlieland has a single harbour for private boats: The Waddenhaven. Mooring prices are calculated based on a fixed daily rate €6.60 on top of €0.90 (€0.53 during the winter as of Aug 2024) per square metre of space your vessel occupies. Note that this is calculated not by taking the usable deck space of your boat, but by multiplying the boat's widest and longest measurement. For commercial skippers and freighters, fixed rates based on the boat's length are used instead. In all of those prices, usage of electricity is included. The harbour has showers, watering facilities, and a laundrette. A municipal surcharge is also applied, totalling €3.03 per person per night. Availability of mooring spots is best to be checked beforehand, as, especially during the summer, mooring spots tend to be scarce. Availability can be checked online here, though it's recommended to contact the harbour beforehand. Do note that mooring spots cannot be reserved beforehand.

• 1 Aanloophaven Vlieland (De Waddenhaven), Havenweg 68, ☏ +31 562 451 729, [email protected]. Office open all days from 08:00 - 11:00, 15:00 - 17:00 and 19:00 - 20:30. (updated Aug 2024)

From other Wadden Islands

The Vliehors Express, which takes travellers from Het Posthuys to the landing stage for the Texel-Vlieland ferry.

If you happen to be on Terschelling, there are a few daily ferries between the two islands, also operated by the Rederij Doeksen. They have a rather limited capacity for the two or three ferries per day that are in operation, so do book in advance. The journey takes about thirty minutes, and sets you back €20.69 (as of Aug 2024) for a one-way journey. Departure times from Terschelling (and vice versa) differ per day, but tend to take place around 10:00 and 19:30. Please check the linked booking site for an accurate timetable.

From Texel, Rederij De Vriendschap operates a ferry service to Vlieland, which includes a land service across the Vliehorst towards Het Posthuys, with it being the western-most public transit halt on the island. Ferries tend to depart from Paal 33, north of De Cocksdorp at 17:15 each day. Departure times can be seen and booked on Rederij De Vriendschap's website.

Get around

A paddenstoel signpost, found alongside many of the popular bike thoroughfares.

Vlieland is a small island - If you so choose, you could walk from one end of the island to the other end in under three hours, with the distance from the harbour in the east to the west-most landmass being about a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi)-walk. For convenience (and your feet's sake), it's recommended to instead rent a regular city bike or speciality bike like a bakfiets (cargo bike), or to take public transit. Cars, in any case, are banned from Vlieland.

Public transit

Public transit on Vlieland really isn't that difficult to wrap your head around, as there simply is just one bus line. It starts at the harbour, loops around the town Oost-Vlieland, and makes its way towards Vliehorst via the Wadden Sea coast. The line frequency, however, is irregular and thereby not very useful if you require any kind of frequency. They depart from the ferry terminal at 09:00, 10:40, 10:30, 13:00, 14:45, 15:40, 16:30, 18:45 and 20:30.

As of the 2024 service, a single return trip on the bus costs €3.65 regardless of your destination. The OV-Chipkaart is valid on the island and can be topped up at the ferry terminal, or on board the bus.

Bike rental

There are three bike rental companies active on Vlieland. Prices listed are those for a normal men's city bike, both regular and e-bike versions with seven gears, for the duration of a day and one week respectively. If reserved in advance, bikes can be collected from any of the three companies outside of the listed opening hours.

• 1 Frisia, Dorpstraat 113, ☏ +31 562 451 501, [email protected]. All days: 09:00 - 18:00. The cheapest rental company, though its one location is located a 10-minute walk into town. Their cheaper rates, however, might convince you to make that walk though. Daily rate: €8.50 / €20; Weekly rate: €42.50 / €120. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Jan van Vlieland, Havenweg 7, ☏ +31 562 451 090, [email protected]. All days: 09:00 - 21:00. Located right across the street from the ferry terminal (with also a dependency in the marina), Jan van Vlieland is likely the first rental agency you'll come across, as well as its top-rated one. Daily rate: €9.90 / €23.50; Weekly rate: €47 / €123. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 Zeelen, Dorpstraat 2, ☏ +31 562 451 509, [email protected]. M-F Su 09:00 - 18:00; Sa 09:00 - 21:00. Saturday hours apply for every day during the peak season. Also located by both the ferry terminal and marina, though not all bicycles can seemingly be obtained from their dependency in the marina. Daily rate €9.70 / €23.50; Weekly rate €67.90 / €164.50. (updated Aug 2024)

When it comes to navigating Vlieland by bicycle: Most of the roads are dedicated bikeways, or shared-use roads. With the island having relatively few cars, the roads are very safe even for the most timid of cyclists. The island being as bike-dependent as it is, many of the destinations there will have ample bicycle parking too. Signposting is done with some signs around the town and major routes, and with the so-called paddenstoelen (mushrooms) that are commonly found along popular biking routes elsewhere in the Netherlands.

See

The Vlieland lighthouse, Vuurduin

The post-house (Posthuis), once a major service point for the private postage service on the island, nowadays a major restaurant for all.

• 1 Museum Tromp's Huys, Dorpsstraat 99, ☏ +31 562-451600. This is the oldest building of the island, originating shortly after 1575 and since the 1950s home to this little museum. It has a collection of art works on display, mostly from the hand of local artist Betzy Akersloot-Berg, who was Nordic by birth but lived in this house from the end of the 19th century. The museum also has a range of silver works, photos, clocks, sea charts, model ships, on top of ample information about the island's history, and some of its notable inhabitants with most notably Willem de Vlamingh, a 17th-century explorer who mapped a lot of Perth and its surrounding bays. €4. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Nicolaaskerk, Kerkplein 7. Successor to a chapel that would have existed since at least 1245, the church of Vlieland has a distinct architecture setting it apart from its counterparts on the mainland. Its name, however, it only received upon the 350-year anniversary of the building in its current state (1997). (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 Vuurduin, Vuurboetsduin 3. Without a doubt the landmark of Vlieland. Vuurduin (meaning fire-dune) was constructed in 1876 as the lower lighthouse of IJmuiden. Its three top-most floors were however deconstructed and rebuilt on Vlieland, functioning as the island's lighthouse since. Due to its location atop the Vuurboetsduin, one of the Netherlands' highest dunes, the lighthouse itself only measures in at 16.8 metres (55 ft). The lighthouse, originally designed by Quirinus Harder, who pioneered cast iron lighthouses in the Netherlands, is entirely automated these days, and is open to visitors under supervision of a lighthouse keeper during irregular times that are announced on the website of VVV Vlieland (look for 'Bezichtinging Vuurtoren'). (updated Aug 2024)

Do

• Vliehors Express (Departing from 't Posthuys.). A guided off-road bus tour, taking two hours, and travelling across the Vliehors sandflats on the western end of the island. For those without sea legs, this is the best method to see seals on the island that does not include boarding a boat. Tickets can be bought online, or in person at Parfumpaviljoen (Dorpsstraat 73). From €27.50. (updated Sep 2024)
• Into The Great Wide Open. Pulling some 6000 people onto the island of 1250, Into The Great Wide Open is a four-day festival held in the first days of September. Deemed the best festival of the Netherlands in 2011, the organisation annually invites an artist to stay on the island as an artist-in-residence before the festival starts, and to produce new work on the island, which gets presented during the festival. The festival as a whole, which is named after a Tom Petty album, appeals most to the culture-lover who seeks more depth, tranquillity, nature and diversity. Event venues are spread all over the island. Weekend tickets for €225. (updated Sep 2024)

Buy

Most of the shops can be found along the Dorpsstraat. Here you'll find the two supermarkets on the island:

• 4 SPAR, Dorpsstraat 36-38, ☏ +31 562 451 347. M-Sa: 8:30 - 18:00, Su: 9:00 - 14:00. (updated Sep 2024)
• 5 Poiesz, Dorpsstraat 110. M-Sa: 8:30 - 18:00, Su: 9:00 - 14:00. (updated Sep 2024)

Outside of supermarkets, some specialist stores can be found on the island, of which these are the foremost:

• 6 Bakkerij Westers, Dorpsstraat 98, ☏ +31 562 451 221. M-Sa: 8:00 - 12:15, 13:30 - 17:00. The age-old bakery of Vlieland, now owned by the third generation of the same family of bakers. They offer some local specialities that you won't necessarily find in supermarkets, including Vlielandse duimpjes (butter biscuits), Vliedûntje (currant bread dough), Juthout (layered currant bread) and Vlielands suikerbrood (traditional sugar bread). (updated Sep 2024)
• 7 Slijterij de Branding, Dorpsstraat 58, ☏ +31 562 451 328, [email protected]. M-Sa: 9:30 - 17:30 (excluding 12:00 - 13:30 outside of vacations). Where traditionally a lot of the good booze on the island would wash up on the beach's surf from seagoing vessels, nowadays, a specialist liquor store makes obtaining alcohol a lot less cumbersome than patrolling the beaches. De Branding (which fittingly means "the surf"), offers a range of six French wines from the Pays d'Oc which have been specially selected and bottled for the island. Other specialities feature the Vlielander Kruidenbitter (gin), a "Wadka" (soft vodka) and a range of several liquors. All of this, of course, in addition to the regular offerings of any other liquor store.
  If desired, the store offers delivery of orders to vacation homes on the island, which can be arranged for using the assortment list on their website, and by contacting them by calling or mailing. (updated Sep 2024)
• 8 Houters Warenhuis, Dorpsstraat 48, ☏ +31 562 451 354. Technically classified as a drug store, the warenhuis (translating both as "department store" and "warehouse") is a bit of an everything-shop. Outside of the expected, they offer clothes and other textiles, household items, toys, beach wares, gifts and souvenirs. If you need something on a whim, this would be the place to look. (updated Sep 2024)

Eat

The Dorpsstraat, which is lined with hotels, restaurants, cafés, and shops.

The village has a bunch of restaurants, varying from romantic restaurants to snack bars. Most of them can be found along the Dorpsstraat, with some located around the accessways onto the beach.

• 1 De Lickebaert, Dorpsstraat 4-6, ☏ +31 562 451 888. Everyone loves a pancake, and this is the local place to go when you're looking to get one. Their speciality, however, are the typical Dutch "poffertjes", fluffy mini-pancakes served with sugar. (updated Sep 2024)
• 2 Zuiver, Willem de Vlaminghweg 2, ☏ +31 562 451 857, [email protected]. This modern restaurant gets good reviews, both for food and service. They have a love for regional, biological produce and modern twists for traditional dishes. In high season, they also serve lunch. It's best to make reservations in advance. €34.50 for a 3-course surprise menu. (updated Sep 2024)
• 3 Het Posthuys, Postweg 4, ☏ +31 611 206 587, [email protected]. 08:30 - 22:00. Originally built as a service station of sorts for postmen working for the private postage company serving the post route between Amsterdam (where ship-owners lived and the country's economic heartland was), and Texel (where a lot of sea-faring ships moored as the Zuiderzee was difficult to navigate for its shallow waters). The route was extended onto Vlieland and neighbouring Terschelling in 1778, at which point this house was built. This private postage route was in operation until 1927, after which it served as a farmhouse and coast guard outpost. Nowadays, it houses a restaurant that serves anything from pancakes and hamburgers to exclusive wines and plentiful fish and meat-based dishes. (updated Aug 2024)
• 4 Armhuis, Kerkpkein 6, ☏ +49 562 451935. daily. One of the better restaurants in town, and the closest thing to fine dining. Good service, nice food and a proper restaurant-style atmosphere. If you're looking for a romantic evening, try their private dining rooms. Make sure to call ahead though, especially in high-season, as this place fills up quickly. €40 for a menu. 

Drink

Vlieland has several places where you'll find a venue for a drink. Most notably, there's the Strandpaviljoens (Beach pavilions), which you'll find at most of the main access roads to the beach. The other category are the regular clubs and bars, which you'll find in town, along the Dorpsstraat, as part of a hotel. Some examples of the latter category are listed below. Some of the beach pavilions are, since they function as a restaurant also, listed under #Eat.

• Loods Café, part of the Loodshotel;
• Bruintje 2.0, part of Badhotel Bruin;
• ZeeVaert, part of Hotel de Wadden.

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.

Hotels in town

As is the case with restaurants and cafés, most of them are clustered in town, surrounding the harbour and lining the Dorpsstraat.

• 1 Loodshotel, Dorpsstraat 3, ☏ +31 562 451 818. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 10:30. €83. (updated Sep 2024)
• 2 Het Vielandhotel, Dorpsstraat 11, ☏ +31 562 700 201, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00. €95. (updated Sep 2024)
• 3 Hotel de Wadden, Dorpsstraat 61, ☏ +31 562 452 626. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. (updated Sep 2024)
• 4 Badhotel Bruin, Dorpsstraat 88, ☏ +31 562 452 828, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:30, check-out: 10:30. (updated Sep 2024)
• 5 Torenzicht, Dorpsstraat 182, ☏ +32 562-451428, [email protected]. 
• 6 Hotel Zeezicht, Havenweg 1, ☏ +31 562 451 324, [email protected]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. €119. (updated Sep 2024)
• 7 Hotel Vlierijck, Willem de Vlaminghweg 2, ☏ +31 562 453 840. Check-in: 15:00. €191. (updated Sep 2024)

Hotels out of town

• 8 Hotel Doniastate, Badweg 2, ☏ +31 562 451 386. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 10:00. €110. (updated Sep 2024)
• 9 Hotel Seeduyn, Badweg 3, ☏ +31 562 451 560. Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 10:00. This large, 4-star hotel belongs to the Westcord chain and offers a good range of facilities, including free WiFi and a wellness area. It sits right on the beach, less than a kilometre from the village centre. Most rooms have lovely views. From €120. (updated Sep 2024)
• Het Posthuys, Postweg 4, ☏ +31 611 206 587, [email protected]. Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 10:30. (updated Sep 2024)

Campsites

• 10 Natural Campsite Lange Paal, Postweg 1a, ☏ +31 562 45163, [email protected]. 1 Apr – 31 Oct. 
• 11 Camping Stortemelk, Kampweg 1, ☏ +31 562 451225. A very popular and nice place: in the dunes, very close to the sea 

Alternatives

• Privately owned vacation residencies. On Vlieland it may seem like every house can be rented out - there's that many apartments available through third-party websites like Booking and AirBNB, but none of those show a complete overviews as their terms of service might keep owners of vacation residencies at bay. Instead, try to find a house, cabin, B&B or apartment through OnVlieland. A website like this exists for every Dutch Wadden Island, essentially functioning as a middleman between the owner of a residency and you as a vacation-goer, which often results in a cheaper price on your bill too.

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.