When are the Dutch Christmas holidays in 2026, and which days are hardest for traffic?
Dutch schools in all regions are off from Saturday, December 19, 2026, to Sunday, January 3, 2027. The hardest stretch is the first weekend, when the getaway meets the A10 closures from Friday, December 18, to Monday, December 21; New Year's Eve is the other, because last year trains and city transport stopped around 20:00. Christmas market weekends crowd Valkenburg and Maastricht, and last year NS ran fewer trains over the Christmas holiday.
Last updated:
With a driver by the hour: prices per vehicle
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, for a holiday day out | €65 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, for a holiday day out | €80 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, for a holiday day out | €100 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
By the hour: minimum 2 hours, 40 km included per hour, and the day starts and ends in the same city. The driver waits between stops. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. During ADE week (pickups October 20 to 26, 2026) fixed ADE-week prices apply, shown before you book; promo codes cannot be used that week. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At an airport or an intercity station the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
The holiday at a glance
| Date | What | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Fri Dec 18 to Mon Dec 21 | A10 closures; the holiday starts | 10 to 30 minutes extra on the ring; a busy Schiphol |
| Fri Dec 25 and Sat Dec 26 | Christmas | Sunday timetable on trains last year |
| Mon Dec 28 to Wed Dec 30 | Between the holidays | Valkenburg's caves and Düsseldorf's markets still open |
| Thu Dec 31 | New Year's Eve | Transport stopped around 20:00 last year |
| Fri Jan 1 | New Year's Day | Most trains back from about 10:00 last year |
| Sun Jan 3 | Last day of the holiday | Families fly home |
Planning a day out
A driver by the hour saves the parking hunt at a busy market: a Valkenburg day of 11 hours costs €715 in Business Class, €880 in Van Class.
Related questions
Which holiday days are calmest on the roads?
Usually weekday mornings, outside the first weekend.
Is the A10 closed over Christmas itself?
The published closures are December 18 to 21.
Do the German markets stay open after December 23?
Cologne's and Aachen's close on December 23; Düsseldorf's run until December 30.
Sources
- Rijksoverheid: school holidays 2026 to 2027 (Dutch) (checked October 20, 2026)
- Rijkswaterstaat: A10 planning (Dutch) (checked October 20, 2026)
- ANWB: Valkenburg (Dutch) (checked October 20, 2026)
- Festivals in Deutschland: Düsseldorf (checked October 20, 2026)
- Treinreiziger.nl (December 19, 2025), NS: no trains after 20:00 on December 31 except Schiphol → Amsterdam Centraal until 22:00; night trains from 01:00; Sunday timetable on both Christmas days (checked September 29, 2026)
- I amsterdam, New Year’s Eve tips for 2025: public transport stopped 20:00 to 01:00, taxis still available, night buses from 01:30, show on Museumplein (checked September 29, 2026)
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