My ancestors were Frisian. How do I spend a day tracing them from Amsterdam?
Start with the records at AlleFriezen, Friesland's online archive portal, and the provincial archive, Tresoar, in Leeuwarden; then plan the day around the villages the records name. Leeuwarden is about 137 km from Amsterdam, roughly 1 h 49 over the Afsluitdijk or through Flevoland, and the countryside is a scatter of small villages with churches on mounds (terpen), so a car is the practical way to see three or four in a day. Ten hours by the hour costs €650 in Business Class, with 400 km included.
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With a chauffeur by the hour: prices per vehicle
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, with a chauffeur by the hour | €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, with a chauffeur by the hour | €80 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, with a chauffeur by the hour | €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, starting and ending in the same city. The chauffeur 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.
What is included in the price
- A fixed price confirmed at booking, with VAT included: no meter and no surge
- The chauffeur’s name, car and phone number before pickup, plus e-mail reminders 24 hours and 2 hours ahead
- Water and phone chargers (iOS and Android) in the car
- Status updates to the person who booked, if that is not the passenger: confirmed, chauffeur en route, guest in the car, arrived
Preparing
| Step | Tip |
|---|---|
| Find the names | AlleFriezen and Open Archives |
| Watch the patronymics | Frisian families used patronymic names until surnames became compulsory in 1811 |
| Check the reading room | Tresoar's studiezaal: check its hours, and what you need to see originals, before you go |
| Pick the villages | Mark church, farm and cemetery on a map |
A day in Friesland
08:00 Amsterdam · 10:00 Tresoar, Leeuwarden · 12:00 lunch · 13:00 the first village church · 14:00 the farm or street · 15:00 a second village · 16:00 drive back over the Afsluitdijk · 18:00 Amsterdam.
Related questions
Will people speak English?
Yes, widely; Frisian is a separate language, but everyone also speaks Dutch.
Can we stay overnight?
Leeuwarden or Harlingen make a good base for two days.
Is the Afsluitdijk worth a stop?
The Wadden Center at Kornwerderzand shows how the dike was built.
Sources
- AlleFriezen (checked October 31, 2026)
- Open Archives (checked October 31, 2026)
Book it, or ask dispatch first
Book online in a few minutes (no account, no app), or send your flight number and address on WhatsApp and dispatch replies in English, 24 hours a day.