RCN Vakantiepark Toppershoedje

Toppershoedje is a mid-size campsite which also has about 50 chalets in various sizes. The campsite looks tidy and well maintained. We stayed in one of the chalets and found them to be very comfortable. They are not luxurious but everything you need is there (e.g. our chalet had a dishwasher). The beds are good and the shower room was clean. RCN facilities are limited, e.g. there is no swimming pool on site, but there are numerous pools elsewhere, including some luxury pools such as Port Zelande. Location of RCN Toppershoedje could not be better. 10 minute walk to a huge sandy beach. Even in high season, there is just so much space. At low tide, there are little lakes left behind on the beach, little crabs to find etc. And if the weather is not so good, the cities of Rotterdam and the Hague are not far by car and provide a full range of entertainment and shopping. There are some beautiful cycle routes right behind the camp site and they are all well signposted - just hire a bike from RCN and buy a map at reception to show you the numbers of the cycle junctions or 'knooppunt' as the Dutch call it - they are all signposted. Or without a map, just walk or cycle to the top of the dune behind the campsite and turn left towards the lighthouse to enjoy the views over the Northsea and inland. We also loved the quint medieval village of Goedereede, a few miles away. Young budding engineers (who like to play with mini-dams) will love a visit to Neeltje Jans which has a lot of very interactive information about the famous Dutch dikes and the risks of flooding (+ some animal shows). About 7 miles away at the Brouwersdam, there are some great facilities for water/beach sports: windsurfing and sailing on the lake side of the dam. Kite surfing and many exciting beach activities on the sea side of the dam. There are many similar campsites along this coast. One operated by Centerparcs and several from Landal. So why choose this one? RCN is a lot less commercial and a lot more relaxed. The other places work hard to try to extract the very last Euro from your pockets both for the cottage and whilst you are there - adverts for expensive activities/excursions are everywhere, even when you switch on the TV in your cottage. On the other hand, RCN do not even charge for many of their own activities and when they do, the charges are low. Restaurant prices are very reasonable. Above all, the friendliness of the RCN staff is just unbeatable. Every time we had a question or an issue, it was dealt with quickly, without any fuss and with a smile. My advice: if you are the sort of person who wants every feasible activity on site and you don't mind spending large amounts of cash, you will love Centerparcs. The amazing pool is included in their prices. If you want something more reasonably priced and you want to use the site as a base to explore the area, then choose RCN. Landal is somewhere between RCN and Centerparcs, both in facilities and in accommodation. Landal are very commercial but their hard sell is tempered by the fact that they have few activities to sell :)