[mcv]

> You can't rent bikes if you are not Dutch

Why not? Where are you trying to rent? There's bike rentals specifically aimed at tourists, and most people speak English reasonably well.

> A train is great for Rotterdam-Hague-Amsterdam, not so good for visiting the Bosch museum in 's-Hertogenbosch.

I just checked, and from Amsterdam, the train to that museum is actually slightly faster than a car. Though you do have a 15 minute walk at the end. Perhaps Den Bosch should run a bus line there.

[BrandonS113]

Yes, unfortunately were not exactly working in Amsterdam, and needed a tram to the local station and then a train to, perhaps Amsterdam.

That said, I would love to know why 's-Hertogenbosch is spelled that way. I asked a few locals, and none knew.

[mcv]

It's one of those cities that has two names: Den Bosch and 's Hertogenbosch.

The first simply means "the forest", in slightly archaic spelling. The second is short for "des hertogenbosch", which is archaic for "the duke's forest". "Des" is archaic genitive that's barely used any more in Dutch except in a few phrases and place names.

's ochtends => des ochtends => of the morning

's avonds => des avonds => of the evening

's Hertogenbosch => the duke's forest

's Gravenhave => des graven hage => the count's hedge (also known as Den Haag / The Hague)