The route
Bus 316 from Amsterdam Centraal is the easy way — leaves every 10 minutes, day ticket $16. Best order: Edam first (morning market, fewer tour buses), then Volendam (harbor and fish), ferry to Marken across the Markermeer (30 min, $12 return), afternoon in Marken, bus back.
The honest ranking
Edam is the winner — a real working small town with the best cheese shops, a proper canal ring, and none of the costumed staged photography of the other two. Marken is second — a former island village, black wooden houses, quiet outside peak hours. Volendam is a genuine tourist trap: the harbor and the fish stands are fine, but the 'traditional costume photo studio' streets are pure kitsch. Come for kibbeling ($6), leave in 90 minutes.
What to eat
Volendam kibbeling and fresh herring at any harbor stand. Edam: cheese sampling at Henri Willig or the Kaasmarkt (Wednesday July-August). Marken: smoked eel from the Palingroker (smokehouse) near the harbor — $9 a portion, some of the best eel in the country.
Questions answered
Do I need to book the Volendam-Marken ferry?
No — walk-on, runs every 30-45 minutes April to October, less in winter.
Which village to skip if short on time?
Volendam — 45 minutes is plenty. Keep Edam and Marken.
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