> At the same time, seen from a more remote and small village such as Stavoren the Netherlands is much bigger.
Try Lollum, Burdaard, or Earnewâld by bus! Similar in population to Stavoren, no train, no dedicated bus line (anymore).
That said, I think it’s more a function of the Netherlands being a small, flat and dense country than having great public transit. You could probably bike between most major cities in less than 90 minutes.