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Amsterdam & Beyond.....

Dear Friends,

Me and my wife are attending a Conference in Amsterdam from 6th to 10th Nov 2017. The conference is in Amsterdam and it is a Five day conference. Barring 2 days, the remaining 3 days, we can do day trips/ sightseeing around Amsterdam as we have conference schedules only in the evenings. So, during those days, we plan to do day trips to Rotterdam, Utrecht and Hague

After the 5 day conference, we wish to extend by further 6 days and see places outside. The issue is we have seen Germany (most of the major cities), Paris and Brussels. So, we thought we will see other good towns in Belgium..We both love Culture & History....

We thought of doing Maastricht, Ghent, Antwerp & Bruges. We plan to stay 2 days in Maastricht and balance 4 to 5 days in Ghent (As someone suggested this will be a good place to stay and visit and experience Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges). We will need to fly back from Amsterdam.

We both love culture, food and would live to explore quaint restaurants too.

We hope this itinerary is good. Request some suggestions please if not OK. p.s. We will be using public transport

Thanks for the help ...

Nitish

Posted by
18 posts

Thank You all once again for your replies...this has definately helped us plan our itinerary. We just thought that we will prepone our belgium tour keeping in mind the weather and do belgium first and then end with our conference..I have chalked out our itinerary...request inputs please to certify this....and if any suggestions please...

End of October - Day 1 - Arrive by 11 a.m. to Amsterdam - and take a train to Ghent..Reach Ghent by 3.30 p.m....Stroll in the evening around Ghent

Day 2 - Day Trip To Bruges and return in evening

Day 3 - Day Trip to Antwerp and return in evening

Day 4 - See around Ghent

Day 5 - Proceed to Luxembourg and spend second half of the day

Day 6 - Luxembourg

Day 7 - Leave in the morning to Maastricht and spend second half of the day

Day 8 - Maastricht

Day 9 - Proceed to Amsterdam for Conference - evening Conference

Day 10 to 13 - Conference

Day 14 - Fly back to India....

We are two couples....would this itinerary be fine...

Thanks,
Nitish

Posted by
32512 posts

please say what is attracting you to Luxembourg City and Maastricht. For me they are both 2nd or 3rd trip places. I travel regularly to both, especially Luxembourg but never go out of my way to get to them.

You will be in the Netherlands. Why not see some of it? Very close to Amsterdam and easy to visit are:=

Alsmaar
Gouda
Edam
Delft
Utrecht
Haarlem
den Haag
Kinderdijk

The issue is we have seen Germany

are all parts of India the same? not to me. Germany is full of different and unique things
to see and do

Are you aware of just how short the days are in Northern Europe in November?

Posted by
7179 posts

You said you have seen the major cities of Germany. I just want to make sure you've been to Cologne and Trier. Aachen is also nice, and is on the way from Cologne to anywhere. I liked Luxembourg City, but I'm not sure it is worth the detour. Daytripping from Ghent is a good plan.

Posted by
18 posts

In Germany, we have seen, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Braunschweig, Leipzig, Munuch, Frankfurt, Dresden, etc....

For the conference, we will be in Amsterdam for 5 days and apart from 2 days, we will be free the other 3 days and plan to do Utrecht, Rotterdam and Hague....

Hence thought of Luxembourg and Maastricht ...

Would love to have suggestions Please if it fits in our days...our days are almost fixed...just need to stitch an itinerary around it...

Thanks a ton

Posted by
14481 posts

For towns doable logistically from Amsterdam, try Kleves, Bonn, Bad Godesberg. or even Münster/Westfalen, both historical and cultural towns/cities in Germany.

Posted by
18 posts

Dear All,

Thank you so much for your replies...our trip is taking its final shape and we have booked our to & for tickets from India to Amsterdam for our dates. we also had to do a bit of rescheduling due to a wedding in the family. Plus we also have another couple joining us and hence we want to add a day and a night in Paris (We have been there earlier, but they have not been). So we are planning an itinerary like this and need some suggestions :

Day 1 - Arrive morning in Amsterdam & proceed to Ghent...Stay night Ghent
Day 2 - See around Bruges...Stay Night Ghent
Day 3 - See around Antwerp ...Stay Night Ghent
Day 4 - Extra Day in Ghent....stay in Ghent
Day 5 - Need Suggestion
Day 6 - Need Suggestion
Day 7 - Proceed to Paris early in the morning...See paris just the main sights...stay in paris
Day 8 - Return to Amsterdam in time for conference in the evening and thereon is our conference after which we return back to our country.

Will be glad to get suggestions what we can do on Day 5 and Day 6. We would prefer seeing a different city, since we are already staying for 4 nights in Ghent. We like culture, quaint towns, visiting cafe's and yes, the ladies like their bit of shopping too....
Maybe Day 5 we can see Brussels...Request help please...

Thanks & Regards...

Posted by
7179 posts

I take it you cannot fly to BRU? Maastricht is out of the way and no loss for this itinerary.

One day in Paris seems silly, especially for all those train tickets. Add more nights there. Antwerp is good for more than one day. Brussels can be seen on a daytrip from Gent.

Brugge is a good outdoor Monday place, even if some museums are closed. (Check online for days and hours.) Bring jackets for November walking. Don't go to Antwerp or Brussels on Monday.

Posted by
1954 posts

Day 5 – Rent a car and drive north from Ghent to the Delta Region in the Netherlands with visits to Middelburg, Veere and/or Domburg on the peninsula of Walcheren. Drive over the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier and visit Zierikzee, if time allows the Flood Disaster Museum too. Back over the Zeeland bridge to Ghent in the evening.

Day 6 – Ypres

Posted by
1954 posts

Kind words from you Jay – About shopping are plenty of options in the larger cities. For fashion look certainly around in Antwerp, but in Ghent too, especially the streets between Korenmarkt and Kouter you will find plenty of fashion shops in various price ranges. For artists, architects and hobby artists Lesaffre and nearby Schleiper offer an enormous range of tools and materials, just fun to look around. Dille & Kamille sells gadgets for in the kitchen and a nice antique / vintage shop is Antiek-depot market 15 near Vrijdagsmarkt.

Interesting is that the FNAC stores in the larger cities sell tickets for the museums and other attractions in Paris.