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Itinerary - Belgium and Netherlands, July 2023

Posted by on

Hi - I will be traveling to Belgium and the Netherlands in July for a combination research trip and family vacation. It will be me, my husband and our 11 year old daughter. We go in and out of Brussels, because that was the most economic with my employer. We arrive in the morning (8:35am) of Weds July 6, and have to hit a few specific spots, including Rotterdam for the North Sea Jazz Festival on Sunday, July 9, as well as the Royal Museums in Brussels, the Rijksmuseum and a few other music venues. Here is what I've drafted and would love input.

Day 1 - 4, base in Brussels, do necessary work in Brussels, day trips to Brugges and Antwerp

Day 4 - morning train to Rotterdam, attend festival from 2-11pm, hope that transit runs at midnight to get to hotel

Day 5 - 8 - base in Amsterdam, combo tourist and research there, including perhaps day trip to Delft

Day 8 - train to Ghent, two nights there

Day 11 - 11am plane from Brussels (perhaps stay near airport the night before)

Thanks in advance for any input. Trying to minimize a daily hotel switch because i know you lose half a day every time you do that.

Posted by
273 posts

How about going to Amsterdam before the festival so it is a shorter commute back. Don't worry there will still be trains running after midnight.

Posted by
3 posts

That was my original thought but hotels are a lot more in Amsterdam on the weekend than in Brussels. But it’s still an option to take train direct to Amsterdam on Weds 7/6, stay three nights, Rotterdam on 7/9, Ghent on 7/10 and Brux from 7/13-16. Thanks for the response

Posted by
7299 posts

I take it your employer will not permit flying into BRU, out of Amsterdam. Most on-airport hotels tend to be expensive. But 11AM is an early arrival at the airport. It is remotely possible you could spend the last night in smaller, attractive Leuven, but you have to be sure about airport transportation. I would expect taxis or car services to be expensive, even that close to BRU.

Be sure to check about weekly museum closure days. (Mystic Lamb is 7 days, but requires advance tickets.) Amsterdam museums can be very crowded. Anne Frank House requires far in advance timed tickets. If you are going to the Royal Museums in Brussels, you will want to see the KMSKA in Antwerp, newly renovated. There are other fine museums in Antwerp as well, like the MAS and the smaller Mayer van den Bergh Museum. Antwerp cannot be "seen" in just one day.

Posted by
107 posts

Since you will be with your daughter, maybe a relaxing beach day instead of Delft? You might want to consider a day trip to the beach at Scheveningen.

Posted by
32752 posts

Delft is much closer to Rotterdam and den Haag than Amsterdam, for a day trip...

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