2 different itineraries, which is better?

Just returned from Austria and Czech, as well as Krakow and Budapest. I would definitely think there is lots to do in Austria and Ck, but I don't know about just one or two home bases. The obvious would be Prague and possibly Vienna, however that leaves out some of my favorite areas. Salzburg, and Cesky Krumlov as well as simply driving through the beautiful mountain areas of Austria and the magical woods that are in the south of Czech. I suppose you could skip those areas and just stay in the cities, but I feel you would miss a lot.

Hi Matthew. What are you interested in - art and architecture, nightlife, outdoor activites, etc.? I can't comment on the Austra-Czech Republic trip idea because I haven't been to these places, but here are my ideas for the Benelux trip: It would be very easy to fill up 2 weeks in Benelux. You could spend 5 days in Amsterdam alone and not run out of things to do. The only other city in the Netherlands I've been to is The Hague, which is about an hour from Amsterdam by train. Belgium is full of interesting cities - my personal favorites include Leuven, Tournai, Ghent, and Tongeren, all done as daytrips from a tiny boring town called Louvain-le-Neuve. I have also been to Bruges, which was okay; and some towns maybe off the beaten path - Ronse/Renaix, Ename, and Ath. Luxembourg is very tiny - you can cross the country by car in an hour. I spent a day and a half in Luxembourg City, which was more than enough. There are a number of surrounding towns which I didn't get the chance to go to, but have monasteries and abbey churches and such.

Matthew, I don't think you would go wrong with either place. I was going to suggest Belgium was great for beer, but then I remembered how much I enjoyed the beer in Prague! Most recently, last summer, I was in Belgium and Amsterdam. I also visited Haarlem and I would recommend a day trip there. We did the walking tour which was quite extensive. You can pick up a flyer at the TI. Also, there are a number of other small towns in the Netherlands that you might visit. I spent a day and a half in Brugges and a lot of it was spent in the beer garden of the local brewery. It was a very hot day and I had been up early touring climbing the tower, checking out the churches, an art museum and so on - - and had planned for lunch followed by the tour and tasting at the brewery. I ended up meeting a Scottish couple and we never left the Beer Garden after the tour. ; ) Another thing to do from Brugges, which I didn't do, but would in the future, is visit the WWI battlefields. Austria is just plain beautiful and Vienna is an easy city to explore. If you are there in the summer, they replay the previous season's music concerts on a jumbotron with food booths in the Rathausplatz. Pam

ok, so both sound like they would be good to visit. we enjoy most everything, the only things we aren't usually interested in are camping, long haul hiking, super outdoorsy stuff. as for having a home base and going out from there, i guess it would kind of depend on the public transportation. in switzerland, we easily hit up pretty much the entire country from one base in either zurich or bern in day trips. is this not possible in the czech republic or austria? what about belgium and the netherlands?

Matthew, I would hands-down choose the Benelux trip, but that's just me. Benelux has more to see and do, and I think is easier to travel in simply because there is a bigger English-speaking population (unless you know some other languages?) I was in Amsterdam last week. You can read all about my museum-hopping, pannekoeken-eating, Heineken-drinking adventures @ http://missguidedtravel.blogspot.com/.
I was only in the city for three days, but easily could've spent a week in the area, with side trips or nights in Haarlem, Utrect, Rotterdam and Maastrict. On a side note: Austria is beautiful.

great blog! looks like there is a lot to do. i think i'm going to have to come to the realization that both itineraries would make for an awesome trip. this is tough. do i want frites or strudel? waffles or schnitzel? trappist ales or pilsner? either way, i've got time to decide, this trip likely won't take place till 2013! thanks, folks. happy travels.

We have really enjoyed our trips to Austria (both in summer and late fall/early winter). Vienna has great architechture, and culture; Salzburg has lovely surroundings, music, interesting hisotry and geography (salt mines!!); Innsbruck is more like a small town or village, really, and is beautiful and peaceful. You can do some interesting day/weekend trips from all of them. Vienna- the Vienna Woods, train trip to Budapest Salzburg- salt mines, Hitler's Eagle's Nest, Saltzcamergurt lake area, Bravarian Germany and Munich and more Innsbruck- The Swararzki crystal factory, the Olympic ski jump, even Northern Italy. We haven't been to the Czech republic - YET (it is on my wish list) and the only part of the Benelux we've seen is Amsterdam- and it was very nice, too.
You have a difficult choice!

it looks like i've got no choice; we'll have to do one in 2013, and the other in 2014. ...or should we go back to france? or see the rest of italy? or check out slovenia, croatia, etc? or turkey? man, i love europe. we'll see!

Matthew: I have been to Ieper, Belgium twice now and recommend it. It's a small, totally restored medieval town on the northern French-Belgium border. It's significance is as the site of the infamous "Flanders Fields" of WWI fame. In fact, the Ypres (French spelling) Salient remained intact for the duration of the war, and the result was the almost complete annhilation of the British Commonwealth army. Indeed, Ieper is to the British what Omaha Beach is to the Americans. You will find more British tourists here than anywhere else. The town was totally wiped out in the war, then meticulously rebuilt to the originally plans. If you go, don't miss the daily "Last Post" ceremony at Menen Gate, commemorating the over 50,000 lost British soldiers who were never found/identified. Beyond all that, it is a very charming, bustling little town with lots to do and "soak up." And a good base for day trips to Bruges, the Belgian coast, etc.