2018- Belgrade, Berlin, Amsterdam -plans in the works

I think the Pergamon Museum would be a big hit with anyone for whom Queen Nefertiti is a suitable birthday present. Berlin has so many fabulous and large museums (historical as well as art) that it is hard to focus on just one or two. I spent a lot of time at Cold War sights, but they might be of much, much less interest to your teens. I think seeing the Berlin Wall memorial would be interesting to just about anyone, though. Keep in mind that Berlin is large and sprawling, so it is helpful to have one eye on a map as you are reading about potential sightseeing stops.

I remember finding the Dutch Resistance Museum fascinating back in 1972--if you haven't already overdosed on WW II-related sites in Berlin.

Both Belgrade and Berlin can be extremely hot in midsummer. Beware the minute 0.2-liter bottles of water some Berlin restaurants will sell you. If you want bottled water for your group, always ask for a large (liter?) bottle

Has anyone done the train trip from Berlin to Amsterdam? Should we fly instead?

The train ride itself takes over 6 hours. The flight itself takes 1 hour 30 minutes.
In both cases the earlier you book the lower the price. And in some cases one option can be cheaper than the other depending on when you book.

Thanks, acraven. I will check out both those museums. The Anne Frank House, of course, is on our list, so I think the Dutch Resistance Museum would fit well with that.

Jazz+Travels, I was thinking that with all the time one spends dealing with airports that in the end the total transit time on the train vs. the airport might not be all that different. I am not sure, that is why I am hoping someone has done one or the other to share their experience. Maybe there would be some nice scenery on the train?

Is there a particular reason you would go to Beograd/Belgrade? It's a great city, but not on everyone's "first time in Europe" list. Oh - I see you have family in Belgrade - are you Serbian ancestry? Do you speak Serbian?

We were in Beograd in 2014. We did the "free tour" which took us to the House of Flowers where Tito is interred. We were doing some ancestor touring, so we went to Novi Sad with a guide. Serbia is behind Europe as to English-speaking, so if you go outside Belgrade/Beograd, a guide is helpful. If you are interested in a guide recommendation, send me a PM. We went also to the "Hapsburg Centenary" Tower in Zemun, using the bus system (this is covered in various guides, although RS does not have a Serbia guide). There are a number of nice restaurants in Beograd. We particularly enjoyed Tri Sesira, but also went to Salon 1905. Prices were inexpensive.

I might suggest moving one night from Beograd to Berlin. Berlin has more to offer than does Beograd.

Make sure the Pergamon is open. It was closed for long-term renovation when I visited in 2016. A lot of the art was in NYC at the time.

Whatever you do, look for a place in Amsterdam where you can do laundry before your cruise. But you probably already thought of that!

If the Anne Frank House is important, go first thing your first full day there. Lines are LONG. I actually skipped it because there were too many other things to see. I did linger in the area to observe the outsides of the relevant buildings and listen to the church bells chime as Anne described so vividly.

Enjoy this trip! My teens would love this one too.

Paul, I sent you a PM. Thank you for the info.

Astorienne, I did think about the laundry! Thank you for the other suggestions. I will check on the museum.

Hi,

This suggestion here is if you want to pursue the history interest: go to Novi Sad, west of Belgrade, not that far. By public transport you can take the bus there. Novi Sad was the Austrian Habsburg fortress overlooking the Danube....impressive and historical

Astorienne, I don't think the Pergamon has been closed recently. Part of it, yes, because they are doing major renovations in stages. The section with the Pergamon Altar was closed when I visited the museum in summer 2015 and is still inaccessible.

Fred, great idea. Thank you. I will look into it.

acraven, I will be sure to double check.

Another vote for Novi Sad. Very attractive historic district.

We were in Novi Sad for only 1 afternoon, and it was late. I'd like to go back. I've also heard many stories of the Serbian monasteries. I would like to visit those as well.

Well, it looks like Novi Sad needs to be on our list!

We visited some of the small villages in the area NE of Novi Sad, where my mom's family are from. Feketehagy, Savino Selo, Kula. These are just small farming villages, but they are interesting in that they are not flashy or touristy. Many of the houses are quite old - the original builder's name is on the gables, and the year of building.

@ mrp....Novi Sad was the Austrian fortress on the Danube, ie "the Gibraltar on the Danube" against any Turkish resurgence.

Retaking the area started at Zenta, which is alluded to in a big military monument in Vienna along with other battles in Habsburg military history ( You're not going there this time?) at the Deutschmeisterplatz (like the song)/march). I took public transport to get to it.

Thank you! Novi Sad sounds more intriguing with each post. I love learning all of this history from others.