I am planning a surprise birthday trip for my younger sister in April 2020. She's always wanted to see Keukenhof for its tulips. This is our temporary itinerary.
April 18 (Sat)-SFO-Brussels arriving at 9:30 am. I plan to do city tour, then train to Ghent (2 nights)
19 (Sun)-Ghent
20 (Mon)- Ghent-train to Bruges (3 nights)
21 (Tue)- Bruges
22 (Wed)-Bruges
23 (Thu)-Bruges-train to Delft (2 nights)
24 (Fri)-Delft (side trip to Rotterdam - I like seeing big cities)
25 (Sat)-Delft-train to Haarlem (5 nights)
26 (Sun)-Haarlem
27 (Mon)-Haarlem-KEUKENHOF
28 (Tue)-Haarlem (sightseeing Amsterdam)
29 (Wed)-Haarlem (sightseeing Amsterdam or just chill in Haarlem)
30 (Thu)-Amsterdam to SFO
I like big cities but my sister prefers smaller ones with beautiful parks and gardens. How can we save on train fares in these countries? Shall we skip staying in Ghent and Delft and do day trips instead?
Your travel tips and recommendations would be highly appreciated.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
My only thought, you say this is a surprise. Does your sister have a valid passport?
Other than that, it sounds like a good plan.
Trains in Belgium and the Netherlands (with the exception of the TGV's Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris) are "turn-up-and-go": No reservations, tickets are valid on any train and no discounts for advance purchase.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
For your planning in Belgium it is good to know that Gent is only 30 minutes from Brugge with some 4 trains per hour. Choose one as a base, saving you a change of accommodation.
I wonder whether it is a good idea to have a Brussels tour on your day of arrival, probably severely jet-lagged. Won't it be much better to do it as a day trip? Gent to Brussels Centraal is only 40 minutes on equally frequent trains. The best of 5 days for Brugge and Gent is a little bit too much anyhow.
Posted by
8340 posts
Been to Bruges twice and loved it. However, you can see the city in one full day. Same with Ghent. Have you considered seeing parts of Netherlands like the Zyder Zee. Those cute little villages around the fresh water sea.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7946 posts
I think ". How can we save on train fares in these countries?" means "Shall we buy railpasses?" The answer is no. A better way to save money would be to find the cheapest single hotel you can in each country (assuming you are satisfied with the accomodation, of course) and take DAILY low-cost, unreserved, local trains to the place you choose to see each day. Proximity to the rail station matters in the hotel choice, as well. Neither Gent nor Brugge has much more than one day of "attractions", and you have enough objectives that you can't really imagine that you are going to spend a day to "soak in the atmosphere" of one place or another.
I think Haarlem is greatly overrated (partly due to our host's books), but if you cannot afford to sleep in Amsterdam, it may be worth the daily-commute to see the endless number of attractions in Amsterdam. I didn't actually look up the route, but starting in Haarlem for Keukenhof wastes precious time. I see no reason to "chill in Haarlem." I'd rather chill in Amsterdam.
It's odd that you mention a daytrip from Delft to Rotterdam but not to Den Haag, a more walkable and "warmer" place than Rotterdam. You don't mention Kinderdijk. It all depends on what you want to see, but I'd mention Leiden and the Aalsmeer flower auction along your route. I respect the Hals Museum (I'd mention that Den Haag has TWO world-class museums, and several smaller ones), but I find Leiden much nicer than Haarlem, and it has more things to do. However, it is not as "adjacent" to Amsterdam.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
Leiden ... is not as "adjacent" to Amsterdam
It is only 40 minutes with 4 trains per hour to Amsterdam Centraal Station. Leiden also has a better connection to the Keukenhof than Haarlem, with the Keukenhof Express bus running directly, and to Schiphol airport as well (20 mins with direct trains).
But then it is hardly worth the trouble changing hotels from Delft to Leiden, being less than half an hour from each other.
How can we save on train fares?
The Belgian railways have a nice weekend offer: a return ticket for the price of a single. Good for a longer day trip, such as to Antwerpen (1 hour from Gent).
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4088 posts
Go a week later and you might take in some of the ceremonies in the Netherlands to commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Dutch take this occasion very seriously, plus everyone knows it's the last big date when any veterans will be alive to join in the acclaim that they justly deserve.
Posted by
Adams Basin
565 posts
Hmmm....are you aware that the 27th is Kings Day? It's a great time to visit Amsterdam (the streets and canals are overrun with folks partying) but many services are locked down as is much of the street transportation. You might want to figure out a plan for dealing with that. Keukenhof might be best visited on another day...
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/netherlands/king-birthday
Posted by
613 posts
Centrum Delft is one of the most pleasant places it Benelux-- its Amsterdam with out the crowds and expense.
Posted by
Atlanta
2512 posts
April 27, Kings Day, in Haarlem is a fun day. I would do Keukenhof on another day as someone else suggested.
What a great idea to surprise your sister. It looks like a nice itinerary. Enjoy!