Brussels, Brugge and Amsterdam for a day or two - must sees

My advice would be to just spend a few hours in Brussels (that's all you'll really need for the "must see" sights), then head for Bruges. Spend the night (and the bulk of your time) in Bruges, not Brussels.

The "river cruise" is actually a canal boat tour, and I would not expect it to help orient you very much - the canal kind of zigs and zags through town, and while I think it's worthwhile and a fun way to see some of the city's architecture, it's a fairly short ride. Bruges isn't all that difficult to find your way around in (the old center is reasonably compact) so I wouldn't worry about that.

On a short stop, eat chocolate, drink beer, eat muscles, climb the tower, eat waffles, drink some more beer, wander the cute streets. If you need more specifics, consult Rick's book - it's got all the details you need. You do have the book, right?

http://wikitravel.org/en/Amsterdam

http://wikitravel.org/en/Brussels

http://wikitravel.org/en/Bruges

Brussels has a lot to see (in my opinion, far more than Bruges), but it takes a little more exploration to discover the city, and it isn't the best place to explore on foot. I like the various parks (particularly those near Domijn Laaken and around the museum district). There are several wonderful musuems, including the National Gallery, Musical Instrument Museum, Royal Museum, Autoworld, the Horta Museum, and the Royal Military Museum (I wouldn't recommend the comic museum unless you speak French or Dutch). Many visitors arrive at Brussels Centraal station, see the Grand Place and Manniken Pis, then assume Brussels has nothing more of interest. I can tell you, there is far more!

Echoing the others, the canal cruise in Bruges doesn't really show you that much. You'll get the best perspective of the city exploring on foot.

Ok,, just my opinion,, and I know someone will totally disagree,, but Brugges in winter, well, I would give it half a day,, less if it is raining.. LOL It all about cute little streets, lined with beer shops, lace shops, and chocolate shops.. so really , not that thrilling to me( I hate shopping) . There was however a museum I did not get into( it was closed for some reason the time I went) that I thought might be interesting,, a pharacy museum, or hospital museum,, its right in center of town.. so I am sure you will find it.
The canal cruise is about 35 minutes long, and well, it is pleasant on a pleasant day.

Amsterdam,, of course lots to see, but the one place that you will never forget seeing is Anne Franks House. You will never forget it. I beleive you can buy tickets in advance, but it has been many years since I have been there.. so you should google and see if they have a website( seems like almost every tourist site in Europe has their own websites now.)

Thanks for all the responses!!! I am leaning towards overnighting in Brugge, but wonder what to do with my luggage in Brussels while I sight see. Does anyone know if the Brussels airport has lockers one could rent?

And yes, I do own several of said blue books authored by Rick. Just haven't gotten around to getting this one. That I will do this weekend as I really need to book the hotel!

Monica-Follow up on what Pat said regarding Anne Frank House. You can buy tickets online in advance. If your time is short, I would do that as you can easily spend a couple hours in line waiting to get in. In summer of 2008 my wife and I bought tickets a few months in advance on their website and bypassed the entire line (and it was long at 10 in the morning). If I remember correctly, you do commit yourself to a specific day and window of time ( I think a one hour window) to show up. Ours was from 10-11 on a Friday morning. Well worth the visit!

I would also concur with spending the night in Brugge and then having that full day to tour. We enjoyed the tour of the Brewery and visited the main sites in the RS book. We did do a canal tour and enjoyed it, though others are correct, not a great orientation of the town. It was a nice way to relax for an hour and still see things. Very beautiful. We also enjoyed the climb up the stairs of the clock tower. What a great view! We went early to avoid the lines (9am) and went right up.

Have a great trip!

Brussels Central Station has a luggage hold counter.

Last time I was at Brussels Centraal Station (June 2008) the lockers were all vandalized and unusable. But the luggage counter was adjacent so it wasn't a problem.

The train station in Brussels has lots of left luggage lockers in various sizes. Very convenient.

I used a storage locker at Brussels Central station in August of 2009 with no problems.