We are taking our oldest grandson(almost 11) with us to the EU in May. He and Mima will fly to FRA, and train to meet me at CEMAT in Hanover. Then it's on to AMS by train for 2 days, The flying Dutchman to the UK and London for 2 days, Fly to Pisa(leaning tower), train to Florence where he has a sleep over with former neighbers(and a ride back to town on the back of a scooter!) and finish in Rome for 2 days. Would like suggestions for AMS--we are not looking at museums except the Van Goth(his request). We will do the Tower and war room in London on day 1, and he has picked a Harry Potter walking tour for day 2. In Rome it will be the Colleseum, St Peter's and the dome, and then back to Raleigh. I know it's a pretty packed itinerary, however, would welcome suggestions for any of these stops. He's a pretty adverterous guy-and so are we.
Thx !
Posted by
Lawrenceville, Georgia
693 posts
Jerry, for Amsterdam, the Anne Frank House comes to mind, especially if you tell your grandson something about her beforehand. Also, a canal boat tour is a must.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
Alkmaar cheese market. possibly delft (easy train trip, and you can visit the factory) windmill tour. Amsterdam canal zone is a nice area to walk through
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
A culinary suggestion in Amsterdam- try your fries with the peanut sauce ("pindersaus"). The Dutch seem to be the only people in Europe that sell this combination, and it is absolutely delicious.
Posted by
Denver
787 posts
That is a rushed trip! But it sounds like you've already worked that out, and calculated what percentage of your vacation will be spent on traveling to and from airports or train stations, and on trains and airplane. We took our almost 12yo daughter to Amsterdam last fall. In addition to the Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseums, we also visited what we call "house museums." The most interesting of these was Rembrandt's former house (called Rembrandthuis in Dutch), which is decorated as it was when he lived there. The Amstelkring, which is a house with a Catholic church in the attic level, was also interesting. The church part is being renovated, but the rest is as it was when people lived there. The steep, narrow stairs are ideal for kids! The last place like this that we visited was the Willet Holt-huysen house, which none of us liked as much as the first two; from a later time period, and just not as cute or appealing. The fries, which are actually Belgian fries, are quite good; we got them at Vleminckx French Fries, Voetboogstraat 33 (google for the location). You can get all sorts of sauces, including the standard mayonnaise, as well as peanut sauce. We all also loved the typical Dutch pancakes, called poffertjes. We went to 't singeltje Old Dutch Pancake house, 494 Singel, but there are a number of pancake houses in Amsterdam. In Rome, if you have any other time, visit San Clemente. It's a church built on top of an older church, which is built on top of a Mithraic temple and a Roman house - and you can visit all the various levels.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
Food: In Amsterdam you must try the crepes- sweet or savory. I also chanced upon a portable stand one night- great
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I have taken two of my grandsons to Europe at about the same age. Each one separately and it was great. Perfect age for seeing the highlights of an area. One thing I had them do in our down time (waiting for flights or on trains) was to fill out a sort of 'travel journal' that I devised. Journal writing at that age can be a bit much, so I had a series of questions for them to answer... memorable foods, hotel location, wonderful sites, things to return for... you think you will remember everything, but even if we missed a day we had a hard time recalling what we did. There was also a place for them to draw of sketch. Also their own camera to record it their way. (I am a photographer, but it was great to see if through their eyes.) It was life changing for me and I know it was for them as well. I also did not allow video games, but they could bring a book. Have a wonderful time... I am taking third grandson this summer to Turkey and know it will be incredible.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11322 posts
In Rome, consider hiring Francesca Caruso to take you on a personal and private tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. Unforgettable! You will all be enthralled! She is an exceptional historian and guide. Will make Rome come alive. Take her tour before you go to the Vatican for the historical perspective. FrancescainRoma@gmail.com. Also the the top of the Vittorio Monument (Rome from the Sky) for a terrific view of Roma, and I second the San Clemente idea.