Hi all!
Looking for ideas that we haven't thought of (or input on what we have)... here's the basics of the plan.
May 30, 2025 - fly direct SFO- Amsterdam (have tickets) (I really only want to fly direct and AMS had best miles price and date. Getting old hahaha).
Spend one week with my husband only - willing to fly/train from Amsterdam (probably the next day after arrival) to somewhere else. Where???
Roughly second week - a college friend couple will meet us, would like to be somewhat near major airports so it's easy for them to meet us. They don't care where we go.
Roughly third week - meet some other college friends, this week will be Belgium (Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent) and Amsterdam. Fly out of Amsterdam home (don't have these tickets yet). This week is pretty set... We have been to Bruges and Amsterdam before.
So... my requirement, which sounds so whiny, is I do not want to be hot. :) So looking for places that are cooler. We traveled to Paris and Munich in July 2022 and we were so miserable (we aren't used to heat at all in SF - our boys (17 and 19) were with us too and let's just say we were having some family challenges, so that also colored the trip poorly and if just me and husband, we may have done better with heat....)
We like beer, light biking, walking around in cute towns, towns with rivers, history, some museums, yummy food, riding trains... not big hikers (though a little is ok), don't need major nightlife. We like to have things to do but also good with just downtime in pubs and plazas. We know not to move too often... we like a minimum of 3 nights, 4-5 is good. We can do 2, but not too often in the trip.
Looking to fill the first two weeks....
For context, and because I want to go to new places, we have been to Barcelona, Madrid, Munich (a lot), Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Edinburgh (very briefly), Bruges, Brussels, a few places in Italy, a couple of other smaller random places.
I have been to Copenhagen (my husband has not, but is interested), and he has been to Switzerland and Ireland (mostly on work) and a few other places, and I have not, but want to.
Been batting around some ideas which would be -
week 1 - fly to Stockholm, train to copenhagen, probably fly back down to Germany-ish...
week 2 - Rhine towns between Frankfurt and Cologne (husband has been to these, but not the little towns)
week 3 - train to Belgium, etc...
But then my husband loves legos so maybe we should do copenhagen and over to legoland. hahhaah.
We could fly to Ireland.
Northern Germany? Other central places? I love Germany sooooo much and want to move there. :)
Also interested in Switzerland and Strasbourg area...
London but focus on surrounding cities...?
Something else I have not thought of? Or specific suggestions (pro or con) of what I am currently thinking?
Thanks for any ideas and input!
Kim :)