Paris, and Amsterdam or Copenhagen

I love both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, but with your set of travel constraints, I'd pick Amsterdam. It's easier to get to from Paris, especially if you'd prefer to take the train (which can often be more time efficient, for fairly short distances, than flying).

Caroline

Thanks Caroline for your response.

Copenhague is not really convenient for only a 3 day stay.. If you were interested in splitting it 7 and 7 that might make sense.. but if you want ( and yes.. with all the amazing daytrips and sights in the city.. 9 days is good for Paris) to do only 3 extra three days somewhere Amsterdam makes the most sense.

The Marais is a good central area.. make sure hotel has ac.. it may not be needed.. its not always super hot in Paris in summer,, but when it is hot ac is a lifesaver.

I have no idea what "touristist things" means.. if you are a tourist and do anything you are in fact doing "tourist things".. locals visit musuems and go to cafes.. so do tourists.

Hi Pat, thanks so much for your responses. What I meant by only doing touristic things is seeing only the main sites or guide book sites, we tend to like to go places that many tourists on limited time bypass in favor of the larger attractions only. I should have clarified better.

Three days is too short for Amsterdam if you want to do more than the usual suspects. And Amsterdam has a lot of rewarding and not too touristy things around. Haarlem (less than 20 minutes on the frequent train) is a beauty. (You might even consider staying there if you want to get the feeling of being in the Netherlands.) Monnickendam, Edam and Hoorn are more touristy, but for good reasons. They are conveniently reached by frequent bus. The Zaansche Schans is a popular windmill museum, but for the real stuff you must go to Kinderdijk, which is easily combined with the most historical, but severely under-visited Dordrecht. Utrecht is forgotten by almost all visitors. And a day Delft combined with my beloved Leiden is also well-spent.
It would be a pity to miss al those things, especially when they're so easily to reach by public transport (http://9292.nl/en#). Split it 6 days Paris, 6 days Amsterdam (or Haarlem).

I agree with the previous posters about Amsterdam vs. Copenhagen, for this trip. Amsterdam will be more convenient to reach from Paris and to fly home from. The Thalys train takes a little over three hours from Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal. Cheapest tickets are those bought as far in advance as possible. The only advantage of Copenhagen might be cooler weather than Amsterdam that time of year, but there are so many unknowns I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor.

Both cities will have more tourists in summer than in spring or fall, but I wouldn't let that stop you. I agree with Pat that AC would help a lot, in both cities but especially Paris. The Marais is a good neighborhood, convenient to many sights and with many lodging and eating choices. But you might want to look further afield for midsummer, to an area with more parks and trees and wider streets. Much of Paris' summer sizzle is the effect of hot sun on streets and buildings. Consider alternatives near big parks like Jardin de Luxembourg or Champ de Mars, or on tree-lined boulevards, or near the river if budget allows. Move slowly, stay in shade as much as you can, keep up the (non-alcoholic) fluids. Have a great time!

What tonfromleiden has outlined above is just about perfect - a 6/6 split, or maybe a 7/5 split.

"We're a married couple in our late 30s that likes exploring old buildings, neighborhood cafes, museums, visiting main sites but not only doing touristic things."

If you must have 9 in Paris, can you fly out of Frankfurt? If so then you might spend the small remainder of your time in Mainz, Germany, a non-touristy university town about 20 minutes from FRA airport. There is a small old-town section, a large pedestrians-only zone for strolling around with some good sights, a few museums, lots of cafes and shops.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8517/8466997951_748e0b61f0_b.jpg
https://www.radurlaub.com/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_Rhein_Mainz-Dom_d742a8dd4c.jpg
http://www.neumainzer.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Besuch-auf-dem-Mainzer-Wochenmarkt.jpg
http://www.sip2014.mainz.jki.bund.de/images/marktplatz.jpg
http://www.master.economics.uni-mainz.de/augustinerstrasse-abends.jpg

http://www.mainz.de/medien/internet/img/thema/feste-und-veranstaltungen/johannisnacht/Johannisfest_Winzer22062014ks_2089.jpg

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187393-Activities-Mainz_Rhineland_Palatinate.html

A short day trip or half-day trip by train from Mainz gets you to the Middle Rhine Valley and its many castles and old-world towns.

Scene near Bingen: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Maeuseturm_Burg_Ehrenfels_Bingen_Rhein.jpg
Bacharach, several miles north of Bingen: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Bacharach_BW_9.JPG

Thanks everyone. We'll be weighing these options in our decision. But seems Amsterdam is the way to go.

In Paris, things kind of even out. Because so many Parisians leave the city for July and August -- and especially between say mid-July and mid-August, I always find the city a lot less crowded during that time (more room on my metro for sure!). The downside is that some restaurants or shops close for a few weeks, but there are always enough that remain open to keep it from being a problem (it's just that if you have a particular restaurant in mind that you'd really like to go to, it's probably one's luck that it's closed for the week that one is here! You can always check their website or Facebook page, although they won't be announcing this far in advance their summer closure schedule).

Paris may be hot.

For your trip, I'd definitely go with Amsterdam. Paris to Amsterdam is an easy train trip. You could even throw in a day stop along the way. The trains probably go through Brussels. I'd prefer Antwerp, Ghent or even Rotterdam for a look around and a meal before catching another train into Amsterdam.

Weather in Amsterdam likely won't be as hot. It's more of a maritime climate, with lots of rain (a little less in the summer).

I like Copenhagen much more than A'dam but I'd only go by plane between Paris and Copenhagen, anything else would be too inconvenient.

A stay in Amsterdam offers more than just the city itself.

Het Loo Palace https://www.paleishetloo.nl/en/
Haarlem http://visithaarlem.org/
The Hague http://denhaag.com/en/

Scale back your time in Paris by a day or two, add some options from Amsterdam, and it will feel as though you have visited a number of different locations.

I'm chiming in for Amsterdam as well. I recently returned from a trip where I spent 3 days each in Amsterdam and Copenhagen and I wish I'd had more time in Amsterdam. I loved it! I can't wait to go back. I like to do the same things you mentioned that you like to do, and I very much enjoyed Amsterdam so I think you would too. It's not that I didn't enjoy Copenhagen, it just didn't have the same welcoming and laid back atmosphere that I felt immediately in Amsterdam. Either way you go, I think you'll enjoy yourselves, I just thought I'd lend my opinion.

Kim and Brad, we'll definitely be keeping the heat and business closures in mind as we plan this trip.

djp_syd and Rosemary - thank you for your opinions, we will consider adding one more day to Amsterdam.

Rosemary, is there a neighborhood you could recommend to stay in Amsterdam? Some people have recommended the Jordaan area or De Pijp. Are these central, safe, somewhat quiet area? We'll be booking through airbnb as we always do when we travel. Thanks in advance.

Here's a discussion of Amsterdam neighborhoods to stay in, from TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g188590-c156882/Amsterdam:The-Netherlands:Where.To.Stay.In.Amsterdam.html

And here's one from EuroCheapo: http://www.eurocheapo.com/amsterdam/hoods/

I also think Amsterdam since it is an easy train ride from Paris.

We stayed here in Amsterdam a couple summers ago and LOVED it! The hosts were amazing, and if Rob is around you can get him to take you on a tour on his boat, which was probably the highlight of our 3 week Europe stay! Amazing people.

https://www.vrbo.com/378585

Kim

I'm not sure what your budget is, but we stayed at a wonderful Airbnb in Amsterdam. It is a bit larger as we had a group of 5, but our host was amazing and the location was wonderful. It was just across the street from the Flower Market, and easy to get to from the Central Train station. We walked everywhere from this location, so even if you don't like this particular option, I would look at others in the area. The listing can be found at the following link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/725699.

Harold - thank you.

Kim - the place looks great but is booked up for the dates we're looking at.

Rosemary - the listing looks like it no longer exists. I tried searching by the number and it doesn't lead me anywhere but the general listings page.