TRAVEL TIPS (Paris,Hamburg,Copenhagen,Amsterdam,Bruxelles)

Hi Ryan. When will you be in these cities? If the weather is nice while you're in Hamburg, I suggest staying outside. Talk a walk around the Binnenalster and consider a boat ride. HafenCity is a cool area of town with lots of interesting modern architecture, including the Hamburg Symphony building. Sit outside at a cafe for meals. Amsterdam has some fabulous museums - Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frankhuis, Stedelijk (not sure if it's open yet). You could pick one + the Anne Frankhuis if you're interested in seeing that. The following things are terribly touristy but I liked doing them when I was there: visit the red-light district, Dam Square, and the Damrak (a big street) with lots of tourist/souvenir shops, in case you want to buy souvenirs. I also really like just wandering the city, window-shopping, lingering in a cafe or restaurant for an hour or two. For a place to stay, check out Frederic Rent-A-Bike.

"I am limited on time and money" Been there, done that. Paris - it depends upon one's tastes, but an excellent relatively small museum is Musée d'Orsay and the Impressionists exhibits. Stunning. Take the Metro to Abbesses station and walk up to Sacre Coeur for a great view of Paris, then wander around Montmartre to get a feel of old Paris. Hamburg - go to the Reeperbahn even if you have no interest in the prostitutes or the live sex shows. It has to be seen to be believed. See the ruin of St. Nikolai to understand something of what WWII was about. Copenhagen - see the Little Mermaid and go to Tivoli Gardens. Wander the beautiful pedestrian street Strojet. Even if you don't have money for shopping, it's very pleasant. Amsterdam - pick a museum or two. Walk the canals. Completely unique. Brussels - spend your limited time at the Grand Place and nearby. Relatively inexpensive eats in the old section of town. It's been too long to give specific suggestions for lodging and dining. You might check Lonely Planet or RS Europe. Also Trip Advisor local forums.

Tex forgot Nyhavn in Copenhagen.

Hamburg for nine hours: Probably see the Rathaus (city hall), take a boat tour of the harbor, and visit one of the churches with ties to Martin Luther. Add a meal and you have pretty much used your time up. Copenhagen for two days: There's a variety depending on what you like. Boat tour, Christiania, Stroget, Tivoli, Rosenborg palace and park, Amalienborg palace, National Museum. Plus a variety of art museums. A little further out to the north is Kronborg Castle and/or Fredericksborg Castle. To the west is Roskilde with the Viking Ship Museum and Cathedral. You can even venture into Sweden or hit the beaches, if the weather is nice. Amsterdam, again, depends on what you like. I liked the boat tour and architecture but wasn't really impressed with the museums (especially compared to the British Museum). I didn't visit the red-light district or "coffee shops", not my interests. If you're alone, it's probably cheapest to stay in hostels. We stayed at hotels in Copenhagen because they're a decent deal in the summer. We stayed at Vondelpark hostel in Amsterdam; it's a decent place, I'd stay again. Bring a good gym lock. At hostels anything not in your possession or locked in your locker is likely to go missing. For eating, I usually buy something quick from a corner stand or buy food at a grocery store to save money.

Here is my number one top. Do some research, with guidebooks from the public library and on the web, before you go. Then buy the latest edition of the guidebooks that you like. Some good ideas on this forum, but nothing beats your own priorities. Why go with those of strangers on the internet? Limited money or no, this is the best way to guarantee you get good value.

Be sure to take a money belt and keep it very well hidden. Nephew had one but put it in back pack and guess what, it was stolen on metro. In Amsterdam, see if you can get tickets for Anne Frank home ahead of time to save waiting on line. We almost always ate in little "deli's", food was plentiful, cheap and great. Walk the red district, fun experience and very safe although we were not there at night. Enjoy.

Thankyou for the help. Another question though. Where should I avoid. What should i avoid (i.e. food, scams whatever) First time accross the pond, I do not want it to be a bad experience!