Wife has a very short work trip in Amsterdam and I am going as well and we are planning on turning it into a 10-14 day vacation. Neither one of us has been to that area before and we are in the early stages of planning. So my question is where else do we go? We have talked about visiting Brussels and Paris or Germany or just stay the entire time in Netherlands and Belgium. This community has helped me so much in our previous travels and this will be in the spring of next year.
Posted by
Houston, TX
116 posts
If it is possible, be in Amsterdam for a few days mid-April to mid-May. At this time of the year, the flowers are blooming and it is absolutely beautiful! It was definitely a highlight of the trip.
Here is our itinerary as an example:
Night
1 April 18 - Arrive Amsterdam Airport (Ibis Airport Hotel)
2 April 19 (Good Friday) – Keukenhof Gardens
3 April 20 – Colmar (KLM flight to Strasbourg). (Airbnb) - NEED RENTAL CAR
4 April 21 (Easter) – Colmar
5 April 22 – Colmar
6 April 23 - Travel Day to Paris (train – tickets purchased) (Airbnb)
7 April 24 – Paris
8 April 25 - Paris
9 April 26 – Paris
10 April 27 - Paris
11 April 28 - Paris
12 April 29 – Paris
13 April 30 – Travel Day to Normandy - NEED RENTAL CAR (Airbnb)
14 May 1 – Normandy
15 May 2 – Normandy
16 May 3 – Travel Day to Amsterdam
17 May 4 – Amsterdam
18 May 5 – Amsterdam
19 May 6 - Flight home
Posted by
Edmond, OK
201 posts
Easter is Sunday, March 31, 2024 in case that affects your trip planning.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1613 posts
When exactly will you be traveling? I ask this because what to see and do can be date dependent. If you’re here during the time the tulips are expected to be in bloom, I would definitely recommend you to go see that. But if you’re here before or after that time, there is no point in visiting the bare flower fields.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7936 posts
Please use the pretty good Search feature (top left) to read about your original idea, including the must-visit same-day unreserved train visits from Amsterdam. Also try to buy an open-jaw air ticket so you don't have to go back to Amsterdam to go home. (Yes, you may have to prove to the company that it doesn't cost extra, but it might well-not. For example, if you are going to Germany, you might fly on Lufthansa, with ziilions of connecting flights available. For us (NYC airports) United has lots of Lufthansa code-shares, too.
I would not try to add countries by flying, but settle for countries adjacent to the Netherlands. Just for example, Cologne is a really nice visit, good for a few days, and well-connected by train to Brussels (and Aachen, and Dusseldorf ... and Amsterdam, for that matter .) Note that Brussels gets plenty of "meh" reviews here, although the main art museums are of huge importance if that's your interest.
Do not underestimate the amount of things to do in Amsterdam and nearby. I happen to like Antwerp at lot, but most people on this board prefer much smaller and more "romantic" Bruges. Do not underestimate how "far" it is from Amsterdam to Bruges. And note that BRU is a major airport. And Duesseldorf is the second-largest airport in Germany, I think.
One of the key questions is whether you believe this will be your "only" trip to Europe in the next 20 years. Our first trip to Europe was a week in London with a week in Paris. You could certainly fill a week in Amsterdam easily enough, counting daytrips. And who wants to change hotels every night, anyway?
Posted by
City of Seattle
1959 posts
Go to Paris.
If you are interested that is. If so, go. Train trip is easy and fast.
If you want smaller destinations in the Low Countries, Den Bosch, Delft, Ghent, Antwerp, Mechelen are all nice.
Brussels is skippable, fine but opportunity cost says go elsewhere.
Mosel/Romantic Rhine are easy and close if you lean Teutonic.
Posted by
Rockville, MD, USA
654 posts
Timing the tulips at Keukenhof Gardens can be tricky. We went in 2013 around the 5th of April and they weren't out yet, but every year is different. May 1 is a national holiday, so factor that in to whatever you're planning to do.
I love the suggestion of flying into one city and home from another (the airlines call the "multi-city"). Just remember you lose part or most of a day checking out, getting to the train station, traveling, and checking in to the next hotel every time you move to another city or town. For 14 days I'd probably move twice.
If I were you I'd read some guidebooks to see what excites you the most. Then think about your interests: Art? Music? Architecture? Gardens? Battlefields? Palaces? Once you have some idea of your personal "must-sees" come back with a rough draft of your itinerary and we'll help you fine-tune it.