I am planning a 3 week September trip (My retirement fling after 43 years of teaching). We have been to London & Paris in 2002 and then Bavaria & Austria in 2006 (all thanks to Rick). This trip we would like to go to the Netherlands, Belgium, Normandy, Alsace and the Black Forest.
After some research I am thinking of doing the following:
Fly into Amsterdam. I think we would prefer to sleep in Haarlem not Amsterdam. Is there a train from the airport in Amsterdam to Haarlem? Take day trips from Haarlem to Amsterdam, and surrounding areas (4 days)
Take train to Bruges. Stay in Bruges as a home base and take day trips out (Delft, etc. anywhere else you think is a must see? Not interested in big cities like Brussels. (3-4 days)
Take train to Lille , France. Rent a car. Drive to Normandy region and spend 4-5 days. (Bayeaux, Honfleur, etc.)
Drive southeast back to Belgium and do Bastogne area and the Heurtgen Forest where my Uncle, who I am named after, won the Bronze star with the 9th Infantry Division. I promised him before he died that I would bring the Bronze Star back to the Huertgen Forest and either donate it to the museum there or bury it in an area where the 9th infantry fought (2 days)
Drive to the Black Forest and stay in a small village and use that as a base for day trips. My wife's family is from the Black Forest and we are going to try and track down any living relatives. Any ideas about which town to stay in? (3-4 days)
Finally...drive to the Alsace region...stay in Colmar(?) and use that as a home base..maybe take a day trip to northern Switzerland.(3-4 days). Return the car in Strassbourg and take the train to Frankfurt to fly home. That way I am returning the car in the same country I rented it so as to avoid the huge surcharge of returning the car to a different country.
What do you folks think. We don't mind driving as as long as there are places to stop along the way to see and do various things.
Thanks for all your help.