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tentative Netherlands/Belgium for next year...thoughts?

So, I don't even have this year's vacation out of the way and I'm already thinking about next year (I think we all do that...lol).

Tulip time in the Netherlands is on my bucket list.

My very preliminary itinerary looks something like this...(trying to incorp Good Friday next year to give us an extra day)

Apr 13 fly overnight to London, arriving...

2 nights (Apr 14/15) London (to visit some friends, work off the jet lag)

3 nights (Apr 16/17/18) train to somewhere in Belgium...Bruges? Brussels (looks easier to get to from London...with daytrip to Bruges)? Better suggestions?

This is just a thought and am certainly not tied to...

2 nights (Apr 19/20) Cologne (or, add an extra night to Belgium and an extra night to Nether)

3 nights (Apr 21/22/23) somewhere in Nether - what I want to see is windmills and tulips...where is a good central spot (tentatively may rent a car for these three nights)...Utrecht? Rotterdam? The Hague?

5 nights (Apr 24/25/26/27/28) Amsterdam and fly home on the 29th.

This would be our first visit to these areas (other than London). Is 5 nights too much for Ams? I feel it'll be a long time before we ever returned (too many places to see on my wish list) so I'd like to see as much as I can. I would assume we would do a day trip to the tulip fields and maybe spend some time in Haarlem. So just wondering if Cologne is a bit of an outlier - should I add those two nights to Belgium and/or Nether?

EDIT MAR 20 - in case someone didn't see my reply in the middle - most likely I would change the direction of travel because of airmiles (less airmiles to fly out of Belgium than Netherlands) so we would still do London first, but then Amsterdam/countryside/Belgium (fly home from Brussels). Most likely will cut Cologne.

Posted by
3940 posts

The reason we would fly into London (instead of starting in AMS) is because we have one direct flight from Halifax to LHR - I know it leaves near midnight, so hubby could work Thurs (without having to take a vacay day) and we would leave Thurs night. To get to AMS or Brussels, we would most likely have to fly in the afternoon to Toronto or Mtl, causing hubby to have to take an extra vacay day or we would have to wait to leave Fri, losing a day (and flying on Good Friday)

Posted by
2487 posts

Opinions on Brussels differ wildly. Personally I'm not a huge fan, to put it mildly. A few years ago I stayed in Mechelen (aka Malines), right in the middle between Antwerp and Brussels. Historical. Quiet. Everything you want on a provincial scale. Good base for the big cities around. Otherwise Gent could appeal.

In the Netherlands have Dordrecht as your first base. Very undeservedly overlooked. The rightly famous windmill complex of Kinderdijk is around the corner (bus from the railway station or river ferry).

And for your second stay: why not in Haarlem or Utrecht instead of overcrowded Amsterdam? Both are worthwhile for their own sake, just half an hour from Schiphol airport, and within easy reach of Amsterdam (Haarlem 15 mins, Utrecht 30 mins, on very frequent trains). Haarlem is closer to the tulip fields and has the wonderful Frans Hals museum. Utrecht is unique with its Oudegracht and the quiet neighbourhoods around the Dom.

I might be prejudiced with Cologne, but what are its attractions beside the cathedral, which for a large part is a nineteenth-century improvement on the original?

In the Netherlands the eastern part also has its attractions, especially the old trading towns along the River IJssel and the area east of it. Base yourself for a few days in Zwolle, and have day trips to such historical cities like Kampen, Deventer or Zutphen. Rent a car for a day to explore the countryside.

Posted by
228 posts

Thursday , April 27 , 2017 is Kings Day . That's the king's birthday and he will turn 50 that day ! Amsterdam will be very crowded on that day . ( pickpockets will have a field day.) There will be music , some choirs in the evening , a free market where people sell their ' stuff ' w/o having to have a license , food and Lots of drinking . People wear something orange in honor of the king who is of the House of Oranje . If you are up for a crowd you'll have fun and sights to see , if not , you have been warned . I liked it ; hubby not so much.......Next year there should be more info about that particular kings day as the 50-th milestone may call for more than the usual.

Posted by
228 posts

BTW , you may have trouble finding a hotel or B&B for those days . Start as early as possible making reservations .

Posted by
3940 posts

Thanks for the ideas. I'll be writing those place names down and checking them out. As much as I love places like London and Paris, I also love small off the beaten path places. If leaving out cologne, would you add those two nights to the Netherlands and spend them outside of Amsterdam? My heart isn't set on cologne, just a thought.

The only reason I would stay in Amsterdam proper is because I love taking early morning photos and would like to be able to get up early-ish and just go out on my own (hubby is not a morning person). Maybe add one of those bonus cologne nights and stay further out for three nights (Utrecht) then to Amsterdam for three?

And after looking at my air miles I may reverse...still fly into London, but head for Amsterdam first and fly home from Brussels. Belgium falls under one zone on my air miles map (with the UK and France) and Netherlands are in a further away zone, needing more miles to fly home from. So we wouldn't be in Amsterdam for kings day...which might be better.

Posted by
8293 posts

Nicole, we were surprised at how much we enjoyed Antwerp. It was quite a few years ago but we stayed at the Hotel Rubens, which if I am remembering correctly, was once a Cardinal's mansion. (Not the bird but the Roman Catholic cleric).

Posted by
228 posts

I'm with Ton . Brussels is not someplace I would visit again . For many reasons.

Posted by
3940 posts

I'm thinking if we leave out the 2 nights in Cologne, I'd most likely add a night to Belgium and one to Nether. I'd heard others with not that great an opinion of Brussels...so if I am now doing my trip in reverse (after London) and we fly home from Brussels, most likely would just spend the evening before flying home in Brus (looks like one flight out at 10:30 to fly home via Montreal - assuming they stick to the same schedule)

Posted by
9 posts

When visiting Belgium I would spend half a day in Bruges and half a day in Ghent. Both lovely towns to visit. Also, Ypres and the World War I museum is very worthwhile. (The above three are more interesting than Brussels).

In the Netherlands, I hope you will rent a car for a day so you can drive through all the bulb fields near the Keukenhof. It's fairly simple to rent a car at Schiphol Airport and drive around the bulb areas. Or you can go to the Keukenhof in the morning and rent bicycles and ride around the bulb areas via bicycle. Lovely towns not too far from Amsterdam that you shouldn't miss include Haarlem (do see the Corrie Ten Boom House), Delft and Leiden (Leiden tends too close down by 5pm during weekdays unless its Thursday which is a late shopping day until 9pm). A day or half day trip to Edam, Volendam and Marken is worthwhile even though Volendam is a complete tourist trap. Again, if you rent a car ( although you can get there using public transportation and walking a bit) I would suggest visiting the Castle De Haar (30 Minutes from Amsterdam). It is near Utrecht and it is a fabulous small Castle complete with Moat, Turrets and bridges. The tiny town that it is in, Haarzuilens, is wonderful to walk around and look at the homes. The town won't take more than 5 - 10 minutes because it is so small. There is a a very traditional Dutch restaurant there called 't Wapen van Haarzuylen if you would like lunch or a snack. In Amsterdam, do go to the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton right next to the train station and go to the rooftop bar/restaurant for a nice place to relax while overlooking the city. On the menu, Bitterballen are a great inexpensive snack to order. Also, in Amsterdam taking a canal cruise at night when it is dark or getting dark is nice because you can see inside of the homes on the canals that you can't see in the daylight and you will see all the canals lit up nicely.

I could go on but hopefully this is helpful.

Johanna

Posted by
6428 posts

All I can contribute is to say that five nights isn't too many for Amsterdam, there's a lot to see there. And I think you're right to plan at least some early mornings for photography and evenings for canal boats and such. Sleeping in the city would make those easier.

Amsterdam is very walkable, except for the bicycle traffic which can take you by surprise. Bike have their own roadways next to some of the busy streets, and a pedestrian can easily stray onto one of these, and into the path of a fast but silent bike, while approaching a crosswalk. My wife got clipped by a cyclist who didn't stop. (Others nearby were sympathetic.) Also motorcycles sometimes use those bikeways too (at least you can hear them coming). Not to be critical of the bike people, just a cautionary word to us pedestrians.

Posted by
3940 posts

lol woinparis :)

I'll def be writing down all these ideas - I have to start a new page in my notebook! Already filled one up.

Posted by
228 posts

Last week- 3/16 - I said I'd skip Brussels for many reasons. Today on the news : Reason 1 . Reason 2 ; roaming gangs of young men who specialize in robbing tourists on the streets . Also like to 'block' you from your partner and others in the metro while they clean you out. To Brussels credit I have to give them kudo's for having undercover 'tourists' and 'metro passengers'. Saw them take one down and handcuff the robber . They're trying .

Posted by
1017 posts

your awesome MrsEB.... Sorry for your loss of friends/relatives from 9/11. I am headed to Brussels in a month from today for the RS tour. Looking forward to a wonderful trip. Not going to let them stop me from travel!

Some day, I would like to go to NYC.

Happy Travels,

Kim

Posted by
3940 posts

The only way something like the attacks in Brussels would stop me would be if I was a week away from visiting somewhere then most likely I would think about changing where I was staying, but it wouldn't stop me from still travelling to Europe. If I had been planning to go next week, then maybe I would not go to Brussels but would visit somewhere else in Belgium. Even then, I guess it would depend on the situation - I fear this is going to be a more frequent occurrence in the future. I hope not, but it seems more and more likely. But I love Europe and travelling too much to sit at home...

Posted by
2118 posts

Nicole -- we had a week in Amsterdam & regretted having to leave. Part of the reason was our spectacular b&b right on the Prinsengracht canal. Perfect location. Fabulous place called Bij Tijn op de Gracht. There are only two rooms (each an entire floor of the canal house) so book early -- I would check now. We booked through booking.com It was our favorite hotel in 15 years of European travel. Cooked to order breakfasts with omelettes & fresh berries & fresh pastries & cappuccino, looking out on the canal through floor to ceiling Windows. Ok, I'll stop now.