Brussels to Amsterdam

Talk about being open end. Seriously we are only allow 2000 character to respond to any question. Would need about 20,000 to start any answer. Got to do your own research. The Rick Steves' guidebooks covering this area would be helpful but others work nearly as well. If you don't want to buy them, check them out from your local library. Same for DVDs especially the Steves' DVDs. Then once you have some idea of what YOU would like to do and see, return with specific questions. Then we can be very helpful.

Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, Luxembourg, Vianden, Clervaux, Waterloo, Ettlebruck, Echternach, Esch-Sur-Sure, Bourscheid, Delft, Knokke. This is what I did. You can see all of Luxembourg in 3 days. Beautiful country.

Thanks for the additional information. I guess if you are going in 2 weeks we'd be helping you plan pretty quickly. My wife and I love Luxembourg, both the country and the main city. Loads of history, the pastel coloured round towers on the palace and other really neat architecture throughout the city. Walking in Luxembourg is on multiple levels due to the hills. Then there casemates, tunnels in the cliffs with hundreds of years of living history. Very easy to get to from Brussels by train. Brugge has lovely buildings and plenty of chocolate. You don't say anything about chocolate in what you like, so maybe its not for you. In August it may be both busy and hard to get a room. We always stay at B&Bs in Brugge. The RS book has plenty to say about Brugge. You may see it spelled Bruges, that is the French spelling and Brugge is in the Flemish part of Belgium. More strolling than walking. Gent (the Flemish spelling) is a university town with a compact beautiful medieval layout and super zippy buildings. Fewer students in August as school is out. We always stay at hotels in Gent. It is now also in the RS book. Amsterdam is also in the book, and well worth a few days. Plenty of walking there, and everything else on your list. Sorry you won't be meeting your son.

so, a 12 word question for a 10 day trip? Jennifer, you haven't told us anything about yourself. We have no idea what you like or dislike. We have no idea how many previous trips you have done in this area, or indeed in Europe. We have no idea how many children or infants you will have with you, nor how fast you would like to travel. We know nothing about when you will be going, nor how urgent your planning is. More information in the question yields much more valuable answers. By the way - an occasional "please" goes a long way, too.

Wow. I certainly didn't ask the question to be scolded. I was not trying to be rude. I was only looking for some ideas of cities I possibly hadn't thought of. I have done research and think I would like Brugge, Ghent, possibly Antwerp. Originally the trip was going to be my son, sister, and me. We are leaving Aug. 14th. The original plan was to stay in Brussels for 3 days and then on to Amsterdam, where my son would be working. He is no longer going. It will just be my sister (57) and me (45). This open things up to see other cities. We enjoy history, art, beautiful buildings, and good food. We are both active and will be taking the train and enjoy walking. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for you help Brendon.

Oh I forgot. We are leaving Aug 14 and returning Aug 25. That gives us 10 days.

Nigel, I can't believe I left out chocolate. I have never met a piece of chocolate I didn't love. Sounds like Brugge is the place for me.

It's easy to take day trips by train, so probably better to find 2 or 3 places to use as bases. Ghent hotels are cheaper than those in Bruges (as a francophile, I will continue to use the French spelling). I found Bruges to be much more touristy of the two, but also very photogenic. Ghent is lovely at night, when all the Gothic buildings are floodlit. I was quite satisfied with the Ibis St. Baafs Kathedral in Ghent, very well located, basic but clean and comfortable. Then I stayed in The Hague, again much cheaper than Amsterdam. I splurged on the 4-star Mercure Central, and paid less than for a 3-star in Amsterdam. You could split your time between the two. Schiphol Airport is between them, maybe 10 minutes more by train from The Hague. Day trips are easier from The Hague: Delft is a mere 20-minute local tram ride, Rotterdam and Leiden are closer and Utrecht is about the same distance. Even Amsterdam is only an hour away if you want to day-trip there.

If you have searched this site, you already know that Antwerp, Gent, and Bruges each have their partisans. You don't say if you have been to Amsterdam before, but a the height of the tourist and vacation season, it might not be as attractive as at some other times. We've also stayed in Den Haag, but it's not the egual of Amsterdam. But it is well-located for Delft, Rotterdam, Kinderijk, and Leiden, superb places to visit. There are very important art museums in Brussels. But some attractions like Atomium and Euro Parliament are manufactured destinations. I've spent several one-day visits in Brussels, but if you only have ten days, you might have a nicer time in Antwerp. I personally would prefer to stay in Antwerp than in Gent. I would not do more than a day trip to Bruges. That opinion is not shared by everyone. You'd better book your hotels soon.

People's bully answers online to make oneself feel like a more superior traveler always makes me laugh. I highly doubt people come on here to get specific itineraries. Most people just want suggestions so they can do their own researches, regardless of age, interest, and mobility. That being said I will give you what we did, and you can make your decisions. Day 1: Brussels Day 2: Brussels Day 3: Waterloo and back to Brussels Day 4: Gent Day 5: Day trip to Brugge Back at Gent at night Day 6: Take the train back to Brussels and rent a car and start driving, stopping for lunch at Antwerp, make it to Kinderdijk by 5pm and tour the windmills. Sleep in Rotterdam or The Hague. Day 7: Too bad the girl with a pearl Earring is at the High Museum in Atlanta, GA. But check out Rotterdam or the Hague and get to Amsterdam by night and return your car. Day 8: Amsterdam Day 9: Do the Historic Triangle that involves Boat and Steam train at Hoorn, Medemblik, and Enkhuizen. Back at Amsterdam. Day 10: Amsterdam Day 11:
fly out Enjoy and Happy Travels.

My sister and I have decided we would like to spend 3 days in Brussels, then go by train to Cologne. We would like to travel along the Rhine and tour castles. Is it better to do this by car or train? Or is there a better city to base out of. I would definitely like to see Marksburg Castle and Burg Eltz. We have 4 days and then take a train to Amsterdam.