I know you guys say, "we don't know what you like," but what are musts see places, attractions, museums, restaurants, or anything that you place on the top of your itineraries when traveling to these three cities. I appreciate your help as I will be traveling to Europe for the first time and want to make my trip as enjoyable as possibele. I thank you all in advance.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15788 posts
Amsterdam: Heinekin Brewery tour - used to be unlimited drinking, but now I believe they do put a limit on it, still fun, and they've added a lot. Nice website. The Rijksmuseum (the national museum) is in the process of renovation, and much of the collection is stored or on tour, but if there's anything open, worth a stop. Right down the street is the Van Gogh Museum, not to be missed if you like his work. The Oude Kerk (old church), the Nieuwe Kerk (new church - 15th century), Anne Frank house, Portuguese Synagogue. My favorite things to do in Amsterdam are [1] "go native" and rent a bicycle for transportation, and [2] the self-guided walking tours. A canal ride is a must. Total time: 3 days, max. If you have more time, you can visit other cities as day trips out of Amsterdam: Delft, Rotterdam, The Hague, Aalsmeer (flower market). Easy to travel on your own, everyone speaks English and the trains are great. I found the organized tours to be too touristy.
Paris: If you have a month there, I can give you an itinerary of must-sees. Otherwise, we will have to narrow it down.
What time of year are you planning to go?
Barcelona - wish I could help.
Posted by
OP
ellensburg
20 posts
I'm going mid march to April 4
Posted by
Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
324 posts
Abraham,
My generic recommendation for visitors to Barcelona can be found here: http://quia-absurdum.com/barcelona/two_days.html
If you are a bit specific about interests and so on, I'd be happy to help you "customize" your visit.
Posted by
Bend, OR
576 posts
How about Amsterdam over Christmas? I'm guessing canal cruises are out... We will be there from December 20-27 and would appreciate any special insights on celebrating the holiday there, since many of the other warm weather options are out. Thanks.
Posted by
Delft, Netherlands
242 posts
Terry,
There are outdoor ice rinks in most towns (Amsterdam, Delft, Den Haag - I sure there are more but those are the ones I know for sure). If you are lucky and it is cold enough, the canals may be frozen and there is wonderful ice skating in Vondel Park.
Christmas is much more subdued here, as Sinterklaas is the main holiday. Make sure you try peppernoten. If you venture into a grocery store you will find special feest dagen foods for the holidays - try a few out.
Remember that Dec. 26 is Christmas Day II and many things will be closed and public transportation will be running on a holiday schedule.
There are still culture events that place on Dec 24-26 - like concerts, circuses, and shows. Closer to the trip I would check out ticketmaster.nl and Theater Carre in Amsterdam for events.
Posted by
Bend, OR
576 posts
Laura, thank you so much for your suggestions. We are doing our first home exchange, so I will absolutely be shopping in local grocery stores. I would like to research as much as possible on Christmas foods and holiday traditions (I love to cook and try foods unique to our travels). I want to make our family's experience as authentic as possible. It really helps to have a list of foods to try. There are 4 in our family, plus a daughter's boyfriend and a former exchange student joining us, so I am looking for holiday experiences that aren't terribly expensive. I really appreciate your first hand knowledge.