Itinerary Help: Three Days between Amsterdam and Brussels

Do all of those places need an overnight or could I do them from Brussels/Amsterdam.

I've been to Brussels before and it didn't need a ton of time. So I was planning to do either Bruges of Gent from Brussels.

I will choose Rotterdam over Antwerp - thank you.

As for things we like to do. Were not all day musuem people - more walking around the city find great parks and people watching. Love to eat and at night, love good beer.

Part of the reason to include Germany was to get a different view of the country since we already did the Berlin region and the Bavaria region and loved both. I thought - maybe the Rhein would be cool.

I'd be more inclined to use those three days in Haarlem, Brugge, and Ghent than to go down into the Cologne/Dusseldorf area.

What are your interests? Hard to be very helpful without a little more info.

On your way back I'd choose Rotterdam over Antwerp.

I understand better now.

If you plan to do Brugge and/or Ghent from Brussels -- which is very easy, by the way - then you original thought is probably a good one.

There is plenty to do on the Rhine/Cologne/Frankfurt area for 3 days -- in fact, the reason I steered you away from the area -- is because 3 days will just get you started down there. If you do go down, don't do Koblenz as a day trip -- do plan to stay somewhere on the Rhine.

A possible way to link those destinations...

Day 1: Morning train Amsterdam-Cologne (2 1/2 - 4 hrs). Lunch in Cologne, Cathedral - back on train in about 3 hrs to destination on the Rhine (1 hr). Stay on the Rhine. (I've only stayed in St. Goar, but Bacharach is a more popular choice.)

Day 2: Rhine day. Take the boat downstream and ride the train back to where you started. See some castles, don't miss the tunnels below Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar. Evening train to Frankfurt or Wurzburg (2 - 3 1/2 hrs, 2-3 changes).

Day 3: Day in Wurzburg or Frankfurt. Evening train to Brussels (4-5 hrs, 3-4 changes).

That's just a possible. Between Frankfurt and Wurzburg, with 1 day to use, I would choose Wurzburg. It is a very enjoyable city, see the Residenz, and can give you a good taste of a modest sized German city in 1 day. Frankfurt's a lot to take in within 1 day.

I didn't check it -- but this might make more sense in the reverse order. Amsterdam-WurzburgOrFrankfurt-Rhine-Cologne-Brussels.

Thanks Jim - I will def look into this.
Would you say its better to rent a car from cologne through the Rhine and back up, or should I do it all by train?

You've been quite helpful, thank you!

"On your way back I'd choose Rotterdam over Antwerp." I would do the opposite.

Thanks for the link, much appreciated!