Netherlands + Belgium Itinerary

Thank you, Tom. Very helpful info. Do you have a favorite place (people-watching spot, cafe, view, park, square, etc) in Brussels? I hadn't considered Ghent before, but would appreciate anything you have to say about it. How far is it from Brussels/Brugge? I'm not locked in at this point, so if Ghent has its own charms, I'd like to learn more. Ambience is usually my main attraction to a place, vs. the number of tourist attractions or museums (I enjoy those as well, but like to also discover what the local residents love about their cities).
Debbie

I'll first say that a lot of your questions do not have "right" and "wrong" answers, but are about personal preferences. So, here are mine. Do be sure to look at some guidebooks (Rick's Amsterdam, Bruges and Brussels now includes information about many other cities in the two countries, including all the ones you asked about except Leiden). You mentioned Keukenhof, which is only open mid-March to mid-May. If this trip is for 2013, better nail down reservations for the Netherlands NOW. Tulip season is peak season there. How to divide the countries? Totally base it on which one appeals to you more, as each have fans and detractors. Again, read a few guidebooks and look at some videos (Rick's are on Hulu and YouTube). If you want a big city, choose Amsterdam; if not, choose Haarlem. Ten to twenty years ago, when Amsterdam was much raunchier, Rick recommended staying in Haarlem, but he has softened this as Amsterdam has changed. Two full days in Amsterdam is a short visit, but reasonable. Den Haag and Delft can be done in a day from Amsterdam, if you only have a few places you want to see in each. The main attraction of Den Haag is museums; time spent there will determine how much time you need. Delft and Keukenhof Gardens can be seen in a day (unless, of course, you're obsessed with gardens, as Keukenhof is huge). continued..

Definitely stay in Bruges (if your other choice is Brussels). From there, you can daytrip to Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, and other places less famous. Belgium isn't that big, trains are frequent, and no advance purchase or reservations for trains are required, so you can decide your day trips at the spur of the moment. I loved Antwerp (my favorite of the "big 4" in Belgium). If you do a search on this board, you will find all kinds of opinions on this subject, like this Helpline thread: http://tinyurl.com/bmdo6t6

I'll answer your Belgium questions. 1. I'm one of the few on this website who prefers Brussels to Brugge. The latter is definately more immediately pretty, and the former takes a little more effort. But I'm still discovering more stuff everytime I visit Brussels, whereas I basically maxed out Brugge on the second trip. The overall quality and variety of restaurants is also better in Brussels, although Brugge has what is probably Belgium's single best restaurant (De Karmeliet). Now personally, I prefer Ghent to both of them, but you didn't ask about Ghent... 2. Yes, Antwerp is worth a stop-over, particularly because you'll pass through anyway. It's a little rough around the edges, but still a fascinating city. 3. See my reply to #1, although this is coming from someone who has visited both cities several times. In my opinion, the common refrain that Brussels is the Grand Place, Manekin Piss and nothing else comes from people who didn't try to find anything else. 4. You can book your Thalys ticket starting in Brugge, but you don't have to. You ride a normal intercity train between Brugge and Paris, and switch to Thalys in Brussels.

hi, Amsterdam: what you want to do and see is really a personal matter and taste. Even w/o going to any museums, there are things to do/see, but again, it will depend on what floats your boat. i think you could do amsterdam in 2 days, but again, it would depend on what YOU LIKE TO DO. If you list your likes, you may get a better answer. Belgium: i havent been there, yet and its on my list this sept. Im going to stay in Brussels for 3 days since it how it penciled out for my time. Im sure there are other things to do/see, but for this trip, 3 days is it. Then im off to Bastogne. I know some people here dont care for Brussels, but thats okay. To each his own. I will go there and find out for myself if i like it or not since its not out of my way. I think you need to do some research and figure out what you want to do/see so you will have a better idea on how much time you want to spend. Of course theres the other way to go, just play it by ear. look at "booking.com". you can filter out price range and then look for hotels in the city/area. Happy trails.

My personal favorite park for Brussels is the rather small but very peaceful and well-gardened Jardin Colonial. This isn't the best spot for people-watching, though. Perhaps for people watching, you could try Parc du Cinquantenaire. Most of my visits to Brussels are for business purposes, so I'm probably not the best source of information for strolling or people-watching. One note. You didn't indicate the time of year you planned to visit, but just in case you aren't aware, Keukenhof only opens to the public for a few weeks in the spring.

Oops, forgot to answer your Ghent question. Ghent is an easy daytrip from both Brussels and Brugge, less than an hour by train from each. Actually, on a clear day from a high vantage point, Ghent and Brugge are visible from each other.

Hello Tom, Ray, Harold, and Elle, Yes, good point. I realize now I gave no indication of what we like to do while traveling. And I failed to mention that I have done a lot of research (online and in travel books/guides) so we have a list of what we want to do...was just trying to get an idea from recent travelers which country (if either) deserved more time, but true, it does depend on what one is interested in. Based on your comments and suggestions, I think we have a much better idea now. We're traveling in early May, so definitely are hitting the Keukenhof Gardens. And we've already booked lodging in Haarlem (much cheaper, and more availability than Amsterdam at that particular time). I think it will be a good base for some short day trips. Tom, we will happily take on the challenge of seeking out the hidden charms of Brussels (we even do that in cities here at home...like Los Angeles). I find that if you take the time to 'poke around', you can often find little gems almost anywhere. Elle, I loved your travel 'story' about your last day in Rome. I really enjoy that type of experience. You've inspired me to engage with the locals more often.
Thank you all for your input. Appreciate it mucho!!!

I have posted my love for Bruges before, and I am sure it won't be the last time. My first time in Bruges, we spent 2 nights and fell in love; we d Bruges as our favorite city. We spent 1/2 day in Brussels to see the royal fine arts museum, and then off to Bruges. Charm, art, beer, frites, great architecture. We were there during Xmas market time and enjoyed the all the winter festivities. We stayed at Absoluut Verhulst, a B&B in a 400 year old house. The hosts Benno and freida were the best hosts. We came there from Amsterdam, were we spent 3 nights, staying at B&B IJ, a bit of a distance from amsterdam a central sights, but on a canal with a windmill view. We took the garden suite, had so much room for a €100. Then we were off to Paris for 4 nights. It was a trip where we had 9 nights total. We got married and wanted to return to Belgium for our honeymoon. We flew into Brussels, spent another 1/2 day before we were off to Bruges for a 5 night stay. We were never bored. Once again during the Xmas market season. Stayed with Benno and freida again, who were awesome, again. Took our time with Bruges and its many sites. Took a side trip to Antwerp; couldn't wait to leave, it was Sunday, little was open, city was dirty, it was rainy, we aren't Rubens fans. We then stayed in Ghent for 3 nights, and loved that city for different reasons than Bruges.
There is no appeal to stay in Brussels for us. The art nouveau is nice but doesn't satisfy the medieval feel of Bruges.

Last summer I spent 3 nights in Ghent, then 4 in The Hague. I wanted to visit both Bruges and Ghent, chose Ghent because it was cheaper and because I especially wanted to be there after dark, when all the Gothic buildings are floodlit. I thought Bruges (which I visited as a day trip) was very picturesque but also very touristy. I then chose The Hague over Amsterdam again because of hotel costs. I really enjoyed exploring The Hague. It's a 20-minute tram ride from there to Delft. I also did a one-day day trip to Amsterdam, and though I enjoyed it, I found the city to be very dirty (trash everywhere on the streets) and not as appealing as I'd expected (repeat visit).