Re-posting: not long to go now!
My husband and I are booked on the BOE in 21 Days Tour - Sep 17–Oct 7. Less than 4 weeks away now so are beginning to plan for what we might do before (in Amsterdam) and after (in Paris). We are from New Zealand (Go the All Blacks!), and are keen to get in touch with any others who are booked on that tour.
We look forward to sharing planning tips and getting to know some of you earlier, since we are travel novices!
Hi Kiwis. We took that tour in October 2015 and it was marvelous. We stayed in Amsterdam for a week and Haarlem for two days before the tour began.
Depending on how much time you have prior to tour and your interests, you might consider a museumkaart if you are interested in seeing great art. It takes about 5 visits before the card pays for itself. We not only toured art museums but restored canal houses of some famous locals and they are marvelous: Willet-Hothuysen and Museum Van Loon are my two favorites. The Verzetsmuseum (Dutch resistance), Rembrandt huis, Van Gogh, and a few others were some of the highlights of our trip. We spent time walking the city and drinking wine by the canals. We took a city walking tour with ThatDamGuide the day after arrival. You could also do a janever tasting at Wynand and Fockink or a cheese tasting at Reypenaer's- fun.
In Haarlem we toured the Corrie Ten Boom Huis, Teyler's museum, the local archaeology museum, the Saturday market in town square, and enjoyed walking about town. Check out Bij Babette for some lovely sandwiches and homemade desserts.
There is so much you could do in Paris after the tour ends: More Louvre, Eiffel tower, Rodin museum and gardens, a visit to Versailles, Montmarte and Sacre Couer, Orsay museum, relaxing and people watching while you have wine or coffee at cafes, shopping, the list just doesn't stop.
Have a splendid time on your tour!
Don't pack your days with »things to do«. Wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere is half the attraction of these cities. Amsterdam is small (you can cross the whole historical centre within 45 minutes), but Paris is also more compact than you possibly imagine: from the Sacre Coeur to the Notre Dame is 5 kilometres; from the Arc de Triomphe to the Marais about the same.
Hi Kiwis, we did this tour in 2016...it was amazing! Be warned....none of our tour mates could understand the kiwi accent!
It's a REALLY long way from NZ so you will need 2 nights in Amsterdam to recover before the tour starts. We flew 2 x 12 hour flights with a 3 hour layover in Hong Kong.
We too are booked on the sept 17- oct 7. Best of Europe. Really looking forward to it. We did the 14 day 4 years ago and loved it.
We are planning to be in Amsterdam for 2 nights in advance of the tour and we plan to spend 2 nights in Paris at the end. So much to see.
We are from Canada eh! And my husband and I look forward to meeting you Kiwis.
If you have any trip planning questions, don't be shy to ask.
See you soon
Yay! We finally have contact with someone else going on the same tour! Not long to go now! Will PM you...Thanks for replying!
