rz924

My husband will be doing some business in Amsterdam the first week of February. He has to be there for 2 days (Mon/Tues). We will fly in the Fri before (land on that day) and we will fly back to the US on Saturday. So that means we will have Sat & Sun to explore and then Wed through Fri. I've done a lot of researching, looking at distance between various cities using plane and the high speed train. I was thinking of:

Thurs- Fly out of the States
Fri- Land in Paris
Sat- Paris
Sun- Brussels & Amsterdam
Mon/Tues evening- Amsterdam
Wed- Fri????
Sat- fly back to the States from wherever we're at

It's the Wed through Fri that I'm not sure what we should do. I wrote out all the places I'm interested in going to for Berlin and Italy. I'm only interested in a couple places for Berlin and quite a few for Rome. I wondered if we should focus on just Italy those 3 days and see what we can fit in, or if we should leave Italy for another trip b/c there's too much to see...and instead see what more Germany has to offer that I might not be considering. I also thought about Prague if we did Germany...

Any ideas for what to do for those 3 days? We can fly Wed morning to where we need to go, if we need to fly to save time. I know this is not sharing what my husband's ideas are, but he hasn't looked yet and I want to see what others have to say about ideas and I'll discuss with him. He did briefly mention Switzerland, but from what I looked at on TripAdvisor, the only thing to do in Feb would be skiing and we're not doing that.

We are both in our mid-30's and first time ever flying out of the States (leaving our 3 kids behind! ). He likes history stuff and beer. I want to use unique "stuff" specific to the culture of the areas were in. I'm envisioning what I see in movies and tv...Money is not a concern. To me, it's about the adventure and "experience". I'm concerned I'll find Berlin "boring" compared to Italy or elsewhere as the only things I put on my list is the "Discover Berlin Half Day Tour" which includes the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall, and Topography of Terror, but honestly, I have seen a lot of pictures and I'm eh about it all. I also have the Pergamon museum on the list b/c I know my husband would like it. But that's it. I'm interested in the concentration camps but would prefer a more scenic tour, like Italy, if I had to choose b/c of limited time. I looked at Munich- I didn't find much I was interested in.

For Italy, I only looked at Rome and found more stuff then Berlin. But other areas sound appealing, too, such as Prague.

Hope that helps give an idea of what I would like.

bitterproffit

if money wasn't an issue, you could have a blast in Amsterdam for those extra days. Or go around The Netherlands Not sure why you would waste time traveling to another city. I could do a week on Amsterdam and the surrounding areas easily in November. You will come back. You are going to Paris for a minute. Slow it down would be my advice. Wander the streets. Hit the museums. Visit the fun neighborhoods, go to Haarlem or The Hague for a day. Relax, get lost. Then do the same in Italy next time, or Berlin, or wherever.

rz924

I guess I want to fit in as much areas as we can As someone who has never traveled outside of the US, I take it that that may not be a smart way to think?

bitterproffit

It's a natural instinct, but I would tell you that you will be back, so don't worry about taking the 'tour group' approach. You are without the kids, so maybe relax and enjoy a cosmopolitan city. Sleep in, stay in a nice hotel. People watch in a nice pub. In November, the crowds will be thinner so you can spend time and enjoy the Van Gogh Museum, or wandering around the Jordaan, or taking a ferry across the Ij and having a cool lunch in NDSM area in a restaurant made out of shipping containers. Italy deserves a week in several different regions. Berlin and Prague get the same.

I would spend a couple days in Paris as you will. Fly or take the Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam. Enjoy a few quiet days while your husband has his meetings. Spend the rest in Amsterdam and fly back from there. Plan a day trip to the countryside (not so good in November) or another town (The Hague or even Bruges). More time enjoying and less time 'checking the box'.

Giggleswick

If you're interested in the Pergamon Museum because of the Pergamon altar, be aware that parts of the museum are being renovated and the room with the altar is closed until sometime in 2019.

And with that itinerary, you're going to spend a large proportion of your time in trains, planes, stations, and airports. You really should rethink it.

malmostoso

In February weather in Northern Europe might be dreadful, and Berlin will be cold and snowy. I would avoid it.

As for your plan, doing Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam in a day and claiming to having been in Belgium is just absurd. You'd have barely the time to change trains.

If you want to do Belgium because of the beer, you can do that in Amsterdam. All belgian beer is easily available in NL, plus Amsterdam has no shortage of local craft breweries (Oedipus and 't Ij come to mind).

For your three days I'd seriously look at Rome. Weather will be better, the city won't be crowded, and you'll get to enjoy the city. If you really want to cram something else in there, you can do a day trip to florence, since it's only a couple of hours on the train. Then you can easily return to the US from FCO.

As others have said, it's easy to fall in temptation. Just take your time and enjoy what you can do, it'll all still be there when the kids are in college

EmailKid

Amsterdam AND Brussels in one day

Especially as first timer, you should spend a little more time in each place.

That is probably the most common advice in this forum: don't try to go to too many places, or you'll only see them from train or plane @:-) And spend time in train stations / airports and getting there.

rz924

Thanks everyone! I'm taking the input to heart. And that's good to know about the altar because that and the gate would be our main interests (from what I know so far).

Looking at a revised schedule, perhaps then we fly into Brussels Fri (will have about 1/2 a day there), Brussels on Saturday, and then to Amsterdam for the day on Sunday. I'll be able to do some touring of amsterdam myself on Mon/Tues while my husband is working and us together in the evening. Then Wed-Fri, we do touring in France (Paris and wherever else)...and just leave Italy and Germany for another time (especially if Berlin will be snowy). Does that sound better? We have a free hotel for us from Fri to Tues night in Amsterdam, so that's why I say fly into there first since the train ride isn't long and I guess I'm picturing

For the train, I saw we could take the Thalys from Amsterdam to Brussels and that's just under 2 hrs and then from Amsterdam to Paris is under 3.5 hrs. Sound right?

Maybe I should share what I have done on my list to see in case anything is closed???

For Brussels, I have:
Sandeman's New Europe Walking Tour, Grand Place, Parc du Cinquantenaire, Notre Dame du Sablon...Any other suggestions of must see or do?

For Amsterdam:
Red Light District (lol), Anne Frank House, Greenwich Village, Rombrandt's House (I'm unsure about this- we're not really art people), Royal Palace, De Negen Straatjes, and hoping to go visit De Gooyer or Riekermolen Windmill but not sure how they are in February?

JBord

I'm coming into this discussion a little late, so apologies if I've missed something along the way, but I agree with the advice you've received and I think you're heading in the right direction. Your itinerary now makes more sense.

A few comments:

Amsterdam - The RLD and Anne Frank (if you read and liked the book) should stay on your list. The other items, personally, I could take or leave. You should add a canal tour since it's your first time. I think you'll appreciate the city in a way you wouldn't if you just saw it from land. You don't like art, but both the Van Gogh and Rijksmueum are among the best in Europe. I don't know that you have to be a great appreciator of art to look at a painting of Dutch life hundreds of years ago and marvel at the history you're living in Amsterdam. But if you really get bored with art, then they are probably skips.

Much of what I enjoy about Amsterdam is the beauty of the canals and city, just from walking around, exploring small shops and eating in the canal-side pubs. Don't forget to allow time to just explore -- it's one of the best cities in Europe for that.

Belgium - I'll make a suggestion here, maybe it's been made previously. Brussels is fine, but for one extra, short train connection you can be in Bruges (or secondarily, Ghent). It's a beautiful, old, well-preserved medieval city. It makes a great overnight stop on your way from Amsterdam to Paris, try to do at least 24 hours there. I'll let you Google it, but I think the consensus from those of us who've spent time in Europe is probably that Bruges/Ghent > Brussels.

Paris - Spend the rest of your time in Paris. You can have a week there and not see everything. No need to even go outside the city, I guarantee you'll fill your time. In full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of Paris, with the crowds and tourists, and beggars on the subway, etc. But there is SO MUCH to see and do there. Of the 3 places you're planning, the one you will definitely look back on and regret not spending more time is Paris.

As far as your travel, fly into AMS and out of CDG - looks like that's your plan. On a RT (open jaw) ticket, that should be fine. I do it all the time in Europe and it saves a lot of wasted travel time. Also, without looking them up, I think your train times seem about right, although it's been a while since I've gone AMS-BRU.

The Europeans here will laugh at me, but years ago on my first trip to Europe, I found the train station signs and schedules a little confusing (and still do in some countries). Many will say get to the station a few minutes before the departure time, but I'd suggest you get there 30 minutes early in case you make a wrong turn or need to ask someone for help. It's just a different experience than in the States.

Hope you found a couple helpful nuggets in all that!

TravelDream

Some great, helpful comments above.

I don't have much to add other than make sure you don't try and do too much. Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels (or Bruges) is a lot for seven days already. I spent four days in Paris two years ago and barely scratched the surface.
Also, make sure you have plans for indoor activities (e.g. museums/ cafes) as the weather might not be the best at that time of year. That said, crowds are much thinner and touristy areas feel more relaxed.

KLouis

Judging from the #1 in your list, you certainly did not have to write your last self-evaluation!

nrr

Extra days in Paris is a good suggestion.
Re Switzerland: riding trains through the alps (with snow covered landscape) is spectacular.

glennaa11

I just spent 4 days in Berlin (after 3.5 in Vienna and 3 in Prague). Berlin is an enormous city. And while getting around is easy walking or on public transport I find that I can only absorb so much info in a day. And being on my feet all day is something I am not used to as a regular office worker. So, I'd say "pace yourself" is definitely good advice.

The museums in Berlin are great, and even with the renovations going on there's still some nice stuff to see. I bought the 3 day museum pass which I thought was a good value.

You could probably spend weeks in Paris alone - again it is a big metropolis. So I think your plan to spend the extra days there is sensible. Another option would be to actually spend some time in Belgium. Or hop on the train and do short day trips from Amsterdam. I remember doing a nice little trip to Haarlem many years ago.

Part of the fun of being in Europe is being in Europe. Enjoy the civilized lifestyle. Marvel at the public transport networks. Take in the architecture. Etc.

JBord

I agree, this seems like an often-overlooked option for visitors to Amsterdam. Haarlem is only minutes away by train, and makes a very nice day. And other cities like The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam are easy day trips too. There's more to the country than Amsterdam!

^^^

dutchgirlDH

Make sure you book your visit to the Anne Frank House in advance as the queues are horrendous. From there it's an easy walk to the Negen Straatjes, great for shopping and lunch.

As was suggested do take a canalboat tour, preferably at the start of your visit as it will explain a lot about the city.

Another nice area to visit is the Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk, right in the center, lots of little shops.

the Red Light District is also a good place for (ethnic) food, Chinatown is right in the middle of it all.

I second what has been suggsested: take your time, stroll around the canals, they're beautiful. There is some interesting modern architechture in the area north of central station if you are interested in that. Use public transport, it's safe and clean. Try a typical Dutch streetmarket like Albert Cuyp, just take a tram.

As for daytrips: consider Utrecht. 30 mins by train, it's a great little city and easy to navigate once you've reached the old center from the station via the aging shopping mall. Rotterdam is great for modern architecture.


As for Belgium - with little time I would go to Ghent or Bruges as suggested, and leave Brussels for some other time, though the Grand Place (5 mins walk from central station) is pretty.

Enjoy your first trip to Europe!