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Help planning BeNeLux trip :)

Help planning BeNeLux trip :)

Old Feb 4, 2019, 7:17 am
  #16  
 
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If you have a spare day and are looking for a fun low key place, Efteling is about an hour outside of Amsterdam and even closer to Rotterdam. It is an amusement park, so they have plenty of attractions and slow rides that you can do with your young child. There is also a very large fairytail forest you can walk through. The park is actually very large, older than Disneyland, and it provides a unique glimpse into the life, food, and culture of the Netherlands. I have been to almost all of the Disney parks, but this is one of my absolute favorite amusement parks in the world.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 4:19 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by TravelDoorsOut
Seems like much better hotel options in Ghent... would it be worth staying in Antwerp despite poorer hotels (for booking with Chase UR, there aren't many good options).
I prefer Ghent (don't miss the medieval area called Patershol) but Antwerp is the bigger city. It really depends on your preferences and what you want to do in each city.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 8:51 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by ShopAround
But the trains were inexpensive and efficient. The only annoyance was that the ticket machines won't accept a signature credit card, only chip and PIN, so I had to wait on line to buy tickets. Otherwise, I found it very easy to get around with public transportation - but I didn't have a small child with me.
The OP still has time to get a chip+pin card (e.g., from First Tech credit union), which is a must for any American traveling to Europe. It really does make your life easier.

Re trains and babies - I'm not sure a car is necessarily any easier. You have to hassle with the car seat. Public transit is really only a problem with a baby if you have lots of other stuff to haul around. And if you have to stand in a crowded bus or train. But usually someone will let you sit if you're carrying a baby, especially if the baby is cute. (In fact, sometimes only the parent has to be cute.)

Re itinerary, Bruges, Ghent and Amsterdam are all worth spending time in. Brussels, not so much, but you could spend half a day or so there on the way to somewhere else. 18 months might be a bit young to appreciate the differences between trains, boats and cars, but since your kid likes to be on the move, consider canal tours in Ghent or Amsterdam.

Also, consider AirBnB rather than hotels. You can get way more space for the same amount of money, and you can sort of "live like a local" (e.g., in Bruges, we stayed in an apartment complex just outside the historic district, and I went to the bakery every morning for bread and pastries - the only other people in line were locals). Also if you eat a meal or two everyday at home rather than a restaurant, the savings can be considerable (and you don't have to worry about a squirmy kid bothering other diners). Just check with the host about whether their place is appropriate for an 18 month old.
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Last edited by snic; Feb 8, 2019 at 8:58 am
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 10:02 am
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by snic
The OP still has time to get a chip+pin card (e.g., from First Tech credit union), which is a must for any American traveling to Europe. It really does make your life easier.
Many here will disagree that it's a "must". It's a nice to have. I don't have one and the only time it causes me even a slight annoyance is when I'm buying a train ticket. Hotels, restaurants, and most shops will take a chip & signature card without making a fuss at all. I also always carry enough cash to cover small purchases during the day, like a snack from a street stall or whatever the case might be where the card isn't accepted.

Personally, I wouldn't impact my credit report negatively for a card that will come in handy 2-3 times per trip, especially if, like many people, the trip is a once-a-year vacation to Europe.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 11:32 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by snic
The OP still has time to get a chip+pin card (e.g., from First Tech credit union), which is a must for any American traveling to Europe. It really does make your life easier.
I've traveled to over a dozen European countries and this is the first time I can recall a chip and signature card being a problem. Maybe a chip and PIN is more convenient, but I wouldn't call it a must.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 12:00 pm
  #21  
 
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Well, ok, fine, it's not a "must", but it sure is nice. It's saved me plenty of time and annoyance - not just at train and public transit stations, but also at museums and self-checkout supermarkets. Yes, these occasions might be 2-3 times per trip, but before I got that card I had several experiences of having to wait ages for a ticket agent. It's not the most fun way to spend even a part of your vacation, if you can avoid it.

And applying for another card is not going to have any lasting effect on your credit score - that is why there are thousands of credit card churners with excellent credit ratings.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 2:57 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by JBord
Many here will disagree that it's a "must". It's a nice to have. I don't have one and the only time it causes me even a slight annoyance is when I'm buying a train ticket. Hotels, restaurants, and most shops will take a chip & signature card without making a fuss at all. I also always carry enough cash to cover small purchases during the day, like a snack from a street stall or whatever the case might be where the card isn't accepted.

Personally, I wouldn't impact my credit report negatively for a card that will come in handy 2-3 times per trip, especially if, like many people, the trip is a once-a-year vacation to Europe.
Originally Posted by snic
Well, ok, fine, it's not a "must", but it sure is nice. It's saved me plenty of time and annoyance - not just at train and public transit stations, but also at museums and self-checkout supermarkets. Yes, these occasions might be 2-3 times per trip, but before I got that card I had several experiences of having to wait ages for a ticket agent. It's not the most fun way to spend even a part of your vacation, if you can avoid it.

And applying for another card is not going to have any lasting effect on your credit score - that is why there are thousands of credit card churners with excellent credit ratings.

Can't you just use a debit card? My Schwab card reimburses all ATM fees worldwide and has a chip and pin. That should work... it did in Iceland where gas stations only accept pin cards.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 3:08 pm
  #23  
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Even without a kid, it seems like a lot of day trips for just twelve days. You want time to enjoy Amsterdam and Brussels (or wherever you stay). I agree with the advice to get a car to explore the countryside, but I'm not convinced that there's a lot to see and do in Luxembourg unless you want to visit one of their (few) castle hotels with good restaurants. Is it on your list just to check off the box? I would also suggest arranging things so that you can see places other than Amsterdam (such as Bruges) at night when the historical buildings etc.look pretty.

BTW, I liked Rotterdam and a kid might enjoy the water there (canals, boat ride, tour of the big port).
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 11:58 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by TravelDoorsOut
Can't you just use a debit card? My Schwab card reimburses all ATM fees worldwide and has a chip and pin. That should work... it did in Iceland where gas stations only accept pin cards.
It should work. I don't use debit cards (other than for the ATM function), so I can't confirm from personal experience. It will certainly work in an ATM, which is how I always get local currency when I travel -- use my bank card in a bank ATM and get cash at the best exchange rate.

But for hotels and restaurants, I think you'd want to use a credit card right? Might as well earn the points, as long as you have no foreign transaction fees. It's truly, truly, truly not an inconvenience at all to use a chip & signature card in Europe. Sure you have to sign the paper, but you do that at home anyway right?
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 5:20 pm
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Originally Posted by JBord
It should work. I don't use debit cards (other than for the ATM function), so I can't confirm from personal experience. It will certainly work in an ATM, which is how I always get local currency when I travel -- use my bank card in a bank ATM and get cash at the best exchange rate.

But for hotels and restaurants, I think you'd want to use a credit card right? Might as well earn the points, as long as you have no foreign transaction fees. It's truly, truly, truly not an inconvenience at all to use a chip & signature card in Europe. Sure you have to sign the paper, but you do that at home anyway right?
It's not an inconvenience... until you find yourself at one of the automats that absolutely require chip+pin. Everywhere else, chip+sig does work fine. I find that chip+pin actually goes faster even where chip+sig is accepted. Admittedly, this saves just seconds, so it's really not the primary reason for having a pin card.

I'm not sure if a debit card could be used at automats - probably. I tend to avoid using debit cards as much as possible for security reasons - they are linked directly to your bank account, so criminals can potentially drain your account. With credit cards, there's an extra layer of security, and credit card issuing banks have proven very willing to remove fraudulent charges. So I only use debit cards in ATMs.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 5:41 pm
  #26  
 
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I think Ghent is best from a centrality standpoint for the major places you want to get to in Belgium. It's also a nice balance between the much larger (Brussels) and the cozy and small (Bruges). You can also take the train direct to BRU without having to transfer in Brussels, which will probably be convenient / handy with a baby and luggage.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 2:17 am
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by TravelDoorsOut
Can't you just use a debit card? My Schwab card reimburses all ATM fees worldwide and has a chip and pin. That should work... it did in Iceland where gas stations only accept pin cards.
Yep.

Virtually all American debit cards support online PIN (as do several banks' credit cards now, including B of A). In Belgium and the Netherlands, online PIN will get the job done anywhere that your signature-only card doesn't work (anywhere that takes credit, at least). That's basically limited to train/transit ticket kiosks and gas pumps where the station is closed or unattended.

Using the First Tech card to avoid signature slips seems like a huge waste of all those sweet, sweet rewards points. Use Google/Apple Pay with your favorite rewards card instead, and if you don't have an NFC-enabled smartphone, just sign the slip
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 6:45 am
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by snic

I'm not sure if a debit card could be used at automats - probably. I tend to avoid using debit cards as much as possible for security reasons - they are linked directly to your bank account, so criminals can potentially drain your account. With credit cards, there's an extra layer of security, and credit card issuing banks have proven very willing to remove fraudulent charges. So I only use debit cards in ATMs.
You bring up another great reason not to use debit cards. Mine is much simpler. I don't see the benefit to using a card that deducts money immediately while offering me no rewards for using the card -- vs. a credit card which allows me to collect interest for another 30 days and gives me points or more.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 11:50 am
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by der_saeufer
Using the First Tech card to avoid signature slips seems like a huge waste of all those sweet, sweet rewards points. Use Google/Apple Pay with your favorite rewards card instead ...
This is actually exactly what I did on my last trip to Europe - it worked quite often and really sped things up, just like it does here in the US - IF the functionality is both enabled and actually working. But I suspect that most automats that demand chip+pin don't have NFC. Maybe that's changing, too, though.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 11:58 am
  #30  
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IME the potential credit card issues in Benelux are that (1) the machines selling train tickets at AMS (and other stations) accept only MasterCard while the ticket windows impose a surcharge and can have very long lines -- this was my experience the last time I tried and (2) all of the 24/7 hour gas stations tend to accept only local Visa cards on nights and weekends, including at service stations on the autoroute in Belgium --again this was my most recent experience, and the same is true in France and pretty much throughout Europe, although in some places you might be able to insert cash (a bill of some particular denomination, perhaps 10 or 20 Euro) and get that amount of gas if the picky machine likes your currency.

Unless you plan to stay in some particularly dodgy hostels or want to pay in a hotel that charges by the hour and not have a record of the transaction, I can't imagine not wanting to pay for hotel etc. expenses with a credit (not debit and not cash) card.
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