meeshandhearts

Hi there, I am new to Fodor's Travel, so please forgive me if this is a repeated post!

My husband and I are planning to head to Europe in the fall of 2015 for only 2 weeks (14 days of actually being in Europe - travel to and from Canada not included in that 2 weeks). We have both been to Europe seperately only once, making us quite inexperienced at travelling. This is likely going to be our only trip to Europe together before starting a family so we really want to make the best of it!

Although we would love to see everything Europe has to offer, we have narrowed it down to wanting to go to Amsterdam for 5 days, the Alps (Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland) for 4 days and Tuscany for 5 days. Is this an attainable trip?? We don't want to feel too rushed, although that is likely impossible. We are planning to book private apartments with Airbnb.com

Amsterdam interests - canal cruise, cafes, bike rentals, heineken experience, van gogh museum, ann frank house, cheap food/alcohol, good beer, fall festivals

Alps interests - scenic views, hikes, tram rides, para-gliding, affordable cafes, quaint old town/city, comfortable weather in fall (most interested in Switzerland, but open to other Alpine towns/cities instead)

Tuscany interests - good food/wine, cooking classes, wine tours, hot springs, country side

Any advice about any or all of these destinations would be greatly appreciated! Would also love to hear input about whether or not this itinerary is attainable while not feeling too too rushed!

Thanks

janisj

Just one very quick comment right now. W/ 14 days on the ground you won't have 5/4/5. It will basically eat up most of a day moving from each of those regions to the next. And your arrival day in Amsterdam will be more like half a usable day. So in 'real life' you'll have 3.5/3/4 days free to see/do. Still doable but maybe a bit more rushed than you envisioned.

meeshandhearts

Thanks janisj for the insight. I guess travel time takes longer than I had anticipated. However, we still are wanting to visit all 3 places... will just have to be more efficient with our time!

PalenQ

Yes it can be done but keep in mind you will lose most of a day of travel going between those three wonderful places. Are you going by train or plane - trains of course let you also see the nice countryside between bases but those two train rides would be very long ones indeed.

But from Amsterdam you could take an overnight train to Zurich, just a short train ride from the Jungfrau Region which to me and many IS the best single place in Switzerland for first-timers wanting to see the wondrous Alpine Wonderland around Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen (a favorite with folks seeking quiet as no cars can even reach the town - only access is by foot or train.

Interlaken to Florence - jumping off point for Tuscany (Florence is in Tuscany) is a shorter train trip but still several hours via Milan.

anyway if taking trains check out these IMO super-informative sites: www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. These will give you a good overview of what to expect on trains and lots about overnight trains (which also lets you save on a night's hotel cost).

I would take one day out of Amsterdam and Tuscany and figure those as travel days.

janisj

I personally would not take one day from where ever your trip starts (be that Amsterdam or wherever) . In fact I'd more likely <i>add</i> a day there. Unless you know jet lag doesn't affect you, it s best to build in a semi-down day w/o any major sightseeing. It can take a full day (or more) to recover from the jetlag and just acclimate a bit.

PalenQ

Five full days in Amsterdam for the average tourist would be IME about two days too long - I say this having been in Amsterdam at least 100 separate times and leading hundreds of people in the past thru it. Amsterdam itself is a compact town - at least the tourist center - things are congregated together - unless doing day trips which are great into the real Holland 5 days in Amsterdam is more than enough IME - I'd rather have an extra day in the Swiss Alps or somewhere else. This is my subjective opinion based on numerous visits but others will say you must spend several days there - adding an extra day there would be shorting other places where an extra day for the average tourist would be more enjoyable.

Amsterdam is a neat town - physically gorgeous but it is not to everyone's liking - the sleaze factor affects some - of the folks I took thru there three full days was enough and they were itching to move on.

I'd take a day away from Amsterdam or use that day on a day trip to say Delft or Haarlem or Utrecht or some nice regional town that is really Dutch as opposed to cosmopolitan Amsterdam where in the centrum foreign tourists seem to outnumber locals.

meeshandhearts

Wow! Thanks so much for all the great feedback PalenQ and janisj!

jamikins

We spent a week over New Years last year just outside on Montepulciano and just loved it

http://www.santantonio.it

Nico the owner is fabulous and very helpful.

Happy planning!

neckervd

Lauterbrunnen may not be the best place: deep Valley where the sun shines only a few hrs (arriving from behind the mountains in late morning and disappearing behind the mountains in early afternoon) between October and February. If it must be Bernese Oberland, Wengen would be better.
You may fly with easyjet from Amsterdam to Basel. Fares start at 50 EUR/pax. The bus/train ride from Basel airport to Wengen lasts 3 1/2 hrs. To Zermatt, it would be 3 3/4 hrs.
Wengen or Zermatt - Florence: about 7 hrs
I suppose you will fly home from Rome.
If you don't want to waste a whole day with the Switzerland - Florence transfer, you best sleep at Milan (Hotel Michelangelo or any other hotel close to the Central railway station):
Wengen dp 17.33 resp Zermatt dp 18.13 - Milan ar 21.37; Milan dp 8.15 - Florence ar 9.55
Shorter transit times if you choose a place more or less along the Basel - Florence railway line, like Riederalp/Aletsch Glacier.

PalenQ

Yes Lauterbrunnen is in a deep valley with views of canyon walls and the peaks of some Alps - Wengen, just a 20-minute train ride from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald to me provide the best views in the Berner Oberland (a k a Jungfrau Region) - Grindelwald is bigger and livelier and Wengen more remote (can't get their by car - ony foot or train.

Jean

Exactly when in "the fall of 2015"? Check to see that tram rides and para-gliding will still be 'open' when you would be there. Check historical weather records to get an idea of possible hiking conditions for your dates.

I assume you're flying into Amsterdam and out of Florence, Pisa or, at worst, Rome.

sandralist

Transavia flies a Pisa-Amsterdam route. If it were my trip, in autumn, I would want to being in the Alps, to maximize my chances for clear skies and favorable hiking weather. Ideal itinerary for me would be Switzerland-Tuscany-Amsterdam.

nytraveler

Well, I wouldn't count on cheaper food and drink anyplace - in Amsterdam and Italy it will usually be about 1/3 more than in the US - but switz is very expensive - so be prepared for sticker shock.

Also, when you go wiil matter. November is low season in the Alps - many hotels and restaurants are closed in preparation of the upcoming winter sports season and often the cable cars are shut down for service at that time - so be sure to get to switz by mid Oct at the latest.

MyriamC

As you can see on the chart, November is the start of the ski season in the Swiss Alps.
October is the time that most hotels are closed to prepare for the season.
http://www.bergfex.com/schweiz/saisonstart/

simpsonc510

As much as I have enjoyed Amsterdam in a dozen or more trips there, I will agree with Pal that 3 days is just about right.

I'm always amazed at how late the sun rises when we are there in late November, which is our usual time to visit Amsterdam.

If you pick a larger town in Switzerland it will be less likely to be "closed" in preparation for ski season. Interlaken, for example, is always open. Interkaken makes a good travel base.

We experienced the night train from Amsterdam to Zurich in first class ($$$$) and it was not as great as we expected. The cabin we got was NOT the one shown online by any stretch of the imagination. When we got to Zurich and were walking along side our very long train we could see those really nice cabins. They were added onto the train in Germany or elsewhere as we made our way through the night, and the train was dropping and adding various cars along the way.

Enjoy your trip. It sounds do-able to me. Just drop a day or 2 from Amsterdam at the beginning.

PalenQ

Yes 3 full days is IME about right for the average tourist and from my experience taking many folks to Amsterdam not every one falls in love with the city, which boggles my mind but twas so!

meeshandhearts

Thank you everyone for the great insight... I appreciate it very much