Help with planning a last minute trip to Europe in April.
Feb 27th, 2011, 08:58 PM
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Help with planning a last minute trip to Europe in April.
I'm planning a last minute trip for the Netherlands and Belgium (or perhaps Northern Italy) in April. I'm leaving for Germany on March 15 and coming back on the 26. I'll have additional vacation time available from April 13 to the 23. I was initially thinking of travelling stateside (possibly Savannah and Charleston) but now I'm leaning towards going back to Europe. I'm deciding between the Netherlands and Belgium or Northern Italy. My girlfriend doesn't care too much for Italy so the Netherlands and Belgium is looking more likely. If we end up travelling to the Netherlands and Belgium I'm considering visiting Amsterdam, Delft, Haarlem, Brugge, Gent and Antwerp. If we end up in Northern Italy (less likely) I'm considering Venice and Florence. I'm interested in history (war and politics), architecture (Gothic and Baroque), art (the old masters not that pictorial insanity called modern art) and Western art music (Baroque, Classical and Romantic). Any suggestions on other places I should visit? Is this trip feasible in the time frame I have allotted? What would be the proper course of action to accomplish my trip? Anything else one may want to add.
Feb 28th, 2011, 02:35 AM
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Can't talk about Italy since I have never been there - your Amsterdam, Belgium trip is definitely doable - but then since you have left it this late check if there are rooms available for your budget range. April is typically early days of the season so you might be still able to get something which will not break the bank.
Feb 28th, 2011, 03:47 AM
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I see... I still haven't even booked hotel rooms for Germany in March (only plane tickets). Yeah, I think I'd rather visit Venice and Florence over Milano and Bolonga (though I'd love to eventually visit those cities as well). However, at the moment (as I wrote earlier) I'm leaning towards the Netherlands and Belgium. Perhaps...
Day One: Depart Miami for Amsterdam.
Day Two: Arrive in Amsterdam.
Day Three: Amsterdam.
Day Four: Day trip to Delft.
Day Five: Day trip to Harleem.
Day Six: Travel to Antwerp.
Day Seven: Antwerp.
Day Eight: Visit Gent en route to Brugge.
Day Nine: Brugge.
Day Ten: Travel to Brussel.
Day Eleven: Depart Brussel for Miami.
???
Day One: Depart Miami for Amsterdam.
Day Two: Arrive in Amsterdam.
Day Three: Amsterdam.
Day Four: Day trip to Delft.
Day Five: Day trip to Harleem.
Day Six: Travel to Antwerp.
Day Seven: Antwerp.
Day Eight: Visit Gent en route to Brugge.
Day Nine: Brugge.
Day Ten: Travel to Brussel.
Day Eleven: Depart Brussel for Miami.
???
Feb 28th, 2011, 04:01 AM
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If you're going to the Netherlands in April, be sure NOT to miss the Keukenhof Gardens, where something like 20 million bulbs are planted every year. It's only open 8 weeks of the year, and you will be there during that time. An event NOT to be missed, IMO.
By the way, I'll be in Amsterdam from April 12-22, along with my husband and 12 of our friends (travelling from Pennsylvania). I'm thinking about planning a GTG (Get ToGether), so maybe you'll be available to meet up. Keep posted.
Robyn
By the way, I'll be in Amsterdam from April 12-22, along with my husband and 12 of our friends (travelling from Pennsylvania). I'm thinking about planning a GTG (Get ToGether), so maybe you'll be available to meet up. Keep posted.
Robyn
Mar 2nd, 2011, 05:01 PM
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Revised itinerary:
Day One - Depart Miami for Amsterdam.
Day Two - Arrive in Amsterdam.
Day Three - Amsterdam.
Day Four - Visit the Keukenhof Gardens and the surrounding tulip fields.
Day Five - Day trip to Haarlem.
Day Six - Day trip to Delft.
Day Seven - Day trip to Den Haag.
Day Eight - Travel to Antwerp.
Day Nine - Day trip to Brugge.
Day Ten - Antwerp and travel back to Amsterdam.
Day Eleven - Depart Amsterdam for Miami.
Day One - Depart Miami for Amsterdam.
Day Two - Arrive in Amsterdam.
Day Three - Amsterdam.
Day Four - Visit the Keukenhof Gardens and the surrounding tulip fields.
Day Five - Day trip to Haarlem.
Day Six - Day trip to Delft.
Day Seven - Day trip to Den Haag.
Day Eight - Travel to Antwerp.
Day Nine - Day trip to Brugge.
Day Ten - Antwerp and travel back to Amsterdam.
Day Eleven - Depart Amsterdam for Miami.
Mar 2nd, 2011, 10:58 PM
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Actually, now I'm leaning towards Gent over Brugge for the same reason I chose Wurzburg over Rothenburg ob der Tauber on my upcoming Germany trip in March. I wish I could do both but alas... any preference? Also, the main reason I added Den Haage to the itinerary is for the Mauritshuis.
Mar 3rd, 2011, 08:27 AM
#10
We were in the Netherlands in mid-late April and the colorful tulip fields and Keukenhof Gardens were mind boggling. The weather was nice enough to sit at outdoor cafes in Amsterdam. It was a perfect trip!
Mar 3rd, 2011, 09:10 AM
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If interested in architecture, you should take time to look at the art nouveau in Brussels--the Horta Museum, the music museum in an art nouveau department store, and other sights.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4256354538/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4256354538/
Mar 3rd, 2011, 01:36 PM
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Yes, there are Art Nouveau walks you can do in Brussels, as there are entire suburbs in the style. Highly recommend the Horta Museum and there are 3 other houses by Horta in Brussels. I don't know if they are all open to the public but they would be worth a visit.
Lavandula
Lavandula
Mar 3rd, 2011, 03:05 PM
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Abraxas - I really like your revised itinerary. But here's something else to ponder...
Day 6 & 7 - Delft and den Hague are only 12 - 15 minutes apart by train, and den Hague train station is about half way between the Amsterdam to Antwerp run. Instead of running back to Amsterdam at the end of each day, you could stay in Delft (or den Hague) for nights 6 & 7, and then move on to Antwerp. That would give you more time to sightsee, and less time on the train.
I can recommend the Hotel Emausport in Delft, located in the shadow of the Nieuwe Kerk, along a canal. It's a lovely little hotel with nice rooms, free rental bicycles and a bakery on site.
http://www.emauspoort.nl/
Also, I would stick with your original plan of leaving for Miami from Brussels. The town is certainly not my favorite in Belgium, but it is definately worth a visit, particularly for the Grand Place.
Also, for your information, if you need to check out rail times and prices for the Netherlands, you can link to:
www.ns.nl
For travel from Netherlands to Belgium, you can link to:
http://www.nshispeed.nl/
Have fun planning....
Robyn
Day 6 & 7 - Delft and den Hague are only 12 - 15 minutes apart by train, and den Hague train station is about half way between the Amsterdam to Antwerp run. Instead of running back to Amsterdam at the end of each day, you could stay in Delft (or den Hague) for nights 6 & 7, and then move on to Antwerp. That would give you more time to sightsee, and less time on the train.
I can recommend the Hotel Emausport in Delft, located in the shadow of the Nieuwe Kerk, along a canal. It's a lovely little hotel with nice rooms, free rental bicycles and a bakery on site.
http://www.emauspoort.nl/
Also, I would stick with your original plan of leaving for Miami from Brussels. The town is certainly not my favorite in Belgium, but it is definately worth a visit, particularly for the Grand Place.
Also, for your information, if you need to check out rail times and prices for the Netherlands, you can link to:
www.ns.nl
For travel from Netherlands to Belgium, you can link to:
http://www.nshispeed.nl/
Have fun planning....
Robyn
Mar 3rd, 2011, 03:44 PM
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Hey Abraxas... One other thing...
According to your dates, it looks like you are planning your visit to the Keukenhof for Saturday, April 16th. That's the day of the annual Flower Parade, which departs Noordwijk at 9:30 in the morning, and arrives 40 km later in Haarlem, at 21:00. The parade route goes right past the Keukenhof Gardens. This might be something that you're interested in seeing, if you don't mind crowds.
http://www.bloemencorso.info/index.asp?lan=en
Since we don't like large crowds, we're purposely staying away from the Keukenhof on that day. Instead we will spend the day in Haarlem, so we are there in the evening when the parade arrives. That way we can see the floats, but if it gets too crazy we can retreat to somewhere less crowded.
Robyn
According to your dates, it looks like you are planning your visit to the Keukenhof for Saturday, April 16th. That's the day of the annual Flower Parade, which departs Noordwijk at 9:30 in the morning, and arrives 40 km later in Haarlem, at 21:00. The parade route goes right past the Keukenhof Gardens. This might be something that you're interested in seeing, if you don't mind crowds.
http://www.bloemencorso.info/index.asp?lan=en
Since we don't like large crowds, we're purposely staying away from the Keukenhof on that day. Instead we will spend the day in Haarlem, so we are there in the evening when the parade arrives. That way we can see the floats, but if it gets too crazy we can retreat to somewhere less crowded.
Robyn
Mar 4th, 2011, 10:32 AM
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Thanks for all the help, Artstuff! Perhaps...
Day One - Depart Miami for Amsterdam.
Day Two - Arrive in Amsterdam.
Day Three - Amsterdam.
Day Four - Travel to Haarlem.
Day Five - Visit the Keukenhof Gardens and tulip fields. Travel to Delft.
Day Six - Delft.
Day Seven - Day trip to Den Haag.
Day Eight - Travel to Antwerp.
Day Nine - Day trip to Gent.
Day Ten - Travel to Brussel.
Day Eleven - Depart Brussel for Miami.
BTW, can you recommend any good hotels in Bavaria - I'll be staying in Salzburg, Nurnberg, Wurzburg, Fussen and Munchen.
Day One - Depart Miami for Amsterdam.
Day Two - Arrive in Amsterdam.
Day Three - Amsterdam.
Day Four - Travel to Haarlem.
Day Five - Visit the Keukenhof Gardens and tulip fields. Travel to Delft.
Day Six - Delft.
Day Seven - Day trip to Den Haag.
Day Eight - Travel to Antwerp.
Day Nine - Day trip to Gent.
Day Ten - Travel to Brussel.
Day Eleven - Depart Brussel for Miami.
BTW, can you recommend any good hotels in Bavaria - I'll be staying in Salzburg, Nurnberg, Wurzburg, Fussen and Munchen.
Mar 6th, 2011, 05:11 AM
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Excellent itinerary!
On day 5, that makes sense just to travel on to Delft. Assuming you're traveling to Leiden that day, you can just stash your luggage at the train station, and then catch the bus to the Keukenhof. There is a combo bus/entrance ticket that you can purchase for your visit. Also, for your information, the Molen de Valk, which is a windmill museum, is located just to the left as you exit the Leiden train station.
When you are staying in Delft, and want to travel to den Haag, you can take the train, or if you want the more laid-back, local experience, you can take Tram #1, which actually runs through den Haag, and all the way to Scheveningen and the North Sea (get off at the Kurhaus). It takes about 40 minutes to travel the route, which winds through many different neighborhoods along the way.
I'm including a link to my trip report of our travels through BeNeLux, for your information:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...luxembourg.cfm
And here's a link to the Belgium Rail lines (forgot that one last time:
http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/
Concerning your trip to Bavaria and Franconia, I really can't help with hotel accomodations, except for Munich. We stayed at the Pension Westfalia, where our host, Peter, took <u>very</u> good care of us.
http://www.pension-westfalia.de/munich/
I can understand not wanting to go to an over-touristy area. We pondered the same thing with Rothenburg odT, however, we chose to stay in Rothenburg so we could be there during the evening when the day-trippers were gone, and (more important) to walk the fortification walls first thing in the morning, when there was still a little bit of fog laying in the valley, and it was eerily quiet (before the day-trippers arrived).
From Rothenburg, we travelled to Würzburg for the day, and then on to Bamberg, where we spent 2 nights. I do hope you are planning on visiting Bamberg. (I didn't see it on your list, above). It is the charm of Franconia, and not to be missed.
From Bamberg, we stopped in Nürnberg for the day, on our way to Munich. Even though Nürnburg and Würzburg are both worthy of longer visits (as are most places we visit - you <u>always</u> need at least one more day!), we felt we could adequately see the towns, and get a feel for each one, in the 6-8 hours that we spent exploring them.
On our visit to crazy King Ludwig's castles, we stayed in Hohenschwangau, in a B & B at the foot of Schloss Neuschwanstein, with a view of the castle from our balcony window (when the fog wasn't shrouding it). It was great staying in Hohenschwangau, however the town is very small, and doesn't have as many dining or evening activity options as Füssen has to offer.
Here's a link to my trip report on our Germany travels:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
Robyn
On day 5, that makes sense just to travel on to Delft. Assuming you're traveling to Leiden that day, you can just stash your luggage at the train station, and then catch the bus to the Keukenhof. There is a combo bus/entrance ticket that you can purchase for your visit. Also, for your information, the Molen de Valk, which is a windmill museum, is located just to the left as you exit the Leiden train station.
When you are staying in Delft, and want to travel to den Haag, you can take the train, or if you want the more laid-back, local experience, you can take Tram #1, which actually runs through den Haag, and all the way to Scheveningen and the North Sea (get off at the Kurhaus). It takes about 40 minutes to travel the route, which winds through many different neighborhoods along the way.
I'm including a link to my trip report of our travels through BeNeLux, for your information:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...luxembourg.cfm
And here's a link to the Belgium Rail lines (forgot that one last time:
http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/
Concerning your trip to Bavaria and Franconia, I really can't help with hotel accomodations, except for Munich. We stayed at the Pension Westfalia, where our host, Peter, took <u>very</u> good care of us.
http://www.pension-westfalia.de/munich/
I can understand not wanting to go to an over-touristy area. We pondered the same thing with Rothenburg odT, however, we chose to stay in Rothenburg so we could be there during the evening when the day-trippers were gone, and (more important) to walk the fortification walls first thing in the morning, when there was still a little bit of fog laying in the valley, and it was eerily quiet (before the day-trippers arrived).
From Rothenburg, we travelled to Würzburg for the day, and then on to Bamberg, where we spent 2 nights. I do hope you are planning on visiting Bamberg. (I didn't see it on your list, above). It is the charm of Franconia, and not to be missed.
From Bamberg, we stopped in Nürnberg for the day, on our way to Munich. Even though Nürnburg and Würzburg are both worthy of longer visits (as are most places we visit - you <u>always</u> need at least one more day!), we felt we could adequately see the towns, and get a feel for each one, in the 6-8 hours that we spent exploring them.
On our visit to crazy King Ludwig's castles, we stayed in Hohenschwangau, in a B & B at the foot of Schloss Neuschwanstein, with a view of the castle from our balcony window (when the fog wasn't shrouding it). It was great staying in Hohenschwangau, however the town is very small, and doesn't have as many dining or evening activity options as Füssen has to offer.
Here's a link to my trip report on our Germany travels:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
Robyn
