Where are traveling from?

With those amount of days, I would recommend ONE of those two cities. If you decide to do both, fly in to one city and out of another - this is an open jaw ticket and usually costs the average of a roundtrip to each city. Check kayak.com for fares. I suggest booking directly with the airline.

Flying out of savannah, ga or nearby

I'm sure you are aware that Easter falls within that period, so if you are headed to London and Amsterdam with a list of sightseeing targets you might want to double check all will be open and receiving tourists. It is not likely to be a huge problem in those two countries and you may luck out with some lovely events, but it is worth double checking if you have your hearts set on doing certain things.

I would also recommend that you might consider "flipping" your itinerary. Amsterdam is a fairly easy town to get a grip on in a day or two, even if you are jet-lagged (but watch out for cyclists). It has a small town feel despite being a capital city and you can do easy things like take a canal boat tour and tiptoe among the tulips until you feel ready to take on a museum.

London really does bustle and feel huge, and it will all go by in a real blur I'm afraid if you arrive jet lagged and stay only 2 nights.

Both have a reputation for being quite expensive cities when it comes to lodging, although you can beat those costs in Amsterdam by tracking down a charming b&b. If you try to book hotels as a "package deal" through travel companies, very often you get hotels that are not well located in Amsterdam (on the outskirts of town), and in London you can get some shabby hotels. also not well located.

If you are trying to plan a wedding and a honeymoon at the same time, I can really understand the urge to just book a package and be done with it. But you might be happier in the end letting people help you find the right places -- this message board, Frommer's message board and Tripadvisor all have people who have been to these cities, flying from the US

You might want to look at Gate 1 travel - which does packages - they arrange air and hotel (but you have to pick hotel - least expensive ones are VERY basic and the pleasant ones are NOT cheap) and transfers. Then you do what you want when you are there.

I don;t know fares from ATL (seems like your best option) may well not be cheap. And hotels in Amsterdam and esp London will be quite a bit more expensive than in the US. In both places you want hotels that are right in the center - so you can walk to some sights.

I would vote for landing in London - and staying an extra day or 2 - since English will make culture shock less - and then return from Amsterdam. (Look at multi-destination flights.)

Almost everybody in Amsterdam speaks English. It's not a great deal of culture shock to go to Amsterdam.

Congratulations!

Is this honeymoon immediately after the wedding or are you delaying the trip?

the reason I ask is . . . If right after the wedding festivities - you will already be exhausted. Then there is the overnight flight and the jet lag. And an all day flight home. For that reason I'd seriously consider doing only ONE of the cities.

Especially since you say you haven't traveled much before.

Arrival day is at least half eaten up w/ immigration formalities/transfers/checking in and then you lose another half a day traveling between London and A'dam.

So I'd do either London OR Amsterdam. London would be my choice, but both are wonderful. IMO don't try to squeeze in both

I think that I would agree with some of the others here - that London and Amsterdam, both being incredible cities could easily warrant a week's exploration each. However if it's possible that you can add just a little more time, it's super easy to get from London to Amsterdam by train in around 4h hours or thereabouts. It's a direct train to Brussels and from there you can get an onward connection to Amsterdam by high speed Thalys train.

Your financial budget is absolutely plenty unless you only plan to stay in very plush accommodation (and why not, it's your honeymoon!). However were you to depart on the 31st and return on the 6th and allow 1 day transfer between cities, you only have 4 days so thats 2 days apiece - not nearly enough imho. This is also assuming you have an open jaw ticket and don't have to track back to London for your flights home.

I disagree with the others who think you should only do one city – you're young, it'll be fine, and the two cities have very different paces to make your stay more interesting. You also get to take the Eurostar under the Channel tunnel, which will tick something off life's travel lists.

If, however, you are keen to see the sights rather than people-watch from cafes (nothing wrong with that, mind), then I would give London the extra nights – so, 3 nights in London, 2/3 in Amsterdam, as London has vastly more to see. I also agree with goldenautumn about starting in Amsterdam, as it's so small, friendly and relaxed compared to London. Language is not a problem – I have a friend who has lived there for years and barely speaks a word of Dutch (not endorsing his approach, just pointing out that Dutch people under the age of 60 speak impeccable English and are happy to do so).

Thanks for all the replies thus far! You are all a big help! I know that most people will agree that we should stick with one destination, and I agree. However, her heart is set on both, regardless if we see everything we want to see. So with that being said...

@janisj - we are having an early wedding on the morning of the 30th, so we'd be looking at leaving in the afternoon/evening or perhaps the following morning. It's going to be a very small wedding with no reception, so we're not too worried about being exhausted that day.

Here are the flight details I found that seem best suited for what we had in mind:

- Leave Sat 30-MAR, 6:28 pm Savannah, GA (SAV)
- Arrive Sun 31-MAR, 1:45 pm Amsterdam AMS, NL (AMS)

- Stay 3 nights in AMS

- Leave Wed 03-APR, 2:00 pm Amsterdam AMS, NL (AMS)
- Arrive Wed 03-APR, 2:10 pm London City Apt LCY, GB (LCY)

- Stay 3 nights in LON

- Leave Sat 06-APR, 2:25 pm London Heathrow, UK (LHR)
- Arrive Sat 06-APR, 9:56 pm Savannah, GA (SAV)

It allows us about $600 for hotels, which I hope will be enough. We don't want a fancy hotel...just a place to sleep that's fairly clean, and that is not too far from everything.

Does this seem doable? Or am I way off base?

I will respond later with more information but whatever you do, but as you mentioned that you are new to international travel be sure that you book your wife to be air tickets in the name that is on her passport already and not her married name (if she plans to change it). If she plans to change her name when you marry she won't be able to change her passport until after the wedding. I have heard horror stories of couples who booked their honeymoon tickets with the bride's new name and of course without a matching passport they will not even let her check in for the flight.

Definitely an excellent tip @laurie_ann. Thank you!

"It allows us about $600 for hotels, which I hope will be enough"

That is about £60 and €75. That will be slightly easier in A'dam than in London. In London consider university housing. They have hostel-type accommodations, private rooms and flats.

Do realize you have relatively little free time in each city. Essentially an evening and 2 days in each city.

In my research, I see several hotels for under $100/night in both cities. Many seem to have good reviews with regards to cleanliness and location, which are our only concerns. I am also looking at hostels and other options. If anyone could recommend a specific place, that would be great.

We do realize the time constraints as well. We know that we won't see everything, but the opportunity may not present itself again for a long time. So we will make the best of what we are able to do.

Or use something like Wimdu or AirBNB for an apartment rental - I have seen some super central places (for the whole apartment) at knockdown prices!

Here are some very well located options within your price range FOR YOUR DATES:

London:
http://www.72qt.co.uk/ (B&B)
http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/london-earls-court (hostel)

Amsterdam:
http://www.hotelpax.nl/
http://rembrandtsquarehotel.com/?lang=en

For £60/night in London and €75/night in Amsterdam, an en suite bathroom ain't happening unless you elect to stay in the boonies.

Am really surprised that you are finding decent hotels at those prices - esp in London - which is quite a bit more expensive. Are you sure you're looking at prices per room and no per person?

Perhaps you would tell us what hotels/areas you are looking at.

I am extremely surprised you are finding hotels for under $100, that seems too cheap to me for decent places in central locations in either of those cities.

Besides that I think your plans are coming along nicely!

(especially London)

You are right...I was looking at price per person. OK...scratch that.

We're really liking the apartment idea!

Congratulations.
Considering your hotel budget I would really recommend this boutique hostel in London. Its in Swiss Cottage which is 10 minute walk from lovely areas of Regents Park and Hampstead and is well connected with public transport.

http://palmerslodges.com/swisscottage/hostel/

You should be able to get a double room for a reasonable price in the region of $60 per night.

Good luck

http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/spring_deals.htm

I agree that that is very low for London. I was going to recommend the B&B I use on Gower St., but even with shared bath it's 78 GBP for a double. Do check out the LSE link above, their halls of residence are very well located.

Think about why you want to go to these two cities, what you expect to see and do, and how much you can afford. Have you looked at the exchange rate for the British pound and for the Euro?

Unless you have booked your flights, I would also recommend that you stay in one place. You really do not have enough time to see much of anything if you split your time in two places.

London is a super expensive city when it comes to hotels, and you will be going when everyone has a school holiday. Do your really want to spend your honeymoon in some cheap place sharing a bathroom? a university dorm room? The further from central london the cheaper the accommodation, but you will be spending more time and money on a bus or subway getting to sites.

Besides the costs of airfare and hotels, you need to also factor in the cost of getting to and from the airport; other transportation, such as getting from Amsterdam to London;meals, and admissions.

That Palmers Lodge genevagirl linked is very nice for a hostel. But because of that they book up far ahead. If a hostel is something you'd consider - book ASAP.

Many are not nearly as nice . . .

Check out Premier Inn in London. The location at Southbank is very good http://www.premierinn.com/en/southbank-london-hotels.html they also have

Or this new location at blackfriars, excellent location http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/LONBLA/london-blackfriars-fleet-street?cmp=GLBC

These budget hotels are very clean, although lack charm. We have stayed at many in th UK and found them reasonably priced and good value.

@maxima - We have looked into the things we REALLY want to do, and feel that we have plenty of time. We are "foodies", so we are mostly excited about trying the different foods each city has to offer.

Other than that, we just plan to relax in Amsterdam, maybe hit a museum, and stroll the town. I have friends who stayed 2 days there and had a blast.

While in London, we plan do a lot of the "free" activites. I know we won't see a fraction of all the city has to offer, but we plan on coming back some day.

This site may come in handy - it lists tonnes of free things to do in London

http://www.londontown.com/London/London-for-Free

So, how much are you budgeting for food?

As far as food budget, I'm thinking Amsterdam will be a bit less expensive. For the two of us, I was thinking around $100/day. As for London, perhaps more around $140/day. This excludes alcohol, but we're not big drinkers anyway.

Does this seem about right? Nothing too fancy, but nothing "American".

If you are foodies - take a look at the Chowhound boards. There are usually good tips on restaurants in any price point, Amsterdam is not generally considered as a "foodie" destination, but it is getting better. I'm planning a trip to Amsterdam later this year and have started following this blog.

http://www.dutchgrub.com/

We didn't spend nearly that much on food in London. We ate breakfast at our hostel (which is not one I would recommend otherwise) and either packed a lunch or grabbed a sandwich and fruit at a supermarket. We spent more at dinner, but still kept that fairly inexpensive.

Check www.fancyapint.com for pub recommendations. Many of them serve meals as well.

Lee Ann

If you were gourmet foodies that wouldn't be close.... Otherwise it should be more than enough.

The place you stay (unless it's an apartment) should offer a full English breakfast, after which a sandwich should be plenty for lunch. I highly recommend Pret A Manger, and if you take out rather than eating in you save on the tax. For dinner, aside perhaps for fish and chips, you should go ethnic, especially Indian.

You food budget is fine. Generous even.

Yes -your budget is generous for lots of people. But you specifically say you are 'foodies'.

Depends on what you mean by that - most of my self-described 'foodie' friends would not be happy w/ packed lunches or sandwiches and fruit from a supermarket and inexpensive dinners.

$100 is a bit over £60 and that doesn't go far in the 'foodie world'.

But it mainly depends on what YOU mean

We just like to try new things. So we don't want anything like fast food or standard burgers and sandwiches or pizza. I was budgeting around $10 each for breakfast, $15 each for lunch, and $25-$40 each for dinner. I'm sure there are plenty of options that are less, but I always budget about 30% more just in case.

>>"It allows us about $600 for hotels, which I hope will be enough"
and
>> "I was budgeting around $10 each for breakfast, $15 each for lunch, and $25-$40 each for dinner"

Let me get this right, you are spending the same amount on food per day as you are on accommodations per night?

"Let me get this right, you are spending the same amount on food per day as you are on accommodations per night?"

Nothing wrong with that. I like to sleep cheap so I can eat well. Trouble is, to eat as well as they seem to want, they haven't budgeted nearly enough. London is one of the most expensive cities on earth.

Portune - you need to check chowhound.com, possibly tripadvisor, and some guidebooks and select restaurants that interest you. Then look for the menus on line so you can see how much it will cost to eat at a "foodie" level. (Note that you don't have to add tax, but if there's no service charge you need to add 10-12% for the tip.) That Pret a Manger crayfish and rocket sandwich may start to look a lot better.

I really think you are being a teensy bit unrealistic $25 is £15. That is not going to cut it for dinner most anyplace nice. $40 = approx £25 -- which will get you a modest dinner.

There are lots of ethnic places (Chinese, Indian, etc) where you can get cheaper meals - but your budget is such that those will be your main options.

@janisj - I was figuring the lower end of the budget(~$25)for dinners in Amsterdam, and the higher end (~$40) for London.

Ok, so I've booked the flight into AMS and the return flight from LHR, and it was a little less expensive than I had anticipated, so that leaves us a little more flexibility in other areas. We are still looking into places to stay. I think we're leaning more toward the apartment idea.

This brings up our next "dimemma"...getting from Amsterdam to London. I've looked into pricing, and I've found the cost of plane travel from AMS to LCY to be near the same as taking a train via Brussels.

We like the idea of taking a train for one reason. We would leave Amsterdam that morning...it's about a 2 hour trip to Brussels and another 2 to London. We are thinking of perhaps stopping for lunch in Brussels (she really wants waffles) before hopping on another train to London. Does anyone forsee an isssue with that?

Otherwise, we'd just take the plane. It seems to be a short flight, so we'd lose less time.

Also, any other suggestions of getting from Amsterdam to London that are fairly quick and affordable?

You could do the overnight ferry between Amsterdam and London and save yourself the cost of a hotel room. We did it in 2010 with my parents and are doing it again in May 2013. Here is my trip report with details of how to do it:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/london-to-amsterdam-via-overnight-ferry-a-weekend-adventure.cfm

Thanks @jamikins! I'll definitely look into that. I see plenty of sites quoting rail/sail FROM London, but I'm not seeing the reverse. I'll keep trying.

Here is the site - you can do it either direction:

http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/rail-and-sail/holland

Which flights are you looking at? Easyjet from Amsterdam to Gatwick looks cheaper than the train, even allowing for trains to the airport at either end (NOT the Gatwick Express, Southern Connect).

www.kaphotel.nl

is where I stayed in Amsterdam. it was quite a few years ago, so do read current reviews. i liked it a lot! it's 2-star and includes a nice breakfast, in a quiet yet convenient location. doubles are 112e for April this year.

i'm sure there's a million hotels in Amsterdam just happen to know of this one.

Food was reasonable where i ate in Amsterdam. I have greek food one night, great italian food another, shopped at a little coop for a picnic lunch one day, never did make it to a 'rice table' which i'm sorry to have missed.

Vondelpark is beautiful, go there. Leidseplein is fun to walk around. I saw amazing fire dancers in the square there one evening.

@thursdaysd - you are correct. I didn't even know about easyjet. Yeah...much cheaper! A million thanks! I'm thinking that will be our best choice.

Drop by the Netherlands forum at Tripdvisor.com Look for the threads "Bidding on a 4 star..." and "Bidding on a 5 star...".
Start at the ends of the threads and go backwards as both are now very long. You'll discover that Amsterdam is a great place to use Priceline's Name Your Own Price feature. How about a 4 star hotel for less than $100 US a night? Learn the ropes at BetterBidding.com too as see other winning bids and strategies.

London can also be very good to use NYOP.

How do the trains work to/from the airports? Are we better off buying tickets in advance? Or is it fairly easy to handle once we arrive?

easyJet is great --but do carefully read their luggage rules/fees.

Re staying in apartments - that would work better if you were staying the whole time in one city. There are flats in London that rent by the night -but they tend to be a bit more expensive than typical weekly rentals. (This is mostly re LOndon since I've never rented an apartment in Amsterdam)

But something you might want to consider since you are only staying a few nights - bidding for a hotel on Priceline. It is very good for London (again - not sure about A'dam).

If you do decide to try priceline, we can give you pointers before you bid.

The trains are straightforward. Although it is almost always cheaper to buy tickets in advance it's not really worth the trouble for such short trips. That's especially true for England as you can't be sure how long it will take you to clear immigration and customs.

See seat61.com for more info than you need on train travel in Europe, and bahn.de for schedules. If you search here on Gatwick and train or Southern Connect you'll find a lot of threads.

In future, check whichbudget.com and skyscanner.net for cheap airlines.

Hi Portune,

This two websites should help you out a lot when it comes to tasty food in London and Amsterdam that keeps you in your budget:

http://golondon.about.com/od/eatingdrinking/tp/EatUnderFiver.htm

http://www.dutchgrub.com/

For Amsterdam, soups and sandwiches really are the way to go. Plus fries of course, and cheese. This is some of the best food to be had in Amsterdam, along with its outstanding beer.

London is all over the map when it comes to food, but if you like Indian food, it can be outstanding in London, much better than what you get in the states and worth seeking out.

http://www.airporthotelshuttle.nl/site/home.asp
Connexxion Shuttle

In Amsterdam I used the above service, rather than trying to navigate the train system with luggage. I thought it was a good compromise, good value. A bit more money than public transportation but way less than a taxi. And very easy.

suze - but the train service between Amsterdam Centraal and the airport isn't difficult. Takes 15-20 minutes, direct. And how much luggage are they going to have for a one week trip?

Portune - you might start with this chowhound thread for foodie London:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/879212

These are some of the recommendations:
http://duckandwaffle.com/menus/all-day/
http://www.harwoodarms.com/dinner.htm
http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/menu/get/pre-theatre.pdf - pre-theater is a good way to get a deal even if you're not going to the theater.

Note how many recs are for "ethnic" food. London has some of the best Indian food anywhere. In Amsterdam don't pass up Indonesian.

Wow thursdaysd, I just put the Duck and Waffle on my MUST list!

thursdaysd, Look just trying to share here what worked for me.

I was coming off a transatlantic red eye (from Seattle actually) and didn't feel like trying to navigate public transportation on my 1st visit to the city, where I don't speak the language and didn't know my way around. Plus my hotel was not walking distance from the train station so would still have to grab a taxi or tram in addition to the train. The Connexxion was reasonably price right from the airport to my hotel front door. OK?

suze - and I'm trying to save them enough money they can eat well.

Fine... but it's not like I'm recommending a limo or private driver or something extravagant. Train gets them to the center of the city, depending on their hotel location they may still have to spring for the cost of a tram or taxi on top of the train ticket price. Connexxion is 16euro door-to-door. I hardly think this will make or break there food budget.

Been to duck and waffle...wouldn't go back. View is amazing on a clear day...food Is meh...expensive and not great.

We ended up going with easyhotels for both cities. They are very cheap and well located. I know they are tiny but it's just fine for our minimalist taste.

Which easyHotel in London? There are several and the locations are NOT equal.

(and I do hope you booked a window room)

We decided on the one in Victoria due to the location.

That's good, Victoria is the best location.

Just so you understand the concept - There is no closet - just 2 (yes -just 2) hooks on the wall, no room cleaning (you can pay to have housekeeping @ £10 a pop), one towel each (extras and be hired for £1 each), the rooms are small. Small rooms = 65sq feet, standard rooms = 75 to 95 sq feet. Those are awfully small to not have closets or any drawers. And the shower rooms are teensy.

Are you prepared to live out of your suitcases for your entire trip?

If you can cope w/ that and don't tack on the extras like housekeeping and TV, they are cheap and well located (Oh - and you must like orange )

Oh -meant to add - you can't really put anything out in the shower room since it has no counter space at all, and it is a 'wet room' so when you shower everything gets wet (including the sink and toilet) and the drain is in the middle of the floor.

So your toiletries will also have to live in your suitcases.

Yes, we've seen many photos and read many reviews, and it's just fine for us. We plan on spending very little time in the room. As originally stated...we just needed a place to sleep, and that's what we got.

We are both happy with the decision, and we're ready to do some exploring and eating. Thanks again to all who helped! I'm sure we will need more tips soon.

This makes me happy we saved up for our honeymoon and were able to stay in nice accommodations. I couldn't bear such a minimalist place, especially on a honeymoon. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

@WiredPuppy - Everyone has different tastes and standards. You'll just have to get used to that. I'm happy we didn't splurge on a temporary place to sleep so that we can use the extra money we saved to really enjoy ourselves outside of a hotel. Thanks for your input though...very helpful.

Congratulation on your upcoming wedding!

Have you considered using VRBO or airbnb, and staying in an apartment instead of a hotel? You can save a good amount of money just by eating a few meals in your own kitchen.

Purchase an Oyster card in London so you aren't constantly worrying about paying for the tube. You can get one at the airport, right next to the tube.

I was in Amsterdam on Easter a few years back. It was surreal walking past the tobacco shops and red light windows while church bells pealed. Have an awesome trip!

>>>goldenautumn posted: No, WiredPuppy, you're just being a jerk.

Excuse me? I posted my own opinion saying that I, personally could not bear that type of hotel, and am glad it's not something I did. I never said anything nasty to the poster, or called names the way you did. People post differing opinions here all the time.

And Portune, I *am* used to it. I was only stating an opinion. Some people happen to like a nice hotel *and* also save money to enjoy themselves outside of their hotel.

Again, not sure where I was being a jerk, and I'm sorry if it came out offensive.

>>No, WiredPuppy, you're just being a jerk.<<<

So calling names here is ok now if you disagree?

I don't think WiredPuppy was being a jerk at all, just sharing an opinion. I have seen far worse here from you (@goldenautumn) and your various identities.

Quite frankly I agree with WiredPuppy, why not have a nice hotel AND fun activities away from the hotel?

I guess it boggles my mind that you are willing to pay so much for airfare for what basically boils down to only 4 days in Europe, yet want to scrimp on accommodations. This is your honeymoon. You're adults - not 17 year old kids backpacking through Europe. Or am I a jerk too for having a differing opinion?

WiredPuppy: You weren't being a jerk. Don't worry about it. Goldenautumn just likes to slam other Fodorites. She has been kicked off Fodors a few times for doing so.