Our family of 4 will be in Amsterdam in July for 4 nights. We are trying to decide if we should spend 2 of those nights in another city - either Colgone, Brussels, Brugge or some place else?
We want a place close enough that we could take the train and not lose more than a few hours in travel. I would love my kids to see parts of northern Germany, but am not familiar at all with this part of Europe.
Any suggestions on what to see or do outside of Amsterdam?
Itinerary Help - Amsterdam/Cologne/Belgium
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Four nights is actually 3 days - which is really enough to see a reasonable amount of Amsterdam. Unless you have more time I wouldn't leave Amsterdam.
There is a direct train from Amsterdam to Cologne that takes just 2:38. I would also recommend a stop in Düsseldorf (just 2:12 from Amsterdam).
Children will love the ancient structures in Cologne. Besides the cathedral (with the shrine of the Three Magi - you can see the skulls), there is the Roman-Germanic Museum which offers a lot for families and the old Roman palace with a walkable 2000-year-old sewer.
Düsseldorf has Germany's most elegant shopping street, a lively riverbank, art museums, parks and nearby the Neanderthal Museum with excellent acitivities for children.