aman_arora

Hi everyone,

My wife and I (in late 20s) are planning a Europe trip from Sept 26 - 11 Oct (15 nights). We are flying in to Prague and out of Amsterdam.

Right now, we are thinking of setting base for 7/8 nights each in Prague and Amsterdam (will include some day trips from both bases). Are we spending too much time in these cities considering we are NOT AT ALL interested in museums and cathedrals? Our idea of vacation is more to indulge in sightseeing, adventurous activities (cycling, short 3-4 hour hikes, etc), spend days on the beach, trying new cuisines/wines/beers, evenings in cafes/pubs, etc.

I'm asking this because we are considering to add another destination (maybe Lucerne in Switzerland) to our itinerary and maybe spend 5 nights at each location. Is this a good idea?

Dukey1

Depending on how adventurous you really want to be and how much spectacular scenery you like, Lucerne would be fine for a day or so but I would add to that the Berner Oberland in Switzerland. October is not a bad time to be there: fewer visitors and before ski season really starts.

Ackislander

If these are really your interests, read about the Carpathian Mountains in Wikipedia.

Off the beaten track, gorgeous, probably not very expensive, especially compared to Switzerland.

Unless you have some special interest in Amsterdam, go straight to Prague and east from there.

This is a second hand recommendation. I haven't had the good fortune to go there.

Cathinjoetown

Both Amsterdam and Prague have great nightlife/party scenes for young people. Very easy to rent bikes in both cities.

The time of year and locations you've chosen rule out beaches.

I'd like to encourage you to sample maybe two museums, the Mucha museum in Prague is very small, you might find his art nouveau style and illustrations for ads of his day interesting. The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam is very approachable and has a great café with long shared tables. Neither are stuffy or require a long time commitment.

Have a great trip.

Cathinjoetown

I forgot to add, the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, neither a museum nor a cathedral, is a place all should see and a reminder of a lesson not everyone has learned. To avoid long lines, order tickets online.

aman_arora

Thanks Dukey. I keep reading that Switzerland is expensive compared to other European countries. Could you please give me a feel of the difference in costs (vis-a-vis public transport, accommodation, food, drinks)?

Thanks for mentioning these mountains, Ackislander. We do have interest in trekking but since we stay only a few hours away from Himalayas, we would not want to spend a lot of time on multi-day treks. Short hikes suggestions in the vicinity of Prague/Amsterdam would be most welcome.

aman_arora

Thank you for your suggestions, Cathinjoetown. I will make a note these. If we do decide to visit a museum or two, I will choose these.

Going by the way you have described it, I think we will definitely visit Anne Frank house.
Thank you.

hetismij2

You can of course visit the beach from Amsterdam - just don't expect to sunbathe or swim there. You can do a long walk along the beach though.

Consider visiting one of the islands for cycling, walking and beach. Texel is the easiest to reach, and is good for cycling and walking and beachcombing.

Alternatively head to the Hoge Veluwe NP, pick up a couple of white bikes and head off into the park. The deer will be rutting then so you need to be a bit careful, but you stand a good chance of seeing some. If you want a bit of culture without visiting a major museum in Amsterdam then you can always call in at the Kroller Muller Museum in the park.

If non of that appeals head out to the Amsterdamse bos for walking or hire bikes and head out of the city, either on an organised tour or armed with a map.
You could also rent a boat if that appeals.

BigRuss

<<I forgot to add, the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, neither a museum nor a cathedral, is a place all should see and a reminder of a lesson not everyone has learned>>

Terezin = easy day trip from Prague.

menachem

Waterland, IJsselmeer coast, Coastal path, all good.

Or book a sailing trip from Enkhuizen, on a historic sailing barge, visiting the Dutch Islands. Completely off the beaten path and unforgettable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2aigR7T4Rg

Ingo

Switzerland is at least twice as expensive as Czech Republic, if not more.

Frankly, 7 or 8 nights in Prague are too long if you're not into churches and museums. But you mentioned outdoor activities, like hiking, cycling etc. A perfect region for this is the National Park Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland, at both sides of the border Czech Republic/Germany, between Prague and Dresden. Base yourselves in one of the small towns, maybe Decin on the Czech side, or Bad Schandau or Pirna on the German side. Even the German city Dresden with excellent train connections (twice an hour, 30 minutes to the National Park) would be a good idea.

Bizarre sandstone rock formations, canyons, flat-top mountains, cute villages and towns, castles, more than 1000 km hiking trails, Germany's most popular cycling trail (Elbe cycling trail) and so on ...

hetismij2

menachem, I could have said the same from Harlingen - my son has his ship, part of the Harlinger bruine vloot there! Quicker to the islands from Harlingen too .

aman_arora

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Texel island and Bohemia Switzerland national park are really valuable inputs for us - we will most likely include them in our itinerary.

Thanks again.

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ite-things.cfm

Lots of non-museums things I and others mention in this little bit old but always relevant thread.

menachem

@hetismij how wonderful! point is that without a car it's far easier to get to Enkhuizen from Amsterdam than it is to get to Harlingen. And after all, from Enkhuizen to Harlingen (or to Texel) is only a day.

Point is, I think more people should explore the old Zuiderzee and the Waddenzee, because this is the heartland of Dutch culture. And the towns and landscape are truly gorgeous.

Sassafrass

Look at Budget Amsterdam.
www.amsterdam.info
Might be helpful for best buys on tickets, etc.

hetismij2

I understood why you said Enkhuizen menachem. I like Enkhuizen a lot, and I wish more people would look at getting out of the Randstad and tourist traps and exploring more of the country.

Texel is a good start for aman_amora.

My son recently had a group of Americans on board who were wildly enthusiastic about the Wadden Islands, and posted loads of photos on Facebook. As a result he has a few more (tentative) bookings from the US for next year.

menachem

That's great! I used to have my boat at Uitdam, so it was always IJsselmeer and Waddenzee for me, for sailing. Now I'm based at Oude Maas, so it's Hollands Diep, Biesbosch and Grevelingen. Not bad at all, but there's no comparison with the Frisian Islands.

nettering

Prague is a great city, and I haven't visited many museums myself. Just enjoy the view and the feeling while you are there... It is quite mysterious. Especially tour around when the night falls!

danon

....keep in mind that time of the year the weather is
often rainy and cool ( in destinations you are considering.)