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Trip confusion Amsterdam/Paris..please help

Trip confusion Amsterdam/Paris..please help

Old Nov 29th, 2002, 08:20 AM
  #1  
Paula
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Trip confusion Amsterdam/Paris..please help

This board is wonderful for help and suggestions. I came back 2 days ago and am working on my first trip report for this board because all of you have been so helpful with suggestions/advice for our Spain trip. Here's my problem. The last four days of our 18 day trip to Spain were spent in Amsterdam due to the fact that I got the layover for only 50.00 per person at the time I booked. (525 USD total, KLM, from Miami to Madrid, AMS, back to Miami) We had a wonderful trip. We also have a 10 day trip to Paris coming up Feb 10-21, booked last March for 428 per person, from Miami also. Here's my question to all of you seasoned, and not so seasoned travelers. We loved Amsterdam (and no, not for all the coffee shops LOL)We have been to Paris (last March for 6 days/5 nites and love it also)and managed to do a lot but of course Paris is a great city and I guess you could easily spend forever there. For 400 total for 2 persons would you split your 10 days in Paris and spend 5 in Amsterdam? This would involve a seperate airline reservation on KLM. Totally confused and torn on this one. There are also the possibilites of Geneva, Milan, Nice, Dublin, and Glasglow. Fares range from 110 to 130 total for 2 people on Jet Blue, Ryanair, and some other no frills airline. What would you do? Paris, Paris-Amsterdam, or Paris-?. All help will be greatly appreciated. Hope to have my report finished this weekend. Thanks so much.
 
Old Nov 29th, 2002, 08:41 AM
  #2  
Ira
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Hi Paula,
What an awful predicament. (%>)

I would do another 5 days in Paris and toss a coin for the other 5 days.
 
Old Nov 30th, 2002, 11:51 AM
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ttt
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ttt
 
Old Nov 30th, 2002, 01:01 PM
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Nancy
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Dear Paula:

I would do Paris and Dublin. I think you will love Dublin, great vibrant city with lots of pubs (rather than coffehouses, although there are plenty of those too).

Geneva is a second choice as long as you use the trip to get out of the city a little bit into the Alps which are of course goreous in Feb.

Hope this is helpful.
 
Old Nov 30th, 2002, 01:13 PM
  #5  
xxx
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Personally I don't care too much for Amerstdam and would spend only 3 days there and 7 in Paris. As you can tell, I prefer Paris better.

Otherwise I'd skip Amsterdam alltogether and see Paris and Rome. There is not much to do and see in Milan and Geneva as well.

Dublin and Glasgow seem a bit out of the way from Paris, but would be good to see.
 
Old Nov 30th, 2002, 01:28 PM
  #6  
Susannah
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I think 5 days Paris/5 days somewhere else sounds like a great holiday. If you have specific things you really wanted to see in and around Amsterdam that you didn't get to, maybe just go ahead and make that your second city - otherwise, since you already had 4 days there, you could visit somwhere else and save Amsterdam for a return visit on a later trip.

RE your other possible destinations: I love Glasgow, but one of the best things about it is that it's a great jumping-off point for the Highlands and the Western Isles - if you haven't been to Scotland before, I'd save it for a trip of its own and devote at least ten days (more if you can) to Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the Highlands & Islands. Also love Dublin and think it's a fine destination for five days, with a few daytrips to the countryside, but in February be prepared for rain, raw weather, and possibly cold! Milan can be a difficult city to like unless you live there or spend a long time there - for a few days in Italy, especially if it's your first trip, I'd pick Rome instead. I don't know Nice or Geneva well, so won't comment.

It's all so subjective, but if it were me I'd pick: (1) Paris-Dublin, if you don't mind the cold/rain; (2) Paris-Amsterdam, if you have your heart set on going back; (3) Paris-Rome, which probably would be my first choice. Other options: Paris-London? Paris-Provence? (Avignon, Arles, the Camargue, even Marseille if you like cities - sounds cold/dull in Feb, but with good weather it can be very mild and nice.)

Also check www.airlibexpress.com for cheap flights from/to Paris and other French cities.
 
Old Dec 5th, 2002, 03:56 PM
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Paula
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Thanks everyone for all the help. Lots of good ideas.
 
Old Dec 5th, 2002, 04:41 PM
  #8  
Jim Rosenberg
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I'm a little lost on this question, Paula. Are we talking about an open jaw ticket where you fly into Paris and then home from Amsterdam -- with a one-way on KLM between Paris and Amsterdam? If so, my suggestion (for consideration only) would be that you skip the one-way KLM flight and take the Thalys. You can pick up Bruges, if you want: six nights Paris, one night Bruges and three nights Amsterdam. It would add an interesting dimension to your trip. If you don't want to add the city in between, then I would opt for 6/4 or 7/3 favoring Paris. But it sounds like a great trip and a great value no matter how you cut it -- so a happy problem!

Happy Contrails.
 
Old Dec 6th, 2002, 03:20 AM
  #9  
SA
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I would spend the 5 in Paris & choose another part of France for the remainder. Based on your travel dates I would suggest the south of France in hopes of catching some good weather. In addition there are many (too many) great day trips from Paris. Chartres, Versailles, Fountainbleu, Strabourg (perhaps a bit far), Giverny, Rouen, Nancy & the list goes on.
 
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