thundr51

This is my first time in Europe going in October and while I do not want to see everything, I would like feedback for a reasonable schedule to see Netherlands, Germany,Switzerland and Belgium. I am planning on staying in hostels at night (OR overnight train)

Is this too much to see in 10 days time??
Any feedback is gratefully appreciated. I do not want to bite off more than I can chew, as I am over 50.
Thanking you very kindly.
Steve

WillTravel

It's possible to set foot in each country on that schedule, but I would think about what you want to see and how long travel will take. I'd focus on at most three locations, with perhaps one daytrip.

artstuff

It depends on which cities you want to visit in these countries.

And where are you flying in and out of? An open jaw ticket would give you more flexibility.

How about:

3 nights Amsterdam
2 nights Brugge or Brussels
2 nights Mosel or Rhine Rivers
3 nights Zurich

Robyn >-

artstuff

I looked at your thread title again and it looks like you are flying in and out of Amsterdam.

In that case, I'd skip Switzerland and just do a loop:

Amsterdam to Brugge, then to the
Mosel & Rhine Rivers, then back to Amsterdam.

Robyn >-

zeppole

I would prefer vibrant Antwerp or picturesque, charming Gent by the river to either Brussels or Brugge. Brussels is mainly a very unattractive city, with one beautiful central square, and while well-preserved medieval Brugge is an exceptionally popular destination for foreign tourists, there is very little life there that isn't tourist-themed to the point of kitschy.

Personally I would spend 2 nights in Antwerp, and one morning go to Brussels to see the Grand Place, and then spend the afternoon in Gent.

I think you are getting good advice to skip Switzerland -- although if you can find a scenic train that works for you, that could be fantastic. I wouldn't spend any of my time in Switzerland in cities. The train system is good enough to immediately land you in a pretty Alpine village.

I would suggest that you not take overnight trains, simply for the sake of your stamina.

In Amsterdam, be sure to take a canal boat tour, even if you are a committed independent traveler because it's easier to understand the engineering marvel that Amsterdam is from the water, and also because the canals are very pretty.

Even if you are doing a loop because you are flying out of Amsterdam, you might find that some airlines offering very cheap flights back to Amsterdam.

bilboburgler

Another vote to drop Switzerland (it is surprizingly big due to all the folds) and Germany will more than make up the time.

Why not amsterdam , north by train to the Isselmeir and the various country parksthere (all by train) then East into Germany either up to Hamburg or across to Hamlyn (pied piper fame) then south through Kassel, Wurtembourg and to the Rhine dropping either to Mosel (trier) or Alsace, then up the Mosel to Luxembourg, into Belgium with a focus on Bruges.

a bit tough but if you read up you can drop a few bits out and you will get a good view of the area

hetismij

Which country parks are you thinking of Bilbo? Getting north of the Ijsselmeer (note the spelling) by train is possible but a bit painful from Amsterdam as there is no direct line. The National Parks are not easily accessible by train, unless you are thinking of Hoge Veluwe, which is quite a way from The Ijsselmeer, and still not that easy to get to by train.
Whilst I do my best to encourage people to get away from Amsterdam and see more of this lovely country I think if the OP only has 10 days and wants to see more countries in that time then maybe he/she should stick to Amsterdam. You could easily spend 10 days just in the Netherlands.
The Mosel valley should be very beautiful in October as the trees and vines turn colour. I recommend you try and include that in your trip. I agree with Zeppole about Brugge, and would suggest Antwerp as a better base.
Of course if you'd rather not stay in cities (and it will be cheaper away from) them say so and we can offer more suggestions.

thundr51

Thank you all for your input!

I encourage and welcome others to respond to this request for feedback and ideas. Steve

thundr51

Please and THANK you all