kathy

Rethinking next year's vacation choice at this point. A recent travelogue makes me lean more toward Amsterdam than Spain. Did a search on the site for hotels, etc. and have questions: (1) What is the weather like in May; spring? I know everyone has a different opinion of spring, but heavy coat time still? (2) Will a recent traveler comment on these hotels. As I read the posts, all have private baths and include breakfasts, and are nice and clean. Am I correct? Asterisk, Bridge, Nova, Omega, Owl and Westropa. Finally, (3) what other city/area would you pair-up with Amsterdam. We visited Belgium and Germany, looking for warmer temps too. Thinking about southern France, Switzerland, Austria, Portgual (just kidding!). Open for suggestions from all you "been there, done that" travelers. In advance, thank you.

Diane

Check out Bruges, Belgium. It's about 1-2 hour drive from Amsterdam also accessible by train. It the cutest medieval town. A former port that was silted in and is impeccably preserved! It has canals and cobblestone streets. All the best of Amsterdam without the city rat-race. Eat mussels and drink the beer and don't forget the chocolate! The local church has the only Michelangelo not in Italy (Madonna & child). We stayed at the Hotel Acacia (Best Western) very nice! Best Westerns in Europe are in a completely different class as compared to American ones. Our room had a kitchenette also. Check out Bestwestern.com for their whole european network. We used amex award points transferred into Best Western and stayed free! We also stayed at the Hotel des Balances in Lucerne, Switzerland - that place was way beyond expectations! Another great place to consider if you are serious about Switzerland.

Lee

Kathy: You didn't state the length of your vacation which would affect your choices of where else to include. <BR> <BR>Holland can be a starting point for several destinations. You didn't mention where in Germany or Belgium you have visited previously. There may be places in either that you can get to easily and would be of interest. Southern France, such as Provence would be ideal in May. <BR> <BR>In Amsterdam, it should be rather pleasant. An umbrella and jacket may be standard equipment, but you would probably see temps between 55 to 70, depending on when in May. <BR> <BR>The tulips will be in bloom and there is no better time to be there. In Amsterdam, take a bus or a canal boat around and outside of the city, take the train. <BR> <BR>Spend a few days in Amsterdam at least. Perform a search on "Amsterdam" at this site and you'll get all kinds of great info including lodging and dining. Always specify a shower/bath and WC in Europe, if that's what you prefer. <BR> <BR>My favorite places outside of the city were Haarlem, Vollendam and Keukenhof Gardens. The town of Delft was OK and so was The Hague, but I would visit them last, if time permits. <BR> <BR>Keukenhof will be in full bloom and is some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Vollendam is the perfect Dutch town on the sea. Wait till you see the fields of tulips! Incredible! <BR> <BR>Hope that helps with some info. Have fun!

Meg

Have stayed at the Bridge in Amsterdam twice and will return next time we go. Nothing fancy, but it's very comfortable, clean and less than $100 a night - we paid $80 a night a few weeks ago. Great location - easy walk to Waterlooplein and tram and metro stops are within a few blocks. We spent 3 nights in Amsterdam then took the train to Brugges for the day and spent the night in Ghent. We returned to Amsterdam for two more nights. Our first trip to Amsterdam was in late April - the tulip fields are something to see. It was cool then - sweater and jacket weather. This past trip a few weeks ago, the weather was warmer but still cool enough to wear long sleeves and jacket all day. There is a lot to do in Amsterdam - it took us two trips to cover all the museums, the tulip fields, both day and night time canal cruises and wandering the neighborhoods.

kathy

Thanks Diane, Lee and Meg. Diane, we enjoyed Brugge last year, and agree it is a MUST SEE. We visited Oostende and the coast too. How beautiful! Lee, two weeks is what we have to spend during this time, and in Germany, we spent about 3 weeks in areas around Heidelberg, Hannover, Berlin, Dresden, Munich and a short time in Bavaria. Will return to Germany and vist the areas again in 2001. Meg,do you think 4 full days will be enough for a good first-time visit to Amsterdam? Will it give time for a day trip too? Thanks to all three of you

Lee

Kathy: You are very welcome. <BR> <BR>Fairly close to Holland, and not in your mention of your previous Germany trip, I have a suggestion or two. <BR> <BR>You could cross the border into Germany by train, renting a car there which is cheaper. <BR> <BR>You could choose to visit Dusseldorf, but I would suggest possibly Cologne and then southward by autobahn to Koblenz. From there, you can travel the "east" bank of the middle Rhine to Mainz, visiting great towns such as Boppard, St. Goars and Bacharach. You can ferry across near Rudesheim and take the cable car up over the vineyards to the Neiderwald monument, then head back along the river through Assmanshausen (great hotel there, the Cafe' Post run by the Hoetgers, very reasonable and they treat you so well!), then Lorch, the Lorelei Rock and St. Goarshausen, among others. There must be 25 castles in this 100 km stretch! <BR> <BR>Another good choice could be to drive to Koblenz and head west, along the Mosel River through Traben Trarbach, Cochem and other towns, making your way to Trier along the border and visiting Luxemburg. That would be a great trip and would consume several days and the weather should be pretty good for either trip. <BR> <BR>You could also manage a week and head directly into Provence. Although we have not stayed there before, only drove through part of it, I promised myself that we would make that one of our next destinations. It's beautiful! <BR> <BR>Good luck with your plans. <BR>

wes fowler

Kathy, <BR>Here are some ideas that I provided to a traveler to Amsterdam earlier this year. You may find something of interest. Feel free to Email if you'd like. <BR>Well, this has been a challenge! What of interest will Amsterdam offer to <BR>a young lady interested in museums, concerts, theatre, gardens, Victorian <BR>art, tea and hearty pubs with good British fare? Challenging, indeed; let's <BR>see what I've come up with. <BR> <BR>Take a stroll along the Herrengracht. It's the canal between the Singel and <BR>the Keizersgracht and has the most notable collection of Amsterdam's <BR>impressive canal houses. You'll obviously note the varied and distinctive <BR>gables of the houses, but keep your eyes open, too, for the cartouches on <BR>many of them. There are fascinating details by and over doors and windows <BR>that are too frequently overlooked by sightseers. It will only take a few <BR>minutes walking for your curiosity to be aroused about what the innards of <BR>one of these houses are like. At 605 Herrengracht at the canal's eastern <BR>end near the Amstel is the Willet-Holthuysen museum, a furnished <BR>three-story home dating from the late 17th century. The museum also has a <BR>fine collection of silverware, glass and ceramics. As a bonus, there's a <BR>garden in the French style! If you want to pass up the museum, the garden <BR>is visible from the Amstelstraat, the street on the banks of the Amstel <BR>River. <BR> <BR>Since most of Amsterdam's museums are closed on Monday, you might want to <BR>look into the Van Loon museum, another late 17th century home with a lovely <BR>formal garden, which is only open on Monday. It's at 672-674 <BR>Keizersgracht, the canal just south of Herrengracht. On your way you might <BR>want to stop in at the Six collection. Another house dating from the late <BR>17th century it houses a number of 17th century paintings including a <BR>number of Rembrandts (Six was his patron). For admission, you need a card <BR>of introduction available from the information desk of the Rijksmuseum on <BR>presentation of your passport. <BR> <BR>As a concertgoer you picked a fine time to visit Amsterdam. June is <BR>Holland Festival month and there are concerts, opera and ballet being <BR>performed in all the halls. Check with the Netherlands Tourist Office for <BR>schedules and ticketing information. (The Concertgebouw has acoustics that <BR>put the auditoriums of Town Hall and Lincoln Center to shame; even Carnegie <BR>Hall suffers in comparison). If you can't get tickets to the Concertgebouw <BR>Orchestra, you might be interested in events being staged in the building's <BR>recital hall. <BR> <BR>If an early morning trip to Aalsmeer is out of the question since you <BR>really should be there long before 9AM, look into the Bloemenmarkt, a <BR>retail flower market held on a dozen or so canal boats by the Mint Tower. <BR>The flowers and bulbs come from the tulip fields around Haarlem and from <BR>the Aalsmeer auction house. <BR> <BR>So much for esthetics. I'll pursue hearty pub fare and tea in my next <BR>opus. (Did you know Holland was the country that introduced tea to <BR>Europe?) Got to be a tearoom somewhere..... <BR>I've got a few more suggestions regarding Amsterdam and environs. I never <BR>thought to ask if you would have access to an auto. Whether you do or not, <BR>distances in the Netherlands are so short that public transportation can <BR>get you most anywhere in quick time. Assuming you don't have a car and you <BR>do plan on an Aalsmeer visit, the No. 172 bus from the Centraal Station <BR>will get you there post haste. (It's only about 8 miles away.) <BR> <BR>You mentioned your mom has a farm in Wisconsin where you grew up. To me, <BR>Wisconsin means dairy country, which implies cows and ultimately cheese! <BR>Your mother might enjoy the Friday morning cheese market held in Alkmaar. <BR>It's a half-hour train ride north of Amsterdam. Regarding other towns in <BR>close proximity to Amsterdam, avoid Volendam (too touristy and gimmicky); <BR>do consider Marken and/or Haarlem. Up until 40 years or so ago, Marken was <BR>a rather remote island in the Zuider Zee, thus not overly impacted by <BR>tourism. It's now connected to the mainland but still retains a great deal <BR>of the charm and quiet of its former times. Many of these towns are <BR>particularly interesting because of the dramatic changes they had to <BR>undergo when the Zuider Zee was drained and they had to change from fishing <BR>villages with large fleets of vessels to other industries. Marken's <BR>populace, about 2,000 staunch Calvinists, can still be seen wearing <BR>traditional costumes and living in houses painted green and white with red <BR>shutters (the same color scheme as the boats in the harbor). Marken is <BR>about 12 miles north of Amsterdam and accessible by Bus No 11 from <BR>Amsterdam's Centraal Station. <BR> <BR>Haarlem, under 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam, has two unique <BR>offerings, the Franz Hals museum and St. Bavo's church. The Hals museum <BR>used to be an old folks home and dates to the early 1600s. It's got a <BR>number of Hals' portraits and group paintings and some lovely rooms. St. <BR>Bavo is noted for a couple of things: a magnificent, immense organ upon <BR>which Mozart, Haydn and Saint-Saens played at one time or another and a <BR>covey of shops dating from the Middle Ages that are built into the church's <BR>exterior walls. <BR> <BR>Final recommendation for a spot outside of Amsterdam and that's the <BR>Kroller-Muller museum and sculpture park in the Hogue Veluwe National Park. <BR> There are over 200 Van Goghs on display as well as Seurat, Picasso and <BR>Braque. In the sculpture garden there are works by Rodin, Henry Moore, <BR>Giacommetti and Barbara Hepworth among others. If your sister isn't into <BR>museums, she can hop on a white bicycle and pedal all over the park. Bikes <BR>are free; at least the white ones in the park are. It's about an hour and <BR>fifteen minutes from Amsterdam to Arnhem where you can pick up a bus for <BR>the short ride to the museum. <BR> <BR>Theatre, tea and gardens – theatre, tea and gardens, what to do? Well, <BR>now, the Netherlands Theatre Institute housed in a flamboyant early 17th <BR>century mansion at 168 Herrengracht has a spectacular staircase, lavish <BR>stucco work, murals and ceiling paintings and an interesting history of <BR>Dutch theatre from the 17th century to the present, including working <BR>models of backstage areas and a fine costume collection. AND – a garden <BR>where tea is served! <BR> <BR>One final thought on tea. Geels en Co, 67 Warmoesstraat, has a tea and <BR>coffee shop in conjunction with a museum of the history of tea and coffee <BR>making. <BR> <BR>Regarding pubs and pub foods, Amsterdam offers "brown" cafes that are the <BR>Dutch counterpart of Britain's gathering places. What Britain doesn't have <BR>in the quantity that Amsterdam does, are Indonesian restaurants. Try the <BR>rijstaffel in one, but be prepared to down great quantities of beer to <BR>quell the heat of the spices used in each of the fifteen or eighteen dishes <BR>you'll be served. <BR> <BR>Boy, did all these Dutch words give my spellcheck heartburn! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

kathy

Lee, your suggestion about Provence is tempting. How long of a trip do you suppose it would be; train or plane? and I guess CDG is the closest airport to return home? Germany is definitely for a future trip, since we spent a great deal of time there two years ago. Any suggestion about Prague or Austria? <BR> <BR>Wes, thank you for the information. I felt I walked the town with you as a personal guide. Your enthusiastic responses are remarkable! What other city would you go on to visit after Amsterdam? We want to avoid packing and unpacking, preferring a convenient location a homebase. Even using maps, my distance-meter doesn't kick in with a sense of timing. <BR>Meg, any idea how to contact the Bridge Hotel in Amsterdam. Sounds like what we're looking for, and although I've checked the other suggested hotels(from doing a search on this forum)I haven't found a site for the Bridge. My appreciation to all of you for your help.

Meg

Yes, I think four days would be a good first trip to Amsterdam. Our first trip was really only 2 with our by train arrival late in the day so we had three nights and two full days - and one of our full days was spent in the Tulip fields. The Bridge does have a website - www.thebridgehotel.demon.nl. Their phone number is 020/623-70-68 and their fax is 020/624-15-65. I sent them a fax before going to bed one night and had a response and a reservation by the time I got up the next night. Please let me know if you need any more info.

Lee

Kathy: How about that Wes!? Is he thorough or what? <BR> <BR>Provence is not that close, but almost anything in western Europe is fair game if you have the time. You do have the time. <BR> <BR>You could make it by train, I would think and you could fly (into?) out of either CDG in Paris or maybe Lyon. <BR> <BR>Provence would be absolutely spectacular in the spring! You will travel into southern France through Dijon, Lyon and all the way to Marseilles. The region has so many charming towns, Avignon, Saint Remy, St. Tropez and so many others. You could expect good weather and lots of flowers. <BR> <BR>I would venture into Austria when you are ready for your Bavaria trip in the future. You could add Prague at that time, also. <BR> <BR>Good luck!

kam

We have promised friends in Amsterdam and Brussels that our next trip that way will be Amsterdam, Brussels, Bruges, and then down into Alsace, which we've been to before, but didn't get enough of! These distances would be easy and relaxing.

FrankR

I have stayed at the Owl - it's Ok,in a <BR>quiet place,rooms a bit small but better are are hotel <BR>Eureka and hotel Doelen - both in the <BR>centre but quiet.

Kathy

I just got back from Amsterdam 2 wks ago so I cant give you info on weather in spring <BR>it was pretty cold 2 wks ago. we went to van gogh museum (this was wonderful) also Rijksmuseum was very good. Tour the Heineken Brewery weekdays only check tiime for tours and get there early as they fill up quickly the thought of free beer for some reason. Also the Ann Frank House. We stayed at Canal House it was about $140.00 incl breakfast I havent got the bill yet it was 295 Guilders so it depends on exch rate, anyway this was one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed at, canapy bed and antiques in the room. <BR> <BR>Good restaurants Speciaal (Indonesian) and De Greiken (Greek) and Rum Runners (carribean) they were all near the hotel. This hotel is around the corner from Ann Frank and next to Westerkerk. And watch out of for strippen card for the tram . that is the screwiest system we took 2 free rides before we figured out how to punch the card .

Art

Hi, I lived in Europe for a few years many years ago and I'm sure much has changed, but I do recommend the Hague at least for a tour of Mudorodam (Spelling is way off). There is a miniature village there that is worth the better part of a day. You may also be there during the Tulip parade. It is similar to our rose parade except tulips are highlighted on the floats. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip. <BR>Art <BR> <BR>