hazardnc

My husband and I leave for Amsterdam next week, and I am debating some last minute changes. Currently, we have the first three nights in Amsterdam, followed by two nights in Bruges, then return to Amsterdam for one night before we fly back. Plans were to train it between the cities.

I am considering cutting our initial 3 nights back to two, renting a car and making a trip to another town. Or perhaps sticking with the train, but getting off in Brussels for a day/night before heading to Bruges.

We are not afraid to drive in Europe - done that. The car would be nice to avoid risk of delay plus being restricted to time train schedules.

I cannot make up my mind!

luvtotravel

It sounds like a lot of travel for a short period of time. I did a similar trip, but had seven nights in Amsterdam, one night in Delft, two nights in Bruge, before driving across to Germany. I remember the drive between Amsterdam and Bruge being simple and not very scenic.

There is much to see and do inside and around Amsterdam. You are not giving yourself any time to see the city. Bruge is small and can be enjoyed in one or two nights, although not at the most leisurely pace.

PamR

I think that one night in Bruges would be enough. It is a lovely city, but crowded with tourists and it sort of wears you out. If you spend one whole day sightseeing, I think that will be enough. I agree that there is much to see in Amsterdam and you may want to spend more time there. Also, you might consider visiting a Dutch town like Delft or Leyden.

Carlosal

Although Brussels is a nice city, I (please this is only my personal opinion!!) wouldn't even dare to compare Amsterdam's charm with Brussels. As stated by others, give yourself enough time to visit Amsterdam. And also agree that one night (tow days) in Bruges would be enough. Drving from Amsterdam is the best option, as train connections can take longer. If you still want to spend more time in Belgium, Antwerp (fine shopping) or Gent (medieval atmosphere, charming restaurants) are great options too.

Hope this helps!

BetsyG

We spent 3 nights in Amsterdam, 3 in Bruge & 3 in Delft last summer.In retrospect, I would've omitted Delft & added time to both Amsterdam & Bruge (in Bruge to explore the countryside, take a Quasimodo tour). I think I would keep your itinerary as is. We almost filled 2 days in Bruge, but we are traveling with 3 kids that may slow us down. Frankly, we loved Bruge & it seemed to us many of the tourists were day trippers as it quieted down at night. We did purposely go there during the week,not the weekend to avoid the crowds. We took the train & found the connections very easy & quick. I wonder if driving is more efficient considering the time taken to rent the car, etc. You might check the train schedule & see how frequent the schedule is. Anyway, have a great trip!

drempel

It depends what you like to do. If museums are your thing, stay an extra night in Amsterdam and be sure to visit Haarlem. The 3 hour drive to Brugges is not much to write home about, and there is a lot of construction around the ring road in Antwerp...having said that, Brugges is still beautiful, but one night is plenty, and Ghent is a good second option. Enjoy!

daisy58

I have not been to Amsterdam (yet!) but I HAVE been to Bruges, it is the stuff postcards are made of. But it is a teeny town, super easy to do in a day,with another in Brussels. Have a lovely (don't forget the chocolate)
sweet goooey time!

Tulips

If you stay two nights in Brugge, maybe consider a daytrip to Gent from there.

Driving Amsterdam-Brugge is easy enough, but not very interesting. The roadworks around Antwerp have finished, but these roads are always busy. I don't know what your interests are, but if you have a car, you could always drive to Knokke on the coast; 15 mins from Brugge. We were just there, and the weather was beautiful for cycling and walking. There's a nature reserve called 'Zwin' that you can explore.

hazardnc

Well, we took the advice of those more seasoned travellers and cancelled our side trip to Bruges. It did seem pointless to spend 3.5 hours travelling there when we have never been to Amsterdam.

Now, I need help filling my days in Amsterdam. Museums - no brainer. We will be there for the Santa Claus festival - and the Cannabis Cup. What other must sees on a week-long visit? No kids with us, 40-somethings, love food, shopping, wandering.

Is there a good day trip out of Amsterdam - e.g., The Hague?

bowen

For a day trip out of Amsterdam, you really must try to get to Muiderslot Castle. http://www.castles.info/netherlands/muiderslot/
The bit of research I found suggests that the castle is open only on Saturdays and Sundays from November until March, so be sure to confirm the hours they are open.

We're looking forward to visiting Holland again this Christmas and we'll definitely go back to Muiderslot.

Have fun!

lyb

I recently spent 2 nights in Bruges, and didn't find it too much at all. I arrived around 11am the first day, the next full day and then left the third day. I walked ALL OVER the city but didn't go into any of the museum, because I didn't have time, so I personnaly that 2 nights are fine.

As someone else mentioned, Bruges is a dream world, I was there the second week of October and there were tourists but not that many and I found it a very peaceful place.

If you want to give you an idea of what there is to see, I recently put up my pictures on the internet: http://lynnsview.com/Gallery

By the way, I also went to Brussels and Amsterdam and there are pictures of those 2 cities as well.