Fellow Foderites...need help with a few last details for upcoming trip
Jul 8th, 2013, 12:16 PM
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Fellow Foderites...need help with a few last details for upcoming trip
Greetings!
I am finalizing plans for a up coming for a upcoming trip to Europe. Here is the itinerary thus far.
September 12- 17- Amsterdam-For most on this site 5 days in Amsterdam might seem like a lot. This is where my great-great grandparents (both sides) immigrated from so for me this will be the homeland. I have a good amount of information to track Family names are Baars and Andersin.
September 17-20 Brugge Belgium. I need suggestions on best way to get from Amsterdam to Brugge. Staying at the Bonobo
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Province.html
Should we rent a car or is a eurorail pass a good idea. I don't have experience with this.
September 20-23- Koln Germany. We hosted a exchange student for 10 months a few years ago and we will spend this time visiting with him and his family.
September 23-28 Prague- flying from Frankfurt-to Prague- need info on activities outside of Prague, the train system etc...
September 28-October 1- Flying from Prague to Stuggart. rented a car for the duration of the trip WE HAVE NO ARRANGEMENTS YET. thought we would do some wandering
October 1- 8 Munich- Have rented a self catering apartment for stay with car parking
Looking for things to do outside of Munich. we have Ocktoberfest arrangements.
Open to all suggestions for train transposration among destinations...and any must see attractions. Ive read the Rick Steves books for the above countries.
Thanks!
chb
I am finalizing plans for a up coming for a upcoming trip to Europe. Here is the itinerary thus far.
September 12- 17- Amsterdam-For most on this site 5 days in Amsterdam might seem like a lot. This is where my great-great grandparents (both sides) immigrated from so for me this will be the homeland. I have a good amount of information to track Family names are Baars and Andersin.
September 17-20 Brugge Belgium. I need suggestions on best way to get from Amsterdam to Brugge. Staying at the Bonobo
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Province.html
Should we rent a car or is a eurorail pass a good idea. I don't have experience with this.
September 20-23- Koln Germany. We hosted a exchange student for 10 months a few years ago and we will spend this time visiting with him and his family.
September 23-28 Prague- flying from Frankfurt-to Prague- need info on activities outside of Prague, the train system etc...
September 28-October 1- Flying from Prague to Stuggart. rented a car for the duration of the trip WE HAVE NO ARRANGEMENTS YET. thought we would do some wandering
October 1- 8 Munich- Have rented a self catering apartment for stay with car parking
Looking for things to do outside of Munich. we have Ocktoberfest arrangements.
Open to all suggestions for train transposration among destinations...and any must see attractions. Ive read the Rick Steves books for the above countries.
Thanks!
chb
Jul 8th, 2013, 12:30 PM
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We start in Munich and end one leg in Amsterdam! We'll just miss you. ; )
We are staying in an apartment outside of Munich and will be visiting Munich, Salzburg & Dachau before we move on to Stuttgart for one night. I did get a room through booking.com but emailed the proprietor recently and haven't received a response. We're really looking forward to the Bad Cannstatter Volksfest and our kids want to see the Porsche museum.
Next we'll go to Worms (my son was born there) for one night.
Then we're headed to Amsterdam and after I nail down accommodations, we'll figure our daily itinerary.
Two adult kids will leave after A'dam and we'll head down to Rome for 5 days.
Have a great trip, chb.
Sandy
We are staying in an apartment outside of Munich and will be visiting Munich, Salzburg & Dachau before we move on to Stuttgart for one night. I did get a room through booking.com but emailed the proprietor recently and haven't received a response. We're really looking forward to the Bad Cannstatter Volksfest and our kids want to see the Porsche museum.
Next we'll go to Worms (my son was born there) for one night.
Then we're headed to Amsterdam and after I nail down accommodations, we'll figure our daily itinerary.
Two adult kids will leave after A'dam and we'll head down to Rome for 5 days.
Have a great trip, chb.
Sandy
Jul 8th, 2013, 12:54 PM
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Amsterdam Brugge is definitely easiest by car, though you could take a train from A'dam to Bruxelles and then head to Brugge.
nshighspeed.nl for train info (dutch site)
b-rail.be (belgian site)
You can book tickets online on both
nshighspeed.nl for train info (dutch site)
b-rail.be (belgian site)
You can book tickets online on both
Jul 8th, 2013, 02:24 PM
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Amsterdam to Bruges - quickest way take a train to Antwerp then change to IC train direct to Bruges - quicker than going via Brussels.
Eurail or drive - not Eurail but perhaps look at the Benelux-Germany railpass covering trains in GVermany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxebmourg - especially viable if you do not want to drive after returning to Germany - trains can take you anywhere you want in Germany.
For lots of great stuff on German and Benelux trains check out these fine IMO sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com. For schedules go to www.bahn.de - the German railways site that has schedules for all of Europe - easiest I've seen to use - a good way to access its English schedule page is to go to the home page of www.budgeteuropetravel.com, mentioned above and click on the link 'Best online European railway schedule' and up pops the English home page with a From: and To: Box and a Date box and voila up pops all the schedules for those two cities by train for that day - I reference this home page link because it also gives everal useful tips for novice uses of bahn.de that may not be apparent at first glance.
Eurail or drive - not Eurail but perhaps look at the Benelux-Germany railpass covering trains in GVermany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxebmourg - especially viable if you do not want to drive after returning to Germany - trains can take you anywhere you want in Germany.
For lots of great stuff on German and Benelux trains check out these fine IMO sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com. For schedules go to www.bahn.de - the German railways site that has schedules for all of Europe - easiest I've seen to use - a good way to access its English schedule page is to go to the home page of www.budgeteuropetravel.com, mentioned above and click on the link 'Best online European railway schedule' and up pops the English home page with a From: and To: Box and a Date box and voila up pops all the schedules for those two cities by train for that day - I reference this home page link because it also gives everal useful tips for novice uses of bahn.de that may not be apparent at first glance.
Jul 8th, 2013, 06:50 PM
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My kids (mid-20sadukta, married couple and single daughter) stayed at the Bonobo last February. Let me know if you want me to ask them anything.
We recently took the train from Amsterdam to Bruges via Antwerp (I think we had to change trains at Rosendaal too, because we took a very late train and there were no 1-stops. We got our tickets at the Amsterdam train station. It might help you to know we went to the ticket counters to the far left (facing the station). The one closer to the lockers was packed and the one to the far left was almost empty. This area is shared by the Hi-speed train counters and the regular trains (counters on the right as you walk in). They could not have been more helpful, and the printout they gave us when we bought the tickets was extremely clear - where to change trains, what track you'd arrive on and leave from, etc. I'm thinking you have to pay cash unless you have a chip-and-PIN card (on the return from Bruges, we were able to use a regular American credit card).
We recently took the train from Amsterdam to Bruges via Antwerp (I think we had to change trains at Rosendaal too, because we took a very late train and there were no 1-stops. We got our tickets at the Amsterdam train station. It might help you to know we went to the ticket counters to the far left (facing the station). The one closer to the lockers was packed and the one to the far left was almost empty. This area is shared by the Hi-speed train counters and the regular trains (counters on the right as you walk in). They could not have been more helpful, and the printout they gave us when we bought the tickets was extremely clear - where to change trains, what track you'd arrive on and leave from, etc. I'm thinking you have to pay cash unless you have a chip-and-PIN card (on the return from Bruges, we were able to use a regular American credit card).
Jul 9th, 2013, 05:52 AM
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There are two types of trains between Amsterdam and Antwerp - Thalys trains which have a Byzantine fare structure - walk up fares are very high compared to the IC trains that take about an hour longer to get to Antwerp and which may require a change of trains in Den Hague or Rosendaal, etc. But IC trains are a flat fare so just buy once in Amsterdam.
Thalys can be cheaper however perhaps if you wish to book your tickets months in advance and then not be able to change or refund them - deep discounted tickets are few in number so must be booked very early - but with the ABS fare - All-Belgium-Stations fare you can then go on from any Thalys station stop in Belgium to any Belgian station, like onto Bruges for a few euro add on (ABS fare add-on and also back to Antwerp to hop the Thalys back to Amsterdam.
Thalys can be cheaper however perhaps if you wish to book your tickets months in advance and then not be able to change or refund them - deep discounted tickets are few in number so must be booked very early - but with the ABS fare - All-Belgium-Stations fare you can then go on from any Thalys station stop in Belgium to any Belgian station, like onto Bruges for a few euro add on (ABS fare add-on and also back to Antwerp to hop the Thalys back to Amsterdam.
