ACD

Thanks again to everyone for your helpful suggestions. I think we have decided on a 10 day trip to either Amsterdam-Brugges (with side-trips from Amsterdam) or Florence-Venice (with side-trips from Florence). Either of the two choices I mentioned would allow us to save money by staying in one place most of the time while seeing other cities and towns nearby. Any comments about or suggestions for travel to one of these locations would be great.

Thanks

Mimar

Well, if you decide on Florence/Venice, get your hotel in Venice as soon as possible. Inexpensive options book up quickly. Or stay on the mainland in Mestre. (Can't believe I said that. Only do so if necessary.) In Tuscany, you might consider staying in Siena instead, taking the bus to Florence and other Tuscan destinations.

12 days in Amsterdam seems a long time. Bruges only takes a day or so. What kind of excursions were you planning?

suze

As above I'd go with Italy for what you describe.

I am not a huge fan of Amsterdam and wouldn't need all that much time there. I've used it as a place to start off a trip, and sleep off my jet lag, and enjoyed it for that, but 4 days was enough for me there.

And for me personally, I'd pick Switzerland over either of these

kleeblatt

Switzerland has many good and clean hostels used by the young and old alike. Very easy on the wallet.

You need to reserve because they are quite popular.

ira

Hi ACD,

>I think we have decided on a 10 day trip to either Amsterdam-Brugges (with side-trips from Amsterdam) or Florence-Venice (with side-trips from Florence).

I've been to all 4.

I strongly recommend fly into Venice and out of Florence FLR or Pisa PSA.

ACD

Ira - I have noticed that a lot of people arrive in one city and fly out of another...isn't that more expensive?

ACD

Mimar - If we go to Amsterdam-Brugges we plan to stay in Amsterdam for 7 days but do several day trips from there. Day trip locations could be The Hague, Haarlem, Leiden, or Utrecht. Then spend 3 days in Brugges relaxing.

ACD

Ira - One more question...Why would you choose Florence-Venice over Amsterdam-Brugges?

LN

Here is a tip we learned before heading to Germany for a month.

Check the hotel sites - we found a great bargain on the Accor.com site where they were having lower prices if you booked early and in most cases you did not have to prepay. believe their hotels are throughout Europe and you can find a number of their Mercure properties at half price on their HNot Deals. In large cities when I knew my timetable - I used Priceline and it worked very well for Berlin, Vienna, and Salzburg.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!!

ira

Hi AC,

It is often no more, and sometimes less, expensive to do an open-jaw than a RT.

Why Venice and Florence, two of the world's great repositories of Art and Architecture over Amsterdam and Bruges?

Because they are in Italy!!!!!!!!



PS either Brugge or Bruges, but not Brugges.

jayne1973

We spent five of our 21 days in Europe in Amsterdam this month and loved it. Den Hague is a side trip we should have spent more time on. Apparently we missed a lot. But one offbeat place that we enjoyed was Madurodam, which is a "minature Holland." I thought it would be just for kids, but it was actually pretty educational and gave us some ideas of what else we might want to see. http://www.madurodam.nl.
Haarlem was also really cool, with the huge church looming in the middle.
The Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam were both great, and the we also enjoyed a couple of great street markets there, but you do have to watch out for pickpocket scams at the markets.

teacher33

I think there is plenty to do in amsterdam. I spent a week in Haarlem (10 minute train ride from Amsterdam) and wished I had had more time. You might even stay in Haarlem rather than Amsterdam. I stayed at the Hotel Amadeus right on the market Square with a single room ensuite.

Spent a day in Haarlem--Franz Hals museum, Corrie ten Boom House, canal ride. Then early mornings and evenings when I returned from out and about, I explored the little streets and out of the way places.

Agree with previous poster about Mauduradam and the Hague. Also went to Delft, Marken and Volendam, Einkhuizen, Zanse Schans, took a bus tour from the tourist office in Am. to the big dike and Friesland. Spent a couple of days in amsterdam itself and barely scratched the surface (luckily, I had been several times before and have been back since.)

The trains were frequent and not terribly expensive.

Go for it!

suze

I don't think it's about amounts of time, or what there is to see or do, but more importantly which culture you are more drawn to. Amsterdam has a very different "feel" to the city and the people, than traveling in Italy.

ACD

Suze - I am very interested in both cultures, and I really want to visit Italy. I guess I am just torn over whether we should go to Italy now on a limited schedule and limited budget, or wait a while and go when we have more time and money and see the entire country. Amsterdam seems like a place we can see in our limeted time and still have time to relax. Does that make sense?

TobieT

*wait a while and go when we have more time and money and see the entire country.*

The only way you would want to see the whole of Italy on holiday is if you had months, not days. It is a place to pick one or two spots for your 10 days and enjoy....and soak it all in.
Your idea about Florence or Venice/Florence with side trips would be perfect, especially if you could find budget accomodations in August. And ira's suggestion about flying into one and home from another is a must with limited time. We used Rome and Venice and were so glad we did.

suze

ACD- Sure, it makes perfect sense. And I do think 12 days is plenty of time to see Amsterdam with some day trips at a relaxed pace. It's just for me personally I was less fond of that city than any other place I've visited in Europe. On the flip side, it is an extremely easy city to tour in and has little to no 'culture shock' imo.

ronkala

Amy, in an earlier post, suggested www.untours.com. Two weeks in an Untours apartment in Swiss Oberland or Heartland in August is $2539.00 per person including airfare and rail pass. Without airfare it is$1399.00 pp.

In Leiden, just outside Amsterdam it is $2289.00 pp including airfare and 8-day rail, bus, and tram tickets. Without air it is $1399.00.

Check their website to see the apartments and August dates in Leiden..

ira

Hi ACD,

>...whether we should go to Italy now on a limited schedule and limited budget, or wait a while and go when we have more time and money and see the entire country. <

As noted, it takes months to visit all of Italy.

You go, you go again, you go again, you go again.......

nessundorma

ACD,

I think Amsterdam/Belgium is a GREAT idea. Both are beautiful places. I'm sorry I didn't see this thread earlier.

There are lots of lovely B&Bs in Amsterdam that will really help keep your budget down. If you plan to be there 7 days, you can also look into renting an apartment.

Do either of you ride bicycles? If so, I wouldn't hesistate to do so to tour Delft and other nearby places. (And if you are really good on a bike, keep one in Amsterdam.)

Likewise in Brugge you can find a B&B. In a medieval town like that, it's silly to pay for a "view." (Of what?) The town is extremely small, so don't worry if you are not right on the main square.

Personally, I would go to Ghent or Antwerp, rather than Brugge, but that's because Brugge is more of a tourist town (not much else going on at all) whereas Antwerp is full of people working at all sorts of trades and Ghent is a univeristy town.

It is not worth it to spend a lot of money on food in Amsterdam. The local cuisine isn't all that good. In Belgium, good food doesn't cost very much.

I love Italy and I love Amsterdam and Belgium. I'd love to have a life where I spend half my time (the winter) in Italy and half (the summer) in Belgium and Amsterdam. Den Haag is great. (Be sure to go the Panorama Mesdag!) There is Delft and Haarlem and no end of great art all over the place. People in Amsterdam are very sweet, speak good English and aren't at all impressed by money. (I know that's an exaggeration, but they are very modest people and you won't feel out of place if you don't buy a new wardrobe to parade around in.)

Have a great trip!

nessundorma

OK, I just re-read my post and I know somebody is going to point out that one of the most beautiful parts of Amsterdam is the "millionaire's row" on the Herengracht canal. Yes, Amsterdam was once the richest city on the planet but I still feel people don't judget you by your wealth there, and no one will think twice if you make yourself a picnic lunch of cheese and bread and eat it in the park. (The cheese IS good.)