niraj_prasad

I am in initial stages of planning a trip to Amsterdam, Brussels in Apr-May 2016. Post researching multiple sites as well as Tripadvisor Forum, i have come up with a draft itinerary. Would request inputs for me to detail it down further

I will be travelling with my wife and 11 year old daughter. Will be flexible to add one more day if there is something worthwhile OR if the schedule is too cramped. I am planning to travel by training / public transport. One question i have is about the luggage that I carry. I will have at least One Large and One Medium size bag. I hope that is ok while in transit between cities.

Also would appreciate recommendations on 3/4 star hotels in each city. Family Friendly ones.

Any other inputs are most welcome.

30-Apr - Arrive at Amsterdam (Land in Brussels, Train Travel to Amsterdam). Check-in at Hotel and Rest. Stay at Amsterdam

1-May - Day Trip to Keukenhof. Stay at Amsterdam

2-May - Local sightseeing at Amsterdam. Stay at Amsterdam

3-May - Day Trip to The Hague / Rotterdam. Stay at Amsterdam

4-May - Day at Leisure in Amsterdam (Open to any suggestions). Stay at Amsterdam

5-May - Travel to Bruges. Check-in at Bruges Hotel. Stay at Bruges

6-May - Local sightseing at Bruges. Stay at Bruges

7-May - Day Trip to Ghent. Stay at Bruges

8-May - Travel to Brussels. Stay at Brussels

9-May - Local Sightseeing at Brussels. Stay at Brussels

10-May - Local Sightseeing/Shopping at Brussels. Stay at Brussels

11-May - Return Journey

Bitter

Not sure where you are coming from, but consider staying in Brussels on both ends. I've done the land, and take a train ride before and it can be brutal with jet lag.

We were underwhelmed by the Hague, though to each his/her own. Consider hitting Delft instead? I forget whether either are on the way between AMS and Brussels. If so that could be built in on your trip to/from AMS.

Keukenhof: Hopefully someone can confirm the tulips will still be in bloom. We went there around that time only to find them all decapitated! (Still a nice park, just not as nice).

pariswat

Hi

Looks ok to me. not too cramped.
My only comments would be 3 nights in Bruges are for me too many, you may as well daytrip from Brussels or from Gent.
Den Haag/Rotterdam in one day may be too much, I let others comment, I've never been to either actually...

As for travel:
- Train : best from Bruxelles to Amstedram is Thalys, book 90 days in advance to have best prices.
- Hotels in Asmterdam are really expensive.
- Bruxelles : avoid staying close to Bruxelles midi (or Brussel zuid), go close to Bruxelles Central
(I've never slept in a hotel in Bxl, but put some people at the Novotel de la tour noire, close to station and grand place).

Don't listen to people from Fodors telling you that Bruxelles is not a nice city, and come back to tell us how you liked it !

Mvg

TommieG

One day in The Hague and Rotterdam is doable. But depends on what you want to do. In both cities you can also enjoy yourself for a whole day.

And maye traid in one day in Brugge for a day in Antwerpen? I really like that city!

tonfromleiden

Some practical and less practical points:
- Unless you've specific things you want to do in Rotterdam, chances are you like Haarlem (indeed, the city after which Harlem is named) more. It's on the same railway line which brings you to and from The Hague (and less than 20 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal).
- Opinions on Brussels vary wildly. Some love it, some hate it. I'm more or less of the latter school.
You might consider Gent as a base for Belgium. It's less than 45 minutes to both Brugge and Brussels by train, more or less running every 15 minutes. And Gent itself is a good, lively city.
Antwerpen is also easily reached from Gent and a wonderful destination for a day trip.
- One of the many advantages of trains above planes is the virtual absence of luggage restrictions. Don't worry about the weight or number of your suitcases.
- Buy your train ticket from Amsterdam to Belgium directly at the relevant train company: https://www.b-europe.com/ with an English-language button.
Payment is by credit card and you print your tickets at home. Advance booking (some two months before date) can save you a considerable sum. Second class is comfortable enough on these trains.

niraj_prasad

Thanks everyone for the response.

Couple of follow-up questions :-

1. Can i look at Gent as a base instead of Brussels ?
2. Do i need to stay in Amsterdam OR are can i consider some other city as a base in Netherlands ?

Bitter

Haarlem, mentioned above, is a good city to stay in instead of AMS. Beautiful in its own right and a short trip different directions to other locales. I think we picked up the keukenhof bus from Haarlem.

nytraveler

You can take as much luggage on the train as you want - but you have to deal with it yourself. This can mean hauling it up several narrow/steep steps and finding someplace in the train to put it. Carry-on size luggage fits on an overhead rack but larger pieces are usually left in an area at the end of the car and you would ant to keep an eye on it if the train makes numerous stops.

Note that when the train stops it will be in the station only a few minutes. So when getting off you have to be at the door with your luggage so you can get off quickly, leaving those boarding time to get on with their luggage. Do NOT sit in your seats until the train stops or you will cause a major clog at the door.

tonfromleiden

»Can I consider some other city as a base in Netherlands?«
At last someone who realises civilisation does not end with the borders of Amsterdam (or other capital cities)!

Haarlem is indeed a nice city. Manageable, not crowded with tourists, good market square, nice situated on the Spaarne river, two wonderful musea (Teylers and Frans Hals), close to Amsterdam*. You'll have to decide whether the hotels over there are to your taste.

*) The train journey from Schiphol airport is a little bit longer and it involves one change (see website Dutch railways: http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home). And maybe a slightly longer journey to Belgium.

Gent is a good, normal, working and living city, with a lively historical centre, and not such a museum piece as Brugge or so anonymous as Brussels.
Last year I stayed for a few days in Mechelen (aka Malines) as a base for Antwerpen, Brussel and Gent. Small, lots of history, good market square for afternoon beer and diner.

niraj_prasad

Thanks. I am quite inclined not to stay in a big city as long I get a decent family hotel and that place is well connected by train. Will explore the other cities

sandralist

If you stick with your plan to go to Den Haag, I highly recommend the Panorama Mesdag for the whole family. It's a brief stop, but pretty amazing.

You might also check out one of the super-kid friendly museums of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam tourist board has an excellent website. Good for a rainy day.

Any bicycle riders in the family? It's not recommended for Amsterdam, especially for a child, but if you get to Bruges and its a nice day, you might consider renting bikes. Families do it in Delft too. Might be a nice break from standard sightseeing.

Do be carefl in Amsterdam not to walk in the bike lanes and to watch out for the trolleys.

sandralist

As for hotels, do your research for the all the cities and towns on booking.com and read reviews.

PalenQ

I think we picked up the keukenhof bus from Haarlem.>

Yes Bus #100 from the station and city centre goes right by the entrance and then onto Leiden I think - it goes right thru the smack of the flower fields too - sweet!

Otherwise shuttle buses to Keukenhof go constantly from Leiden train station and less often from Schiphol Airport I think. Combo tickets I think can combine amsterdam to Leiden then bus to garden show bus and entry ticket and back to Amsterdam.

As for your train questions like baggage, etc I always highlight these IMO superb sites for possible answers: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. There is a Benelux Railpass but you have to be taking some long trips to make it pay and not valid on Thalys without a large supplement but if taking up to five more than an hour trips check it out.

1st class is a lot easier with bags as there are IME far fewer folks traveling in it - I have seen SRO many times in the past in 2nd class on IC trains out of Brussels to Holland and inside Holland during rush hours.

tonfromleiden

»...that place is well connected by train«.
Don't worry. All the cities you might be considering will have excellent rail connections, and by excellent I mean at least every half hour. Check at the websites of the respective national railways: www.ns.nl and www.nmbs.be (both with English-language buttons).
More important is the distance between hotel and station. You want it to be an easy 10-minute walk, not an logistic operation with buses and/or taxis.

dwdvagamundo

I'd think about the Hague and Delft instead of Rotterdam: If you're into art, go to Maruitshuis museum to see the Vermeers and then go to Delft and you can stand right where he stood when he painted the View of Delft.

Also concur that you've got too much time in very expensive Bruges. However, I would not day trip there because (I understand) the mammoth crowds of daytrippers leave at nite so you can stroll around then and the next morning without feeling like cattle. We're going soon and have decided to stay one nite, so I hope I'm accurate in this understanding.

You should also think about going to Antwerp.

Elisabeth54

You already received lots of suggestions. Just a few practical notes from me.
Be informed that (the evening of) May 4th is national Remembrance day in the Netherlands. At 8 pm the king and queen will lay a wreath at the national monument on the Dam in Amsterdam and the whole country observes a two minute silence.

With regard to your question if the tulips are still expected to be in bloom at Keukenhof. This depends of course on the weather during the previous Winter. I have seen tulips (and other beautiful Spring flowers) in bloom anywhere between the end of March and the mid-May.

Different off the beaten track suggestions: Amsterdam: do take the (free) ferry across the IJ river (behind Central Station) and visit the EYE film museum if only for the view over the water. Take a regional bus from the Central Station and visit the little town of Monnickendam (only 20 min. by bus) to see the oldest working carillon in the world and enjoy some freshly smoked eel or mackerel. On the way back get off the bus and visit quaint Broek in Waterland.

Amsterdam museums such as the Rijksmuseum, van Gogh, Stedelijk, etc. etc. will take a lot of your time but boy are they worth it! Don't just limit yourself by seeing only Rembrandt's Nightwatch but also take a look at the 18th century doll houses. In preparation read Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist. Downstairs you will find the awesome collection of medieval art. Lots to do!!! Enjoy.

PalenQ

Rotterdam is one of my very favorite Dutch cities - ain't much old-woirld romance here outside of the quaint Delftshavn section (from where I guess the Pilgrims departed for the New World after fleeing here after persecution in England) but

Rotterdam is stunning in its avant-garde architecture - some of the finest most well-done on the planet - the town center is very pedestrian friendly and there are several sweet museums - like the Ship museum on the port;

in front of it is a Gromins Theatre Hollywood walk with famous folks' hand prints embedded in the cement

really nice art museums - especially modern art and architecture plus some old tradition Flemish ones too - take a ride up EuroMast a high tower overlooking Europe's busiest port for a bird's eye view of for miles around.

Take a boat to nearby Kinderdijk and Holland's largest collection of windmills.

Rotterdam has loads of stuff other cities lack - Rotterdam football fans can even tour the museum in the local soccer stadium.

Delft is just a few miles away so easily twinned with R'dam.

PalenQ

Rotterdam in pictures - note the views of the sprawling port - go up the Maas Tower or whatever they call it for a sweet view of it all and it seems most of Holland.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...erdam%20images