Hi again, Twiggers. Booking.com is fine, in fact I used booking.com to book our den Hague stay, and I've used it at least once on about every trip where I've been "on the move". Booking.com has been very clear about what is included in their rates.

However, I don't use it exclusively. I have been using the TripAdvisor "check rates" buttons a lot. That way I can determine several viable hotels in any location, check all the booking engine rates via the "check rates" button, and go with the service that offers us the best rate for the best room for your needs.

Visiting - The official website of the Amsterdam Tourism ...
The official Amsterdam Tourist Board website with information on attractions, history and highlights, hotel and excursion bookings, events and exhibitions ...
www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting

don't forget to check the Amsterdam tourist office (VVV) for their hotel-booking as they book the whole realm of hotels - compare price with online booking for example.

You can also download free walking tours of some of the dreamier canals, etc.

Thanks Alessandra & Palenque.

Here is my detailed itinerary. Am I missing something? Too much crammed into a day? Should I organize differently?

Day 1 (Thursday):
Arrive early PM
Pick up transit pass @ Centraal station
Train to centre city
Check in to hotel
Canal tour
Coffee shop + dinner

Day 2 (Friday)
Breakfast
Anne Frank House
Tram to Museumplein
Buy museumkaart
Van Gogh museum
Rijksmuseum
Tram back to centre
Dinner + coffee shop
Walk Red Light District

Day 3 (Saturday)
Early AM train to Hague
Mauritshuis
lunch
Binnenhof
Gevengenpoort
Grote kerk & old city hall
Royal Palace
train to delft
Nieuwe kerk & Oude kerk
wander around town
dinner in delft?
train to amsterdam
coffee shop stop

Day 4 (Sunday)
breakfast
train to Arnhem
Kroller-Muller
lunch
train to Amsterdam
rent bicycle
tour Jordaan & canals
visit Royal Palace

Day 5 (Monday)
breakfast
train to Haarlem
Grote Kerk
wander town
lunch in Haarlem
train to Amsterdam
afternoon to relax
visit Nieuw & Oude Kerk
dinner & coffee shop

Day 6 (Tuesday)
Breakfast
quick stop at coffee shop
train to Brussels

I like it very much though on Day 4 it may be a bit too much. First of all the quickest route i believe by train is to go to the Ede-Weiningen train station and take a bus from there to Kroller-Muller - but i would go one way and return another - say from Arnhem - where the bus from Kroller Muller comes down into Arnhem is one of Holland's most famous outdoor museums of old-time life - old buildings, demos - i would think museum pass would cover it.

Royal Palace may keep short Sunday hours and anyway it is a real let down for anyone thinking of a sumptous Royal Palace

rather than renting a bicycle to tour the Jordaan and canals i would walk along them - they are not really long and renting and returning bikes take time - i prefer walking along them so you can easily ponder the various facades - Englandersgraacht (sp?) is one cutesy Jordaan canal.

Thanks Palenque....I'm hoping that the wandering through Jordaan will be done on another day, but I threw it there just in case.

I think if it comes down to it, Haarlem might get tossed. I'm just not reading a lot that appeals to me, but at the same time I feel like it's almost an obligation to visit it!

Oh, and I said bike rental because my husband isn't a huge walker and I don't want to wear him out!

So, now I am working on the Belgium part of the trip. I am leaning towards axing Antwerp from the itinerary. I am really more into the medieval/castle thing and the only thing that jumped out at me about Antwerp was one of the churches.

I am seeing all these castles though and would love to figure out a way to visit one of them (I will visit the one in Ghent). Hubby has expressed an interest in castles, so I want to appease him!

Right now it seems like it might be:

Day 6 (Tuesday): Brussels

Day 7 (Wednesday): Brugges (stay until evening)

Day 8 (Thursday): Ghent

That leaves me Friday and Saturday for Luxembourg/Vianden/Trier.

Or I could combine Ghent & Brugges....Ghent in the very early AM and then Brugges in the afternoon/evening?

I'd leave Bruges for a whole day - a leisurely day wandering around the old canals lined by ancient Flemish facades of warehouses extant from days when Bruges was one of Europe's most important and largest cities and ports - until it was silted up and left high and dry - leaving the gateway for Antwerp to take over as the major port in the area.

Many folk who go to Bruges only see basically the Markt Square with huge belfry and though it is one of the finest in Europe many tourists never get out into the very old canals north and west of the main square - really quiet area as opposed to the tourist mobs in the main square.

And taking the boat tour thru the canals is fun, especially on a nice day.

Gent is really IMO Bruges Light - but perhaps you are interested in the fabled art in Gent's cathedral and museums - Bruges has a lot of that too.

Actually for Flemish Masters you'd probably also want to go to Antwerp.

And personally i'd bse in Bruges and day trip to Brussels or Gent, etc. Bruges is especially delightful at night when all the old facades and bridges are wondrously floodlit - the town really becomes so so romantic at night, after the tourist hoardes have gone.

Brussels is a big loud city with IMO nearly no old-world charm - it is a major world capital, being the HQ of the EU, etc and has fine restaurants, etc. but none of the charm of a Bruges.

That leaves me Friday and Saturday for Luxembourg/Vianden/Trier.>

Are you planning these as day trips from Brussels - hopefully not - too far and Luxembourg City itself is one of the most gorgeously gorgeous in all of Europe as a deep wide gorge lovingly bisects the town.

Trier is a short train ride as is Vianden, which you will find more romantic than Trier, whose attractions are some of the most historic in Europe but the town itself was blitzed in WW2 so lost most of its old-world charm - even though the main pedestrian zone is rebuilt rather pleasantly.

Vianden has the small town feel and the castle of your dreams.

Palenque: Very interesting perspective re Belgium. That makes sense re Brugges being a full day. Perhaps I could do the half-day in Ghent and take the train from there to Luxembourg?

I'll look into logistics of Brugges being the base city. I figured Brussels would be easier in terms of trains and might be cheaper for hotels (more of a selection on priceline if I decide to go back that way).

Yes, Luxembourg City will serve as the base. I am not dead set on Trier as a day trip, but since it is so close it does make sense.

If I left Ghent in the early afternoon on Thursday then I could make it into Luxembourg and have the evening there. I seem to be so interested in Ghent because of the castle, and I really want to get some castles in for my husband.

Vianden is definitely a must because of the castle.

My flight on Sunday is likely early morning, which means I need to be back to Brussels Saturday night.

Or.....I could fly back from Luxembourg. The price isn't too bad, it just means an extra connection in Amsterdam. So it depends whether I want the extra time on Saturday. But I'm getting ahead of myself....need to figure out the Belgium itinerary.

I do get the sense that Brussels is more of a half-day kind of place. There isn't a ton that I want to do there.

I seem to be so interested in Ghent because of the castle, and I really want to get some castles in for my husband>

the Gent castle is not the castle of your dreams but a rather un-romantic fortress surrounded by the town centre - it does have a torture museum in it however. But i would not go to Gent just to see a castle - Gent has Bruges-like canals and a flock of great Flemish Masters art in museums and the cathedral if that is your bag.

Yes, I am also interested in the cathedral & alter. Not sure that I am really that interested in Flemish art. I'm really more of an impressionist/expressionist kind of person.

I"m really thinking that Ghent is a place I can visit in a couple of hours and then hop on the train to Luxembourg City.

yes i agree with that about Gent and then ending up in Luxembourg City.

Palenque, I have a personal question to ask you on Belgium and Luxembourg. Please contact me at [email protected]. It has to do with your expertise on the two countries. Thanks very much..James

Thanks Palenque! I'm not completely abandoning the idea of Brugges as a base, but I'm almost thinking that Brussels is the kind of place that you don't need an entire day to enjoy, but you want to be there at night. So making it a day trip from Brugges wouldn't be so great.
On the other hand, Brugges seem to be a great "all day" place and staying into the evening is a must.
So basing in Brussels and having a half day there upon arrival from Amsterdam might be enough.

On the other hand, giving up Ghent would save me some time/energy/resources. How great is that cathedral & castle? Will I get my fill from having time in Brussels and Brugges?

Well the cathedral is great but there are so so many great cathedrals in the Lowlands. I was never too overwhelmed by the castle - which to me does not look like a castle at all.

Maybe you take a train from Brussels to Gent - take a short look at the cathedral and castle (adjoining each other i believe) and hop on the train to Bruges and stay there as long as want and return to Brussels

Brussels puts you closer to Luxembourg the next day

Gent and Bruges are only a few minutes apart by rail.

Palenque: Hmmmm, that might be a good compromise, since I am planning on staying in Brugges a little later to be there in the evening.

James49 - i would entertain your question here as i do not do e-mail for various reasons. Ask your question here (unless too personal i guess) and then also others may give different points of view or may benefit from it.

cheers

"thinking that Brussels is the kind of place that you don't need an entire day to enjoy, but you want to be there at night. So making it a day trip from Brugges wouldn't be so great."

It depends upon what you want in a city. I would go back to Brussels but if I never returned to Bruges, I'd be fine.
Brussels is a vibrant city and has a lot to offer a busy traveler; great art and architecture.
Where Bruges is just a pretty little village with lots of tourists.

Hey twiggers - Since your husband wants to visit castles, have you considered a trip to Muiderslot while you're in Amsterdam? It's a quick train/bus ride from Centraal Station. Muiderslot is the quintessential medieval castle.

Here's a description from their website (translated):

Muiderslot is a genuine medieval moated castle, a square castle with a drawbridge, five towers, battlements and embrasures.

www.muiderslot.nl

When we were there over a decade ago the tour was in Dutch only, but they did provide an English handout to follow along. It looks like now they have an English audio tour available at the giftshop.

Robyn :)>-

Robyn: Oh wow....I didn't even see that! Hmmmmm.....where could I fit that into my itinerary? LOL!!!!

I am really thinking that people were right when they said you could plan a 2 week vacation just in the Netherlands alone!