BENELUX / Republic of Ireland

Old Apr 9th, 2015, 08:06 AM
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BENELUX / Republic of Ireland

I am planning a trip for May 2015 and want to know if this sounds like a feasible plan.

5/10: depart the states for Dublin
5/11: arrive Dublin and fly to Brussels to go to Luxembourg (the flights from DUB to LUX were too expensive)
5/12: see Luxembourg City
5/13: Luxembourg to Brussels
5/14: Brussels
5/15: Brussels to Bruges
5/16: Bruges
5/17-5/23: Bike/Barge tour from Bruges to Amsterdam
5/23: Amsterdam
5/24: Amsterdam
5/25: Amsterdam
5/26: Amsterdam to Dublin
5/26-6/1: travel around the Republic of Ireland
6/2: return to the states

Is any of this too much or not enough time in one place? Any recommendations on places to stay in Luxembourg City, Bruges, Brussels, Amsterdam and around Ireland? Any sites NOT to miss? Are The Hague, Delft or Rotterdam good for day trips from Amsterdam or worth staying over to see? As nothing is set in stone quite yet, all dates except the Bike/Barge tour are changeable.
I do have family in the UK and was wondering if it is possible to get some family time in. If not, that would be ok too (the only way I could see doing that would be taking a day away from Amsterdam and cutting down time in Ireland.)
ilarin is offline  
Old Apr 9th, 2015, 09:39 AM
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Your itinerary is about as perfect for the time you have as possible. If you want to do a day trip from Amsterdam you have several neat choices - Haarlem right on Amsterdam's doorstep is a fine fine old town - the same day you could visit Zaanse Schans - the famous grouping of windmills between Amsterdam and Haarlem - actually a triangle - each accessible easily by train (Koog Zaandijk is the station a short walk from Zaanse Schans) -

or if into modern archcitecture Rotterdam - Delft could be combined with it - a neat old town famous for its Delftware Factory - the home of the famous porcelain - see the workshops, museums and buy seconds or firsts.

There are many other easy day trips from Amsterdam but Amsterdam has a raft of great sights itself.

Zaanse Schans images:
https://www.google.com/search?q=zaan...=1600&bih=1075
PalenQ is offline  
Old Apr 9th, 2015, 10:15 AM
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Zaanse Schans is normally overrun with tourist buses (especially Chinese tourists who can make the whole experience thoroughly miserable) in the spring and summer.

The Hague is a good day trip. Lots of interesting places to visit, such as the wonderful Mauritshuis, the Escher museum, Panorama Mesdag, the royal palaces, the Ridderzaal. Great to just wander around the city.

Rotterdam too is interesting, especially if you enjoy modern architecture. You could combine Rotterdam with the Kinderdijk windmills.
hetismij2 is offline  
Old Apr 9th, 2015, 10:20 AM
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Ilarin:

Looks like you have a great trip planned...coming up very shortly so you may very well have made reservations for lodgings...I'll just post below some "familiarization" pics that may still be a source of travel ideas in the countries you'll be visiting. Have a wonderful, meaningful, satisfying journey...and keep on truckin'....
stu tower
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Old Apr 9th, 2015, 10:29 AM
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If your flight to Brussels is by a budget airline, just keep in mind that you should allow lots of time between flights. You can't get these as an official connection, so if you miss the flight, you'll have to buy a new one at full last-minute price. You'll also have to collect your luggage and recheck it, and go through immigration, in Dublin.
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Old Apr 9th, 2015, 10:44 AM
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https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...russelsAntwerp

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...jijtPg8r6L6QE#

Ilarin: I would take a day from Amsterdam and add it to Ireland. I have not scanned my pre-digital Luxembourg pics yet. The city itself is sort of boring...some of the WW II sites in the countryside are worth seeing, though. Lodgings in Brugge and Amsterdam are in the pix...as for Dublin, we liked Staunton's on the Green, across the street from St. Stephen's Green--perfect location and quite reasonable these days.
tower is offline  
Old Apr 9th, 2015, 10:51 AM
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oops..forgot to add Ireland pics from my last trip there after three others. Love that country and it's people. Also included the North.

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...Ireland199602#
tower is offline  
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