NarelleN

Would love any ideas/advice on itinerary for 7 days. Arrive in Amsterdam, from Australia, on 2nd December and leave from Brussels to Tallinn on 13th. Family of 3 (1 x 16 yr old). First time visitors. Enjoy outdoor activities, museums, culture, local sights, photography. Happy to do full days and evenings. Will be using buses/trains/ferries.
Will definitely book Anne Frank House ASAP. Amsterdam light festival looks interesting. From reading through threads here Rotterdam and other smaller towns might be worth our look. Any ideas on an itinerary to see a few different places across the 2 countries?
Thanks

lavandula

In Brussels there is a 'Christmas' market (Winter Wonderland) which I believe is open across this period, although not sure of specifics on dates. Your best bet in Brussels at this cold time of year is museums. I like the Museum of Musical Instruments, the Horta Museum, the comic strip museum, and maybe the Atomium (you can go inside). Near to the Atomium is Mini-Europe, but that is outdoors, and if you aren't museumed-out by then, two more indoor museums are Autoworld and the military museum (in Parc Cinquantenaire). Skip the chocolate museum, it's a bit lame, but go instead for the chocolate shops in Galeries St.-Hubert or Place du Grand Sablon. And you might like a gaufre (waffle) at Dandoy in Rue Charles Buls.

Spend two - three days in Brussels, another one in Antwerp and pick one of Bruges, Ghent (or if interested in Australian WWI history, Ieper (Ypres)). Bruges and Ghent are both beautiful, but Bruges is more fairytale and (really) much more touristed, while Ghent is a living city but still picturesque. If you pick Ieper, think about doing a battlefields tour to maximise the experience.

Lavandula

janisj

I personally would not plan on many/any outdoor activities . . . and if you are really really lucky with the weather, consider it a bonus. But the short days, cold/damp weather and possible snow -- perfect museum and cafe weather . . .

I'd consider a couple of nights in Bruges, a couple of nights in either Ghent or Rotterdam and 3 nights in Amsterdam.

Macross

We did a day tour in Ypres with a man named Patrick. 2Xplore Flanders Fields-Battlefield tours in December last year. It was worth every euro. Ir was about a 6 hour tour and we met him in the tourist office. The tours in December are few so the private tour was great. Ypres has a Christmas market but the Menin gate is so impressive and worth a stop. If going by train it is all walkable and we never even used our down jackets in December. Temps were around 50 degrees.
Brussels had a very good market and we loved just walking around. We, of course, had to go to Delirium cafe, do during the day and not so busy. The wifi password is bewareofpickpockets. My favourite food was the fries and waffles from vendors. We loved the cheese pairings with beer and it was about the beer for us in Brussels.
Nothing really caught my eye in any of the markets but loved the Oxfam felt Christmas ornaments. We were close to one by our hotel. We stayed on Blvd Anspach in a nice hotel but I roasted. They do love their floor heating but I could not breathe. Get a room with a window,

NarelleN

Thanks Macross. Will definitely look into the private tours.

NarelleN

Thank you Janis

NarelleN

Thanks Lavandula. Have noted your museum ideas for us to look into. Chocolate and gaufre are on the must sample list.