12 nights: London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and what else?
Apr 3rd, 2015, 11:01 AM
#1
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12 nights: London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and what else?
My wife and I want to get back to London (it's been a while) and also spend some time in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Probably three nights in London and at least two in Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
We're trying to fill in the rest of the days. We thought Bruges for sure, but now we're hearing conflicting reports (way too touristy?). Brussels sounds kind of dull, but we wouldn't mind a lightning tour.
What would be a good combination of overnights and stopovers if we're making our way from London to Amsterdam, given that we'd be passing through Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp and Rotterdam, to name only the bigger destinations?
(We're also considering tacking on a night in Reykjavik or a night or two in Stockholm on the end, if that's not pushing things.)
This would be in August, if that matters.
We're trying to fill in the rest of the days. We thought Bruges for sure, but now we're hearing conflicting reports (way too touristy?). Brussels sounds kind of dull, but we wouldn't mind a lightning tour.
What would be a good combination of overnights and stopovers if we're making our way from London to Amsterdam, given that we'd be passing through Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp and Rotterdam, to name only the bigger destinations?
(We're also considering tacking on a night in Reykjavik or a night or two in Stockholm on the end, if that's not pushing things.)
This would be in August, if that matters.
Apr 3rd, 2015, 11:57 AM
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I'd suggest that the three cities you have named are plenty for 12 nights. Remember that it takes four nights to get three full days in a place. Two nights is just one full day. So 12 nights would give you three full days in each of your cities, which I think is an absolute minimum for any major city.
Your thoughts about adding all of these other destinations makes me think you have forgotten about transit time. Each time you change locations you lose a minimum of half a day, but usually much of a day (think of the time from when you check our of your lodgings in one city until you've checked in in the next city - transit time isn't just how long the train or flight takes!
Your thoughts about adding all of these other destinations makes me think you have forgotten about transit time. Each time you change locations you lose a minimum of half a day, but usually much of a day (think of the time from when you check our of your lodgings in one city until you've checked in in the next city - transit time isn't just how long the train or flight takes!
Apr 3rd, 2015, 12:53 PM
#5
3 nights London = 2.5 at least partially jet lagged days
2 nights Copenhagen = 1.5 days
2 nights A'dam = 1.5 days
Not enough time in any of the three so I agree - add at least a night to all 3 London/Amsterdam/Copenhagen - and more to London if you want to see much. As long as you want to re-visit London, even if you have already exhausted it on previous trips, I'd still do 4 nights there simply because of the jet lag on the front end.
2 nights Copenhagen = 1.5 days
2 nights A'dam = 1.5 days
Not enough time in any of the three so I agree - add at least a night to all 3 London/Amsterdam/Copenhagen - and more to London if you want to see much. As long as you want to re-visit London, even if you have already exhausted it on previous trips, I'd still do 4 nights there simply because of the jet lag on the front end.
Apr 3rd, 2015, 01:33 PM
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We hadn't forgotten jet lag and travel time, but thanks for the caution. We do tend toward what we call "lightning tours," so aside from London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and maybe Stockholm, we're thinking of the train equivalent of a long layover, for lunch and a walk around.
We're also planning this trip as an alternative to a Baltic cruise on which we were feeling bait-and-switched by recent policy changes and nickel-and-diming fees, so we're thinking a day and a night sounds like a long time compared with eight hours off the boat.
Would Antwerp be better than Rotterdam for a quick stop?
We're also planning this trip as an alternative to a Baltic cruise on which we were feeling bait-and-switched by recent policy changes and nickel-and-diming fees, so we're thinking a day and a night sounds like a long time compared with eight hours off the boat.
Would Antwerp be better than Rotterdam for a quick stop?
Apr 3rd, 2015, 02:37 PM
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<i>We thought Bruges for sure, but now we're hearing conflicting reports (way too touristy?</i>
Bill, try to take in Brugge. Yes, it's "touristy" (the most overused word used on Fodors.......but have you ever wondered why a place is considered "touristy"..it's because there's something there worth seeing or doing, or experiencing...that's why people flock there...and every Fodorite is a "tourist"...we have to accept that. Try Brugge, you won't be sorry. Happy travels!
Bill, try to take in Brugge. Yes, it's "touristy" (the most overused word used on Fodors.......but have you ever wondered why a place is considered "touristy"..it's because there's something there worth seeing or doing, or experiencing...that's why people flock there...and every Fodorite is a "tourist"...we have to accept that. Try Brugge, you won't be sorry. Happy travels!
Apr 9th, 2015, 09:49 AM
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I spent 3 nights in Copenhagen a couple of years ago and which I had had more time. Look into some of the easy day trips. We took the train to visit Elsinore Castle and Louisiana Museum of Art. The transport is really easy, and the countryside was beautiful.
Apr 10th, 2015, 03:53 PM
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Bill...these may help you indoctrinate yourselves to an initial knowledge of attractions in three countries aside from your guide books.The old saying, "a picture is worth....."
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...jijtPg8r6L6QE#
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Denmark#
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...russelsAntwerp
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...jijtPg8r6L6QE#
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Denmark#
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...russelsAntwerp
Apr 10th, 2015, 04:04 PM
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Bill:
Three Hotel recs
see pix for each)
Copenhagen: Ibsen's Hotel...nice location a block from the lakes, easy walk to town.
Am'dam: The Seven Bridges on Regulier Canal..a few blocks to the Rijks Museum and the Diamond District, easy walk to the Dam.
Brugge: The Egmont on it's own beautiful, spacious grounds and the tranquil, picturesque Minnewater.. Ten minute plesant walk to Gros Markt Square, Bell Tower and downtown Brugge.
Three Hotel recs
see pix for each)Copenhagen: Ibsen's Hotel...nice location a block from the lakes, easy walk to town.
Am'dam: The Seven Bridges on Regulier Canal..a few blocks to the Rijks Museum and the Diamond District, easy walk to the Dam.
Brugge: The Egmont on it's own beautiful, spacious grounds and the tranquil, picturesque Minnewater.. Ten minute plesant walk to Gros Markt Square, Bell Tower and downtown Brugge.
Apr 11th, 2015, 02:43 AM
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Even with "just" London, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen, this trip sounds very rushed to me. Bruges is lovely (even though it draws many tourists), but you might not have time for it! I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together. I think you are going to have to trim your aspirations a bit.... JMO.
Apr 12th, 2015, 04:52 AM
#17
Would Antwerp be better than Rotterdam for a quick stop?
Well Rotterdam is not that great (massive, but very much an everyday city) apart from tiny areas like Brielle which is lovely old town with massive church, moated walls and a yacht and fishing boat harbour which probably would take up an afternoon. BTW Brielle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brielle only has 16000 citizens while Rotterdam is wayyyy bigger.
Antwerp not so bad (certainly much nicer than Rotterdam) but I would prefer Ghent if I wanted to visit a city. I'll let you look at Ghent.
Bruges is also of interest to many people, I saw the film before I visited and while the streets tend to be a bit busy with tourists the town has a number of attractions.
1) Canals
2) Brass shells set into the pavement indicating it is on the Camino (for those who think it starts in Spain
)
3) A lovely little lace museum with church attached
4) The tower (see the film)
5) The unique buildings that used to offer cloistered type housing for women to retain their possessions at a time when women did not have such rights across Europe.
6) Waffles
7) Beer (note that generally Dutch beer is poor while Belgium beer is the best)
Your speed amazes me, (maybe it's my age). August is a good time to travel as much of the north of Europe heads south for the beach.
Other thoughts, if you go to Bruges, take a trip out to Damme, another small canal fortified medievel town, odd sort of outer road but lovely in the ped area.
Well Rotterdam is not that great (massive, but very much an everyday city) apart from tiny areas like Brielle which is lovely old town with massive church, moated walls and a yacht and fishing boat harbour which probably would take up an afternoon. BTW Brielle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brielle only has 16000 citizens while Rotterdam is wayyyy bigger.
Antwerp not so bad (certainly much nicer than Rotterdam) but I would prefer Ghent if I wanted to visit a city. I'll let you look at Ghent.
Bruges is also of interest to many people, I saw the film before I visited and while the streets tend to be a bit busy with tourists the town has a number of attractions.
1) Canals
2) Brass shells set into the pavement indicating it is on the Camino (for those who think it starts in Spain
)3) A lovely little lace museum with church attached
4) The tower (see the film)
5) The unique buildings that used to offer cloistered type housing for women to retain their possessions at a time when women did not have such rights across Europe.
6) Waffles
7) Beer (note that generally Dutch beer is poor while Belgium beer is the best)
Your speed amazes me, (maybe it's my age). August is a good time to travel as much of the north of Europe heads south for the beach.
Other thoughts, if you go to Bruges, take a trip out to Damme, another small canal fortified medievel town, odd sort of outer road but lovely in the ped area.
Apr 12th, 2015, 05:25 AM
#18
Two other towns you might like in this sort of area are in Zealand, Middleburg and Veere, the delights of Middleburg include a ram-ship from the 1850s while Veere has one humongous church (one of the bigger piles of brick in Western Europe) again canals acting as fortification, cobbles old houses and some nice B&Bs. The town has a terrible history. When the floods of the 50s came along it was the people of Veere who paid the highest price.
I'd jsut stop for couple of hours
I'd jsut stop for couple of hours
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