40ish couple celebrating our 29th anniversary will travel to Europe for the first time the second and third week of Sept. 2010. I am starting very late for this trip and need your help. We have 12 days and would like to see the scenery, castles, waterfalls, rivers and some larger cities for their architecture and an art museum or two . We want to see Germany's Black Forest so we may rent a car for that. We also want to tour Belgium and the Netherlands for their highlights. Will most likely fly on American Airlines from Texas into maybe Frankfurt. Will you please suggest where to fly into and out of and a possible itinerary for moving around the 3 countries and where to stay with a mid-range budget? So far, I think I want to see Triberg, some castles in the Bavarian Alps, Amsterdam, Brugge, Haarlem and Antwerp. I would love to take advantage of your knowledge since I've little time for research. Thank you for any recommendations and please excuse my spelling.

If you see the castles in the Rhine/Mosel river area of Germany flying into Frankfurt would be the best option. That area is also closest to Belguim/Netherlands.

You can stay in Amsterdam or Haarlem and see the other city as a daytrip. You can also stay in Brugge and see Antwerp as a daytrip from there.

If you stay in the Rhine area we stayed in St Goar and loved it. Easy connection to the train/ferry transportation and had lots of budget B&B's.

I personally would spend at least 3 nights in all the locations you listed. Probably 4 for Amsterdam if you are doing a daytrip to Haarlem.

Thank you lindy27. Would you recommend flying back out of Frankfurt as well? I don't have a clear view of what order to travel through the areas and countries. Do you know of any good maps that would show all 3 countries together with enough detail to plan our route? Also, my husband isn't a fan of B&B's, but small hotels are fine.

If you go to google.earth you can get an idea but imo, nothing beats a good map or even one from the AAA store if you're a member.

Going up the Rhine towards Brussels and Amsterdam is a nice trip, but it doesn't take you through the Black Forest.

You mentioned, "Triberg, some castles in the Bavarian Alps, Amsterdam, Brugge, Haarlem and Antwerp."

If you're going from Triberg to the Alps, you're going pretty far out of the way from Amsterdam.

Will you have 12 days total or will 2 of those days be used for traveling?
We spent more than a week in the Black Forest and still could go back for more. You might consider spending your time in Germany and save the Belgium and the Netherlands for another trip.
That's easily a two week trip.

Even on the trip from Amsterdam to Brussels we flew open jaws. By the time you spend the train fare and your vacation time on the train, it's just easier to fly in one city and out the other.

Take a look at the map and also read some itineraries in on travel websites to you can get a better idea of how to spend your time.

I guess where we stayed was as small hotel. It was run by a guy who rented out rooms but they weren't in his home.

Here is a railmap with Benelux and Germany http://www.interrailnet.com/images/i...ap_germany.gif

If you can fly out of Amsterdam I would. When we did something similar we trained from Amsterdam to Cologne for a day before flying out from Frankfurt, because we saved several hundred dollars flying in/out of Frankfurt.

I personally would train to the Rhine area, about 90 minutes from the Frankfurt airport. Spend 3-4 nights with daytrips around the area.

Then I'd train to Bruges from 3-4 night and do daytrips. Then I'd end the time in Amsterdam. If you can't fly out of Amsterdam I would train to Cologne and see the Cathedral, it really is amazing and then train to the Frankfurt airport the day of your departure if it isn't too early.

I know that is eliminating the Black Forest but it is a bit out of the way.

Or I'd spend all the time in Germany. You could do the Black Forest, Rhine area, and Bavaria/Munich in 12 days.

Thanks for all the replys and suggestions. We have 12 days to visit and 2 additional for traveling to and from home. It looks like I've got some decisions to make about what we MUST see. I'll go by the AAA store to look for maps.

Come back and let us know. There's a wealth of information here.

Not too many waterfalls in the Netherlands, but there are castles.

Waterfalls in the Ardennes in Belgium, and castles too.

Do you hope to see more than just cities in the Netherlands or are you content with the usual Amsterdam/Haarlem/Delft type visit?

hetismij, other than Amsterdam, I got the idea to visit Haarlem and Delft from reading here. The towns sound pretty and we like looking through unique shops for nothing in particular. We like natural scenery and visit many Nat'l Parks in the US. I'd like to do some sort of canal or river trip: something romantic. I'll have to check on the falls in the Ardennes too. Thanks.

If traveling extensively by train except for the Black Forest (where several really scenic trains lines take you into its hinterlands without needing a car) then look at the Germany-Benelux railpasses - good in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg (in between Trier and Belgium do not neglect to at least stop off here for a few hours to see one of the most physically gorgeous cities in Europe - as a deep wide gorge bisects the town) - hop on hop off practically any train anytime - total flexibility and as trains leave twice hourly for the most part in these countries everywhere you do not need schedules but just show up.

For lots of info on planning a rail trip in these countries i always spotlight these info-laden sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's excellent IMO European Planning & Rail Guide's chapters on Germany and Benelux for rail maps, possibile itineraries, etc.

I have traveled by train and passes in these countries for decades and can attest to how great the rail systems are - nothing comparable in the U.S.!

Not too many waterfalls in the Netherlands>

Is this the understatement of the year if not the millenium?

I think some hotel's shower must be the highest waterfall in Holland?

There is a famous waterfall in the Netherlands. Just not what you or I would recognise as such. 15 metres high it has, of course, been canalised and is not very attractive.

It is near Loenen in the Veluwezoom.

http://www.de-stoppelberg.nl/images/...almei20024.jpg

Many thanks to all. I really appreciate your input. Unfortunately, the airfare portion of our trip didn't work out and we are having to change our plans for this year. I will save the information you have provided and continue planning this trip for Sept. 2011. I will start booking everything as soon as allowed, so I hope to keep working on this. I picked up several books with maps from our library and even found a Michelin Europe spiral bound Atlas with a red cover. The cover is in English, but the maps seen to be in another language. It's a bit confusing. Thanks again and I'll be back.

If you're going to get a map, it's good to get one in the language of the country you'll be visiting.

Everyone has a story about the people who wanted to visit Florence, Italy but couldn't find it. They ended up having a lovely time in a place called Firenze, too bad they didn't find it sooner.

You'll also be able to google the places you want to visit with correct spellings.

A shame you are having to put off your trip, but at least you haven't cancelled it completely.
Keep reading and come back with any questions you have.

There is a famous waterfall in the Netherlands. Just not what you or I would recognise as such. 15 metres high it has, of course, been canalised and is not very attractive.

It is near Loenen in the Veluwezoom.

http://www.de-stoppelberg.nl/images/...almei20024.jpg

Well after seeing the photo i would not call this a waterfall a'tal - are you sure they do not pump water up top and have it tumble - i've seen lots bigger waterfalls at amusement parks - perhaps Duinrell at Wassenaar has a higher waterfall?

It used, once upon a time to be a proper waterfall. But the Dutch can't leave water to do it's own thing so they stuck it in a canal and tamed it. A shame but there you go. It is a natural fed fall though.

The only other one I know of isn't a waterfall at all but a street and area in Ulestraten in Limburg. That is so called because the valley was created by water.