Here I plan again....Amsterdam
 

I am back for some information as I start to plan my next adventure. I am just at the beginning stages. I have a week on the ground and two days to fly back and forth from North America. I am looking at August. I can get an open-jaw ticket so I thought I might take advantage of that and fly into Amsterdam and fly out of - well that is the question. I don't have much time and I don't travel whirlwind very well. In my experience, 4 days gives me a good feel for a city. Would this work for Amsterdam? I thought about Paris but the thought of having so little time in my favorite big city makes me feel sad, rather than excited.

I am sure someone must have had a similar trip and I have always been able to rely on fellow Fodorites for some valuable ideas and suggestions.

Why not stay a week in Amsterdam with side trips to other cities and towns? The Netherlands are small enough that day trips to Utrecht, Haarlem, The Hague, etc. are very feasible. You might want to take a look at my trip report from May-June; click on my name to find it.

Thanks Michael - I will take a look.

I, too, would recommend spending your week in Amsterdam. There are plenty of day trip possibilities to fill some of your days.

On the other hand, if you plan to do the two city route, I think 4 days would allow you to hit most of the highlights in Amsterdam and have a good feel for the city.

You could do Amsterdam and then Bruges - into A and return home from Brussels - less than an hour by train from Bruges.

In August a week in Amsterdam with side trips would be very pleasant. You could do a day at the beach in Bloemendaal if the weather is nice. Or go cycling along the Vecht river between Utrecht and Amsterdam.
Here is a nice cycling route;
http://www.routeyou.com/en-gb/route/...assen-49-km.nl

If you don't do 'whirlwind', as you say, I would stay put in Amsterdam for the time you have.

I agree with forgetting the open jaw itinerary although I enjoyed our one day in Brussels. Plenty of opportunity for day trips out of Amsterdam depending a LOT on your interests. I can think of things in Haarlem, Delft, Utrecht, The Hague, not to mention venturing along various parts of the coast.

It would be relaxed to stay in one general area for a week I think and The Netherlands are small enough for you to do that somewhat.

I agree with Michael above.

I really appreciate all your comment and suggestions. I think you have convinced me to stay in the Netherlands. I spent yesterday evening researching the train and bus times. It seems to good to be true to have so many great day trips in such close proximity to Amsterdam.

My interests are varied - museums, just meandering around absorbing the culture, people watching from patios and cafes - you get the idea.

I would like to try some cycling - I would be nervous to do this solo - so I would love some suggestions for tours.

Also, would an overnight somewhere make sense or stay on Amsterdam?

Thanks !

I would stay in Amsterdam unless there is something that attracts you on the eastern edges of the country, such as Groningen or Maastricht.

If I overnighted I'd do a two day tour to the Island of Texel and rent a B&B there. But book early, because august is holiday time. The month when we leave Amsterdam to the tourists a stay in the many areas of natural beauty that The Netherlands have to offer.

Another suggestion is Enkhuizen, visit to Zuiderzee Museum and perhaps a trip by sailing ferry to the semi-island of Urk.

http://www.willem-barentsz.nl/html/v...enkhuizen.html

Hello - I am reactivating this - so I have had some issues deciding upon this year's trip but I think I will do it. I have the following questions:

1. what coastal town to visit (no car)
2. stay overnight or not
3. Is Brugge worth a day?

Thanks so much!

Stay overnight where?

If the weather is fine, you could easily combine a visit to The Hague with Scheveningen, its beach resort. It's an easy ride on the tram (#9) from the Central Station.
This http://9292.nl/en# is a useful planner for all the public transport in the Netherlands.

Brugge involves a lot of travelling time: some 3 hrs when using the high speed Thalys or 4 hrs on the Intercity service. I would save it for another time and combine it with other destinations in Belgium, such as lively Gent and interesting Antwerpen.

I have been to Amsterdam a few times, as recently as just a few weeks ago. A week there would be far too long for me, personally (I spent five nights on my first visit, and that was too long).

I like Amsterdam to a point. It's an interesting city with a lot to see, but to me it lacks the charm of other beautiful European cities like Paris. Somehow it feels a tad drab after a while. On my recent trip (which ended in the Netherlands), I spent one night in Delft - which I LOVED(!) and two nights in Amsterdam, which was...pleasant. Staying overnight in Delft was so much more fun than staying in Amsterdam and doing a day trip to Delft.

I too would think about Bruges/Brussels and Amsterdam together. Bruges is smaller and more charming than Amsterdam at least in my view, though Bruges in August is probably so crowded it might be like a theme park. (So maybe Ghent instead of Bruges?) You could also take a cheap flight from Amsterdam to some other European city and then do your open jaw that way.

I just got back from Amsterdam and was also thinking of an overnight to Bruges in the end the fares were so high (as I was being uncharacteristicly go with the flow) that it wasn't worth the long expensive journey for such a short time. Will do it another time and combine Ghent etc.

I did go to Haarlem which sounds like your cup of tea, and I do believe you can continue on to the beach from there. But not 100% sure... Uretcht and Haarlem make great day trips, so close 15-20 mins on the train.

I think a lot of railway stations hire bikes so you could catch the train close to a coastal town and then cycle around. Research would be required though.

@ Andrew = "which was...pleasant. Staying overnight in Delft was so much more fun than staying in Amsterdam and doing a day trip to Delft "

What made Delft more fun? I looked at staying there too.

Delft is just a charming little town - feels in some way like a mini-Amsterdam, with canals but smaller buildings (except for the huge churches), fewer crowds...it's not a city without tourists, but Amsterdam feels like Tourist Central in many ways. Delft is so much more low-key and quiet by comparison.

I couldn't really get a feel for Delft's charm just by looking at the pictures ahead of time and wasn't even sure I wanted to visit Delft at all, but a few of my friends raved about it. They were so right.

<i>kelsey22 on Jun 25, 16 at 4:26pm
Hello - I am reactivating this - so I have had some issues deciding upon this year's trip but I think I will do it. I have the following questions:
1. what coastal town to visit (no car)
2. stay overnight or not
3. Is Brugge worth a day?</i>

1. Zandvoort is close to Amsterdam.
2. I stayed in Haarlem for 5 weeks last year. It's a bike ride to Zandvoort and a short train ride to Amsterdam.
3. A loooong day.

Asking about Brugge will get you lots of mixed replies. Personally, we made a plan to spend a day there and after a couple hours we hopped a train to Oostend on the coast and spent our favorite day of the whole trip there. Also loved our day in Delft. Had an amazing dinner on one of the canals. Hope to go back some day.

I stayed in Haarlem for a week and thought it was perfect - for me. I trained into Amsterdam two different days along with the commuters to see the museums and wander around the Jordaan area and a few others. For me, two days in Amsterdam was plenty. If you don't stay in Haarlem, I do recommend making a pilgrimage to the Jopenkirk. Eat upstairs (the bar food was not as good as their dinner menu). I would go back to Haarlem in a heartbeat.

I would say Brugge isn't worth the bother. Or the cost. All the while there are the wonderful "frozen in time" cities around the old Zuiderzee to explore: Hoorn, Enkhuizen. Or the old Hanseatic Cities along the IJssel river: Deventer, Zutphen, Zwolle, Kampen.

2.5 hours by train gets you to Groningen, already slightly more Scandinavian than Amsterdam. From there, the island of Schiermonnikoog is a daytrip away.

as hetismij and myself like pointing out: NL is so small, that a two hour train ride will get you to most parts of the country from Amsterdam.

Towns like Delft, or Leiden, or Haarlem are everywhere in the Netherlands.

Thank you for all your responses. It is a trip I have wanted to do - to the Netherlands that is...I was in Brugge when I was in my twenties and I loved it. I remember it but I was young. I think I have to take the plunge and buy the ticket.

I am a little late for accommodations though. Any suggestions? I would like to stay for 200 US ish....safe, not far from the action but not in the midst of it. A neighbourhood where I can wander at night and feel safe.

Thanks so much.

In Amsterdam? Why not book a lovely B&B in Haarlem or in Leiden, or in The Hague even.

Leiden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEfX40fP0GA

Haarlem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbBy2uvdNvA

Hoorn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr1vNHKpa6M

Enkhuizen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJSC06M9uM4

Deventer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqukkil25MY

Groningen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcgVeeQYL3A

I was traveling solo and stayed here for the full week in Haarlem. Loved it. Very safe. Easy walk to the train. http://www.bedandbreakfast-mya.com/en
Owners Roda and Albert were like old friends when I left.

Utrecht would be my choice: a beautiful city with more live in it than Haarlem, sits right on a train hub, so excursions are a doddle, entirely off the beaten path.