Itinerary help!
 

We will be in NEtherlands and Belgiun for 5 days in February. We are looking for some advice to fill a couple days...flying in and out of Amsterdam. Here's what we have so far:
Sat: Amsterdam
Sun: Amsterdam
Mon: ???
Tues: Brugges
Wed: ??? (but need to end up in the Amsterdam area to leave Thurs. am)
Some places we are thinking about: Haarlem, Zaanse Schans, Edam, Brussels, Delft. Basically which of these are worth to fill our Mon and Wed. with?? Are the little dutch towns worth going to in winter??
Thanks!!

I happen to think Haarlem is very special. It may be that it was my first stay in Europe for a 2 month long trip, but I really liked it there. Zaanse Schans is nice also. Very touristy but who cares. You get to watch someone make wooden shoes! I was there in the Spring so I went to Keukenhof and also the beach. I've heard great things about Leiden and people raved about Utecht. Maastricht is suppose to be great but thats far from A'dam. Overall, the netherlands is super. People are so nice and warm. Brussells is nice but Brugges is really nice. I am jealous!

If doing that type of travel investigate the Benelux Tourrail Pass giving five days of unlimited rail travel in a one-month period in all of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, from $122 per person in 2nd class. Call the European rail experts I use, Budget europe for details on the pass (800-441-9413) and also ask them for their free European Planning & Rail Guide which has a detailed chapter on Belgium and Holland detailing many of the places you mention. Bruges is exceptional, well worth the journey and Ansterp and Gent also. Brussels largely a dump as European cities go. Haarlem and Delft two of nicest, probably nicest Dutch regional towns. Edam is nice but small and not much there. Zaanse Schans is in suburban Amsterdam, a great open-air museum with old farms and windmills. Utrecht is a larger city, 30 mins from Amsterdam, also very nice. The trains in these countries are so nice, twice-hourly links to all major cities, why drive?

I have little use for Brussels so I would concentrate on the Dutch end of things. Delft & Leiden are nice. Maastricht is my favorite but that is too far for the time you have. There is also a town well north on the coast that is essentially an outdoor park. The name escapes me, can someone help ? It's in Hoorn perhaps ?

Haarlem is one of the nicest places I know. I think it is no more then 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station.
If you have a car, you can easily combine Zaanse Schans, Hoorn (on the IJsselmeer, the former Zuidezee), Enkhuizen (the same) Marken and Edam (also on the IJsselmeer)in one day. Except for Zaanse Schans, if you mis one of them because of lack of time, don't bother, the are in some way alike.
In Enkhuizen you can visit the Zuiderzee-museum, if opened in february. I'm not sure of that. In that (open air) museum they rebuilded a lot of houses that otherwise would have been destroyed on other places from the coast of de former Zuiderzee and made a museum of it. There a really working people in it. By the way, in Arnhem is a open air museum like that too. But there they got there old house and farms from al over the country. Worth a visit as well, but it will take a full day.

I'm envious of your itinerary. 2-3 days in Amsterdam is great; there's so much to see. The Rijksmusuem alone can take a good part of the day. Go to the touristy Pancake Bakery 2 blocks from the Ann Frank house. The indonesian pancake is delicious. Also, try to see BOOM Chicago! show. I regret I didn't have time to see it. Brugges is good for 2 days. Lovely is an understatement. I'd skip Brussels or allow only a day to see it. Happy travels.