London - Paris - Amsterdam trip planning help
 

Hello,
We (husband, wife and 2 kids (10 and 7) are going to Europe during the Spring break and would love to see London, Paris and Amsterdam. Paris being the dream of my daughter and Amsterdam for the Tulips. Here is the tentative plan:
March 22 - Arrive London around 10am by air and spend half a day day sightseeing
March 23 - Visit London
March 24- Visit London
March 25 - Visit London
March 26 - Train to Paris and spend half a day sightseeing
March 27 - Visit Paris
March 28 - Visit Paris
March 29 - Train to Amsterdam
March 30 - Visit Amsterdam
March 31 - Visit Amsterdam
April 01 - Visit Amsterdam
April 02 - Fly back home from Amsterdam

Need help with following:
I assume it is best to get point to point tkts?... any tips? Should we book now or wait for some promotion
We can move fast and have already been to Paris and Amsterdam so I am leaning towards adding Bruges for (1.5 - 2 days) - Will have to come from Amsterdam
Besides the must haves such as Tower Bridge, Eiffel Tower and Tulip gardens we want to spend some time in the nature so any suggestions for each city would be great.
As always thanks a bunch

I wouldn't add Bruges, you have barely any time in the places you are visiting! In fact, I'd cut a day from Amsterdam and add it to Paris. Paris has some lovely gardens, though March will be early, you may see some spring blooms.

I would just warn that the time for tulips may come later than what you have planned especially if the spring is cool that year. In other words, if you are pragmatic and take what comes, or doesn't, there will be less room for disappointment.

I assume it is best to get point to point tkts?... any tips? Should we book now or wait for some promotion>

Trains book ASAP - usually up to 90 days in advance but could be more for sweet discounted train fares - www.eurostar.com for to Paris and www.thalys.com for Paris-Bruges or Amsterdam. Check www.seat61.com for great advice on booking your own discounted tickets online - for general info www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Fares only go up on trains so book as soon as possible.

I agree it will likely be too early for tulips. You can track the blooming season on www.tulipsinholland.com

I also wouldn't add Bruges, as it's already a bit rushed.

I agree re: Bruges.

Our family of four did that same trip several years ago. It's a good mix of cities. We went London-Paris-Amsterdam, in that order. Taking the train between them.

Your kids would enjoy the Ceremony of the Keys, at the Tower in London.
https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-lond...ys/#gs.ddncL6Y

When we did it, tickets were free, but limited. It's a small group they allow. It's creepy cool to be there when the sun is going down and they are locking up.
If interested, get tickets ASAP.

Agree about clipping a day from Amsterdam and adding it to Paris.
www.seat61.com for all about trains.
www.skyscanner.com for one-way budget air.
https://www.ratp.fr/en for Paris public transit, including an interactive route planner.
www.parisbytrain.com Useful blog.
Google Maps is getting better at locations. Web address depends on where you are. Probably aps are available for most of these sites. Good practice for younger members of the group.

No idea when spring break is.
Check on the site if the keukenhof to see when the blooming is starting.
I never spent more than 2 days in Amsterdam.

The dates are in the post. For the OP Spring Break seems to be March 22 to April 2.

Keukenhof opens Mar 29, 2018 and sometimes tulips may bloom -all depends on weather but Keukehof has zillions of flowers showcasing products of Dutch Horticultural Industry:

https://keukenhof.nl/en/discover-the-park/open-2018/

Tulip prediction update for 2018 and last ten years -tulips may or may not be in bloom end of March but some will be in special hothouses at Keukenhof if not the vast fields surrounding it

https://tulipsinholland.com/faq-tuli...flower-update/

From Amsterdam best way to get to Keukenhof on your own is to take a train from Amsterdam to Leiden where shuttle buses meet trains to wisk you to the nearby Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse.

Another way is to go via Haarlem and bus right thru heart of flower fields to Keukenhof. Haarlem is a gem to explore -maybe go one way to gardens first and return via Haarlem?

A great way to tiptoe thru flower fields would be to take a train via Haarlem to Hillegom and from the station walk a few miles on side roads to Keukenhof -I did this and really walking right thru heart of flower fields. Stay out of fields themselves though!

Thanks for all your valuable input. I will start locking in the trains and places to stay (most like airbnb since hotel room typically accommodate no more than 3 per room). I understand it may be a little early for the tulip season which is why we kept Amsterdam for the last. Also from what I see Keukenhof opens from March 15 so hopefully we will be somewhat OK by March 29/30... however I agree the peak would the second week of April.

Instead of staying in Amsterdam and doing a day trip to see Keukenhof Gardens, is it possible to stay around somewhere around the Keukenhof and do a day trip to Amsterdam to seen Anne Frank etc.

however I agree the peak would the second week of April.>

Hard to tell - could be earlier - again refer to chart link I gave and you'll see sometimes tulips in full bloom time you are there.

Leiden would make a sweet regional/univeristy town to stay in if wanting place near Keukenhof but really relocating for one day takes so much time - it is really quick to commute to Keukenhof from Amsterdam - avoid weekends as when I was there one Sunday many locals flocked there.

Our family really enjoyed Amsterdam. We walked the lovely canal streets at all hours. It’s charming.

Look at the Hotel Residence Le Coin. It’s a great location, across from the Hotel l’Europe with cafes on the same block.

We had two connecting rooms. They have extra large rooms with kitchenettes.

I second the suggestion of exploring Haarlem, We did a day trip there from Amsterdam this June and loved it, calm and quiet with very few tourists.

A few years back we stayed at the Brouwer in Amsterdam, a lovely little gem on the Singel Canal, walking distance to most sites and close to the tram stop. They have a quad room, actually two rooms, but the hotel books up very fast. Just check and see if they have availability.

http://www.hotelbrouwer.nl/hoteleng.html

Haarlem is just about 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam- easy to include a half- or full-day there into an Amsterdam stay and see a real Dutch regional town - gorgeous canal-laced town. It even has its own 'Anne Frank House' in Corrie t'Boom House:

https://www.corrietenboom.com/

And the Frans Hal Museum is in a lovely old convent.

Stay in Leiden. Two great museums for kids: the ethnographic museum and the antiquities museum. And many good, but rather cheap eateries, because it's a university town. And you can visit the spot where Rembrandt was born.

Yeh Leiden is sweet - old canal-laced town - maybe stay in Amsterdam first three nights - then relocate to Ledien and do Keukenhof and then as Leiden is a short train ride to Schiphol Airport easy to get there.