jlbartley

I'm going to be in this area of Europe in September and will have 16 solid days of travel (I've cut out flight days from this time.) We're flying into Berlin and out of Brussels. Both of us tend to like smaller cities rather than large but want to spend some time in some of the more frequented large cities like Berlin.

What would your itinerary be? What cities would you go to and why? How many days would you spend in Berlin?

We're thinking of staying in approx. 5 towns and seeing the cities and smaller areas around them. Let me know what you would do and what your favorites are.

traveller1959

This might be an itinerary:

4 days Berlin (including a day trip to Potsdam)

2 days in the Harz (Wernigerode and Quedlinburg)

3 days in Münster (exploring castle country)

3 days in Amsterdam

2 days in Brugge including a trip to Gent

2 days in Brussel

This can easily be done either by train or by car.

Ivy

I loved Berlin, but I am museum lover. Are you? if so, then 3-4 days in Berlin is good because of the museums (pergamon is a must). If you don't love museums though, I would cut it down from 4 days to 2. For small towns, Bruge can't be beat. and Brussels is so charming, it feels like a small town. Have been all over europe and the grand place is still my favorite town square.

jlbartley

Thanks for the feedback. I enjoy museums but wouldn't say that I love them. I'd probably take in a few but like the idea of side trips from Berlin.

I would love to see some more ideas from people. Please give me more advice! Thanks.

What do people think of Luxembourg? Is it worth the time or would my time be better spent in other areas?

libssmfamily

I'm traveling to Europe in July... Flying into and out of Frankfurt, Germany. We'll be visiting the Rhine Valley, Heidelberg, Rothenburg, Munich (850 years old this year!), Salzburg (Austria), Berchtesgaden, Konigssee, Garmisch, Fussen, Schwarzwald, Freiburg... Then into France; Strasbourg, Ribeauville, Colmar, Epernay and Paris... Then we're off to Belgium; Oostende, Brugge, Ghent and Antwerp. Crossing over to Netherlands; haven't chosen which city/town we'll stay in (yet). From there we'll head to Northern Germany; Bremen, Cuxhaven, Itzehoe, Hamburg, possibly Walsrode, and back to the Rhine Valley (Wiesbaden and Rudesheim). We originally planned to go from Belgium to Luxembourg (heard the gas is cheapest in Luxembourg and we should fill up there), but we are expected up north to visit relatives and Luxembourg was out of the way. It's going to be easier for us to drive through the Netherlands to Northern Germany. I based most of my travel plans on previous experience and a few travel guides. You could spend all 16 days in each one of the countries you listed. The Flemish I know told me that I should spend a whole month in Belgium - eating, walking and drinking. And I heard similar reports regarding Luxembourg. Despite their small size, there's a lot of history in each country. From The Crusades to Napoleon to WWI and WWII. I would recommend checking out books at your local library on each country. I learned a great deal about the regions within each country and decided against traveling in the industrial parts of each country. I'd rather see greenery than soot. I also suggest using Google maps if you are driving. Or check train routes and look for cities/towns or villages that are close to that route. Some towns in Germany have walking paths connecting hotels. You leave your luggage and the hotel delivers them to the next hotel while you walk. In Belgium, most cities worthwhile are within 30-45 minutes of Brussels by train or car. You could book a hotel there and take day trips elsewhere. This may be convenient for your flight home.

Lawchick

Libssmfamily...how long is your trip? I hope it's not just the month of July.

libssmfamily

Coming back at the end of August.

global_guy

Jlbartley...
What things do you like? If for instance you like contemporary arts and fashion and a trendy scene, I would suggest that you visit Antwerp., but if you suggest some of your interests, I'll be happy to make some more specific recommendations.

As for Luxembourg? There are some nice hikes in Luxembourg and it's worth visiting if you are spending lots of time in the region (I've lived in Belgium and the Netherlands) but I wouldn't see it at the expense of other places that you'd have to pass up on to see it.

For a small city near Brussels with lots of charm, I like Leuven. It's a small but vibrant university town with a World Heritage section.

Utrecht in the Netherlands isn't particularly small, but I find it to be more charming than Amsterdam. It's worth a day trip too.

BTilke

If you go to Brussels, please do NOT have dinner in the restaurants around the Grand'Place. They are ok, nothing really wrong with them, but there are so many wonderful restaurants with great neighborhood ambience in other areas that you will do far better (for roughly the same price) by heading out to the Chatelain/Tenbosch part of Ixelles or the Stockel/Parc Woluwe area of Woluwe St. Pierre. They are much prettier areas and will give you more of that "small city" feel.

jlbartley

Thanks again for the continued feedback. Several people have asked what I like. I would say that I enjoy history, culture and cozy places. I know that this is kind of broad. I haven't traveled a whole lot but did a trip last year to Munich, Venice, Rome, Florence/Tuscany, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Appenzell. Of all of these places my least favorites were Florence and Munich. They felt like such big cities to me. I enjoyed them but I prefered the more quaint towns in Tuscany, Fussen (Neushwanstein), Innsbruck, etc. I would prefer to see nature over museums and small towns over big ones. Hope this helps in giving me feedback.

As far as Luxembourg goes, remember that we have 16 days in this entire area. If you wouldn't spend at least 2 of your 16 days here over other areas in Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands, let me know. I know that I could spend 16 days in any one of these countries and plan to do that in the future. On this trip I want to get a feel for each of these different places and plan to do future trips with more time in each country.