Waterloo12

Thanks so much for everyone's input, I really appreciate it.
I am finding the rental apartments in Amsterdam to be expensive (as I suspected) but I think I may have found one on the Jordaan area that is reasonable and looks nice.
We are now considering staying 4 nights in Leiden instead of Delft after Amsterdam, but with a day trip to Delft on our agenda (as well as Gouda and Kinderdijk). Two of the kids from the CISV delegation our daughters are meeting up with are from Leiden and the Hague so we thought Leiden would be just as good to do day trips from as Delft(?). Any comment between basing in Leiden vs the Hauge?
I have one more question; from Bruges (we are in Bruges for 4 nights) we are now flying out of Amsterdam on the way home (not Brussels), we have 2 nights. We will spend one of them somewhere between Bruges and Amsterdam and one near the airport as our flight leaves early the next day. Any ideas on where to stay between Bruges and Amsterdam for one night to break up our journey, keeping in mind we will have spent 8 days in Amsterdam and to the south west already? I wondered if maybe Utrecht was worth a stop? Again, I really appreciate all the thought put into the posts.

lavandula

What about Delft or Leiden?

Lavandula

lavandula

Oh, duh, I just re-read your last post. Well, Delft really is pretty. Much nicer than Den Haag, which is a bit cold to me. I'd vote for Delft, and you can easily take trips to Den Haag or even Scheveningen (which should be OK in June).

Lavandula

ribeirasacra

The world needs to evolve and Rotterdam moved on from recreating a rebuilt past after WW2, unlike some cites. I personally liked the some of the new style buildings, but it also has an older quarter too. But if I did not like newer buildings then perhaps I would not like say New York either?
In Rotterdam there is a zoo: http://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/
An historical theme park: http://www.archeon.nl/
Yes go to Utrecht maybe even visit the Museum Speelklok ( organ museum, which not so boring as you think) and maybe the Railway Museum which now has an interactive section. The city centre is very relaxing with a lot of restaurants.

ribeirasacra

Just found this on some ideas for Antwerp
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...l-8873869.html

PalenQ

http://www.middelheimmuseum.be/man.net

In suburban Angwerp is one of Europe's neatest outdoor statue parks along with a small indoor museums with avantgarde art.

PalenQ

http://artnouveau.pagesperso-orange....les/anvers.htm

Antwerp has a nieat Art Nouveau Quarter - called Cogels Osylei - the name of the street if I recall correctly that is lined by striking Art-Nouveau fin-de-siecle architecture extant from when Antwerp was one of the richest towns in the world - the area is right by Antwerp's Berchem train station - one stop from Antwerp Central station, one of the grandest train stations in Europe and redolent to me at least of Grand Central Station in New York - another Art-Nouveau wonder - don't miss looking at the station from inside and out as it has just been rehabbed.

PalenQ

Antwerp has a surprise at every turn - walk along the old port area from the town center down along rows of old wrought-iron warehouses that once were hopping with ships coming and going - now preserved to evoke Antwerp's heyday.

And Antwerp also has an Amsterdamesque Red-Light district a short walk from the town center with gals being red-neon-lit picture windows - well a surprise at every turn!

and yes the zoo is highly acclaimed.

cas4075

We did a 7 day bike and barge trip from Amsterdam to Bruges last September. It's a great way to see a lot of the countryside without packing up and moving that often. The rides were 20-30 miles a day so not sure that would work for your 7 year old. They are virtually flat and on wonderful bike paths through quaint villages and beautiful countryside. But again, there might not be enough to keep a 7 year old interested for a week on a boat. We spent 4 days in Amsterdam and 3 days in Bruges on each end of the boat cruise.

PalenQ

Yup I've done Bruges to Amsterdam many times by bike - and if anyone is doing this you would be advised to go from Bruges to Amsterdam and not vice versa as winds usually blow in from the west - going the other way you may have wind in your face a lot - and a strong wind can be like going up a steep hill.

Now cas4075 was on a cruise and had no choice but in the Lowlands I suggest biking from west to east as much as possible - the wind makes the not unusual wet weather even worse - and one year on our trips it rained in this area 45 straight days - never really hard but a constant drizzle - totally incredible and not the norm but rain or mist is to be expected anytime.

cas4075

PalenQ. I wish I'd had that advice before our trip. You are right, we got a lot of wind and rain in our face. When we got to Bruges, the boat was turning around to do the reverse direction so that was an option.

menachem

Biking to Kinderdijk from Rotterdam can be done with the wind in your back, from west to East, along the river, with a short ferry hop across the Lek to Kinderdijk (by way of Krimpen a/d Lek). Then, you can make your way back by Waterbus and take your bikes on the ferry free of charge. Within half an hour you'll be back in Rotterdam.

For families with (young) children, omething to check out in Rotterdam is Speeldernis

http://www.speeldernis.nl/

PalenQ

the biking from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk sounds like a wonderful experience with the boat rides and all - kids will love it - sound slike you could put bikes on Waterbus each way and just pedal around Kinderdijk, a sprawling place - very little effort needed and biking thru the working windmills is surrealistic.

menachem

Yes, get off at Alblasserdam, either ride the new bikepath along the river Merwede to Kinderdijk, or, a better route, enter the polder to the east of Alblasserdam and ride the entire row of mills towards Kinderdijk, take the ferry to Ridderkerk from there, and then the connecting Waterbus to Rotterdam.

PalenQ

For families with (young) children, omething to check out in Rotterdam is Speeldernis>

site is in Dutch - could you give a brief explanation of this - looks interesting but could not figure it out much - thanks!

PalenQ

https://www.google.com/search?q=rott...=1600&bih=1099

Well Speeldernis does look like a lot of fun for families with young kids!

menachem

The name is a pun on "wilderness" and "play", and is a "wild" place, where children can run around, fish for tadpoles, build stuff, make a fire with enough supervision to make it safe. Be advised to have your children wear clothing that can stand a bit of rough treatment or mud and bring a change of clothes. Wellies are essential

PalenQ

Well not sure how many tourists are going to be carrying Wellingtons - tall rubber boots - around in their baggage! But this seems like a novel place for kids and to me it is a real Dutch thing.

menachem

Haha, yes wilderness by design, that's the Dutch way.