Powell

I am interested in opinions about the:

-Weather, temperatures at that time
-Chance of obtaining good airline rates
-Any other helpful suggestions

Please, first-hand experience only. Thanks.

Anthony

srice_53098

We live in Germany just 3 hours driving from both Amsterdam and Brugge. It will be quite cold in November but not unbearable. In fact, my family is headed to Paris during Thanksgiving week. No crowds! You'll find the same. You should be able to find great prices on airfares. If you want recommendations on hotels/B&Bs in those places...I have them!

Powell

To srice 53098:

Thanks. Yes I would like recommendations. On Fodor's I have seen the Fita Hotel in Amsterdam recommended--do you know it?

Any advice on hotels/B&B's appreciated.

Anthony

maarten77

Incidentally, I know the Fita Hotel very well because I live in Amsterdam and a friend of mine actually works there. It is a very friendly hotel. It is small but comfortable. The prices are quite reasonable. The hotel is situated in the Museum Quarter. The Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum (which has Rembrandt's Nightwatch) are only one minute walking away. The museum of modern art (Stedelijk Museum) has been moved away recently, though.
The old city with the canals, the Anne Frank huis and the pretty views are not very far away. If you would like to sleep in a canal house hotel, you might consider the Pulitzer hotel (more expensive) or any other hotel that your hotel guide recommends at the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht or Bloemgracht.
The weather is not very comfortable at that time of the year. You need to bring warm clothes and some protective clothing for the rain. It may be sunny, but the temperature will not rise very much above 15 degrees C (I don't know what that would be in F) and might be as low as 5 degrees C.
The upsite of the bad wheather is that the Dutch try and make it as comfortable inside as possible. The pubs in the Jordaan Quarter and Nieuwmarkt Quarter are very nice and cozy.

Other suggestions would depend on what your style of travelling is. Do you prefer designer restaurants or traditional cuisine, do you like to go clubbing or to go to a museum?

Tips:
- the Anne Frank museum generally has a long waiting line; come early.
- all stories about drugs and red light district are a bit over the top; generally the district is not very interesting and a bit dirty; there are some nice old houses and pubs situated there though;
- a canal trip provides a surprisingly different way to appreciate the architecture;
- do not visit diamond factories; they are all fake; diamonds and Amsterdam have parted long ago;
- a visit to Heineken brewery is an interesting experience...;
- try a tour with Let's Go Amsterdam ([email protected]) which is a very friendly guy who does very nice tours, also themed tours (like a rembrandt tour, a mystery tour etc.)

enjoy you stay!

Maarten

maarten77

when I said fake, I meant the factories rather than the diamonds

Powell

Maarten,

Thank you for the guidance.

Might you know how long by train from Amsterdam to Bruge? I believe three hours but wanted to check.

Anthony

joe4212

Amsterdam to Bruges should be about 3 hours 20 minutes by train.

Click on my name for the trip report I posted here in April just after we got back from Bruges. We joined the Amsterdam Centraal to Bruges train at Schiphol aiport.

MaureenB

We loved Amsterdam this past June. You've already received some great advice from a local, but if you'd like to read my trip report, click on my name above and look for my London-Paris-Amsterdam report. We loved our hotel there and found some exceptional restaurants, all detailed on my report. Amsterdam is a wonderful place to visit. Have fun there! I hope it won't be too cold then. The night we arrived was June 6, and it was COLD and windy-- we were afraid we didn't have the warm clothes we'd need, but it did warm up the rest of our stay.

ira

Hi P,

>Might you know how long by train from Amsterdam to Bruge?<

Go to http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

artstuff

Powell -

Just a head's up.....the annual Cannabis Cup is held in Amsterdam each year around Thanksgiving, which might have some effect on your plans. I guess you could Google "Cannabis Cup" and find out what the dates are for this year. Peace.

Robyn >-

srice_53098

We stayed at the Absoluut Verhulst B&B with Freida and Benno in Brugge and at the Hotel Estherea on the Singel Canal in Amsterdam. I'd recommend them both!