Weather in Holland and Belgium
 

My husband and I would like to travel to Holland and Belgium but are unsure when to go. The trip would have to be during mid to late April (Easter time), or mid August. <BR><BR>We were originally planning to go April so that we could see the bulbs in bloom, but my husband is afraid that the weather will be very uncomfortable at that time of year -cold and rainy. Is this accurate? We could go in August but will miss most of the flower bloom. <BR><BR>Please help us make the right decision by sharing your opinions and information.Thanks so much!

The weather here is so unpredictable. In April of this year we had very little rain and temps between 16-22°C. In April 2001 most of the days were rainy with temps max. 17°C. No-one can tell. It can be rainy in August as well and temps can reach upto an unbearable 35°C. <BR>If I were you, I would go for the tulips.

Thank you for your reply Myriam. I am leaning towards seeing the tulips.

I would second the suggestion to go in April. We generally go in March and because we are leaving a rather inhospitable climate behind us back home, it's always nice to see things starting to bloom and the weather is always an IMPROVEMENT for us. (Perhaps we would see it differently if we were from a more moderate climate). By April, things are even nicer; I wouldn't hesitate over the weather at all. You can be lucky or unlucky in either period.

Going in August would allow us to extend our trip to Paris because we will have more time in August. If you had the choice, would you still go in April to see the flowers, or opt for August in order to see Paris too?

I would go in both April AND August. :o)

Jim, thanks for your response but could you please tell me why you feel that way? You don't prefer one over the other?

I prefer April because the crowds are lighter and airfares are significantly lower. As a practical matter, I wouldn't give up an April trip because of something I could add to it in August. I would be more inclined to go twice or I would skip the August trip and opt for April and then sometime in the fall. How much time do you have in April? Amsterdam and Paris are little more than three hours apart via Thalys train. If I had a week or a little more to spend, I wouldn't hesitate to split it between the two. <BR><BR>My own style is not necessarily about "must-sees", etc., so I am far more inclined to return to a place. Amsterdam and Paris are both cities that I've been happy to visit on multiple occasions and that is likely to continue. Other people have different styles and may plan more lengthy trips less often.

Jim, thanks for your detailed reply. We have 10 or 11 days in April. We were thinking about taking a Globus tour which is precisely that amount of time. The tour visits Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The Paris add-on is another 3 or 4 days. <BR><BR>Would you suggest that we go on our own and visit just Holland and Paris? Should Belgium be a priority? Is 10 or 11 days enough to go to Paris, Belgium, and Holland on our own? When we visit Holland, we would like to visit cities outside of Amsterdam.<BR><BR>The reason we often go with tours is that we find we waste less time trying to get to where we want to go, and waste less time waiting on lines. Another reason is the language barrier.<BR><BR>Please share your opinion. Thanks again, Jim.

You have more than enough time, but if you prefer the tour route then you will have to follow the pace of the tour. A tour is a good choice for certain types of travelers. <BR><BR>If you tend to be more independent and you want flexibility, the places you are visiting are not very difficult to arrange on your own. Amsterdam, for example, present almost no language barrier for English-speaking people since it is widely used by people in the places you are likely to visit. Many would argue that visiting Amsterdam is very different than visiting the rest of the Netherlands. I don't disagree and that is likely to be one of the advantages of taking the tour route. <BR><BR>Brussels is on the way to Paris (or back) and it is likewise easy to negotiate without additional language skills. Many here would recommend arrange a trip to Brugges (sp?). A full day in either of those cities will give you a worthwhile taste of them. <BR><BR>Paris is worth whatever time you can spend there. After a number of visits, I also find it the least expensive. I don't know how much of a barrier the language presents because I can generally summon up enough French to get by speaking and hearing. I have no problem reading it and more of the city becomes a familiar place with each visit.<BR><BR>If I will be in ANY city for several days, I always find it advisable to establish a place as a "hangout"; a place to show up for a drink, breakfast, cup of coffee, etc. each day. One is treated differently as a repeat customer and more differently still on a repeat visit. Try it. :o)<BR><BR>I have some travel notes on both Amsterdam and Paris that I can e-mail to you; feel free to drop a line. Your style of travel may be very different from mine, so I would never discourage you from taking the tour route -- it may well be your very best choice. I just know that I would have to travel far less if I had to absorb the expense of intensive services and there is great satisfaction in a do-it-yourself approach if you are cut out for it.<BR><BR>If it is your first trip, maybe a tour is the way to go, however. <BR><BR><BR>

I partly agree with Jim.<BR>In the spring nature is at its best in our low lands and there will be less crowds. And of course Belgium is a priority! ;)<BR><BR>You can 'do' Holland, Belgium and Paris in your time frame although my opinion is that Holland and Belgium are worth spending your 10/11 days to do them justice. Both countries can easily be done on your own. English is widely spoken and tourist offices are in every bigger or smaller place.<BR> <BR>I would take a separate trip afterwards to Paris to do Paris justice. <BR>

Jim and Myriam, thank you so much for your replies. This is a tough decision. I will do some research into going on our own. Thanks again!