Hello all
I am looking for suggestions to travel to Europe from US for 6 days March 3rd week

Thinking of Belgium & Netherlands. Any suggestions - open to other countries also.
- Two teens and an adult. looking for public transportation preferably.
- would love train rides
- interested in natural , historical , museums..
- should we look for hotels or airbnb

Any ideas please chime in. Thank You for your time!

Best wishes!

That could work! My strong recommendation is that you consult a good guidebook or two. Check your local library or invest in one, perhaps the Rough Guide. Enjoy your planning!

There is a lot to see and to do in Benelux.
May be you tell us what you are interested in.
Otherwise it's hardly possible to give any useful advice

Are you planning to take this trip in March 3rd 2025 or 2026? If 2025, you have barely a week to "plan" anything, much less to be spending that time mulling over a destination.

If this is for 2025, pick one city and do day trips in/out of it for outdoor pursuits.

If it is for 2026, you should do what kja suggested above and peruse some guidebooks for possible ideas that cater to your and your family's interests.

3rd week of March 2025 (23-30th) to be precise..
and interested in
- nature ( different landscapes - green- mountains, plains, water (lake, rivers), visiting places, hiking may be too )
- train rides while being able to see places..
- culture
- historical

Just about a month left ..
Also need advice on where to stay ( should I look for airbnb or hotels )
Thank you

3rd week of March 2025 : March 23rd -30th

Primary interests:
Nature - natural landscapes ( like the Swiss Alps ), mountains , plains, lakes, rivers, May be some trekking..
Culture
Food ( vegetarians - no fish no meat )
History
kids would love train rides and ferry etc.. something unique

Pick Amsterdam or Haarlem as a base, and do day trips from there. Haarlem is a little smaller and cheaper. You are too early for most of the flowers, which come in April. No natural landscapes there, but some very beautiful cities. If you are keen to get out into nature perhaps a day trip by boat out to Texel, which is one of the North Sea islands. No problem finding vego food (see Happy Cow for instance). Loads of history (Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum). There are canal boat rides for the kids, and additionally you can cross the IJ by ferry and visit Amsterdam Noord. You will catch the train from Amsterdam to Haarlem anyway, not so unique. Train is a normal form of transport for the Dutch. You could take trips out to Den Haag, Leiden and Delft.

Good luck!

Lavandula

You are too late

https://www.trojmiasto.pl/tv/Smaczni...deo-68397.html

AS for the rest of your requirements, Tri-City area meets them all.

The Swiss Alps are a long way from Amsterdam.... Belgium has higher "mountains" than the Netherlands - over twice as high at 2000 feet vs 1000 feet.... But most of the low countries are just that.... low and flat.
Riding the train is the standard way to get around - not sure those trips classify as "train rides" in your vernacular - they are more point to point mass transit with few if any vistas...

Early March you should be prepared for cool & damp weather.

Those are very specific dates. Have you booked your flights, and if so, from where to where?

Most mountainous areas are likely to be chilly and/or wet in late March. Will that be a problem?

Just figured one needs a visa; Schengen visa .. Not sure if it is feasible to get before then
Looks like late planning Any idea if still this could be a possibility?

Also noticed that even US citizens would need ETIAS starting mid 2025.

Typically how long before should we start planning for to travel abroad ( would love to travel to Europe & New Zealand ).

Thanks

No flights booked either.. Wanted to know the place & then start looking for flights and stay. Had a tentative idea in mind but looks more complicated that I anticipated.

And wet/chilly poses some challenges if we cant spend time outside.. purpose is to give a happy vacation to kids who love to be out.. They would love to ski but we are not looking for a ski trip. 50s-60s-70s Fahrenheit is good I think without downpours as that may tamper seeing places.

hope it makes sense ~ Thank you all so much for your time and chiming in.

With only a week or less, I'd probably pick one place and settle there, maybe one that offers opportunities for day trips to various nearby places for some variety.

Given the timing, the first place that came to mind is Barcelona. There are nonstop flights to Barcelona from New York (JFK and EWR) and from Miami as well as Montreal (don't know where you are) or fairly easy connecting flights from most major US and Canadian cities.


Barcelona is a fantastic destination on its own and offers an adequate selection of lodging and dining options that would likely meet your preferences. In terms of excursions from the city, Montserrat (an ancient monastery at the top of a stunning mountain complex) is roughly an hour and a half from central Barcelona (by train and "cog" railway) and well worth the day you'd spend.


Another excursion by train can be to the beach resort of Sitges, located west of the city. This is a cosmopolitan and lovely little beach town.


There's no guarantee of warm weather, but the odds are better than they'd be farther north.