Hi, I am planning a vacation in early March to spend 7-8 nights in Amsterdam/ brugge/ brussels or some combination of these. I am looking for planning advice on how much time to spend in each place. Also, should we spend a few nights in both Brugge and Brussels or just day trip from one to the other? Thanks for any advice!
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I really can%26#39;t tell you what your preferences should be, you can see for yourself what there is to do in these 3 places under %26quot;Brussels attractions%26quot; (list on the left when you are in the Brussels forum), %26quot;Brugge attractions%26quot; (ditto in the Brugge forum) and %26quot;Amsterdam attractions%26quot;, and work out how many days this means you would need in each.
However, I can advise you that the train takes 3 1/2 hours from Amsterdam Centraal to Brugge, via Antwerpen-Berchem, 3 hours between Amsterdam and Brussels, and 1 hour between Brugge and Brussels, or vice-versa, of course. As you would see from previous questions, if you looked, it is generally recommended to take the InterCity train rather than Thalys between Amsterdam and Brussels/Brugge, as it is cheaper and just as fast, and in the case of arrival in Brussels it gives you the choice of stopping at the South, Central or North stations, whereas Thalys terminates at the South Station. The closest station to the Grand%26#39; Place is the Central one, just 5 minutes away. You can leave from/arrive at any of these 3 stations for/from Brugge, and the cost is about €23 return, €12 at weekends.
In general it would be easier for you to minimise hotel changes, so you could base yourself in Brugge and visit Brussels by day trip, but if you are leaving from Brussels Airport and if your flight is at or before about 10 in the morning, you might in any case want to stay in Brussels the night before (also if you were arriving late at night - you don%26#39;t mention whether you are flying into Amsterdam or Brussels and whether you are leaving from the other city or have to return to the one you arrived at)..
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thanks for the advice. We don%26#39;t have our airline ticket yet as we weren%26#39;t sure how to divide our time. We were thinking into Brussels and out of amsterdam. We are jus beginning to do the research, and looking for input. thanks again.
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Hi ambaker,
I have found Amsterdam really interesting for the museums and would spend at least two days there to see the Van Gogh, the Rijks museum, Ann Frank House and the city. Brussels is a good base point for Brugge, Gent, Antwerp and of course Brussels. Brugge, Gent and Antwerp are all worth a day and are all within an hour (more or less) from Brussels by train.
When in Antwerp be sure to see the Peter Paul Ruebens house/musuem. In Gent, you want to go to the old city and check out the castle. The Brugge old city is one of the best preserved Midevil time cities in Europe.
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Hello, back from Europe just days ago. We spent 3 nights in Brussels and 2 in Amsterdam. So the verdict.
In Brussels you must visit Grand Place, wander through the chocolate museum and taste some, see the pis manequin, admire the gorgeous lace, have lunch(waffle) and a belgium beer at a beer Garden....wander downtown to Louise Avenue for some serious designer shopping... for dinner try Brochure Avenue and have Mussels and Chips...........Next day try the hop on off Bus but stay on for the round trip....check out the atomic building and some grand old architecture.......then decide what things you really want to see %26amp; get off at those stops. That night have a peak at the red light district it has to be seen to be believed at least once. A trip to Ghent and Brugge is great. We may have prefered to stay at Brugge, one night would have been lovely as it is a beautiful city with the narrow cobbled streets, wonderful waterways and willows, little tourist shops, and historic tourist sights ........ it certainly has a much nicer %26quot;feel%26quot; than Brussels. It was our fav city in Belgium.
We loved Amsterdam and would have liked an extra night. We loved the way people on bikes rule! We have seen nothing like it. Things to do - a canal cruise, visit the Van gogh museum, the Rijk Museum, the lovely tulip market, buy some of those tiny porcelian clogs, have some apple cake at the American Cafe, Visit Anne Franks House and go in if you like, Dinner try Europes only floating restaurant The Sea Palace has the most amazing Chinese Buffet then check out the red light district- incredible. Plus the city takes on a whole new feel at night with the canals, trees and buildings all lit up beautifully. Try to catch a Ballet or Opera /show at the main theatre - well worth it if you have time. As we were there at Christmas time The Nutcracker Ballet was on - Absolutely fabulous. Don%26#39;t worry about Rembrants Museum they are all at the Rijk. If you are into beer try the Heinnekin beer museum. So why did we want the extra day - 30 mins by train outside of Amsterdam are the beautiful tulip farms and the windmills.....Next piece of advice both of these cities have a terrible reputation for pick pockets so be very careful. We came in by Rail to both Brussels and Amsterdam so we chose central hotels close to the station. All the streets are cobbled so wear comfortable shoes. One of those compact light weight travel umbrellas are a must. Good luck and enjoy your holiday. Cheers!
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Thank you so much for your wonderful response. We will take it all into consideration. We have decided to stay in Brugge. I have heard wonderful things about it, and your comments confirm this. At this time, we are planning 3 nights each in Brugges (day trip to Brussels), 3 nights in Paris and 3 nights in Amsterdam.
Thanks again for all of your thoughts, It sounds as if you had a wonderful trip. Do they grow tulips this time of year? I am guessing so if you recommend the tulip farms.
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We were in Amsterdam late December and yes the bulbs were all in bloom there were thousands of them, all colours and types. They lined the whole side of one canal. As to when they actually bloom I haven%26#39;t a clue. My sister was there in May and she saw them too.
So the answer to your question is I don%26#39;t know.
A couple of days in Paris will be lovely! We had 7 days and I would have loved longer. There is so much to see. We stayed in the Latin quarter at a Hotel on Rue Monge and could see the Notre Dame from our Window. Suggest you book a tour for the EiffelTower or you will spend hours in the ticket line and lose one of your days waiting. Good Luck with your planning.
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