Amsterdam Travel Answers

Delft is a wonderful old town - full of interest - there are several pages here on VT. You would need to change trains a Den Haag HS or Rotterdam depending which direction you were going to go to Delft from.

Not sure when you are to meet your friends? Could you not stay the first couple of days in Amsterdam itself, then travel on to Brussels (there are some departures which takes less than 3 hours), making daytrips to Bruges, Gent and perhaps Antwerp before returning to Amsterdam the day before your flight? If that doesn't work, perhaps a direct train to Antwerp on arrival, followed by daytrip to Brussels or Brugge or Gent before your return to Amsterdam? Amsterdam (actually, Schiphol airport)>Antwerp is direct and takes less than an hour. I'm sure you have these already, but for others who may read the thread: Netherlands train times, details, fares: http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home Belgian train times etc: http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

flying over and back with them, depending on delta frequent flyer availability. brussels has a pretty bad rep in the states for tourism, boring, stuffy. we also considered taking the trip in the middle but basically that loses two days instead of one in the middle of the week (preferred by my beloved p ). delft was certainly on the short list, nice to get a confirmation.

We were in Bruges last year, Lew, and I really thought one day was enough. It was a daytrip from Brussels (hour train ride). An overnight in Bruges might be nice as there are some pretty hotels and good restaurants. Ghent is supposed to be very interesting and I've been to Aachen - an interesting place on the German border, close to Cologne and The Netherlands for travel. I think you'd do best flying straight to Amsterdam and then doing a daytrip or two from there. Or.. the same from Brussels, which is very colorful and has lots to see.

"brussels has a pretty bad rep in the states for tourism, boring, stuffy" First you claim that there are too many possible choices of day-trip destination "to completely check out", so you are relying entirely on other people's opinions/ likes/ dislikes, then you dismiss a city purely on the basis of reputation among your fellow compatriots. It seems to me that you rely entirely too much on the opinions of other people, I hope for your sake that these are entirely aligned with your personal tastes and interests! Personally, I prefer to do my own research and make up my own mind. That said, if you don't want to go as far as Brugge then you won't want to go as far as Brussels either, which makes possible destinations in Belgium either Antwerp (2hrs by non-high-speed InterCity train, 1 hr by high-speed Thalys) or somewhere near Antwerp. My personal choice would be Lier, which is almost as cute as Brugge and is 2h27 from Schiphol, changing in Antwerp. Google it, if you think you might be interested in an opinion that might conceivably differ from that of the majority of Americans - since I happen to appreciate what Brussels has to offer! But I don't really understand why you are even considering (and apparently asking for opinions on) places that far away - and the same goes for Germany - when your principal concern is not to travel too far after an overnight flight (as I would not want to do either). There are plenty of great places to visit in the Netherlands, for example I like the Hague (Den Haag), Delft, Utrecht, Haarlem - and travel distance from Schiphol would be much more reasonable. You could consider just looking around a few travel pages on such places if you don't feel up to doing a full search. If you don't want to "check out" places yourself, you should at least give others an idea of what sort of places you like. And please don't say (as others have before you) "I like food/wine/beer/art/architecture/history", as this does not help narrow down anything at all!

For my money, staying in Amsterdam with day trips would be ideal. Haarlem is nearby and a lovely old city a good bit to see. We enjoyed the Alkmaar cheese market as well and spent a nice day in the Hague. I think the possibilities are great and there is enough in Amsterdam to fill several days. I think the Aalsmeer flower market is a great experience and it is almost in Amsterdam. Any way you cut it, you should have a great time in this lovely part of the world.

Den Haag and Deft both have plenty to see and do and are easily reachable from Amsterdam. Haarlem is another good idea.

Can't imagine why you would want to leave Amsterdam as soon as you arrive, especially after a long-haul flight! There is more than enough to see and do, I'd love to have the luxury of a week just to ramble around the streets and canals of Amsterdam, one of my favourite cities. If you must get out of the city then there are plenty of towns nearby within the Netherlands such as Haarlem, Delft, Utrecht and don't forget Zaandam for the Zaanse Schaans windmills or Scheveningen for the seaside and Madurodam. You could also visit Arnhem and the Hoge-Veluwe National Park. If you don't want to work it all out for yourself just go to one of the many tour agents who organise interesting day excursions which combine several places. If you really want to leave the country you will probably get a tour that combines Antwerp and Brussels. You will no doubt find brochures advertising these trips in your hotel lobby.

to gaminari and others - believe me, i will research the cities which others have found interesting, but there is no way i have the time to look in satisfactory detail at thirty or whatever places. from a list of 8-10 which is what i have now, i can search each in the depth required to pick two or three for this trip. interests - never met a city in europe without history, art, architecture - love them all. shopping for my beloved p - never a problem. am most interested in learning cities that are not mentioned, have to cut down the list somewhere, they all sound good. groningen, eindhoven, maastricht - the list goes on and on and is being culled. appreciate your responses. n.

I'd stay in Amsterdam and do day trips if you feel that you want to get out of the city. Haarlem, The Hague, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, Edam, Utrecht, even Rotterdam are within an easy day trip, to name but a few. Further afield is Mastrict. I would urge you to try and go to the flower market in Aalsmeer, also the cheese market in Alkmaar - the former is a very early start but well worth it. On the other hand, there's lots to do in Amsterdam and you don't have to rush around like fiends and do it all in two days - relax and savour and enjoy.

Sorry for the typo. I meant to say Delft, not Deft. Also, Den Haag is the Dutch version of The Hague.

My own opinion is to miss out Utrecht and Eindhoven if this is your first time in Holland. Visit them another time perhaps.

Very strange to hear that Brussels has a bad reputation in USA!

Why would anybody want to go to Eindhoven????? Maastricht is a very good option though and would be my recommendation with at least an overnight stay... Cheers, Dennis

A number of cities other than Amsterdam are within a train ride of less than 1 hour from Amsterdam. Staying for 2 days is more suited for Antwerp, Cologne or maybe Maastricht. But there maybe other Dutch cities of interest to you; see the Dutch National Tourist website on this subject: holland.com/global/tourism/C... They sorted them into: Beach resorts -Scheveningen- -Vlissingen (Flushing) -Zandvoort -Bergen -Noordwijk -Bloemendaal Picturesque villages -Valkenburg aan de Geul -Volendam- -The White Village of Thorn -Giethoorn -Edam -Zierikzee -Monnickendam -Naarden -Marken- -Urk -Enkhuizen -Stavoren -Sneek Historical cities -Delft -Breda -Gouda -Dordrecht -Arnhem -Leiden -Nijmegen -Haarlem -Deventer -Den Bosch -Zwolle Other cities -Eindhoven -Groningen -Almere -Lelystad -Middelburg -Leeuwarden -Assen And to conclude I like to add the city of Hoorn. Unbelievable it's not in any of the replies yet. PJ

I liked Brussles! I also agree....why leave Amsterdam upon arrival? That seems too much. Also, the overnight flight will surely give you some time to sleep so you won't be that jet-lagged(7hrs from NYC>Amsterdam.)

Hello Lew, Knowing a bit of your cultural interests I would after visiting Amsterdam and its excellent museums visit by train cultural cities like Haarlem, Den Haag, Delft, Leiden. Actually these cities have retained something of the Dutch way of life that is presently no more found in Amsterdam. For a trip to Belgium, Brugge is of course a quite touristy destination but certainly worthwhile from a cultural viewpoint. Missing the Flemish Primitives would be a pity for an amateur of art like you. Antwerp is not my cup of tea probably because I visited too much of its chemical industry! As what concerns Brussels, I was born there, lived 50 years in Brussels and as many autochthone Brusseleirs I fled to the outskirts fed up with the criminality that developed in Brussels these twenty last years. It's a fact that the US State Department gave advice in 2011 to American tourists to beware from pickpockets and thieves at the three main stations in Brussels (North, Central, and especially the South station) and that the little street crime is "common" according to the State Department. Is that true: yes! (even if that opinion is considered as not politically correct by what is called here "les bien pensants"). Brussels was a very safe city in the past but is no more. The authorities denied the insecurity of Brussels; they say it is only a feeling of insecurity till they became themselves victims. Now to visit the Grand Place and the excellent museums your have not to pass by the district of Molenbeek and therefore I would recommend a visit to Brussels but staying alert. The Royal Museum of Art and the Army Museum are among the best in EU.

I also suggest you stay near Amsterdam. There is a lot to see within an hour's train travel. As said before (just to support earlier suggestions): Leiden (where the Founding Fathers lived for a while), Delft (visit the porcelain factory), Utrecht (canals, old buildings, wonderful carillon and quite UNLIKE Amsterdam). Also, cross the IJ-river just behind Amsterdam Central Station, perhaps rent a bike and explore the old, almost village-like Nieuwendam area or go to Zaanse Schans to get your fill of windmills and country life. North of Amsterdam are old towns like Hoorn, Medemblik, and fishing villages like Edam, Marken. The outdoor museum in Enkhuizen is a delightful experience. Go to Muiden for the Muiderslot fortress and/or make an actual boat trip on the IJsselmeer (lake)/former Suydersee. Perhaps take a river boat along the river Vecht and enjoy the old grand manors and countryside. In short, a week in Amsterdam can include many aspects of Dutch sightseeing with little travel time and distance. We're talking max. 50 kms distance thereabouts. If it's still on, the once-in-10-years event Floriade is a must see. It's the World Horticultural Expo: http://www.floriade.com/ It's a day's trip to Venlo but well worth it.

want to thank each and every one of you, valuable information whether we spend the whole week in amsterdam or spend a few nights in belgium. a lot of great alternatives, see now from the map that overnighting in brugges might be fun but less convenient. floriade - depending on frequent flyer seats, we would be going probably on the very last day when it closes. know all about it, worth the several hours on the train. landing and running - we have generally figured the day of arrival is pretty well shot anyway after an overnight flight, particularly one as short as seven hours. certainly not in the mood to visit museums or go to a show, might as well spend it on a train reading or sleeping. by stretching out the day, will sleep very well and adjust to the time change without jet lag. try to end in the city with the flight home. guess everybody has their own way. looked at a few villages and towns mentioned like hoorn and delft. they look like perfect places to visit. i really hope we can get away for this. n. again, thank you all. n.

I haven't been there myself, but I read several negative report about the Floriade on TripAdvisor, see for instance tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1... You may want to spend your time somewhere else... Dennis

more than a just a few negative comments, most surprised, supposed to be such a premier event. guess it won't be the only hypered event on the internet.

The Floriade is a world exhibition of horticulture. It is listed as an A1 event internationally and recognised by the Bureau of International Events (BIE) which also recognises events like the World Expo. Not surprisingly, such a big event will also have less than perfect organisation in some aspects. And I agree, such events are always expensive. I've read the comments too, not all are negative and as one points out: it is NOT a flower show. If you go, buy your ticket via the internet. Saves time.

Lew, Have you thought of arranging your return flight to NYC from the city you visit. Brussels is an excellent city to visit for 2 days, you would love the Grand Place.

i want to again thank you for all your help. the people with whome we are travelling reviewed all your comments and were very impressed with virtual tourist, first thing to mention. since their hotel in amsterdam is covered for all seven days by their frequent flyer miles we have decided to spend the entire week with them at the one hotel, in the west canal zone conveniently, and see the city as well as make day trips out of town. expect as i shall have lots of questions which i shall be posting over the coming weeks. early research certainly suggests that i am confused over which package tickets to buy, choosing between the iamsterdam, the chipcard, and the museum card. more to come. thanks again. n.

Ticket information for Amsterdam public transport: en.gvb.nl/reisinformatie/wel...