How is this itinerary? Doable or not? - Netherlands, Belgium, Paris

[Anonymous]

Skip Brussels and skip Paris this trip. Do Paris and London separately. And Eiffel climb not worth it. Can't do Luxembourg gardens and sacre cour in one day - too exhausting. Pick a bank - right or left and stay on it for a day. Do the night boat to see all the bridges light up.

[Anonymous]

We are doing Amsterdam only for 5 days. It all a lot of walking and seeing various things on the way instead of rushing from spot to spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been to Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels.

Brussels is definitely not a Tier 1 tourist city. But it is a capital.

Bruges is a cute city and you can do a canal tour there as well.

I would skip Ghent. But I would do at least one city in Belgium. Probably Brussels because it is a capital.

I enjoyed a day trip to a little medieval town outside of Paris called Provins. You can take the train from Paris and spend all day there. Although Bruges is a more major city, keeping it on your itinerary locks you into continued movement. If you just budget that day for Paris instead, you can adjust your time in Paris as needed.

If you like medieval history, go to the Hotel Cluny Medieval Art Museum in Paris. It contains objects that are similar to the ones you might see in Ghent and Bruges if you went into Gothic monuments.

I absolutely think you could spend a week in Netherlands. If you wanted to venture into Belgium, you could go into the northern part like Antwerp. For the windmill boat ride in the Netherlands, go to the Kinderdijk. (This is where we go with my Dutch in-laws)

Do not skip Ghent. It's so much better than Brussels. Also, Utrecht is another fun city in the Netherlands.

I had Utrecht in my itinerary at first and then dropped it. What are the must see/do things there? At one point I was thinking we should just do a week in Netherlands but family wants to visit more than one country.

[Anonymous]

Pick Bruges or Ghent. We loved Bruges.

[Anonymous]

I think a week would be lovely in the Netherlands. Although I also think a Belgium/Netherlands trip would be fun. If you do a windmill canal ride, go to the Kindersdijk. https://kinderdijk.com This is the one that we go to with our Dutch in-laws. If you want to just dip into Belgium from the Netherlands, you could go into Antwerp in the Northern Part of Belgium. The beaches in the northern part of Belgium are also popular - Knokke. My kids are younger than yours, but I still think parents and teenagers would enjoy the Efteling. It's the Dutch Disneyland (slightly older than Disney); cheap to get in, full of Dutch culture and fun, and there's a "teenage" section with the thrill rides. It's most famous for the vintage Sproojkesbos (fairy tale forest) where your daughter would get incredible photos. Look at the picture of "Langnek" for example. https://www.efteling.com/en/park/attractions/fairytale-forest/the-six-servants. Make sure to eat at a pancake house while you are in Holland. Did you have the Medurodam on your list?
https://www.madurodam.nl/en

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you seeing so many museums from the outside? That doesn’t make any sense to me.

Your day 2 really doesn't make any sense to me. If you want to day trip from Amsterdam instead consider Leiden or Den Haag (maybe 45 min on the train).

This is so OP can tell people they went to the museum when asked. OP DGAF about museums. I think the whole itinerary is nuts, but, I am a deep dive traveller.

[Anonymous]

OK people. Stop being mean to OP.

The Louvre is a cool looking and architecturally significant palace. Many photographers like to take day and nighttime pics of the entrance court with the IM Pei pyramid.

Europe's big museums at peak load are kind of terrible now. They are wall to wall crowded. People intrusively photograph the art with their smart phones. There are a lot of people inside wandering around inside them who DGAF about art except to say they saw it.

It's refreshingly honest to stay on the outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a week would be lovely in the Netherlands. Although I also think a Belgium/Netherlands trip would be fun. If you do a windmill canal ride, go to the Kindersdijk. https://kinderdijk.com This is the one that we go to with our Dutch in-laws. If you want to just dip into Belgium from the Netherlands, you could go into Antwerp in the Northern Part of Belgium. The beaches in the northern part of Belgium are also popular - Knokke. My kids are younger than yours, but I still think parents and teenagers would enjoy the Efteling. It's the Dutch Disneyland (slightly older than Disney); cheap to get in, full of Dutch culture and fun, and there's a "teenage" section with the thrill rides. It's most famous for the vintage Sproojkesbos (fairy tale forest) where your daughter would get incredible photos. Look at the picture of "Langnek" for example. https://www.efteling.com/en/park/attractions/fairytale-forest/the-six-servants. Make sure to eat at a pancake house while you are in Holland. Did you have the Medurodam on your list?
https://www.madurodam.nl/en

Thank you! This is helpful information.

I thought about madurodam too but dropped it. How many hours would we need there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you seeing so many museums from the outside? That doesn’t make any sense to me.

Your day 2 really doesn't make any sense to me. If you want to day trip from Amsterdam instead consider Leiden or Den Haag (maybe 45 min on the train).

This is so OP can tell people they went to the museum when asked. OP DGAF about museums. I think the whole itinerary is nuts, but, I am a deep dive traveller.

OP here. I love when random people on DCUM get triggered by what other people like. How nice that you like to deep dive in one place. Unfortunately I don't have that inclination.

Sorry, not sorry that I want a photo op in a place well known like the Louvre, while at the same time actually spending time doing other things that interest me.

And when we plan a trip to Italy, I will be going to Pisa too - just for that photo op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Skip Brussels and skip Paris this trip. Do Paris and London separately. And Eiffel climb not worth it. Can't do Luxembourg gardens and sacre cour in one day - too exhausting. Pick a bank - right or left and stay on it for a day. Do the night boat to see all the bridges light up.

Thank you! Helpful info.

[Anonymous]

Agree that the Louvre is something to see from the outside. But it does feel like every day is a photography tour where you rush from site to site, taking pictures. If that’s what you enjoy, then of course go ahead!
The Eiffel Tower does not take long to climb (you can only climb to the second floor, you’ll need an additional ticket for the elevator to the top, if you want to do that) and of course you’ll get better pictures of the tower if you are near it, not up it! But it’s definitely something to do once.
In Brussels, if you decide to include it (definitely not essential) don’t bother with the first Godiva store. Almost every chocolate there is better than Godiva (maybe Leonidas is worse!) so I’d focus more on enjoying the other chocolate makers - there are so many!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree that the Louvre is something to see from the outside. But it does feel like every day is a photography tour where you rush from site to site, taking pictures. If that’s what you enjoy, then of course go ahead!
The Eiffel Tower does not take long to climb (you can only climb to the second floor, you’ll need an additional ticket for the elevator to the top, if you want to do that) and of course you’ll get better pictures of the tower if you are near it, not up it! But it’s definitely something to do once.
In Brussels, if you decide to include it (definitely not essential) don’t bother with the first Godiva store. Almost every chocolate there is better than Godiva (maybe Leonidas is worse!) so I’d focus more on enjoying the other chocolate makers - there are so many!

Thank you! This is good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a week would be lovely in the Netherlands. Although I also think a Belgium/Netherlands trip would be fun. If you do a windmill canal ride, go to the Kindersdijk. https://kinderdijk.com This is the one that we go to with our Dutch in-laws. If you want to just dip into Belgium from the Netherlands, you could go into Antwerp in the Northern Part of Belgium. The beaches in the northern part of Belgium are also popular - Knokke. My kids are younger than yours, but I still think parents and teenagers would enjoy the Efteling. It's the Dutch Disneyland (slightly older than Disney); cheap to get in, full of Dutch culture and fun, and there's a "teenage" section with the thrill rides. It's most famous for the vintage Sproojkesbos (fairy tale forest) where your daughter would get incredible photos. Look at the picture of "Langnek" for example. https://www.efteling.com/en/park/attractions/fairytale-forest/the-six-servants. Make sure to eat at a pancake house while you are in Holland. Did you have the Medurodam on your list?
https://www.madurodam.nl/en

Thank you! This is helpful information.

I thought about madurodam too but dropped it. How many hours would we need there?

3 hours would be perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree that the Louvre is something to see from the outside. But it does feel like every day is a photography tour where you rush from site to site, taking pictures. If that’s what you enjoy, then of course go ahead!
The Eiffel Tower does not take long to climb (you can only climb to the second floor, you’ll need an additional ticket for the elevator to the top, if you want to do that) and of course you’ll get better pictures of the tower if you are near it, not up it! But it’s definitely something to do once.
In Brussels, if you decide to include it (definitely not essential) don’t bother with the first Godiva store. Almost every chocolate there is better than Godiva (maybe Leonidas is worse!) so I’d focus more on enjoying the other chocolate makers - there are so many!

Wittamer chocolate in Brussels - devine!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you seeing so many museums from the outside? That doesn’t make any sense to me.

Your day 2 really doesn't make any sense to me. If you want to day trip from Amsterdam instead consider Leiden or Den Haag (maybe 45 min on the train).

This is so OP can tell people they went to the museum when asked. OP DGAF about museums. I think the whole itinerary is nuts, but, I am a deep dive traveller.

OP here. I love when random people on DCUM get triggered by what other people like. How nice that you like to deep dive in one place. Unfortunately I don't have that inclination.

Sorry, not sorry that I want a photo op in a place well known like the Louvre, while at the same time actually spending time doing other things that interest me.

And when we plan a trip to Italy, I will be going to Pisa too - just for that photo op.

If you want the holding up the leaning tower of Pisa photo op, you should definitely look to get the finger on top of the Eiffel Tower photo op from the Trocadero across the river.