What goes good with Amsterdam?

April 6, 2006 11:31 AM

What city should I pair with a trip to Amsterdam?

I am taking a long overdue trip to Europe at the end of August. My friend and I will be meeting up with some folks in Amsterdam for four days. We are going to take another 4-5 days to explore another city. Since I haven't traveled outside of the US very much, my friend is leaving the choice to me. I've spent considerable time in the UK, and will be traveling to Paris and Italy in the next two years. So I am thinking perhaps east and/or north? Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Copenhagen and Stockholm have crossed my mind, but I am really open at the moment. I don't even know where to start my research. What say you, Mefites? Some considerations:

Convenient and affordable by plane or train to Amsterdam.

Some place where we can get the most bang for our American buck.

Not thoroughly overrun by tourists.

Not scorching hot in August.

I would prefer something without lots of hilly terrain (no problem with extensive walking, but I have a knee injury that flares up with lots of climbing/steps).

My traveling companion is a big, burly, well-traveled guy, so safety is a bit less of a concern than if I was traveling alone.

I am less interested in major tourist attractions than just getting a feel for the way of life. I want to hang out, eat good food, drink with the locals, and meander.

Thanks for your ideas!

posted by kimdog to travel & transportation (24 comments total)

Riga, Latvia. Best week on holiday I've ever had.
posted by godawful at 11:43 AM on April 6, 2006

Brussels is a beautiful city, and is a 2-hour, 70-euro train ride from Amsterdam Centraal. It's not hugely touristy, either - at least not to the degree that Amsterdam or Paris are. It's also one of the more affordable cities in that region. A bonus: the local beer is just about as good as it gets, and the food was wonderful.
posted by deadmessenger at 12:04 PM on April 6, 2006

If you don't want it to be packed with tourists, avoid Prague. If you don't want it to be scorching, avoid Budapest. I would recommend Berlin or Vienna, both of which are fantastic cities, though five days might be a bit much for doing touristy things in Vienna (though not too much to get the vibe of the city). Vienna is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth this summer, and there should be lots on. It's a beautiful, civilized, cultured city.

Berlin is also great - totally hip, and full of history. Lots and lots of stuff to do. If you go, stay in East Berlin and get oriented with this tour. The World Cup will be over July 9, so you won't have trouble finding accomodation.

Alternatively, go to Brussels, and use it as a jumping-off point for day trips to Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent, all easily accessible by train.

These cities won't be as cheap as Latvia or other Baltic/East European states.
posted by Dasein at 12:05 PM on April 6, 2006

I just went to Amsterdam for about the same amount of time. I spent half of it in Amsterdam, which I flew into and out of, and half in Brussels. I think it was less than 70 euros to get to Brussels. I liked it a lot, I combined it with a daytrip to Bruges, which was very touristy but also very beautiful. I might choose another city in Belgium for the daytrip, but I'm really glad I spent time in Brussels. The Museum there is very good, although I liked the "classical" wing better than the modern one.

I also took a daytrip to The Hague on my way back from Brussels to Amsterdam and liked it a lot. It was nice to go out to the North Sea there. Anyway, I thought the trip worked well because there was plenty of variety and travel time was very reasonable.
posted by OmieWise at 12:16 PM on April 6, 2006

BRUSSELS!
the musee de beaux artes was awesome.
What was really great in amsterdam was the resistance museaum.
posted by TheLibrarian at 12:42 PM on April 6, 2006

Brugge/Bruges, Belgium kicks the crap out of Brussels. It's not more then two hours away by train, and it's an amazing sight. Paired with a day or one night trip to Brussels, I think you'd have a great time.
posted by borkingchikapa at 1:07 PM on April 6, 2006

Oh, and definitely check out the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels. They give you a pair of wireless headphones, and as you approach all the exhibits of weird instruments you can hear what they sound like.
posted by borkingchikapa at 1:08 PM on April 6, 2006

I agree with borkingchikapa that Brugge is a much better time that Brussels...it's kind of like the "Venice of the North". But because of that, unfortunately, it's also strictly a tourist town...I was there in April and it wasn't too bad, but I would imagine it would be overrun with tourists in August (although the temperature would probably be nice).
posted by johnsmith415 at 1:30 PM on April 6, 2006

I love Berlin and Prague, but the times I've traveled there from Amsterdam it was a long and expensive train or bus/car ride. There might be cheap flights, though (check EasyJet) and then it would be totally worth it.
posted by easternblot at 1:38 PM on April 6, 2006

Maybe spend one of your Amsterdam days in Rotterdam, is all I'm sayin'.
posted by viewofdelft at 1:43 PM on April 6, 2006

Okay, I'm definitely looking a bit more into Brussels since it gets such high marks from many people.
posted by kimdog at 2:01 PM on April 6, 2006

4 days in Amsterdam is a lot...you can pretty much get the whole thing in two. Of course, if you're just planning on hanging out then it's not a big deal. Rotterdam is interesting in that it's completely different from Amsterdam - it was flattened in WW2 and completely rebuilt. Everything is modern. It definitely has less soul and funk than Amsterdam, but is worth a visit.

I agree with the Bruges suggestion, too. I've never been but everyone I've talked to who has been there has raved about it. The weather was so bad in Belgium when I was travelling through that I just went straight through to Paris, so I can't offer anything on Brussels or Antwerp. I hear Brussels is nice, though.

Prague's pretty overrun with tourists in the summer but is still a nice place to visit anytime - if you can get a cheap flight.
posted by jimmythefish at 2:02 PM on April 6, 2006

I second Riga and nominate Vilnius (Lithuania). Beautiful city, lots of stuff to see and do, and your dollar will buy you a lot of beer and zeppelins.
posted by aparrish at 2:07 PM on April 6, 2006

Another vote for Bruges--it's just so damn lovely. Yeah, you're going to fight a lot of tourists in August, but that's true anywhere. I'll even give you a hotel suggestion: the good people at the Hotel Adornes are wonderful; it's away from the city center (but only a 10 minute walk); and it's right around the corner from the Café Vlissinghe, which has been around for a while--since 1515.
posted by Skot at 2:09 PM on April 6, 2006

If you do go to Brussels, a good day trip is to find the Manneken-pis statue, a sort of unofficial Brussels landmark. After you have gotten thouroughly lost then go find his much rarer twin Janneken-pis statue on a tiny dead-end street off the Rue des Bouchers. The alley with the janneken-pis has one of the best beer cafes I have ever been to, the Delerium Tremens cafe (it was even mentioned in the Wikipedia article!).

I would actually recommend Brugge/Bruges or Louvain/Leuven over Brussels though they are all fine destinations.
posted by spatula at 2:19 PM on April 6, 2006

The Hague is definitely worth a day, or even two. (I used to live there, and now I'm homesick!)
posted by trip and a half at 2:48 PM on April 6, 2006

Of the capitals of the baltics I've been to (Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), Vilnius was by far my favorite. Small town environment, very pretty, not terribly many tourists outside the main drag. Hilly, though.

For the love of everything good in the world, consider Kaliningrad. It's not going to be as objectively "pretty" architecturally but there's tons to do, a fascinating history, amber as cheap as you'll find it. Kaliningrad is the capital of Kaliningrad Oblast, a small remaining outpost of Russia that is detatched from the "mainland" and seperated from the Petersburg area by Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Also, while there consider a day trip to the Curonian Spit ("Kurskaya Kasa"), and Svetlogorsk (the city of light). Kurskaya Kasa is the first national park, has sand dunes, a road along it, a bird research outpost / reserve that you can visit and take a tour of... it's awesome. Svetlogorsk has got great beaches, fun people and parties, and is a vacation spot for Russians as well as some intrepid Germans. Kaliningrad city is a place that Germans frequently go, since it used to be quasi-German and there is a lot of history, but overall you'll find fewer Americans and western european tourists there than the other Baltics. And, as said, it's pretty sweet.

Kaliningrad. Get your visas set up well in advance, and be sure the dates are correct - they're in day / month / year format as opposed to the standard American month / day / year. I'll be making a return trip as soon as I can.
posted by lorrer at 2:48 PM on April 6, 2006

One follow-up. Svetlogorsk in your pocket link.

Here's their article on the Lithuanian side of the Curonian Spit. And some photos. There are Russians who do day tours out to the Spit, including adventures walking the dunes (on wood planks which would be easier on your legs) and a visit to the bird sanctuary. Here's one. Contact info is where it says "KOHTAKT" on the left in blue.
posted by lorrer at 3:05 PM on April 6, 2006

I love The Hague. Highly recommended. If you go see what is at the Mauritshuis (art museum), but mostly it is a wonderful city to walk around in, eat in and meet people in. One of the friendliest places I have ever visited.
posted by caddis at 4:13 PM on April 6, 2006

Belgium, but not brussels. Gent is awesome. Shame you won't be there in july, but still, a very cool city.
posted by phrontist at 4:19 PM on April 6, 2006

I'm partial to the smaller cities in Germany, especially Freiburg, Köln, and Karlsruhe. Freiburg is a wonderful place for walking around. The Köln cathedral is among the most inspiring places I've ever been. The rail connections from Amsterdam are quite fast if you take an ICE train.
posted by Wet Spot at 5:41 PM on April 6, 2006

Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:19 PM on April 6, 2006

If you're considering seeing more of the Netherlands, Delft is lovely - I've only ever been in winter so it may be touristy in August. It's very easy to get around the NL by train, and indeed to Germany, France, Belgium etc. - personally I wouldn't bother with planes unless I were going further afield, like Riga or Vilnius.
posted by altolinguistic at 1:47 AM on April 7, 2006

Definitely Berlin, I'd probably go on the overnight train which adds another little experience if you've not done it before. Personally I love the feeling of being on the platform of an international railway station in the evening, all the trains with boards by each carriage listing where they're going and knowing you're getting on one and going to wake up in another country. You can get details of trains from Amseterdam (to Berlin or elsewhere) here.
There's a lot more in this thread on some of the cities that have been mentioned here, plus check the 'Europe' tag if you haven't already.

To do in Berlin: Reichstag, lots of Museums, Checkpoint Charlie museum. Alexanderplatz, take a trip up the TV tower, or the Siegessaulle (if you do choose Berlin and don't mind arty films see 'Wings of Desire' before you go),
Get used to using the S-Bahn and you can just pop on and off when you see something you like.
Don't go to the Zoo, it's too small and the conditions are crappy.
Get a picnic together for a nice day and spend it wandering around Potsdam, the town has buckets of history, palaces and beautiful gardens dating from the German Empire and large parts are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Train times from Berlin-Potsdam here, takes 15-30 minutes.
posted by biffa at 3:37 AM on April 7, 2006 [1 favorite]