Amsterdam or Paris for a honeymoon? Which to pick?!
February 2, 2019 1:29 PM Subscribe
My spouse and I can't decide whether to go to France or the Netherlands on our honeymoon this spring on our somewhat limited budget; help us decide and whether our budget is realistic!
altogether: 7-8 days (this is strict, my wife has very little PTO); budget $4k (including flights, taxes, everything)
For context, we've been to Toronto (Kensington, Queen Street), NYC (Brooklyn [bushwick], Harlem, Manhattan) and enjoyed them.
We're looking at going in late April, May, or June (we were married in the fall); are any of these times better than others (prices for seems to be much higher in early May in Netherlands b/c of Liberation Day?)
What should our budget be specifically for airfare?
(We've been struggling to find fares under $600 or even 700/pp not including baggage fees; we're in Cleveland but would be willing to drive up to 3hrs to an airport if it's worth it).
If you don't think it's feasible for either of those places on our budget? Where else would you recommend?
likes:
people watching
cities
microbreweries
archetecture
museums (both weird and conventional)
larger cities (500k+)
not having to drive everywhere
informal bicycling in a city that is beginner-friendly (hence amsterdamn)
thrift stores
visiting petit Dakar/Senegal en France
really cool:
scuba diving
dislikes:
kids
don't care for:
nature
sitting on a beach for 5 days straight
housing accommodations:
really prefer to have our own bathroom and room (so limits the hostel options), but besides that far game.
English or French-speaking (rusty from college)
weather: at least mid 50s F during the day
altogether: 7-8 days (this is strict, my wife has very little PTO); budget $4k (including flights, taxes, everything)
For context, we've been to Toronto (Kensington, Queen Street), NYC (Brooklyn [bushwick], Harlem, Manhattan) and enjoyed them.
We're looking at going in late April, May, or June (we were married in the fall); are any of these times better than others (prices for seems to be much higher in early May in Netherlands b/c of Liberation Day?)
What should our budget be specifically for airfare?
(We've been struggling to find fares under $600 or even 700/pp not including baggage fees; we're in Cleveland but would be willing to drive up to 3hrs to an airport if it's worth it).
If you don't think it's feasible for either of those places on our budget? Where else would you recommend?
likes:
people watching
cities
microbreweries
archetecture
museums (both weird and conventional)
larger cities (500k+)
not having to drive everywhere
informal bicycling in a city that is beginner-friendly (hence amsterdamn)
thrift stores
visiting petit Dakar/Senegal en France
really cool:
scuba diving
dislikes:
kids
don't care for:
nature
sitting on a beach for 5 days straight
housing accommodations:
really prefer to have our own bathroom and room (so limits the hostel options), but besides that far game.
English or French-speaking (rusty from college)
weather: at least mid 50s F during the day
I also vote for Amsterdam, but I've never been a huge fan of Paris. You might also like Berlin or Copenhagen. If you like pets, you could consider Trusted Housesitters, which I often use, for a free place in exchange for taking care of a cat or dog. (The downside is that you can't guarantee that something will be available on specific dates.) I stayed in a canal boat in Amsterdam with a cat. They often have a lot of listings in London, if you're interested in London, and you could probably get a cheaper flight there, especially if you leave from Chicago or something. Check out Norwegian Air if you haven't yet.
posted by pinochiette at 1:51 PM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by pinochiette at 1:51 PM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
I also love Amsterdam and am not very fond of Paris. If you do go to Amsterdam, go to the Tropenmuseum (world cultures), the Stedelijk (modern art), or the Joods Historisch Museum (Jewish history) as well as the Van Gogh and the Anne Frank Huis. Eat rijsttafel and drink beer, take a canal tour, go on the trams, and hire bikes. You should also try to get out of the city.
If you go to Paris, get to Versailles. Also, the Louvre is huge and has a lot of interesting stuff aparrt from the Mona Lisa.
posted by plonkee at 2:12 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you go to Paris, get to Versailles. Also, the Louvre is huge and has a lot of interesting stuff aparrt from the Mona Lisa.
posted by plonkee at 2:12 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Amsterdam is definitely cheaper than Paris, but we covered everything we wanted to see in Amsterdam in 4-5 days. You could probably pad that out to 7 by taking some day trips to other places (The Hague, Rotterdam, etc.). We stayed in a houseboat on a canal through AirBnB, which was enjoyable, but not as cool as you might think it is.
posted by briank at 2:32 PM on February 2, 2019
posted by briank at 2:32 PM on February 2, 2019
April, especially the earlier in April you can manage, will be cheaper than May or June.
I really like both Amsterdam and Paris, but Amsterdam is a bit more compact and is cheaper. If you go there, visit Keukenhof (huge tulip garden) which is outside Amsterdam proper but easily accessible by train. There is also Madurodam (miniature village) -- located in Den Haag but like 90 min by train from the center of Amsterdam.
In Paris, the Catacombs are appropriately unconventional for a museum. Also, go up the Tour Montparnasse in the evening to watch the lights come on and get a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower.
posted by basalganglia at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2019
I really like both Amsterdam and Paris, but Amsterdam is a bit more compact and is cheaper. If you go there, visit Keukenhof (huge tulip garden) which is outside Amsterdam proper but easily accessible by train. There is also Madurodam (miniature village) -- located in Den Haag but like 90 min by train from the center of Amsterdam.
In Paris, the Catacombs are appropriately unconventional for a museum. Also, go up the Tour Montparnasse in the evening to watch the lights come on and get a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower.
posted by basalganglia at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2019
A heads up that April 30th is Konningday (King’s Day, used to be Queensday but changed when Queen Beatrice abdicated the throne in 2013/4). I was there in 2013. I can best relate it to a city wide tailgate party. People decorate their boats and parade threw the canals, lots of street music and drinking. There’s no particular “activity” of the day (perhaps a bit similar to 4 of July?) just general merriment and drinking (and wearing orange) throughout the day. I had a fantastic time of it. It’s also a great time of year to make it to Keukenhof gardens for the tulips, take bike rides just about everywhere (go to Zaanse Schans for beautiful windmills). It’s also super easy to take day trips around the country as the train rides aren’t particularly long.
posted by raccoon409 at 3:06 PM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by raccoon409 at 3:06 PM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
Based on your description, having been to both places, I think Amsterdam may be better for you - although I admit Paris was longer ago and a shorter stay, so I saw less of it and remember less of it.
It's easy in Amsterdam to just walk around the canals and find shops, restaurants, bars, etc. without really knowing your way around. The biking can be slightly scary but you can find places to do it that are less intimidating. We biked around Vondelpark as practice and then biked over to a food hall - going into the traffic and roads was intense, but there were other bikers riding similar routes so we were able to stay with the pack and follow the lead of locals. We did two separate boat rides, one big one from a tour company that was ok, and one much smaller boat where the narration from our driver kind of sucked, but we were able to squeeze beneath the smallest bridges and explore many nooks and crannies of the canals, which was cool. We visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank museum, and I'm sure there are others. We did do a tour bus as well, but otherwise I think it was pretty much all walking, except when we went to dinner reservations. If you have the money to splurge and you're foodies Librije's Zusje in the Waldorf Astoria is truly an experience. I had never been to a Michelin restaurant, so it was fun being waited on hand-and-foot and try such unique cuisine.
As far as budget, do you have a rewards credit card? Would you be willing to open one? I used my Chase Sapphire Preferred card that I had opened the year prior and paid $700 round trip instead of $1500, including baggage and meals, so I was happy with that. The card offers a large bonus sign-up fee of points and the points can be exchanged to rewards programs for most hotels, most airlines, etc. giving you a lot of flexibility.
Someone up-thread mentioned Copenhagen. I also went there on the same trip that included Amsterdam. There's not much to do in Copenhagen and will get boring after a couple days. We went to Tivoli four times during our stay, which I guess should tell you what you need to know about Copenhagen.
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:42 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
It's easy in Amsterdam to just walk around the canals and find shops, restaurants, bars, etc. without really knowing your way around. The biking can be slightly scary but you can find places to do it that are less intimidating. We biked around Vondelpark as practice and then biked over to a food hall - going into the traffic and roads was intense, but there were other bikers riding similar routes so we were able to stay with the pack and follow the lead of locals. We did two separate boat rides, one big one from a tour company that was ok, and one much smaller boat where the narration from our driver kind of sucked, but we were able to squeeze beneath the smallest bridges and explore many nooks and crannies of the canals, which was cool. We visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank museum, and I'm sure there are others. We did do a tour bus as well, but otherwise I think it was pretty much all walking, except when we went to dinner reservations. If you have the money to splurge and you're foodies Librije's Zusje in the Waldorf Astoria is truly an experience. I had never been to a Michelin restaurant, so it was fun being waited on hand-and-foot and try such unique cuisine.
As far as budget, do you have a rewards credit card? Would you be willing to open one? I used my Chase Sapphire Preferred card that I had opened the year prior and paid $700 round trip instead of $1500, including baggage and meals, so I was happy with that. The card offers a large bonus sign-up fee of points and the points can be exchanged to rewards programs for most hotels, most airlines, etc. giving you a lot of flexibility.
Someone up-thread mentioned Copenhagen. I also went there on the same trip that included Amsterdam. There's not much to do in Copenhagen and will get boring after a couple days. We went to Tivoli four times during our stay, which I guess should tell you what you need to know about Copenhagen.
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:42 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Nthing Amsterdam, for all the reasons others have mentioned. I was just there in the fall -- great people watching, architecture, breweries, museums of all kinds (really enjoyed the tiny Pianola museum there, as well as the big art museums.) I'm only a casual biker -- the bicyclists in Amsterdam are quite serious (it took me a day to get used to bikes coming at you from every direction...) -- but it's very bike-friendly so you could probably find a place to try it out that isn't in the midst of packs of biking commuters.
Being in DK, I feel that I must stand up for Copenhagen a bit :) Not that it's on your list, but -- it's a great city. Admittedly it's smaller than the others, but I have always found plenty to do and see. It's just more low-key, quieter and cozy.
posted by profreader at 4:35 PM on February 2, 2019
Being in DK, I feel that I must stand up for Copenhagen a bit :) Not that it's on your list, but -- it's a great city. Admittedly it's smaller than the others, but I have always found plenty to do and see. It's just more low-key, quieter and cozy.
posted by profreader at 4:35 PM on February 2, 2019
King's Day is April 27th. Don't be like other misguided tourists for the last three years who show up all decked out in orange on the 30th. Not quite the same party.
posted by humboldt32 at 5:57 PM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by humboldt32 at 5:57 PM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
If you stay at a good hotel, The Akura, you get a huge breakfast buffet. You can fill coffee mugs and head out. You are not too far from the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijks with the Vermeers and the Rembrandts. Delft the canal city is not too far away for a day trip.
posted by Oyéah at 6:05 PM on February 2, 2019
posted by Oyéah at 6:05 PM on February 2, 2019
In all seriousness, you may want to consider doing both of these! It's an easy train ride between Paris and Amsterdam. I spent three days in Amsterdam and four in Paris a couple years ago, and found it to be a great experience, but wish I had another day in the Netherlands.
posted by voiceofreason at 7:49 PM on February 2, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by voiceofreason at 7:49 PM on February 2, 2019 [10 favorites]
Depending on whether your wife's PTO is fixed to April in particular, and whether you're set on an April honeymoon vs. a "let's see if it's cheaper a month earlier or later" one, it might actually make sense to set a couple Google Flights price alerts for Paris, Amsterdam, and a couple other charming cities you'd enjoy wandering around, then see what turns up. Subscribe to the free version of Scott's Cheap Flights, too, while you're at it.
I live near SFO -- an international hub, which admittedly makes things easier -- and regularly find stunningly cheap flights overseas. I flew to Hong Kong for $380 last year, and could've gotten a $300 ticket if I'd waited a week! (Though of course who could have guessed flights would get any cheaper?!) My partner just flew to London on Christmas eve for, I forget but I think it was just over $700. It's tricky to find flights quite that cheap if you're coming from Cleveland, but just FYI, this Google Flights search for a 1wk trip in April using flexible dates turns up tickets from Cleveland to Amsterdam for $613, and in May a lot of prices in Europe drop by a hundred bucks -- not Amsterdam, but you can fly to Brussels for $501 and London for $422.
posted by tapir-whorf at 8:08 PM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
I live near SFO -- an international hub, which admittedly makes things easier -- and regularly find stunningly cheap flights overseas. I flew to Hong Kong for $380 last year, and could've gotten a $300 ticket if I'd waited a week! (Though of course who could have guessed flights would get any cheaper?!) My partner just flew to London on Christmas eve for, I forget but I think it was just over $700. It's tricky to find flights quite that cheap if you're coming from Cleveland, but just FYI, this Google Flights search for a 1wk trip in April using flexible dates turns up tickets from Cleveland to Amsterdam for $613, and in May a lot of prices in Europe drop by a hundred bucks -- not Amsterdam, but you can fly to Brussels for $501 and London for $422.
posted by tapir-whorf at 8:08 PM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]
I'm going to go against the flow here: I enjoyed my visit to Amsterdam, but visiting there for seven or eight days might be a bit much unless you are very into Dutch art or culture.
Meanwhile, Paris is...Paris. Should you honeymoon in Paris in the spring? Yes. Fantastic food, some of the best museums in the world, classic architecture. A bit more staid than Amsterdam, to be sure, but it's a different enough culture that people-watching is interesting regardless. Not, I think, great for biking, though.
posted by praemunire at 9:55 PM on February 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
Meanwhile, Paris is...Paris. Should you honeymoon in Paris in the spring? Yes. Fantastic food, some of the best museums in the world, classic architecture. A bit more staid than Amsterdam, to be sure, but it's a different enough culture that people-watching is interesting regardless. Not, I think, great for biking, though.
posted by praemunire at 9:55 PM on February 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
You may want to consider that in large parts of Europe there are two weeks of school holidays around Easter and that Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in a lot of countries so accommodation and flights will tend to be more expensive around that time. Easter is at the end of April this year, the same goes foe Whitsun, which falls into early June this year. Fort hat I‘d expect the school holidays to be the two weeks before Whitsun because everything is so late.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:34 AM on February 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:34 AM on February 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
As an Amsterdammer, I am voting for PARIS
Amsterdam for 7-8 days is long.. (And yes, you could easily do both).
What I like about Paris:
Getting around:
It's also easy to get around. Either by subway, or with the rental-bike Velibs (though their checkout process is not as smooth as it used to be).
Museums/culture
Their variety of museums is much higher. I really love the Pompidou, the Brancusi Studio, and most of all the wonderfully quirky The Musee de La Chasse et De Nature. It also has more street art, more potential grungyness, more random things going on at all times.
There are more people to watch for sure. And there's a lot of different (including new) architecture. Oh I love the Cartier foundation for its architecture, and exhibitions. The Louis Vuitton foundation has an awful collection, but it can be interesting to see how much that Frank Gehry building sucks (IMHO).
Food
The food is better in Paris. I mean: the lunch menu is a juice, a sandwich or quiche and CAKE! Pretty splendid cake too. You can walk around the Marais, get a sandwich and hang out in the tiny little hidden parks (many of which seem to have pingpong tables for some reason).
Photogenic/The views
The city is built on hills, so from Monmartre, but also from the top of the Pompidou, or the Eiffel tower ofcourse you get many splendid views.
The Weather
It's just warmer in Paris than in Amsterdam.
About Amsterdam
If you do happen to do Amsterdam, shoot for end of May/June. In April it is often rainy, and it can be cold. At the end of April is indeed Kings Day, plus Liberation day, and schools have a week off, which is why it's more expensive.
I'd also get a car for a couple of days if you go to Amsterdam. Because 7-8 days is long, but also because you can get a better idea of the country, and how it was created, rather than really based on nature. There's some interesting architecture, both buildings and bridges that are out of the way, you can visit the Kroller Muller museum. You can btw also drive or take a train to belgium easily if you wanted to see that.
posted by Thisandthat at 2:49 AM on February 3, 2019 [4 favorites]
Amsterdam for 7-8 days is long.. (And yes, you could easily do both).
What I like about Paris:
Getting around:
It's also easy to get around. Either by subway, or with the rental-bike Velibs (though their checkout process is not as smooth as it used to be).
Museums/culture
Their variety of museums is much higher. I really love the Pompidou, the Brancusi Studio, and most of all the wonderfully quirky The Musee de La Chasse et De Nature. It also has more street art, more potential grungyness, more random things going on at all times.
There are more people to watch for sure. And there's a lot of different (including new) architecture. Oh I love the Cartier foundation for its architecture, and exhibitions. The Louis Vuitton foundation has an awful collection, but it can be interesting to see how much that Frank Gehry building sucks (IMHO).
Food
The food is better in Paris. I mean: the lunch menu is a juice, a sandwich or quiche and CAKE! Pretty splendid cake too. You can walk around the Marais, get a sandwich and hang out in the tiny little hidden parks (many of which seem to have pingpong tables for some reason).
Photogenic/The views
The city is built on hills, so from Monmartre, but also from the top of the Pompidou, or the Eiffel tower ofcourse you get many splendid views.
The Weather
It's just warmer in Paris than in Amsterdam.
About Amsterdam
If you do happen to do Amsterdam, shoot for end of May/June. In April it is often rainy, and it can be cold. At the end of April is indeed Kings Day, plus Liberation day, and schools have a week off, which is why it's more expensive.
I'd also get a car for a couple of days if you go to Amsterdam. Because 7-8 days is long, but also because you can get a better idea of the country, and how it was created, rather than really based on nature. There's some interesting architecture, both buildings and bridges that are out of the way, you can visit the Kroller Muller museum. You can btw also drive or take a train to belgium easily if you wanted to see that.
posted by Thisandthat at 2:49 AM on February 3, 2019 [4 favorites]
Have you checked for flights out of Windsor? The last time I flew to Europe it was considerably cheaper to fly out of Windsor as opposed to any of the Ohio airports.
As far as destination, both are beautiful places! Paris will have more to do but is more expensive. Amsterdam was wonderful in terms of strolling the city and was easier for me as an English speaker. If you do Amsterdam, do at least 1 side trip. You can do both, we took the train from Paris to Amsterdam and flew in and out of different cities. The train was nice and cheaper if you buy tickets further out.
Good luck! Either sounds lovely - have a great trip!
posted by ceramicblue at 4:46 AM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
As far as destination, both are beautiful places! Paris will have more to do but is more expensive. Amsterdam was wonderful in terms of strolling the city and was easier for me as an English speaker. If you do Amsterdam, do at least 1 side trip. You can do both, we took the train from Paris to Amsterdam and flew in and out of different cities. The train was nice and cheaper if you buy tickets further out.
Good luck! Either sounds lovely - have a great trip!
posted by ceramicblue at 4:46 AM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Is IcelandAir an option from any airport in range? In October I did a split Paris/Netherlands trip with IcelandAir via Reykjavik, where the flights were under $450 Canadian out of Toronto. If you book the Eurostar well in advance it is only 40 Euros from Paris to Amsterdam. Spend 3-4 days weighted toward the city of your choice (or stop somewhere in between for an overnight, like Antwerp or Rotterdam).
posted by Gortuk at 7:18 AM on February 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Gortuk at 7:18 AM on February 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Eurostar doesn't go from Amsterdam to Paris. The Thalys does, and the tickets are only 35 euros, while they last.
Easter is the biggest weekend in Amsterdam. Hotel prices are through the roof.
posted by humboldt32 at 8:28 AM on February 3, 2019
Easter is the biggest weekend in Amsterdam. Hotel prices are through the roof.
posted by humboldt32 at 8:28 AM on February 3, 2019
I took a one week trip once. I found flying into Paris, and back home out of Berlin, saved me enough money to rent a car in Paris to drive up to Amsterdam, and have a car there to go places for a couple of days, then I drove over to Berlin which has a lot of cool stuff. The Forum Hotel in Berlin was affordable, and again had a huge business class buffet for breakfast Berlin has lots of stuff, the Dahlem, The Egyptian, and Asiatic museums for art. It was a great weeks journey taken in November with not a lot of light.
posted by Oyéah at 10:12 AM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 10:12 AM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Look, Paris has this great reputation but I think that ultimately lets it down. I have been a couple of times and was really disappointed - it's dirty, crowded, rude and doesn't have anything that a hundred other European capital cities don't do better.
Go to Amsterdam. Everyone is right that your trip is too long for it to just be Amsterdam, but I would heartily recommend Rotterdam as an easy train ride and a fab change of pace. Amsterdam is beautiful, old, friendly; Rotterdam is new, modern, arch and self-made.
To be honest, if you're prepared to drive three hours just to find a decent airport, you can see half of Europe in that time. Maybe take the train to Bruges? London?
posted by citands at 11:34 AM on February 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
Go to Amsterdam. Everyone is right that your trip is too long for it to just be Amsterdam, but I would heartily recommend Rotterdam as an easy train ride and a fab change of pace. Amsterdam is beautiful, old, friendly; Rotterdam is new, modern, arch and self-made.
To be honest, if you're prepared to drive three hours just to find a decent airport, you can see half of Europe in that time. Maybe take the train to Bruges? London?
posted by citands at 11:34 AM on February 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
I recommend Amsterdam too, and I'll second citands that you could easily visit Bruges, which is absolutely lovely.
posted by jpziller at 12:16 PM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jpziller at 12:16 PM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I went on a delayed honeymoon in Paris, on a similar budget, in late March a few years ago. I've since spent a few months there for work, and have spent ten days in Amsterdam, largely for work.
I'd definitely vote for Paris. Amsterdam is really neat, filled with fantastic people, and seems like it would be a great place to live. But, it lacks the breath-taking vistas and easily triggered cultural associations (among Americans) that Paris offers. For just over $100/night we got a perfectly nice airBnB in the heart of Montmartre, which really does look exactly like every film you've ever seen set in Paris. The transit is awesome. The walks between sights can be long, but they're beautiful. Cafe culture is vibrant. Bicycling is possible, but you'll be fighting cars more than in Amsterdam. Trains for day trips are the same from either. But, there are few cities in the world that can match Paris for making you feel like you're in a unique and special place.
My naive, brief impression of Amsterdamn is that it's not actually very different from Cleveland, except with a more recreational canal boats, a few more world class art and history museums, and a lot more obnoxious tourists. It's got a brilliant history and vibrant contemporary culture, but it doesn't seize you as a place. Or, at least, it didn't seize me.
posted by eotvos at 3:59 PM on February 3, 2019
I'd definitely vote for Paris. Amsterdam is really neat, filled with fantastic people, and seems like it would be a great place to live. But, it lacks the breath-taking vistas and easily triggered cultural associations (among Americans) that Paris offers. For just over $100/night we got a perfectly nice airBnB in the heart of Montmartre, which really does look exactly like every film you've ever seen set in Paris. The transit is awesome. The walks between sights can be long, but they're beautiful. Cafe culture is vibrant. Bicycling is possible, but you'll be fighting cars more than in Amsterdam. Trains for day trips are the same from either. But, there are few cities in the world that can match Paris for making you feel like you're in a unique and special place.
My naive, brief impression of Amsterdamn is that it's not actually very different from Cleveland, except with a more recreational canal boats, a few more world class art and history museums, and a lot more obnoxious tourists. It's got a brilliant history and vibrant contemporary culture, but it doesn't seize you as a place. Or, at least, it didn't seize me.
posted by eotvos at 3:59 PM on February 3, 2019
For a 7-8 day trip I've got to vote for Paris. As much as I loved Amsterdam, by my fourth day I felt like I had a good sense of the city, whereas with Paris you can feel like you're just getting started.
Last time I went (~3 years ago) I stayed in an Airbnb that was a whole (tiny) apartment, and was just over $100 USD per night I think. It was in the Marais neighbourhood, which is pretty centrally located. I think Notre Dame was a 10-minute walk.
Language-wise, if you've got some college-level French you'll probably be fine. I've been to Paris three times with my super-rusty high school French and I've always managed.
As eotvos says, Paris looms large in the cultural imagination of (North) Americans, so it can be a joy to see in person the buildings, monuments, and neighbourhoods that you're familiar with from countless books and movies. Amsterdam is great but isn't on that "world city" level.
I don't really understand the refrain that Paris is dirty. It's a big, old city with millions of people living in it, so yeah there is sometimes litter and dog poop on the sidewalk. Big deal. The architecture of Paris is among the crowning achievements of human civilization, but some tourists seem to spend their visits looking at garbage and feces.
Finally... it's a honeymoon, it's Paris! Yes it's a cliché but there's a reason why Paris is so associated with romance.
posted by good in a vacuum at 8:44 PM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Last time I went (~3 years ago) I stayed in an Airbnb that was a whole (tiny) apartment, and was just over $100 USD per night I think. It was in the Marais neighbourhood, which is pretty centrally located. I think Notre Dame was a 10-minute walk.
Language-wise, if you've got some college-level French you'll probably be fine. I've been to Paris three times with my super-rusty high school French and I've always managed.
As eotvos says, Paris looms large in the cultural imagination of (North) Americans, so it can be a joy to see in person the buildings, monuments, and neighbourhoods that you're familiar with from countless books and movies. Amsterdam is great but isn't on that "world city" level.
I don't really understand the refrain that Paris is dirty. It's a big, old city with millions of people living in it, so yeah there is sometimes litter and dog poop on the sidewalk. Big deal. The architecture of Paris is among the crowning achievements of human civilization, but some tourists seem to spend their visits looking at garbage and feces.
Finally... it's a honeymoon, it's Paris! Yes it's a cliché but there's a reason why Paris is so associated with romance.
posted by good in a vacuum at 8:44 PM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I say both.
Ride bikes in Amsterdam, go to the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk, the Tropenmuseum, etc. etc. But eating out there is... stodgy. Not great.
Go to Paris on the Thalys and eat everything.
Fly in and out of Amsterdam, I think. I love Dutch trains, it is so easy to get around.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:43 AM on February 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
Ride bikes in Amsterdam, go to the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk, the Tropenmuseum, etc. etc. But eating out there is... stodgy. Not great.
Go to Paris on the Thalys and eat everything.
Fly in and out of Amsterdam, I think. I love Dutch trains, it is so easy to get around.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:43 AM on February 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
Mod note: Final update from the OP:
Thank you all of the suggestions! We ultimately decided to go to both and spend 5 days in Paris and 3 in Amsterdam and had things booked for this spring in 2020 but it's postponed because of COVID-19.posted by cortex (staff) at 3:50 PM on April 12, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:41 PM on February 2, 2019 [9 favorites]