Where do I go, where do I stay, and what do I see?

February 23, 2023 4:32 AM

I'll preface this by saying I'm aware this is rushed, but this is all the time I have. I'm in Amsterdam in the first week of May, after going to France and Switzerland prior to that. My return is through Brussels after five days. I don't want to stay on in Amsterdam - where do I go and what do I see in the interim period?

I like museums, interesting architecture, long walks, offbeat places (as long as they are safe for solo female travelers), books/bookshops and food. Specific recommendations for budget hotels would also be very much appreciated.
(I can't go to London - it's a whole other visa)
Recommend away, and thank you!

posted by Nieshka to Travel & Transportation (15 answers total)

Response by poster: Um, the location should be Europe. And I know how to spell where but I was typing quickly on my phone and autocorrect doesn't work when it's supposed to, alas.
posted by Nieshka at 4:38 AM on February 23, 2023

While you're in Amsterdam, you can do yourself a favor by staying (as in sleeping and waking) in a neighborhood that's not in the immediate center. By all means, tour the usual spots in the center, but get a taste of the lovely pace of the city. I'm in Amsterdam for work all the time and I stay in sweets hotel rooms. They're former bridge controller houses, and each is unique (they're sorted by various factors, including background noise level, on the website). It elevates the experience, and I recommend it to everyone.

Likewise, if the weather's nice and you have the time, rent a bike and experience just how easy and nearby the experience of getting out of town is. You'll be surprised by how accessible the ride out to Monnickendam is, and how there's a moment where you cross from "I'm in Amsterdam" to "I'm on a bike path through lush fields, there's a cow, and here's a little bridge, and here is a small outpost, and here is a garden." Grab a bite in Monnickendam, sigh leisurely, then bike back in to Amsterdam. It's a wonderful (extremely flat) half day. I think this is a very good use of your time and gets you out of Amsterdam but into the Netherlands.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:41 AM on February 23, 2023 [9 favorites]

First week of May should not be peak tourist season so accommodation should not be astronomical wherever you end up. Beware that 1st May is a public holiday in Germany for example but not in Holland.

If found myself in Amsterdam with 5 days to kill and didn't want to spend time in Amsterdam I'd make my way to the coast and rent a bike and enjoy flat cycling by the sea.

Then I'd head to Rotterdam - stark contrast between historic and modern architecture. Then I'd continue to Ghent in Belgium, finishing in Brussels either with a day to explore the city or just in time to travel home.

I'd do all of that by train probably.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:00 AM on February 23, 2023

Response by poster: Sorry for the back and forth and will desist after this but in Belgium, is Bruges a bad idea?
posted by Nieshka at 5:04 AM on February 23, 2023

I think Bruges is good for a day or two! It's extremely touristy and arguably overpriced, but charming AF. But you might already be all topped up on charmingly touristy after Switzerland?
posted by mskyle at 5:19 AM on February 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

For museums and long walks, I would go to De Hoge Veluwe National Park and visit the Kröller-Müller Museum. You can stay nearby in the village of Otterlo, but it's also easy to reach from the cities of Ede, Arnhem, and Apeldoorn (which might have cheaper hotels).

Or for more architecture, head north to Groningen and visit the Groninger Museum or some of the smaller art and science museums.

If you want to go to Belgium, I'd recommend Ghent over Bruges. It's less touristed and has amazing architecture. I've stayed at the Novotel Ghent Centrum which is pretty reasonably priced and located right in the middle of things.
posted by neushoorn at 5:41 AM on February 23, 2023 [5 favorites]

Bruges is beautiful and neat and you should go but I can't imagine spending more than 3/4 of a day there as a tourist.
posted by mmascolino at 5:54 AM on February 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

Seconding neushoorn's recommendation of the Kroller-Muller museum and also Ghent. Ghent is absolutely my favorite city in Belgium, for architecture, art and just an incredible lively atmosphere. I love Brussels too but it can be overwhelming.
posted by vacapinta at 5:57 AM on February 23, 2023

Bruges is great. Not huge, but worth staying a night, as it looks lovely in the evening .
posted by backwards guitar at 6:19 AM on February 23, 2023

Bruges isn't a bad idea, but I'd consider Antwerp, instead. If you're taking the train from Amsterdam to Brussels, you'll have to transfer in Antwerp anyway, so you could turn that into quick stopover. The Royal Fine Arts Museum just reopened after a long hiatus/renovation, and is definitely worth a visit, as is the Fashion Museum, if that's your thing. For architecture, take a walk through Zurenborg, specifically the Cogels-Osylei; a bunch of houses build around 1900, mostly in Art Nouveau style.
And Antwerp has the benefit of not being overly large, so most of it can be done on foot.
posted by Karmeliet at 6:21 AM on February 23, 2023

One small note of caution regarding that fantastic list of smaller museums in Groningen - that's Groningen the province, not just Groningen the city, so don't assume they're all in walking distance of each other. My personal favourite of the city's museums is the Universiteitsmuseum: small but fascinating.

Nobody has said Den Haag / The Hague yet. I like it better than Amsterdam (it's a bit calmer), and it's got the amazing Panorama Mesdag, along with plenty of other museums and things to see. I've recommended the city (and the Panorama in particular) here a few times already... e.g. comment 1, comment 2, comment 3.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 6:23 AM on February 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you enjoy art and have any Dutch friends who could help you purchase a Museumkaart, you could spend the post-Amsterdam pre-Switzerland time traipsing around some of the most amazing museums in the world - in Amsterdam, Utrecht (one of the absolutely most charming places on the face of the earth), The Hague, Rotterdam… Nthing comments above about renting a bike and tooling around - stopping for soup and pie - ach. I have had many good, quiet times in the Netherlands.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 9:32 AM on February 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

Mod note: We removed the location part, since it was being tagged incorrectly.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 10:38 AM on February 23, 2023

This might be too much of walks and offbeat, but you could take the train from Amsterdam to Den Helder then hop the ferry to Texel, a beautiful island that'll be quiet as you won't quite be in tourist season yet. (This may impact your ability to access, say, restaurants.) Apparently there's even at least one museum there.
posted by knile at 12:53 PM on February 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

For five days, I'd go Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Antwerp or Ghent (with side trip to Bruges; it's very close to Ghent) - Brussels, with overnights wherever it makes sense. All of them check the boxes on your "stuff I like" list, there are easy and frequent rail connections, and it's an itinerary that brings you down gradually to your flight out in Brussels. If you don't want to lug your stuff all over the place, once you're in Belgium you can absolutely get a room and park your stuff in Brussels, then do day trips for the Belgian destinations. Both Antwerp and Ghent are less than an hour away by train. Feel free to memail me for specifics.
posted by pendrift at 1:27 AM on February 24, 2023 [1 favorite]