<p>I will be joining my 23 y/o D in these cities for 10 days in July. She will be wrapping up a month traveling in Europe before heading to law school in the fall. After 3 weeks in hostels in Ireland and Scotland, I will be treating her to hotels and unlimited meals! If any of the knowledgeable posters here has any advice, tips or recommendations for restaurants or must-sees, please share! I already have hotels in Amsterdam and Antwerp, but Bruges or Brussels have yet to be booked. Our plan is 4 nights in Amsterdam (side trip to the Hague), 2 nights in Antwerp, 1/2 nights in Bruges (side trip to Ghent) and 1/2 nights in Brussels. If we do 1 night in Bruges, we will backtrack to Ghent from Brussels. We have 9 nights to work with and 6 are already booked. Thoughts?</p>
<p>Finally there’s something I have a bit of knowledge in. I’ve been to all of these places, most of them last year. What kind of sight seeing do you like to do? I’m interested in art, so I tend to go to all the museums. </p>
<p>Brugges is beautiful, and I recommend it, and I love it, but realize that it is a tourist trap. It’s like Disneyworld. I think one day in Brugges is plenty. Spend one day walking around seeing everything, and you won’t miss anything. The museums in Brugges are nice, but the museums in Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Brussels are much, much better. I would spend my time in Brugges just walking. Oh, and eating and buying chocolate, and looking at chocolate in the store windows.</p>
<p>Please spend more time in Ghent than Brugges. It is a gorgeous medieval city. Walking there you can picture life in the middle ages. It is a tourist place, but much much more real than Brugges. </p>
<p>Brussels is nice for a day or two. The museums are great. Ghent is better for a walking experience.</p>
<p>My daughter also made sure to eat as many waffles as possible, a waffle tour through Belgium. </p>
<p>I should have more later.</p>
<p>We stayed at the Hotel Malleberg in Bruge in 2011. It was centrally located and not expensive. Not fancy, either, but nice.</p>
<p>[Hotel</a> | Hotel | Hotel Malleberg Bruges, Belgium](<a href=“http://www.hotelmalleberg.be/hotel-malleberg_brugge.asp?rubriekId=5107&taal=en]Hotel”>http://www.hotelmalleberg.be/hotel-malleberg_brugge.asp?rubriekId=5107&taal=en)</p>
<p>Eat steak and Indonesian food in Amsterdam.
I can recommend one place over another but have been to several for both types of food and its always good.</p>
<p>In Brussels, near Place St. Catherine, there is a street called Baksteenkaai that has a restaurant row that consists entirely of places that specialize in serving lobster (“homard” in French). I recommend you go to a place called “Rugbyman” (or you can try Rugbyman II if Rugbyman is full) and order the Rugbyman Special lobster.</p>
<p>Before eating this I thought I didn’t particularly like lobster, but that was one of the best meals of my life.</p>
<p>I was going to recommend staying in a hotel near Place St. Catherine. We stayed at the Brussels Welcome Hotel, which is very funky and unique. Each room is based on a theme of a different country. My daughter and I enjoyed it, it made us laugh. Free breakfast. If you prefer a conservative, traditional hotel, you might not like it as much. In Brugges we stayed at the Hotel Prinsenhof, centrally located, anyone would love it, pretty upscale but down to earth, lovely, gets fantastic reviews on TripAdvisor. In Ghent we stayed at the Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof, which was quite modern, posh, and upscale, in a great location, and oddly was not too expensive.</p>
<p>I can recommend the Hotel Aragon in Bruge. We stayed for 2 nights about 2 years ago, very comfortable, lovely breakfast and good location to the square and on another street easily located several nice restaurants and lots of chocolate shops. We drove from Amsterdam with a stop in Antwerp to see the cathedral. On the way back from Amsterdam where we were catching a flight on to Israel we stopped in the Hague for an afternoon of walking around and a stop to the museum where I had the entire gallery for myself to view “The Girl With the Pearl Earring” however I do believe that the entire museum is now closed for renovation and the painting is travelling now although previously it had never left the Netherlands. In Amsterdam we stayed at a very cosy hotel, more like a pension, The Owl. Very pleasant, good location but the room was the smallest room that I have ever been in… really postage stamp sized but very efficiently designed.</p>
<p>Another vote here that you’re making the right decision in visiting Bruges and Ghent. I really like Bruges especially.</p>
<p>When you go to The Hague you might want to visit Madurodam there. It’s a sort of park with miniaturized models of various buildings in Holland -
[Madurodam</a> | Get more of Holland in this interactive miniature park - Madurodam](<a href=“http://www.madurodam.nl/en/]Madurodam”>Holland's highlights and heritage | Madurodam)</p>
<p>You should also go to the Kinderdijk area of Holland to see some of the windmills (although there are some nice ones in Bruges as well) -
[url=<a href=“http://www.kinderdijk.com/]kinderdijk.com[/url”>http://www.kinderdijk.com/]kinderdijk.com[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Two words: Neuhouse Chocolate</p>
<p>[Store</a> Locator - Neuhaus](<a href=“http://www.neuhauschocolates.com/en-us/stores/europe/]Store”>http://www.neuhauschocolates.com/en-us/stores/europe/)</p>
<p>Speaking of food - </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Belgian fries. These are really good. They’re sold by a number of street vendors.</p></li>
<li><p>In Holland - Erdbeer desserts - strawberries and cream. Really good.</p></li>
<li><p>In Holland - Cheese. Find and tour a cheese factory. Buy some Gouda cheese.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Don’t forget to buy some wooden shoes.</p>
<p>In Antwerp, one should try mussels!</p>
<p>My W tried eel in Holland, a common dish there. You should have seen the look on her face!</p>
<p>(She didn’t like it at all)</p>
<p>I stayed in Bruge for two days with my 20 year old daughter at Hotel Academie. It is near the Minnewater (Lake of love) area, very nice hotel and easy walking to all other areas. I loved Bruge and its beautiful architecture. We bought a combo ticket to see the Chocolate factory and Friet Museum, nothing wow but still enjoyable. Did the canal boat ride, stopped in a lot of chocolate shops, drank Belgium beer. Overall just a real nice relaxing time in a very beautiful city.</p>
<p>I made the mistake of trying the herring in Amsterdam. Usually I like herring, but there, apparently, they eat it raw, and I didn’t realize it. Sushi it ain’t. Bleck.</p>
<p>My advice…buy chocolate! It is terrific!</p>
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</p>
<p>I did eat there and it is indeed a restaurant known for its lobster --as the name indicates. The Baksteenkaai address is correct, but most people in Brussels will refer to as the Quai aux Briques. It is next to Place St Catherine. For a different experience, try Den Boer, which is just a few feet west of the Rubgyman. It is an old style bistro and one of their best dishes will be the Dover Sole. As everything in Brussels, look for the “tourist” menu as it is usually a bargain. And, for bargain, remember that most restaurants offer a much more affordable lunch menu. This makes the usually quite expensive food in Belgium really affordable. </p>
<p>Fwiw, for a great lunch, think about grabbing fresh seafood at Noordzee (it is around the corner of the Rugbyman) but is not a sit down restaurant. You eat al frssco. If you see the Decorte stand for french fries … try them. They will be great with the seafood from Noordzee. They are the best (and probably better than the more known Antoine on Place Jourdan.) Rankings can be iffy, but this one that has right as far as the seafood goes: <a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g188644-c33-Brussels.html[/url]”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g188644-c33-Brussels.html</a>
A sure tell sign – lots of Japanese tourists jockeying for one the rare seats at the counter. <a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d1133830-Reviews-Noordzee_Mer_du_Nord-Brussels.html[/url]”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d1133830-Reviews-Noordzee_Mer_du_Nord-Brussels.html</a></p>
<p>For mussels, remember that the summer months are not ideal for the best mussels from Zeeland. Many locals avoid them until September. Ask the servers at Noordzee as they will give you solid advice. </p>
<p>For a drink around the Grand Place, there are plenty of options, but a good choice is Cafe Cirio right across the Bourse (Stock Market.)</p>
<p>For chocolates, save your money and load up on Leonidas. The stores are everywhere and make sure to ask for the short-shelf life type. They are truly much, much better than Neuhaus. Of course, both are machine made. For an artisan type, check Marcolini on the “Sablon” where you will find a great pastry shop called Wittamer, as well as one of the oldest Pain Quotidien. The original one is close to the Marriott at the Stock Market (on rie Dansaert.) </p>
<p>Hotels? That is a hard question as it entirely depends on your budget. Just remember that the best hotels go on sale during the weekend when the Eurocrats go home. Same for July and August. The best hotels are known as the Old Conrad on Avenue Louise <a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188644-d228089-Reviews-Steigenberger_Grandhotel-Brussels.html[/url]”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188644-d228089-Reviews-Steigenberger_Grandhotel-Brussels.html</a>, the Meridian next to the Central Station and Grand Place, and the Dominican next to Opera House. <a href=“Hotel Brussels City Centre | Hotel The Dominican”>http://www.thedominican.be/default-en.html</a>
If your date is a weekend, make sure to price the most expensive ones, as the rate might surprise you. Thumper stayed at the Marriot Brussels, and it is convenient, especially if you have tons of points. Fwiw, the best hotel in Ghent is probably the Marriott as well – just as the best choice for a hotel next to Brussels Airport is also the Marriott. Broken record, perhaps! This said, you find this one [Brooderie</a> (Ghent, Belgium) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188666-d317718-Reviews-Brooderie-Ghent_East_Flanders_Province.html]Brooderie”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188666-d317718-Reviews-Brooderie-Ghent_East_Flanders_Province.html) interesting for a BB. Brooderie obviously means there is a bakery involved. </p>
<p>Lastly, if you arrive by air, you can jump on the train that joins the airport and the Central Station. A car is not needed to stay downtown, but helpful if you plan to visit the area. For museums, there are plenty of guides, but check the Horta house and the Comics Museum since Brussels is the world capital of comic books. </p>
<p>For Bruges, it is indeed a tourist trap, but just go with the flow. The experience is unique. Regarding staying in Bruges, if you have a car, you might drive out to Knokke, and check how the (rich) Belgians spent their hard earned money. There is a small hotel called Andrews that is well-located, and very warm and cozy. </p>
<p>For Holland, expect the hotels in cities like Amsterdam to be more expensive and rarely a good value. The food will also be quite inferior to what you will find in Belgium, but that is true for most countries, including France. </p>
<p>Well, that is as much as my memory allows!</p>
<p>Yes…we stayed at the Marriott…and it was great. Very conveniently located. Room sizes were quite lavish by European standards! We arrived at 7 a.m. after taking one of our many overnight flights…and we’re able to check in immediately. The service was really good, and the location quite nice.</p>
<p>In one of the plazas on the way to the train station, there is a breakfast place on a corner that serves fabulous Belgian waffles. We happened upon it our first day there…and went back all three days. It was inexpensive but really good! I think the sign was yellow.</p>
<p>Since you are going in July, I would recommend spending one night in the Hague at the beach. Scheveningen is the Dutch version of Wildwood NJ with plenty to see and do, with restaurants and bars right on the beach. In July, it will be light out past 10pm. </p>
<p>In Amsterdam and the Hague, you should rent bikes and ride around. There are plenty of places near the train station and they come with sturdy locks. There is a decent Albert Heijn supermarket in downtown Amsterdam just off the Dam Square that sells good cheese, bread, wine, etc that you can buy for a picnic lunch on Museumplein. (this is where the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and new Stedelijk are located). </p>
<p>Walking around the Red light district is safe, just don’t take pictures and watch your purse/wallet for occasional pickpockets. It really is an odd place. </p>
<p>Take the train from Amsterdam to the Hague. It’s far easier and cheaper than a rental car or taxi.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the beach at The Hague can be very nice and hopping when the sun’s out but dreary and fairly empty when they have their typical weather - overcast, gray, cold.</p>
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<p>Although it would be unlikely, considering how ubiquitous waffle shops are around the Grand Place, I “might” know one place that fits the description. For it to be, it would have to be located a bit away from Brussels Central Station and right across from the Novotel and Ibis hotels. It does have a yellow sign and is simply called Gaufres de Bruxelles. It is close to the Grand Place and the Galeries. The place, despite looking a perennial tourist trap, serves great waffles, crepes, but also some of the best sandwiches on baguettes in Brussels. </p>
<p>To be sure, hit google maps and enter Rue des Eperonniers and move the little guy all the way to the corner with the Plaza with the Novotel Hotel. </p>
<p>Would that be a coincidence!</p>