<p>I’ve been to the beaches near the Hague in mid-May and late September. It was chilly in May, but still fun. The weather in September was unexpectedly great. </p>
<p>I worked for a Dutch company for 13+ years and was in Amsterdam 3-4x/year and found the weather in June & July to be excellent, so it would be unusual to have a bad day in those months. (November-April is another story…)</p>
<p>Thanks all. It’s been a crazy 24 hours but hopefully tomorrow I will have time to read all these great responses carefully and take notes!</p>
<p>Amsterdam: Take a canal tour, best way to see the old city which was built around the canals; you’ll learn a lot about the city’s history and architecture. Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are world-class. Anne Frank House well worth a visit. Rent a bike and ride around the city (everyone does), then head over to Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s answer to Central Park. For food, I’m not particularly fond of Dutch cuisine, but the cheese is outstanding, chocolate is very good, and a meal of pannenhoeken, Dutch pancakes, can be fun (this could be lunch or dinner as they come with all sorts of toppings). Best food is Indonesian, though the Dutch are partial to rijsttafel, which is rice served with a variety of small plates from various Indonesian regions and styles of cooking, a good introduction and “safe” in the sense that if you don’t like one thing, you just eat something else, but not an authentically Indonesian way of eating. </p>
<p>Brussels: I’ve only been there a couple of times, and not recently, but to me Brussels is memorable mostly for the food. Unlike the Dutch, Belgians take gastronomy seriously, but they’re much less fussy and pretentious than the French, which results in high quality at a more affordable cost in a more friendly and down-to-earth setting. They also produce some of the world’s best and most interesting beers, and outstanding chocolate. But it’s been long enough that I can’t offer particulars. And the street fare–waffles and pommes frites (“French fries” which the Belgians do much better than the French) ain’t bad.</p>
<p>In Brugge, don’t miss the ladies making lace by hand. They’re in a church (I think that’s right) on the far end of the town from the train station.</p>
<p>Brussels has many fabulous museums, I spent hours in the musical instrument museum.</p>
<p>Brugges is delightful and I agree with previous posters that with all you have in your schedule, I would allow one day.</p>
<p>In Amsterdam, try to purchase your Anne Frank tickets from your hotel. They will cost a couple dollars more, but worth the price when you see the ticket line at the museum. The canal ride is a nice way to get an overview of the area and the flower markets are stunning! If Amsterdam is your final stop, get your fall tulip bulbs (the airport also has shops selling them). I love that airport, but the passport line for non Europeans can be horribly long.</p>
<p>Amsterdam - Book tickets to the Anne Frank House online NOW. There is a 0.5 Euro processing fee and you can print your tickets now or later. Visit the Museum Van Loon to get an idea of what the houses look like behind the facade. Also, the House with the Hidden Church in the Attic - can’t remember the official name. House of Bols! It’s a very walkable city.</p>
<p>Bruges - Visit the Bejinhof for their noon service. A nun rings the bell at 11:55 and the rest of the nuns enters the church a few minutes later for a 15-minute service of acapella chants. Then while the nuns remain for an additional 15 minutes of silent prayers, one nun will show you some sights in the church. Visit the museum and the gift shop. One of the nuns even invited us into her living room for a photo. One of the highlights. </p>
<p>Also, climb the tower of 366 steps. It’s really not that bad compared to Notre Dame (Paris) and the Duomo (Florence.) Eight Euros to climb.</p>