Where would you savvy CC travelers go if your DH had a business trip to Amsterdam, and you wanted to join him for that and tack on a long weekend somewhere else? Our only European trips have been to London & Paris, so almost everything would be new to us. We like history & art and want to minimize travel time & travel stress.
I would go to Bruges. You will likely need to change trains in Brussels. Brussels itself is also a worthy destination.
Agree…Bruges. It’s a nice place to spend a full day. Very pretty.
Bruges and/or Ghent.
Bruges is very pretty. I’d also look into Lyons, Berlin, and Luxembourg.
Scratch Lyon. I meant Lille
I don’t know my geography well…but if you want to add a long weekend…how far away is Vienna?
Vienna is awesome, but too far for a weekend train trip from Amsterdam (10+ hours on the train, plus transfer time, etc)
If it’s a long weekend you could do Berlin (6+ hours on the train).
Train to Luxembourg is almost as long as to Berlin.
If you are looking for a couple hours of travel, I would stick to Amsterdam and Belgium.
Another possibility would be Cologne.
Berlin
Amsterdam to Paris is just under 3 1/2 hours by high-speed train. That would be my choice because it’s . . . well, Paris, but I can understand your wanting to see someplace different.
Amsterdam to Brussels is just under 2 hours. Not a huge fan of the city, but there’s some good art and good food.
Amsterdam to Dusseldorf is just over 2 hours. Excellent, underrated art museum (K20, with an excellent collection of 20th century German and American art, including one of the best collections of German Expressionism).
At 6 1/2 hours, Berlin is a schlep, but the city is well worth visiting.
Leipzig rules, as does Bilbao (farther).
Train from Amsterdam to Leipzig is 8 to 10 hours with multiple changes. Not recommended. To Bilbao might take days.
I get just over seven to Leipzig, but I’m sure there are longer routes, @bclintonk
You’re right about Bilbao, though–my bad!
So many tempting possibilities! DH had originally thought Paris @bclintonk, but I felt I’d be frustrated to have only a few days there. Although if we had already gotten over our jet lag at the beginning of the trip in Amsterdam, those days could all be good ones. Thanks, all! Off to research now and appreciate the suggestions.
Gouda is a fun place.
Another vote for Bruges.
I was also going to vote Bruges -and still do. Then, I noticed you are into art - me also. Can you squeeze in a visit to The Hague as well? Specifically to see the Maurithuis? I’m envious!
I’ve done a few weekend trips out of Amsterdam before, and I would really recommend flying if that’s at all an option. It’s cheaper, faster, and you have more options. The different rules between various low-cost carriers can be confusing, but in my experience agents have been very helpful with helping me find loopholes and come up with ideas when I was caught off guard.
@Momofadult definitely will visit the Maurithuis! Never thought I’d have this chance.