Hi

Has anyone ever done this tour? I can't find any trip reports on it. Seriously considering it for May next year ...

We've taken that tour, and it was excellent. I would recommend getting to Amsterdam at least two days early, since the tour spends very little time there. Amsterdam is an easy city to get around on your own.

I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have about this tour.

quote:

Originally posted by SandyS:
We've taken that tour, and it was excellent. I would recommend getting to Amsterdam at least two days early, since the tour spends very little time there. Amsterdam is an easy city to get around on your own.

I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have about this tour.

Excellent Sandy - thank you! If I have any questions I will post them here.

I will be flying in the day the tour starts but am planning on staying in the Netherlands for an extra 5 days after the tour. Probably 2-3 days in Rotterdam (i have a friend there) and then 2-3 days in Amsterdam ... After my last tours I knew there would not be enough time to see everything ...

Hi Michelle,

I took the tour in September 05 and enjoyed it thoroughly. (Might have had something to do with the fact that I was just newly retired...) I was pleasantly surprised at the hotel accommodations, especially the Westin in Brussels. Luxembourg was the only place where we weren't centrally located to the centre of town.


I was very disappointed at how little willpower I had at resisting the yummy Belgian chocolates. I highly recommend you leave your willpower at home! The cruise on the canals in Bruges was a lovely optional as were most of them. I wasn't terribly thrilled with the visit to the Lion's Mount (Waterloo) but then I'm not that big a stair climber and war history buff. That was the only optional I wouldn't bother with if I were going again.

Shopping was great. They take you into a little shop in Bruges to see lace making - keep your eye open for their "clearance" table where you can pick up some beautiful souvenirs/gifts and no one at home will know they are last year's inventory.


Several of our tour members were planning to spend more time in Amsterdam at the end of the tour and I think that's an even better idea than coming in early because you will have had an introduction and will probably be totally confident about seeking out sights on your own.
If you didn't get to do the Anne Frank House with the optional, I would recommend you go on your own afterwards.

Have a great time!

Thanhs for the advice ZeldaSue.

Hmmm - Belgium Chocolates - what is willpower???

If I have any - it will definitely be left at home ...

Personally, I have no trouble with my willpower - it's my wont-power that is in serious need of an overhaul !!!

I think it's disgusting the way some people can't pass a confectionery shop! I always pass all of them, very easily. What I want to know is how I can stop myself going back to them!

EXpom - were you around in the old days in the UK (50 -60's) (19s that is)?, when a visit to a sweet shop was a very rewarding experience - all aimed at rotting children's teeth at minimal cost - my favourites were aniseed balls, and blackjacks - oh and sherbet suckers and all day gob stoppers - oh and love hearts (don't tell anyone) - and of course there were ......................................................................., and finally acid drops and pear drops.

Those were the days when the shopkeeper owned the shop and they would patiently give you three of those and two of those - sorry, make that four please; and one of those and eight of those, please. Everything lovingly displayed in cardboard trays and glass jars on endless rows of shelves. Those were the days when I could, at the age or 9 or 10, go in and buy a packet of 10 Woodbine cigarettes for my grandmother or grandfather, and not have the shop owner arrested and deported to Van Diemen's Land.

Blackjacks I think, were a farthing each (4 for a penny) - aniseed balls, 8 for a penny - a sherbet sucker was probably tuppence. Packet of Smith's Crisps (with salt included in a blue waxed paper wrapper) four pence. A large bar of chocolate one shilling, and a Wagon Wheel was fourpence. Fish and Chips - a piece of rock cod eleven pence, and chips fourpence (add your own salt and vinegar - newspaper provided! Oh for the olden days - happy days indeed - when children could be children for as long as they needed to be!! When children could play in the Street without even needing to know about 'stranger danger' - what happened? and why?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Steve H,

Memories, memories, where can I buy a time machine, does TT do time tours? In those days a kid of 9 or ten could be given 3 pence (old ones, that is) and safely packed off to walk to the South Kensington museums 6 or 7 miles away on foot to press all the buttons at the Science Museum. I went there 4 years ago and not a button in sight - they've ruined it with actual science! I couldn't find my favourite, the one where you turned a handle and braided the electric flex, they don't seem to have the Ham radio station GB2SM anymore, either.

Expom - I too used to spend many happy hours in that museum, I was disappointed when I went back in 2003 - it just wasn't the same. I was always enthralled with the glass bell jar, in the basement, with an electric bell inside, suspended by elastic bands. When you pushed the button the bell rang and a vacuum pump started which evacuated the jar until you could no longer hear the bell.

It's probably still well worth a visit, but it doesn't do it for me any more. Then again science used to be fun, not sure it is anymore!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Steve H,

I suppose it's still fascinating for todays kids but for me it's a disappointment, rather like going into your favourite supermaket and finding they've ra-arranged everything - or more likely I'm just getting old!

I took this tour last month. I stayed in Amsterdam 5 extra nights prior to the start of the tour and was really glad I did. The tour itself will not give you nearly enough time to really explore the city. It has so many fascinating aspects to it; well worth the extra time. Spend time just wandering along a canal or two. The Van Gogh Museum is a must see,IMO also. I happened to be there Queens Day---a big MISTAKE. Avoid Queens Day next year and every year---unless you are under 23 and love to drink and party in the streets. Also avoid the City about 3-4 days after this event as the trash and garbage created during Queens Day is monumental and it takes them that long to restore any sense of cleanliness to the City.

The tour itself was ok; you have to remember that these Countries are not high on beautiful scenery, so the bus rides are not all that exciting---and there was a fair amount of traffic so the few long days were just that---LONG. The War Memorial to the Battle of the Bulge is interesting, if WWII interests you. Luxembourg is clean, well cared for, but again its not a real tourist's destination. There is another WWII high spot there---the grave of Gen Patton. The optional to Trier, Germany was interesting although the Restaurant dinner in a "German" restaurant was not German at all; more like American "Diner" food---slices of Turkey and Pork and veggies served family style. That was a disappointment and a waste of money. They combined the Trier tour with the wine, castle valley tour and stopped in a cute little town---however they herded the whole bus load into a tiny tavern for the glass of wine and afterwards there was only a few minutes to explore the beautiful town, we almost had to run to the bus.

In Brugge I chose to spend the whole day in the City rather than take the optional tour outside of the City. Turned out to be a good choice. Just walking around Brugge, sampling chocolates and FF with Mayo in the main square and admiring the architecture---a day well spent.

Brussels main attraction is the beautiful Grand Place. I also did not go on the optional tour so I could spend time in the City. I went to the Musical Instrument Museum and just wandered around. Feel free to skip the optionals, especially if they take you away from a City that has much to offer.

We stopped for an hour or so in Ghent and I took the optional to the Castle--could have done without that and just wandered around the town.

Then stopped in Antwerp for an hour to wander. Would have been worth more time. On to Delft where we wandered again for about an hour.

Rotterdam was the last stop and most beautiful hotel--The Westin--but the City does not offer much for the walker---it was rebuilt after being bombed in the War and the Bridge is about the only point of interest. Skipped the optional which was to the top of the tower---I understand that due to weather those who went on this optional actually never got to go to the top----so I made another good decision.

All in all, it is a nice tour but the high points are Amsterdam, Brugge and Brussels and everything else is just extra. Beware of optional dinners as the one in Trier was not correctly described by the guide and the one in Brussels was way overpriced for what they gave us. Also the Waterloo Battlefield tour and Hitler's Atlantic Wall are good for those who are history buffs, but they diminish your time in both Brussels and Brugge.

One could easily stay a week in Amsterdam---explore the city and take train trips to other places of interest. I would easily give up Luxembourg itself. The Hilton there is quite nice, by the way, and the included dinner buffet is superb---the best of the included dinners. Brugge is a must; Brussels has some nice sites but is not essential. The Hilton there was comfortable. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask as I just took the tour and am glad to share my honest opinions.

Thanks for giving me such a detailed report on this tour MG. Very very helpful. Has changed my mind about a few things. Thanks again

MG--Enjoyed the description of your tour. Would it be possible to move (copy and paste maybe) your post to the Tour Tales section? That is where people go to search for a specific tour and since there are no others there, it would be very helpful.

I was specifically replying to Michelle's Question about this tour, so I think it should stay here. If it can be copied and one copy go there and one stay, that would be fine.