Bhavana

Hi

We are planning a girls trip to Amsterdam in October (4 days). Looking for adding another city for next 4 days. What would be your suggestion.
We are flying from India. Since its a group of friends, following have already been covered by some one or the other - London, Paris, Munich, Brussels, Most of Switzerland.
We were thinking of 1 of the following options:
1. Prague
2. Croatia- Dubrovnik
3. Copenhagen
4. French riviera (i dont think its the correct month to go in)

Please pour in your suggestions. We are open to other options as well.
Thanks
Bhavana

lavandula

What about pairing Amsterdam with Antwerp, if you have done Brussels? A close neighbour, same facilties in English, beautiful architecture (but no canals), a thriving nightlife, fantastic art galleries and really no time on the train to get there.

Lavandula

geetika

Maybe a couple of nights in Bruges, October should be much less crowded. Koln/Cologne would also be good, with a stop at Luxembourg.

IMO with only four days you don’t want to go too far from Amsterdam, or else you’ll waste almost a whole in travel. Your choices are all very good, but with Amsterdam perhaps Copenhagen is the closest, with least travel

Tulips

Here is a recent article on Antwerp from The Guardian;
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...de-to-the-city

Copenhagen would be good. On the French Riviera Nice is fine for October too, unless you are planning on beach weather. There is plenty to see and do, and the weather is usually still pleasant in October. Check which places are convenient for flying home. Do you have 4 days or 4 nights?

Sassafrass

Do you actually have four full days for each city, meaning five nights in each so travel days to/from/in between are separate and not counted towards time in places?

Bhavana

Yes, we have 4 full days in Amsterdam and 4 full days to spare for which we are looking for good options
I checked Antwerp- sounds like a good option. 4 days Amsterdam+ 3 days Antwerp+1 Luxemburg and fly next morning from there. For some reason, tickets are cheaper from Luxemburg as compared to Brussels.
Open to more options. Please suggest.
We are looking for some place with good nightlife and also good food (though we are vegetarians)

lavandula

I think your choices are good. Luxembourg is a longish journey by train from Antwerp - ideally you change at Brussels North to another IC and it will take probably 4 hours, maybe longer. That's probably why the return flight from Luxembourg is cheaper, because it's just that little harder to get there. Use Rome2 Rio to roughly check out possible connections, and then b-europe.com to refine and book this journey. It is also a quieter capital, but perhaps on your last night you don't want rowdy nightlife, you might just want some quiet time to reassess the luggage.

If you want to vary it a little, a day from Antwerp could be in Ghent - a university town with a student nightlife and an awesome jenever bar ('T Dreupelkot). Lots to see in Ghent, which has a medieval core and its own castle, as well as as some world-class artwork in its churches. However, I think you will probably want a lot of your time in Antwerp to give it its dues. Also - I know if you are on a girl's trip away, you will want to know - shopping is fantastic in Antwerp!

Good luck, I think you will have a great time.

Lavandula

Tulips

I don't know how many are in your group, but make restaurant reservations asap. There are some fantastic restaurants in Antwerp, but the best book up 2 to 3 months in advance, especially for larger groups it is important to book! Same for Amsterdam.

Gardyloo

Aside from nightlife and food, we don't have a lot to go on in terms of your preferences or priorities, or budget for that matter. So it sort of comes down to our own preferences and perceptions.

That being the case, I'd throw out a couple of destinations accessible by relatively short nonstop flights from Schiphol. With only four days using several hours twice for train travel seems unwise, never mind that while flights are a little more expensive this year than last, they're still pretty good value. So some suggestions:

1. Barcelona. Lovely in October, architecture, art, shopping... terrific.

2. Edinburgh. Scotland's beautiful capital is also grand in October. You could spend a couple of days in the city, then use a service like Rabbie's for a couple more touring the glorious Scottish countryside. There are several nonstop flights from/to Amsterdam daily.

3. Lisbon. Another beautiful capital city, with nightlife and cultural attractions galore.

I'm sure there are many more.

MoBro

Our daughter just spent two weeks in Amsterdam and Bruges. They loved them both.

shelemm

Go with your instincts. Prague or Copenhagen would be fantastic. The highlights of the French Riviera are spread out, so if you don't have a car, I don't recommend it. i have not been to Dubrovnik.

HappyTrvlr

I suggest Copenhagen too.
Prague was so crowded when we visited that I can’t recommend it. Lisbon would also be a good choice.

coral22

I like Lisbon or Barcelona, probably preferring Barcelona with their beautiful beaches. We aren't sunbathers, but always enjoy a nice walk on it. We love mixing up our destinations with a different ambiance and flavor.
I think a lot of your decision should depend on the ease of transfer to the next location with a big group, and heading home. Sounds like fun!

bilboburgler

Antwerp

bvlenci

I've been to all the places you mention in your original post, and of those I would recommend Copenhagen. Prague tends to be very crowded, but probably less so in October. Dubrovnik is very small (and also usually crowded). I wouldn't spend more than a day there. I don't know how the French Riviera is in October. It certainly wouldn't be beach weather.

Any of the places you mention could be chilly and rainy in October. I would definitely choose a place that has the possibility of indoor activities if the weather is not favourable for outdoor activities. I think Copenhagen would be the best choice of the places you mention. London would be another possibility.

I haven't been to Luxembourg.

Bhavana

Thank you everyone for the inputs, they were very helpful

So we are planning on 4 days in Amsterdam+3 days in Belgium+1 day in Luxemburg and fly out the next day.

In Belgium, we would like to visit Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp as day trips.-So which would be a good base for these day trips (I generally like to stay in small beautiful towns but i guess then we will not be able to enjoy the nightlife).

For the last day, we will take a train to Luxemburg (i guess its easier from Brussels/ Antwerp)

Any place recommendation where we get a balance of small town feel along with good nightlife near by (i know both are contradictory- but since we are friends travelling together, want to balance out the wishlist)

lavandula

Hi again, I think Ghent might be a good midpoint between Antwerp and Bruges. Ghent is not a big city, still has a small-town feel, but has a fairly good nightlife still. Bruges still has restaurants and bars, and is heavily touristed by day, for obvious reasons, but is not as central and less buzzy at night. Antwerp is not as good a base either as to get to Bruges you need to go through Ghent, but has a marvellous nightlife. You will need to decide if you stay near the train station or in the town, because the town is a short distance away from the stations so you will need to catch a tram into town. Gent Sint Pieters is the main station coming to and from Brussels and Antwerp.

Really, Belgium is so small and the towns so close together that there is not much in it - travel between cities is minutes rather than hours (exception might be Bruges to Antwerp which is about 1.5 hours).

Going to Luxembourg, you need to change in Brussels, so go straight there from Ghent. The station you need is called Bruxelles-Midi or Brussel-Zuid (Brussels South). Brussels is bilingual (French / Dutch) and so the station has two names. Everyone speaks English, you will have no problem getting around.

Lavandula

odie1

Can I jump on this and ask since it is relevant, I too am deciding between Antwerp and Ghent. I will be with my BFF coming from five days in Maastricht where we will be visiting my daughter at university. I spent five nights in Bruges about 12 years ago and she has never been, We will have the majority of one day (however long it takes to arrive by train from Maastricht); two full days and then our international flight leaves from BRU at 11:10 AM. I am assuming Ghent is the best location?

dfourh

Personally, I find Ghent intimate, charming, flowing, full of aspects; the beer bars earn the same adjectives. Antwerp I haven't had the same dimensions of experience.

Here are some piccies (including Aachen), though they are from a January trip, where the lights at night are spectacular, and in January there is plenty of night: